#32: Church magazines.

Each month, the Church distributes four magazines to anyone who is interested in subscribing (OR you can get them entirely free online at http://lds.org/magazine?lang=eng). I recommend them with two lightsabers up.

1) The "Ensign" is an English-only magazine for adult members. It features uplifting gospel messages from both the leaders of the Church (President Monson and the apostles) and from regular members like my mom (see her awesome article about entertainment standards, written in June 2001 at http://lds.org/ensign/2001/06/setting-family-standards-for-entertainment?lang=eng). My mom is rad!

If you are looking for a good-looking temple, San Diego's can't be beat!

2) The "New Era" is similar to the "Ensign", but geared to teenagers instead of adults.  I LOVED the "New Era" when I was a teenager. As a matter of fact, I still love it. It contains great messages and uplifting stories about youth around the world. In addition, it also has a feature known as "MormonAds".  MormonAds are posters that contain a catchy slogan and a humorous (most of the time) picture. For example, one of my favorite MormonAds of all-time is shown below. You can see every single MormonAd from the past 30 years at http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&sourceId=0ca9835e2cd78110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=024644f8f206c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD.

Insert whatever BYU football joke you would like.

3) The "Friend" is also similar to the "Ensign" and "New Era", but focused specifically on young kids. I like to use articles and ideas from the "Friend" when I teach my primary class. 

She's gonna be waiting a looooooong time for those butterflies still in their cocoons.

4) The "Liahona" takes articles from the "Ensign", "New Era", and "Friend" and combines them into one magazine for international distribution. Impressively, the "Liahona" is translated and printed in 51 different languages each month (Unfortunately, Wookieesh is not one of those 51 languages).

Lehi. Not Santa Claus.

Go check 'em out! I guarantee that you will feel better after reading these magazines than you ever would after reading "People" or "Cosmopolitan".