Here’s a look inside the missionary assignment room.
This is where my fellow apostles and I come frequently to assign the thousands of missionaries that are applying to serve missions all over the world.
This process is inspired, revelatory, and I love it with all my heart.
Nowhere should our joy as a people be more apparent than when we gather together each Sabbath in our sacrament meetings to worship the source of all joy!
🇺🇸 Most Badass Americans You Don’t Know D-Day Edition (D+4): Arthur F. DeFranzo
Staff Sergeant Arthur F. DeFranzo stormed Omaha Beach on D-Day with the Big Red One.
On June 10 (D+4), he turned into a one man machine gun silencing wrecking crew.
Born March 20, 1919, in Saugus, Massachusetts, DeFranzo enlisted in the Army in November 1940.
By D-Day he was a battle-hardened Staff Sergeant in the 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division.
On the morning of June 10, 1944, near Vaubadon, France, his platoon’s scouts were advancing across an open field when the enemy suddenly opened fire with several machine guns and hit one of the men.
DeFranzo did not wait. He moved out in the open under heavy fire to rescue the wounded scout.
He was himself wounded but dragged the man back to safety.
Refusing aid for his own wounds, he reentered the open field and led the advance upon the enemy.
At least two machine guns poured fire on him, but DeFranzo kept going forward, firing as he advanced.
One by one the enemy emplacements fell silent.
Wounded again, he continued on until he was within 100 yards of the enemy position.
Even as he fell, he kept firing his rifle and waving his men forward.
When his company came up behind him, despite his many severe wounds, he suddenly raised himself and once more moved forward in the lead of his men until he was hit again.
In a final act of courage, he threw several grenades at the enemy machine-gun position and completely destroyed the gun.
He fought so his brothers could live.
Staff Sergeant Arthur F. DeFranzo was killed in action that day at age 25.
He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
He rests today in Riverside Cemetery in his hometown of Saugus, Massachusetts.
Arthur F. DeFranzo is an American Badass
Thank you, Arthur! 🫡🇺🇸
In the gospel workshop I hosted about hearing God’s voice in an age of artificial intelligence, I invited viewers to take specific actions to deepen their relationships with God, self, others, and the natural world and environment around us.
In a world of accelerating technology and artificial intelligence, may we never lose the divine intelligence that matters most—the voice of God.
Learn more about hearing God’s voice in an age of artificial intelligence: https://t.co/m5QnYt8Hqe
44 years ago, I decided I would quit debating and find out once and for all if what my friends, teammates, and two young men in white shirts and ties had told me about the @Ch_JesusChrist was true.
There is a promise given at the very end of the Book of Mormon:
And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”
Moroni 10:4–5.
Our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ, keeps every promise. I read, prayed, asked, and listened.
He answered.
That decision will bless my family and me for an Eternity.
– Burgess Owens, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Years ago, I flew a brand-new B747 on its first flight from Seattle to San Francisco. It was a clear day, and I was amazed by the beauty of the remarkable lineup of six solitary volcanoes, from Mount Rainier and Mount Hood to Mount Shasta.
Today, along the same route, we find more than six temples proclaiming Holiness to the Lord—the newest being the Willamette Valley Oregon Temple, which I was blessed to dedicate today. The house of the Lord lifts our vision, reorients our hearts, and reminds us who we are and whose we are.
Just as these great mountains mark the landscape, holy temples—and the covenants we make there—mark and connect our lives with the God of the Universe.
When you come to the temple during times of personal trial and great sorrow, you will find sweet peace for your soul. When you come to give thanks and worship God, our Heavenly Father, you will receive a special measure of affirmation and confidence from Him.
The temple will enrich your lives, inspire you to create in your homes and families a spirit of hope and peace, and endow you with blessings from on high.