My Favorite Ensign Article

"My Favorite Ensign Article", Ensign, Jan. 2011, 8–11


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It was a year of significant launches: the Apollo 14 and 15 moon landings by American astronauts, the first microprocessor on a single chip, the first video arcade game. And in January of that year—1971—the first issue of the Ensign magazine appeared in the homes of Latter-day Saints.

It was also a turbulent year, with a hot war in Vietnam, a cold war between East and West, and terrorism and sectarian violence in many places. At the same time, a counterculture movement that mocked God's laws continued its sweep across much of the globe.

In the 40 years since, the world's battlegrounds have simply shifted locations. Defiance of God and His laws has acquired a cloak of respectability. And although advancing communication technology brings us into instant contact with each other, it also threatens to scatter our attention, dilute our relationships, and bring decadence into our homes.

The world has become a more challenging place in which to be a Latter-day Saint, which is why the Ensign's purposes haven't changed. The Ensign continues to carry the prophetic voice with its sure guidance. We help Latter-day Saints see how to apply the gospel in their lives and provide a place where they can testify of the blessings that come from doing so. And we're using technological advances to lengthen our reach through the Internet, Facebook, and other electronic media.

Recently we invited readers to talk about some of the Ensign articles that have blessed their lives during the past 40 years. In the following pages we share some of those responses. We invite you to visit LDS.org to read the original articles and to study the current issues of the Ensign magazine throughout the year.