Documentaries of the Prophets - Videos of the Prophets - History of the LDS Church

I have noticed that sometimes the church will change their websites and send you to another page - so hopefully these will take you to the page that is listed.

Documentaries on the Presidents of the Church

You can find 14 of the Prophets on this page - not in order though!

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/collection/documentaries-on-the-presidents-of-the-church?lang=eng

Latter-day Prophets

Each prophet and President of the Church, from Joseph Smith and Brigham Young to the present, is represented in a media multicollection profiling their lives, teachings, and service in the gospel as well as their worldwide ministry.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/collection/latter-day-prophets?lang=eng

History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

• Saints: A Narrative History
• Stories of Faith
• Historic Sites and Museums
• Get access to our collection of archival records, books, research guides, and other resources.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/learn/history?lang=eng

Six Reasons We Really Do Need the Church!

By Eric B. Murdock and Joshua J. Perkey
Church Magazines - August 2018

A lot of things in life are optional. But to become the person you were meant to be, you have to follow the plan Heavenly Father has made for you.

Have you ever heard someone ask why we have a church? Or maybe why we need one? Why can’t they just be spiritual on their own—go to the mountains or the beach or another special place and feel close to God—and call it good?

It’s certainly true that you can be close to God wherever you are (in fact, it’s a really good idea!), but Heavenly Father has so much more in store for you than generic spirituality. He wants you to become the best you can be. In fact, He wants you to inherit all that He has and gain eternal life. And He has a plan and an organization so you can do that. The plan is the plan of salvation, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the organization—“the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth” (D&C 1:30).

Here are six reasons why we really do need the Church.

1. To Learn and Participate in the Gospel of Jesus Christ
One of the blessings of being a member of the Church is that we can learn the fulness of the gospel (see D&C 1:17–23). If we have a sincere desire to learn, and if we are humble, prayerful, diligent, and obedient, we can gain a testimony and have hope in the Resurrection and in the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Through Church leaders and Church materials, we also learn about other essential doctrine, including the Restoration of the gospel, the calling of prophets today, and the true nature of the Godhead. Living in accordance with true doctrine brings us joy and happiness.

2. To Receive Essential Ordinances and Covenants
Heavenly Father’s work is to “bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). But sometimes we might forget that His work requires some work on our part too! We qualify for the blessings of eternal life by obedience to the ordinances and covenants of the gospel. President Russell M. Nelson has said: “We cannot wish our way into the presence of God. We are to obey the laws upon which those blessings are predicated [see D&C 130:20–21].”1

The ordinances we participate in and the covenants we make are necessary for us to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father and live with Him. Those ordinances and covenants require the priesthood—which is available only in God’s true Church. Without those covenants, we’d be lost.

3. To Help Each Other Along the Way
Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught, “A major reason the Lord has a church is to create a community of Saints that will sustain one another in the ‘strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life’ [2 Nephi 31:18].”2

At church, we can develop caring relationships with others. We can help each other get through tough times as we lead, guide, and walk beside each other (see “I Am a Child of God,” Hymns, no. 301; Ephesians 2:19). Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has said, “We are all children of God, and we must teach each other; we must help each other ‘find the way.’”3 The Church is the perfect place to do that!

4. To Help Families Qualify for Eternal Life
Another major reason we have the Church is to help families qualify for eternal life. The sealing ordinance in the temple allows families to be together forever. For that to happen, we have to live worthy to receive those blessings. The Church helps families help each other do that.

As Elder Christofferson has taught, “The point of gospel teaching and priesthood ordinances administered by the Church is that families may qualify for eternal life.”4 Thus, the Church helps us live up to those covenants—and helps us support each other along the way.

5. To Bless People All over the World

Elder Christofferson said that as we work together in the Church, Heavenly Father can “achieve needful things that cannot be accomplished by individuals or smaller groups.”5

Did you know that every year for the past 30 years, the Church has donated US$40 million worth of welfare and humanitarian aid and service projects? The generous donations and volunteer service that Church members offer accomplishes things that could be done in no other way.

Through our extraordinary missionary program, missionaries share the light of the gospel with people all over the world. Nearly 105,000 missionaries (including young adults and seniors) are serving. Wow! That’s more people than the population of some cities!

And because of members’ charitable donations, the Church has the resources to build temples all over the world. As of April 2018, there were 182 temples in operation, under construction, or announced.

6. To Establish the Kingdom of God on the Earth
One of the most important reasons God established a church is that it is the kingdom of God here on the earth (see D&C 65). The Lord bestowed upon Joseph Smith and all the prophets and apostles since him the keys of the priesthood. Elder Christofferson taught, “In the authority of these keys, the Church’s priesthood officers preserve the purity of the Savior’s doctrine and the integrity of His saving ordinances.”6

Through the Church leaders, the Lord can administer His work and minister to His children. Without such leadership, all kinds of false ideas and teachings would threaten to lead us into dark, forbidden paths. In other words, to help us know how to achieve eternal life, we need the protection provided by truly called and ordained prophets and apostles. That happens only in His Church.

FIND ORGINAL ARTICLE HERE

Heavenly Father's Many Wonderful Creations In Absolute Order!

This is really interesting…

When GOD solves our problems,

we have faith in HIS abilities.

When GOD doesn't solve our problems,

HE has faith in our abilities.

One may observe God's accuracy in the hatching of eggs…

those of the Canary in 14 days;

those of the Barnyard Hen in 21 days;

Eggs of Ducks and Geese in 28 days;

those of the Mallard in 35 days;

Eggs of the Parrot and the Ostrich hatch in 42 days. 

(Notice, they are all divisible by seven, the number of days in a week!)

See God's Wisdom in the making of an Elephant…

The four legs of this great beast

all bend forward in the same direction.

No other quadruped is so made.

God planned that this animal would have a huge body  …  too large to live on two legs.

For this reason He gave it four fulcrums so that it can rise from the ground easily.

The Horse rises from the ground on its two front legs first.

A Cow rises from the ground with its two hind legs first.

How wise the Lord is in all His works of Creation!

Each Watermelon has an even number of stripes on the Rind. 

Each Orange has an even number of segments.

Each ear of Corn has an even number of rows.

Each stalk of Wheat has an even number of grains. 

Every bunch of Bananas has on its lowest row an even number of Bananas,

and each row decreases by one, so that one row has an even number and the next row an odd number.

Amazing!    There's more… 

The Waves of the Sea roll in on shore

Twenty-six to the Minute in all kinds of weather. 

All Grains are found in even numbers on the stalks.

God has caused the Flowers to Blossom at certain specified times during the day.

Linnaeus, the Great Botanist, once said that if he had a Conservatory containing the right kind of Soil, Moisture, and Temperature, he could tell the Time of Day or Night by the Flowers that were Open and those that were Closed.

The Lives of each of us may be ordered by the Lord in a Beautiful Way for His Glory, if we will only Entrust Him with our Lives. If we try to Regulate our own Lives, we will have only Mess and Failure.  Only God, who made our Brains and Hearts, can Successfully Guide them to a Profitable End.  

When you carry the Bible, Satan has a Headache; when you Open it, he Collapses. When he sees you Reading it, he loses his Strength, and when you Stand on the Word of God, Satan can't Hurt you!

Life without God is like an Unsharpened pencil - it has no Point.  I pray God bless you in ways you never even Dreamed.

How We “Preach of Christ” in Our Home

By Darren E. Schmidt
The author lives in Utah, USA.

“We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, 

we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, 

and we write according to our prophecies, 

that our children may know to what source they 

may look for a remission of their sins” 

(2 Nephi 25:26).

During Easter time one year, my wife suggested that we read as a familythe scriptural accounts of the Savior’s final week in mortality. Each night at bedtime, we read the New Testament and showed our children a short video clip of each event and discussed questions that arose. I was amazed at the questions our children brought up as well as the Spirit that permeated our home during our reading and discussions.

At the conclusion of the week, I felt a more profound gratitude and love toward the Savior, having reflected much on His sacrifice and the eternal consequences that result from all that He went through for us. Along with my own stirrings, I knew my wife had been inspired, and I sensed a deeper understanding and love for the Savior in our children as well as a greater desire to demonstrate Christlike demeanor toward one another.

Since then we have explored other ways that we might “talk of Christ” and “preach of Christ” more in our conversations and lessons, knowing that by building upon a foundation of Jesus Christ, we are promised great resistance against the storms of life (see Helaman 5:12).

Make the Savior the Focus of Your Teaching

One of the things we have discovered is that when we bring the Savior’s example and teachings into our family discussions and interactions, they have become much more powerful and purposeful. To use an analogy from the Savior Himself, He taught, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit” (John 15:5). If we apply this analogy to our teaching, we teach gospel principles not as unrelated ideas but as appendages of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, as the prophet Joseph Smith declared them to be.1 This is how we make the Savior the focus of our instruction and not just merely leaves that we have plucked from His true vine.

If we make Him the center of our instruction, we are promised nourishment, strength, and growth, including fruit-bearing branches—in other words, that our discussions and lessons will have greater converting power and long-term results. One way that we have found to do this is to teach a gospel principle and then ask our children a question such as “How did Jesus demonstrate this principle or teaching?” or “What did the Lord say or teach about this very thing?”

An Example of Teaching about Prayer

For example, let’s say that you are teaching the importance of prayer. You might use Doctrine and Covenants 10:5, where we are instructed to “pray always,” or Nephi’s counsel that the “evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray” (2 Nephi 32:8). These scriptures teach the doctrine of prayer powerfully. As you discuss them, let’s say you ask something like “How did the Savior pray?” or “What were the Savior’s prayers like?” If you have younger children, you might ask, “What do you think the Savior’s prayers were like?”

Take a moment to think of how you might personally answer this question by considering the scriptural accounts that come to mind. I think immediately of the Savior’s visit to the Americas, when “he prayed unto the Father, and the things which he prayed cannot be written. … Eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father” (3 Nephi 17:15–16).

Later in the account we discover that the people tried to pattern their prayers after His and as a result “did not multiply many words, for it was given unto them what they should pray, and they were filled with desire”(3 Nephi 19:24; emphasis added). At this point, you might invite your children to share a time when they were filled with a desire to pray, or you could share a time when you were given the very words to say while praying. Then you could testify of how different a prayer is when it is given this way, as the Savior taught.

Think of the difference you could have on your children if they were to act on the principles of prayer found in these verses and in the testimonies you and they have borne. Think how this could improve their ability to feel and recognize the Spirit, magnify their callings, give priesthood blessings, and later raise a family of their own, being directed by the same Spirit that “teacheth a man to pray” (2 Nephi 32:8).

If the Savior’s example or teachings were left out of this instruction, we could still have a good discussion on prayer, but including His example and teachings adds greater depth and power.

Gospel-Centered Artwork

Another thing we have sought to do to establish a more Christ-centered home is to have pictures of Christ, the temple, and other gospel-related things where they can readily be seen and where our children can know what is truly important to us.

A few years ago, while sitting with our children at tithing settlement, our bishop invited our 10-year-old son to take a small picture of the Savior and decide where in our home to place it, where it would be a constant reminder of our family’s commitment to follow Him. After returning home, he placed the picture on the front door, where, our son said, “each of us would see it the most.” This has been a great blessing and constant reminder to all of us every day in a small but powerful way of our promises to follow Jesus Christ.

Regardless of where pictures are placed in your home, it would be worth the effort to note the pictures on the walls and the messages you are sending to your children. Is the art in your home portraying the message that you are committed to following Christ?

Other Ways to Teach of Christ

I admit I have laughed on more than one occasion when one of my children has asked me if Jesus was tougher than a cartoon superhero, yet I have found that my child’s inquiry has always made for a great discussion about what makes the Savior superior to a superhero. Along with everyday conversations such as these, here are a few additional ideas that you might consider in order to make your home more Christ-centered:

• Use the Book of Mormon to teach your children about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The word Atonement or atone appears 39 times in the Book of Mormon.
• Use Mormon Messages videos, Bible videos, and other Church media that teach of Jesus Christ to enhance your family home evening lessons and scripture studies.
• Learn and sing the hymns about the Savior together and discuss their teachings and meanings.
• Find ways to emphasize that prophets are powerful witnesses of Jesus Christ.
• Seek consistently to improve your own relationship with the Savior.

I have come to know through careful study and fervent prayer that Jesus Christ lives and that His great gift of the Atonement is real and gives our lives, and the lives of those we love, meaning and purpose, with the grand and glorious hope that our families can and will be ours for eternity. May each of us realize the great importance of establishing a Christ-centered home, recognizing “that there is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ” (Alma 38:9).

Note  
  1.  See Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 49–50.

LDS Church Responds to Over 100 Disasters in 2012

Original Story Here
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints

From the Newsroom 
The OFFICIAL RESOURCE for NEWS MEDIA, OPINION LEADERS and the PUBLIC


NEWS RELEASE —  27 FEBRUARY 2013
Church Responds to Over
100 Disasters in 2012
SALT LAKE CITY —
Every year, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides emergency assistance to people all over the world affected by natural disasters, war and famine. Within hours of a disaster, the Church works with local government officials to determine what supplies and food are needed. Those suffering from loss are helped regardless of nationality or religion.

During 2012, the Church provided victims of 104 disasters in 52 countries with hundreds of thousands of pounds of food, water, clothing, medical supplies, hygiene kits and other relief items. In addition, local Church leaders organized thousands of member volunteers to distribute aid and assist those affected by these disasters, with over 1.3 million volunteer hours of service donated (worth an estimated $28 million).

“As members of the Church, we follow Jesus Christ and His example by helping anyone in need,” said Steve Peterson, managing director of Church Welfare Services, which includes humanitarian aid and disaster response.

The Church’s largest disaster relief effort in 2012 was its Hurricane Sandy response. Approximately 28,000 Church members donated almost 300,000 hours of service to their communities, working with neighbors to help clean up refuse and debris along the East Coast. Church members also helped to distribute food, water, clothing, cleaning supplies, shovels, generators, water pumps and other items.


Sister missionaries from the New York, New York South Mission assist with cleanup after Hurricane Sandy on Staten Island.© All rights reserved.


“When the Church responds to a disaster, we provide material resources and volunteers, but response efforts are really a partnership between our members, their neighbors and communities,” said Lynn Samsel, director of Church Emergency Response.

In addition to Sandy, the Church’s largest disaster responses in 2012 occurred in Syria (civil unrest), the Philippines (typhoons), the United States (tornadoes) and Japan (continuing 2011 earthquake and tsunami recovery efforts). The Church’s response efforts in these areas are detailed below, followed by listings of all disaster responses by the Church in 2012.


A Mormon missionary from the New York, New York South Mission stacks debris in a Valley Stream,
New York neighborhood after Hurricane Sandy, Wednesday, 31 October 2012.© All rights reserved.

Syria — Civil Unrest and Refugee Crisis

Over 150,000 Syrians have fled to Jordan since March 2011 to escape violence in Syria. Another 150,000 or more Syrians have fled to Turkey, and an even greater number have fled to Lebanon.

The Church has provided food, baby formula, hygiene items, diapers, warm clothing, boots and blankets to meet needs at the bulging refugee camps in Jordan and Lebanon.

200,000 blankets, 50,000 children’s coats and 14 pallets of emergency medical supplies have been provided to Syrian refugees in Turkey, and additional support has been requested.


Latter-day Saints help distribute food, water and supplies during times of disaster© All rights reserved.


Philippines — Typhoons

In August 2012, the Manila area of the Philippines was hit with a tropical storm, causing severe flooding and affecting more than 900,000 people. More than 70 deaths were reported.

Church members in the Philippines assembled and distributed food kits, sanitation kits, blankets, clothes, housing materials and other relief items to those affected by the floods.


Mormon Helping Hands volunteers clear away trees and debris after typhoon Pablo in the Philippines© 2013 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.



North Carolina Church leader Joseph Catlett helps clear fallen trees after tornadoes hit the area© 2011 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved
United States — Tornadoes

Between the months of March to October 2012, there were more than 900 tornadoes reported in the United States and 68 deaths confirmed.

The biggest tornado outbreaks occurred during March 2012 in the Midwest and South.

The Church provided relief in 12 states, with more than 2,000 volunteers helping with cleanup.


Latter-day Saints cleanup after Hurricane Sandy's devastation on Staten Island.© 2012 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

Houses stand in heaps of rubble after being ripped from their foundations in the powerful tsunami near Ishinomaki, Japan.© 2011 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved

Japan — Earthquake and Tsunami Recovery

A 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck on March 11, 2011.

In 2012, the Church continued to provide assistance to communities devastated by the tsunami.

The Church committed $13 million to support relief and recovery efforts.

More than 250 tons of supplies were distributed during the first few months following the disaster, including food, water, blankets, bedding, hygiene supplies, clothing and fuel.

Over 31,000 Church-sponsored volunteers have provided more than 608,000 hours of service to date.

The Church has established partnerships with government, volunteer and industry organizations.


Latter-day Saint volunteers assemble 30,000 hygiene kits in Japan. Kits were distributed to relief shelters and include basic hygiene needs such as soap, washcloths, toothbrushes, toothpaste and combs.© 2011 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved

An LDS employment resource center is operating in the Sendai area to assist members and others who lost jobs due to the disaster.
Disaster Responses by Type

The following table shows the breakdown of the 2012 responses by disaster type:



Disaster Responses by Country

The following table lists the countries and regions assisted, along with the types of disasters experienced:




So very sorry - none of these links take you there anymore - they just go to the newsroom.

Church Response to 2012 Disasters:

Hurricane Sandy
Initial Statement
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/hurricane-sandy-local-mormons-assist
Immediate Response
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormon-helping-hands-clean-up-after-sandy
First Week Response
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/new-round-of-cleanup-projects-scheduled-by-mormon-helping-hands
Member Video
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormon-helping-hands-hurricane-sandy-video
Continued Efforts
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/sandy-cleanup-update
Thanksgiving Weekend Projects
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/thousands-mormon-volunteers-turn-out-help-victims-sandy-over-thanksgiving-weekend
Follow-up
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormons-continue-aid-for-sandy-disaster-into-new-year

Philippines
Manila Flood
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/church-providing-aid-after-devastating-flooding-in-manila
Typhoon Pablo
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormons-respond-typhoon-pablo

United States Tornadoes
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/one-hundred-tornadoes-afflict-southern-midwest-united-states

Japan Earthquake and Tsunami: One Year Later
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/japans-earthquake-tsunami-one-year-later

STYLE GUIDE NOTE: When reporting about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please use the complete name of the Church in the first reference. For more information on the use of the name of the Church, go to our online style guide.

LDS web Sites of Interest

Liahona  -  1977 to Present 

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/magazines/liahona?lang=eng

Ensign – 1971 to 2020
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/magazines/ensign-19712020?lang=eng

Of SPECIAL INTEREST - 

1973 October Ensign  Special Issue: Old Testament, Exodus to Malachi
This is one of the GREASTEST issues.  GREAT GREAT articles - Don't miss this opportunity to study the OLD TESTAMONT with some of the great masters!!

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1973/10?lang=eng

2011 October Ensign - BofM Special Issue

Another GREAT to use for your Book of Mormon Study

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2011/10/contents?lang=eng

Preach My Gospel - A Guide to Missionary Service
https://www.lds.org/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service?lang=eng

OLD SS MANUALS for the youth:

Preparing For Exaltation Teacher's Manual

This manual was taught to the 13-14 year old before Come Follow Me

Truly GREAT lessons to use to teach your children in FHE or anytime, really!!  

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/31384_PreparingforExaltation/PreparingForExaltation_31384_eng.pdf

These two manuals were taught every 2 years for the youths first years in SS - These are TRULY great lessons!!

Presidents of the Church

This manual was also part of the first year of SS for the 13-14 year old before Come Follow Me.

Sunday School Lessons for teens - their first year.

More truly GREAT material you could use for FHE or again, anytime!

- includes a short biographical sketch, Basic Facts, A Quote from Them,
and also their signature (except for the last two prophets).

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/language-materials/32479_eng.pdf

THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF JESUS AND HIS APOSTLES

The "Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ and His Apostles" is a course typically found within New Testament studies or biblical studies curricula. Specifically, it often forms a core part of introductory courses on the New Testament, often focusing on the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) as the primary source material. 

This is truly GREAT material you could use for FHE or any time.  

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/language-materials/32474_eng.pdf

These are NOT official LDS sites . . . 

Just someone who has made all this info available:

The first and last talks given by the prophets,

Starting with Ezra Tqft Benson.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMB3CKATBWE&ab_channel=JacobHill

Chronological List of the Apostles of The Lord, Jesus Christ, in this Dispensation
http://www.moroni10.com/apostles-chronology.html