Ideas for teaching children about the last week of Christ’s life
Easter can be a tricky holiday for Latter-day Saints. Traditional celebrations include the Easter Bunny, eggs, candy, Easter egg hunts and new clothes. Religious celebrations have nothing to do with these rituals, but instead focus on Jesus Christ and His atonement. It’s up to each LDS family to choose how to celebrate Easter. But if […]
Good Samaritan bill gives civil immunity to people who rescue kids from hot cars
A bill that would give Good Samaritans civil immunity if they rescue children locked in cars quickly passed through a House committee on Tuesday afternoon. House Bill 152, sponsored by Rep. Tim Quinn, R-Heber City, would protect people who rescue children locked in cars. Members of the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee unanimously […]
More than 70 families need Sub for Santa sponsors
With less than a week before Christmas, there still are 78 Sub for Santa families who need sponsors. “It seems like a lot, but we’ve already helped more than a thousand families,” said Michaelann Bradley, communications manager for United Way of Utah County. For more than 35 years, United Way of Utah County has connected […]
The 8 stages of general conference with little kids
Parents in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, … and to teach them to … observe the commandments of God,” according to “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” So when general conference rolls around, it’s up to Mom and Dad to […]
How to care for a toddler in sacrament meeting
If you have toddlers at home, you know all about the highs and lows of bringing a toddler to church. Sister Rosemary M. Wixom, former Primary general president, said: “Be thoughtful and tolerant of children and those adults with children. … Imagine with me that you are a child sitting on a hard seat with […]
10 reasons why it takes a village to raise a child
My family and I recently moved to Utah from Texas. After three years of living in Dallas, in the heat and humidity far away from family, there have been a few adjustments to make. But besides purchasing winter coats and introducing our children to fry sauce, one change has been especially apparent as we’ve settled […]
What the apostles’ children have said about their dads
Fathers hold a valuable place in homes around the world. Especially in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the role of father is held in high, sacred regard. In last April’s general conference, Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles called the role of husband and father “the highest […]
Nonprofits looking for donation love during marathon fundraiser
The countdown is on for 24 hours of giving to your favorite nonprofit through Love Utah Give Utah. Project Read, based in Provo, is hoping to raise $1,000 this year for one-on-one tutoring services for functionally illiterate adults, said program coordinator Millie Jones. The tutoring helps people further their education, get better employment or even […]
General Conference Temple Square Scavenger Hunt
Attending general conference in the Conference Center on Temple Square in Salt Lake City is a unique experience, and one many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints share with their families. But the 10 hours of sessions are only part of the experience. Touring Temple Square is an indispensable part of […]
How to engage small children in scripture study
If anecdotes from general conference and other meetings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are any indicator of overall trends, getting young children to engage in scripture study can be laughably difficult. Elder David A. Bednar taught an important lesson about family scripture study, prayer and family home evening in his 2009 general […]
Senate OKs gun safety program
Kids in grades five to 12 may start getting firearms safety training, if the House OKs a measure to create a pilot program for the course. The Senate approved the bill on Friday in a 22-5 vote. Senate Bill 43, sponsored by Sen.Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, would create a pilot program to teach children in […]
Gun safety course for kids passes Senate committee
One percent of firearm deaths in Utah are the result of negligent discharge, like the 2014 case in Kaysville when a girl found a loaded gun and accidentally shot her older sister. So Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, wants to make sure Utah children know what to do, and not do, when they come across […]
#Give: Get Sub for Santa on your Christmas list
Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals seem to come earlier every year, but it’s not too late to get Sub for Santa on your gift list this year. And if you need help, there’s still time to sign up for the program. Here’s how it works: Needy families sign up for the United Way of […]
Orem fundraising for playground for kids of all abilities
Orem is starting to amp up its efforts to raise money for the city’s all-abilities playground — it brought in between $700 and $800 at the Christmas tree-lighting event on Monday night and there’s a bootcamp fundraiser on Thanksgiving morning. Though the city raised money at the tree-lighting event, it also was about raising awareness of […]
20 years later: Unconventional LDS families find strength in the Family Proclamation
When Gordon B. Hinckley read “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” in September 1995, Rachelle Whipple loved what she heard and was confident that everything in it fit perfectly with her life plan. She would get married and have five children, she thought, staying home with them to be the primary nurturer while her husband went […]
Study confirms Mormons more likely to marry, have children
In a new study that validates many Mormon stereotypes, the Pew Research Center has confirmed that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are indeed more likely to marry and have children than members of other religious groups in the United States. Mormons and marriage More specifically, Mormons are especially likely to marry other Mormons — 82 […]
Utah tops list of best places to grow up for upward mobility
A new study out of Harvard University ranks counties in the United States based on opportunity for upward mobility. While some results are disheartening (young men growing up in Baltimore are at a distinct economic disadvantage, the study shows), the data suggests that kids who grow up in Utah may be at an economic advantage over […]
Eight is great: 8 things to teach your child before baptism
Baptism is the first ordinance in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Children of record are eligible for baptism when they turn 8 years old, but parents and Church leaders should help them prepare for this important milestone before the child is baptized. Here are eight things to teach your child before he or she turns 8 years […]
All I really need to know I learned in Primary
The principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ are simple enough for a child to understand, yet usually take a lifetime to master. Many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are first introduced to these principles in their childhood. Gospel truths taught in the Church’s Primary organization are simple and succinct. As Church […]
Helping kids love the temple at every age
It is a time of unprecedented temple building, and Utah has more temples than any other state. Utah is home to 17 temples — 10 more than California, which has the second-most—and is home to the only two cities in the world with two temples (Provo and South Jordan). One open house is currently running with […]
Orem’s Pickle Park named for mom who died in childbirth
After Katrina Galbraith Lawrence died last year giving birth to her sixth child, her friends and neighbors knew that the perfect memorial to her life would be a peaceful park, right across the street from the house where she lived. “We felt like we needed to find a place where her family could come and […]
Provo gives 32 bicycles to nonprofit Bike Collective
The Provo Bike Collective is 32 bikes richer after the Provo council cleared the way for the nonprofit organization to get the unclaimed property from the Provo Police Department. The organization plans to use the bikes to teach children how to repair and refurbish bicycles, then the kids will get to keep the bikes they worked on, […]
UV crime: Reward in violent bank robbery, kids in the street
Violent bank robbery in Lindon There is a $10,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of two men who robbed the American Bank of Commerce last week at 144 S. State St. in Lindon. The two male robbers were wearing business suits — one light and one dark — and had guns, stun guns […]
10 ways parents eat their words
We all have lofty ideals about raising our kids. And then we all eat crow about them. 1. “I will never use the TV as a babysitter.” Total meltdown. Sesame Street marathon. Netflix is your saving grace. 2. “I will never let my kid eat processed food.” Until he starves, because he refuses to […]
Provo School Board decides on $108 million bond
PROVO — When Provo voters go to the polls in November, they’ll see a $108 million bond from the Provo School District. The money from the bond will pay to rebuild most of Provo High School (with the exception of the new field and the addition from the 1990s), and Rock Canyon, Edgemont, Provost and […]
Practice makes perfect: Strategies for helping your kids maximize their practice time
Your daughter pleaded to take piano lessons but getting her to sit down and actually practice is not exactly a harmonious experience. And your son was really excited to join the soccer team, but his lackluster effort during practices makes you wonder if the money you plunked down was worth it. Sound familiar? Enlisting children […]
Preschool prep: Making the most of your tot’s first classroom experience
Since preschool is optional, all you have to worry about is dropping off your kid and filling the snack pail full of string cheese when it’s your turn, right? Wrong. Just because you won’t be joining the PTA just yet doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be actively involved in your child’s (albeit early) education. Mindy Winterton, […]
Making memories: 5 ways to make general conference fun for kids
With inspiring messages, family traditions, a chance to sleep late and church on TV, what’s not to love about general conference? If you’re a kid, there might be a lot. Eight hours of listening to people speak, often without any sort of visual aid to add interest, is challenging for little ones and adults alike. […]
So … When you gonna have kids?
By Douglas for rationalfaiths.com “When are you going to have kids?” Nearly every married has received this question one or a thousand times. While this question is socially acceptable, it is actually disrespectful and intrusive to a couple’s privacy, at least that is what Douglas has seen. In his editorial piece, Douglas explains why people […]
5 lessons at the Tinkering Studio
For the past five years, Thanksgiving Point has opened a new exploratory exhibit on July 1st. After a successful year with “Sound of Listening,” last year’s exhibition, the Museum of Ancient Life is opening their new exhibition “Tinkering.” With more than 20 interactive exhibits, science becomes more of a thrill than a classroom assignment. Here […]