The May/June issue of LDS Living magazine is here! And with it comes two stories that are sure to inspire you to endure faithfully and love fully. Gymnast MyKayla Skinner and teen Sarah Frei are women with very different circumstances, but both are choosing to live with determination and faith.
You can also find a book excerpt from S. Michael Wilcox about overcoming doubt and an interview with Rob Gardner about the concert film Lamb of God.
To see what else is in this issue, watch a sneak peak of the magazine in the video below, and then keep scrolling to read more about each of the articles!
You can also order your own copy of the May/June issue or sign up for a yearly subscription.
Going for the Goal—Why MyKayla Skinner Is Giving the Olympics One More Shot
The rescheduled 2020 Summer Olympics are just weeks away, and the whole world will be watching. Latter-day Saint MyKayla Skinner is determined to experience the games not through her TV screen, but by competing in the action. An alternate for the US women’s gymnastics team in the 2016 Olympics, MyKayla says the sport is her mission—and this summer, her story and testimony could reach more people than ever before.
You can find this story, written by Morgan Jones, in the issue or subscribe to our newsletter to read it when it goes online on May 12.
‘Nothing Can Stop Her’: How One Teen Conquers Tragedy with Faith
Sarah Frei’s life changed forever when she and her friends were hit by a drunk driver in a car accident last summer. Both her legs had to be amputated and she has since been adjusting to her new reality. But Sarah’s enduring faith in the Savior and love for life caught people’s attention and touched their hearts. Now, tens of thousands of people follow her inspiring story.
You can read the full article by Danielle Christensen here.
Praying through the Darkness of Doubt
At various times in life we long for a peek behind the veil, seeking the soothing answers only God can give. But what do we do when it seems that God remains silent? We strive to stand firm and to emerge stronger, assured that God is with us in all moments of doubt, questioning, and fear.
This article is the first chapter of a new book from S. Michael Wilcox called Holding On: Impulses to Leave and Strategies to Stay. Wilcox shares six strategies to cope with doubt and help us grow our faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Drawing on his own personal faith journey as well as lessons from scripture, history, and literature, Holding On is an insightful, honest, and empathetic conversation about faith and doubt. The messages in this book urge us to hold onto faith, center the essentials, resist the impulses to leave—and stay.
You can read the excerpt in the issue or subscribe to our newsletter to read it when it goes online later this month.
You can also preorder Holding On here.
Who Said It? Dispelling a Famous Latter-day Saint Myth
A quote often cited by Latter-day Saints tells of a mother wanting to pull up to the pearly gates of heaven in a muddy station wagon with a “smudge of peanut butter” on her shirt and dirt under her fingernails—all to show the Lord that she lived a life of service and love. This quote has often been attributed to Sister Marjorie Pay Hinckley. But did she actually pen those words?
In this article, Deseret Book author Keith A. Erekson explains how we tracked down the original source of a famous quote while he was writing the book Real vs. Rumor: How to Dispel Latter-day Myths. The book explores Church history myths, rumors, and false quotes to demonstrate how to think effectively about the information that swirls around us in our day.
You can find this story in the issue or subscribe to our newsletter to read the story when it goes online later this month.
You can also find Real vs. Rumor at Deseret Book stores and on deseretbook.com.
The Biography I Never Dreamed of Writing
Even as a teenager, Richard E. Turley Jr. knew exactly who he wanted his role model to be: the intellectual and spiritual giant Dallin H. Oaks. So it came as a shock one day in 1985 when Turley received a phone call from his role model, who was then a recently ordained Apostle—and he never would have dreamed of the opportunities that awaited.
You can read the full article now here.
Close Quote: Rob Gardner
Rob Gardner is the composer of many beloved works, including Lamb of God and Joseph Smith the Prophet. He is also the director, arranger, and conductor of Cinematic Pop. This year, Gardner brought the cinema and the sacred together by transforming Lamb of God into a concert film. We recently asked him about his faith and what motivates his music.
You can find this story in the issue or subscribe to our newsletter to read an extended version online later this month.
