Hearts Uplifted

21/05/2026

"I got baptized last night into the restored Church of Jesus Christ. I am so blessed and thankful to be a part of the Oakhurst Ward. I've been baptized before, but this time felt different. I feel different. I was given the gift of the Holy Ghost and I'm ready to keep pursuing the will of our Father in Heaven.

To all my Christian friends:
If you feel like you’re missing something and want to further your relationship with God, I encourage you to read the Book of Mormon and attend the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

—Brother Cody McClour

18/05/2026

“We converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and were baptized in 2014, originally members of the Southern Baptist church.

We had been trying for a couple of years to have children and received a priesthood blessing.

We ended up with twins in 2016.
In 2018, we had a surprise and our youngest was born.

The closest church is about 40 minutes away, so we started missing church because it was hard to get there with 3 small kiddos.
In 2020, with Covid, churches seemed to shut down.

I was sucked into the ‘science is the answer’ and became sort of agnostic.
During my agnostic phase, my wife and I separated.

We were married in the LDS chapel in 2014, so I guess I was revolting against everything and ended up removing my name from church membership.

We thankfully got back together after about a month or two.

With the Covid lockdowns, mask mandates, etc, I slowly became more conservative… although not quite believing in God yet.
About Christmas of 2023, I began to realize there is a God and as the LDS doctrine makes the most sense in Christendom I was contemplating returning to church.

There always seemed to be an excuse as to why we couldn’t make it that weekend.
On Feb 1st, I received a call that my best friend had committed su***de.

I realized how fragile life is.

A small voice told me that I needed to get back into church.

I needed to point my children in the right direction, because they would be tempted, and without a firm foundation they could succumb.
I knew then that there could be no more excuses and finally went back to church on March 3rd and haven’t missed a Sunday since.
I was officially re-baptized on April 20th, 2024.
I was baptized on a Saturday and received the Aaronic priesthood that following Sunday.
My twins had just turned 8.
I had been gone for years but God began drawing me back to His church just in time for me to baptize my boys.

I baptized them on the following week.”

— Brother Matthew

18/05/2026

“I was a bishop in Midway when my son Kale emailed me from the MTC: ‘I’m not doing this anymore’.

Two weeks earlier, I’d presided over his farewell.

He was a white-shirt-and-tie kid, over the moon excited about Japan.

I went numb at the keyboard.

My LDS map, the one I’d advocated from the pulpit, suddenly stopped working.

What followed was 13 years of learning what I should’ve seen sooner.

Sarah and I had built a family on high expectations.

Strongs serve missions.

Strongs marry in the temple.

There was no hellfire, just a playbook.

And Kale was wrestling underneath all of it, sending signals we missed because we were too busy running the play.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

Expectations, when too rigid, become manipulation, even when they come from love.

You cannot install the gospel into someone.

It has to grow inside them, and you have to stay out of the way.

As a mission president over 700 missionaries, the single thing that mattered wasn’t scripture knowledge or worthiness, it was desire.

If they chose it, Heavenly Father did the rest.

We are called to gather, not sift.

God is the judge, later, not now.

When we use standards to sort people instead of lift them, we get it wrong.

The most pivotal moment came on a plane.

I sat next to a man flipping through black-and-white photographs of falcons.

He’d captured the soul of these birds.

I asked him what most people don’t understand about falcons.

He didn’t hesitate: ‘They don’t have to come back. They choose to come back. When you release them, if they feel frustration or anger from me, they don’t return.’

God was showing me my son.

Kale wasn’t rebellious or broken.

He hadn’t rejected us.

He was a falcon, wounded, and free.

I had turned healthy stewardship into control and love into unyielding expectations without even knowing it.

That moment carried me for a year.

Whenever things got hard, I could feel God’s hand on my shoulder.

That is the tender mercy.

That is the power of deliverance.

God is found in the messiness.

He reaches through the fog and finds us there.”

- Brother Jeff Strong
tornbyjeffstrong

16/05/2026

Nope, Actually we just seeing the contentment of someone wearing modest and formal attire with a good attitude and Christ-like character.🧘🤗

What do you think Brothers and Sisters?

15/05/2026

Members of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered in Quezon City, Philippines, on May 9 for the groundbreaking ceremony of the long-awaited Bago-Bantay Meetinghouse. Nearly 100 ward members, missionaries, pioneer members, and former bishops joined the historic event at the 2,500-square-meter property on Abra Street that the Church purchased in 2001. Church leaders described the future meetinghouse as more than just a building, calling it a symbol of growing testimonies, missionary work, and a refuge for both members and the surrounding community. Scheduled for completion in mid-2027, the new chapel stands as a testament to decades of sacrifice, service, and unwavering faith from generations of Bago-Bantay Saints.

14/05/2026

Follow this page for more uplifting updates about all missionaries worldwide.🤍

One minute you’re begging them to stop screaming in the car. The next, you’re crying in an airport parking lot.🥹💚

My son was the screaming kind. I had no idea that kid would become the easiest person in my life.

Slept through the night at five months. Kept his room clean as a teenager. Did the dishes without being asked. Thanked me for dinner. Even asked how I was doing.

For a while, I felt guilty for having a favorite child. But his siblings would agree.

Two years ago, I said goodbye to my best friend at the airport. Once a week I got to hear his voice.

He missed his grandmother’s last breath. His sister’s wedding. His cat dying in someone else’s arms.

He gave all of it up. For strangers.

Two years ago I gave my son to God.
Next month God gives him back.

28 days, 19 hours, and 42 minutes.

— Sister Heather Dunford Nemelka

13/05/2026

Caught a glimpse of the beautiful Auckland New Zealand Temple in the distance lighting up in the night on our way into Auckland. 😇

— Brother Maynard Sariman

12/05/2026

🕊️ Heavenly Father just welcomed home my Mission President and dear friend with open arms 🕊️

… when I was 19 I left on my 2 year Latter Day Saint mission to Mesa Arizona as a young boy… I’m eternally grateful to President Mark Bassett for turning me into a man!

1 year ago my wife and I made a late night trip to Handles Ice cream here in St. George Utah,

(because it’s good to eat ice cream late at night right before bed...)

We walk in and while taking our time looking at the menu a group of women walk in behind us. My heart immediately melted as I looked back and recognized my mission presidents wife, Sister Angie Basset who I hadn’t seen in 15 years

She was with her daughters on a girls retreat here in town. We caught each other up on all things good in life, hugged and said our goodbyes disappearing into the warm St. George night with our ice creams in hand 🍦

A couple weeks later my wife and I walk into the back of church that Sunday a couple minutes late. My eye sight isn’t the best but as I focus on the front I see a man sitting by our bishopric who looks just like my mission president…

“Holy Moly!!! It’s President Bassett” I YELL ALOUD…

… (in my mind) 😁

He looked so radiant, so alive, so happy with the light of Christ shining through every fiber of his being ☀️

Turns out he and his wife had stopped in to surprise me 🥹 spoilt little me…

If you’re still reading along, here’s the juicy part of the story…

After sacrament that day, we had all decided that we were going to meet up at the next general conference up in Salt Lake City.

That afternoon, I called my family in New Zealand and asked if they wanted to come to general conference and that the Bassett’s would get them tickets, some pretty cool seats and eat lunch with the other general authorities since President Bassett was serving in the Seventy.

Fast forward a few weeks and this all happened making one of my Mum‘s dreams come true to attend general conference. One thing, President Bassett was amazing at was making you feel like you were his most favorite Missionary 🥹🥹🥹 (which I was.. 😉)

The last conversation I had with him over lunch that Sunday afternoon was about life and my career path. He being a successful businessman at a very young age I asked his advice about what I should do .

All he said to me was, “you have a gift, use it”

With the passing of my president today, I have made the decision to use my GIFT to GIVE all of my heart, might, mind and strength to the service of God and his people in Zion. Just as he has done in his EPIC SERVICE OF GOD while here on earth.

I love my President and I know he now kneels before Jesus Christ and bathes the Saviors feet and hands with his tears 😭

God bless the Bassett family with all the love of mine and others hearts and souls around the world.

— Brother Smith

12/05/2026

We are deeply saddened at the sudden passing of Elder W. Mark Bassett, a General Authority Seventy who had been serving since April of 2016. Elder Bassett passed away on May 11, 2026, as a result of a traumatic brain injury. He was with his family in St. George, Utah, when the incident occurred.

At the time of his death, Elder Bassett was serving as the Executive Director of the Missionary Department, overseeing worldwide missionary efforts. His service in this calling coincided with a period of historic growth in missionary efforts around the world and unprecedented levels of missionaries deciding to serve. Elder Bassett will be deeply missed and always remembered for his great faith and dedicated service to the Lord Jesus Christ.

During a devotional for missionaries held at the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo, Utah, just days before his passing, Elder Bassett bore testimony and challenged missionaries to “Invite everyone to come—and do everything you can to help them enter this beautiful gate, which leads to eternal life." His devotion in life reflected these teachings and leaves a loving legacy for all.

Our love and prayers are with his dear wife Angela, his children, and his grandchildren during this difficult time.

11/05/2026

“I was raised by a dad who didn’t give us a choice about church.

Seventh of eight kids, raised on a Sanpete County farm.

Three meetings every Sunday, woodshed if you slacked.

Five of my six brothers served missions.

I was the namesake, but I was the one who didn’t go.

My testimony was borrowed.

I knew what mom and dad believed, but I never asked God for myself.

Then came the tragedy.

Two of my brothers went off the rails…fundamentalist, apostate, dark.

One died as the longest-serving man on death row in Utah history.

The other is still in prison.

These were my best friends growing up, and I had to testify against them.

I moved to the Northwest to escape the memories.

Sunday became golf & drinks.

The booze depleted me, and depression set in.

My mother worked in the temple for years.

I know my name was on that prayer list.

She came to live with me for three months, and every Sunday she asked- Watson, will you take me to church?

Every Sunday I drove her, then went golfing.

Until Mother’s Day.

I finally went but I didn’t feel a thing.

I kept the program in my drawer.

Two years later, hollow and depressed, I called my brother Mark.

He said, Watson, when I’m depressed, I read the Book of Mormon.

I didn’t even own one.

Then I looked down.

There was one on the table beside my chair.

My niece had left it there.

I read all night.

Somewhere in Alma, the Spirit bore witness, and I couldn’t deny it.

I dug that program out, called the bishop, and started over.

Mom’s prayers did what 25 years of running couldn’t.

God listens to mothers.

I’m proof.“

— Brother Watson