A countdown to Christmas with Mormon.org

Christmas countdown: The Mormon.org Facebook page is celebrating the “countdown to Christmas” with some beautiful photo cards to “like” and “share.” Be sure to look in every single day now until Christmas.

Visa waiting: The Utah Salt Lake City Mission hosts “Visa Waiters.” What does that mean? The mission president’s wife explains, “We have elders waiting to go to Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Sweden — you name it and we have missionaries who want to go there! But they can't, so they come to our mission and work until the visa comes through. None of us know hows long they will be here. One day, the consulate will just call up and say, ‘Come tomorrow.’ So they do, and then they are on their way. But until then, we just LOVE having them here! They are prepared and enthusiastic, fun and wonderful. The only bad part is giving them back after we learn to love them, which doesn't take us very long. They are amazing missionaries, and we're glad to have them here, no matter how long they stay.”

Neighbor gifts: This blogger makes it all too easy to whip up creative "neighbor gifts" to share with your friends. If you scroll down, she already has three delightful downloadable printables that include the “M&M Christmas Story,” “The Christmas Blanket” and “Merry Christmas to All Our Deer Friends.” You just have to put the gifts together and then give! Love it.

Awesome portraits: Since the family is already gathered, many people use the holidays to take some portraits, and this blogger outlines some “Quick tips for awesome portraits,” including how to make the best use of focal length and zoom. Awesome.

Emily W. Jensen updates "Today in the Bloggernacle" on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, presenting the best from the world of LDS-oriented blog sites. Her extended "Bloggernacle Back Bench" appears on Tuesdays.

Email: ejensen@desnews.com