Your Most Important Identity + Today’s Digest

Our daily rundown of the articles from around the web that we feel our readers would enjoy and appreciate. We hope to highlight the best of what’s around.

Public Square Bulletin recommends:

President Nelson tells young adults to focus on three fundamental truths, including ‘who you are’

Tad Walch—Deseret News

President Russell M. Nelson told a worldwide audience of young adults that they have three primary identities 1) Child of God 2) Child of the Covenant 3) Disciple of Christ. You can read more of our coverage.

USCIRF Calls on Iran to Remove Restrictions on Golrokh Iraee Following Release from Prison

United States Commission on International Religious Freedom

Iran has released religious prisoner Golrokh Iraee from prison. She had advocated for the end of stoning. She continues to have travel and speech restrictions, and the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has called for those restrictions to be removed.

Being a Political Journalist Made Me a Better Christian

Jon Ward—Christianity Today

Yahoo’s Chief National Political Correspondent writes about how his career in journalism has helped him increase his faith. His journey is useful to all people of faith seeking to find a way to balance their interaction in the public square with their convictions and relationship with Christ.

5 Ways Pastors Can Care for Those Struggling with Sexual Identity

Carl R. Trueman—Crossway

Carl Trueman, author of the new book Strange New World, has written about ministering to those dealing with issues of sexual identity. His article is directed to pastors but is applicable to all folks looking for a way to navigate these issues in a caring and Christian context.

Making Sense of the Racist Mass Shooting in Buffalo

Isaac Chotiner—The New Yorker

The New Yorker has a useful explainer of what influenced the senseless racist shooting in Buffalo. By Common Consent has a take on how Latter-day Saints might appropriately approach the kinds of media that influenced the shooting.

On Key

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New Study Shows Family & Church Key to Economic Mobility

A recent study sought to examine the factors that corresponded to economic mobility, which they define as the likelihood that a child born in one economic class will change during their lifetime. The two largest effects might be of interest to Latter-day Saints. Family stability – Children who have two-parent households are the most likely to move, when other factors are accounted for. Friendships with individuals from other economic classes – While this does not directly call out church as a factor, the researchers found that extracurriculars aren’t as effective at cultivating these friendships as they are becoming increasingly segregated by class. But the researchers found that churches are successful at forming these kinds of friendships. Brad Wilcox of the Institute for Family Studies concludes that, “Cross-class relationships will not easily be forged by policies/institutions/etc. *unless* a common ethos/end/telos undergirds such friendships.”

Tolerating the Unprecedented

It’s more than mere disagreement we must tolerate. Tolerance means bearing the suffering of others and taking our own uncomfortable turn in history to face uncertainty and challenge.