These summer months pass so quickly. My daughter Hattie was baptized this month, and my nephew Chris is heading out on his mission. The forward progress of life happens so quickly it’s hard to believe.

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This morning as I put my makeup on, my three-year-old daughter Tessa came to visit me. With each new compact and brush I pulled out, she asked, “What’s that for, Mom?” As I explained each item, she asked, “Can I have some too?”

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For the better part of six years, Desert Saints Magazine has brought the members and friends of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints great content to inform, uplift and entertain. During those years we have had a small presence in Southern Utah.

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How grateful I am for righteous men! Whether in our family circle, in our wards or neighborhoods, or just business associates, the world is blessed every day by righteous men. We celebrate both the anniversary of the priesthood restoration and Father’s Day in this fantastic issue.

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As I write this letter, my kids are off on an adventure with one of their grandmas. She took the four oldest and planned to be gone for five hours. Rumor was they were going to make cookies and then go see a movie. Brave soul, that grandma! Yesterday, they got to have an adventure with their other grandma. They went to the park with a picnic lunch and popcorn for the ducks. That trip ended early for reasons that shall remain nameless. But they certainly created plenty of fun memories!

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Spring is my favorite season. I love the whole process of rebirth in nature. It seems a fitting time to remember the death and resurrection of the Savior. One of the most poignant remembrances of that truth was a story I read in a magazine long ago.

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Let’s get right to it: last month’s cover. I have fielded several phone calls and emails a day all month from people upset by the cover, featuring a lovely bride in a short sleeve dress.

We apologize for running a photo where the sleeve appeared too short to be appropriate.

All of us who looked at it saw it as a cap sleeve. In fact, as you can see from a different photo of the same bride, it is. More to the point, this beautiful, temple-worthy bride was married in the Newport Beach Temple, in this dress.

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Once upon a time…

So begin the great fairy tales and love stories. Two people fall in love and suddenly all the world is hearts and flowers and valentines. And as the schoolyard version goes, “first comes love, then comes marriage.” So you’re planning a wedding…

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When I asked for articles to print in this month’s issue, I had several topics. By far the most popular was New Year’s Resolutions. Hope springs eternal for all of us every January.

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The holidays are always an exciting and busy time of year. The activities multiply exponentially as the calendar ticks closer to Christmas. For me, this has been already, and will continue to be an extra busy season. Dave and I and the other four kids welcomed our new baby, Bonnie Sweet Ellis, on November 9th. We are all thrilled she’s here safe and sound, and I am thrilled she came a week early!

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Caring for others, the focus of this issue of Desert Saints Magazine, goes to the very heart of membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Indeed, it is the heart of all Christianity. The idea and the practice of looking out for others’ needs as we all walk through this road of life are a comfort and a blessing.

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This issue of Desert Saints Magazine is our fifth anniversary edition. 60 issues! What a wonderful journey these last five years have been.

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At our house we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our fifth baby, due in November. As we make preparations, consider names and watch my ever-expanding middle, the excitement grows. It is a fun and happy time for our family.

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From its earliest days, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been a big proponent of education and ongoing literacy programs. From humble beginnings in places like the Newel K. Whitney Store, whose small upstairs room held the School of the Prophets, to today’s vast campuses at Brigham Young University, BYU-Idaho, BYU-Hawaii, LDS Business College and more, there is no denying the Church’s commitment to world-class education.

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by Danielle Ellis

I had an unexpected lesson in citizenship recently at my nephew Chris’ high school graduation. Several thousand people packed into the Thomas & Mack center for their kids’ big day. The crowd was well-behaved.

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