Dear Mother Earth

Being stewards of the earth is one of the best ways we can practice our discipleship. Dear Mother Earth, who day by day Unfoldest blessings on our way, Alleluia! Alleluia! The flow’rs and fruits that in thee grow, Let them his glory also show, Alleluia! Alleluia! (“All Creatures of Our...

Can Gratitude Bring Happiness?

Genuine happiness feels so hard to find sometimes—but maybe if we slow down a bit and consider our lives with gratitude, we can be “made glorious.” Everyone wants to experience happiness—but sometimes we get so caught up in searching for it that we forget to appreciate what we already have....

Finding the Voice of the Shepherd Through the Spirit

We must learn how to recognize the Holy Spirit to recognize the voice of the Shepherd. Jesus teaches, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). To be a disciple of Christ, we need to know his voice—but what if we don’t recognize...

Finding God in Stillness

God always has time for you, but do you make time for him? Like many young adults, I often find myself absolutely swamped with various school and work responsibilities and social obligations, which come with an overwhelming sense of stress. Only one thing truly eases that stress for me and...

The Process of Becoming

Many people talk about missionary work, but what about the time leading up to a decision to serve?  Preparing for a mission can be daunting. There can be so many voices trying to influence your decision. So what can you do when the choice feels out of your reach? In...
Your Testimony Is a Weapon, a Defense, and a Refuge

Your Testimony Is a Weapon, a Defense, and a Refuge

We can share the gospel with greater confidence when we recognize the power of our testimonies. Your testimony is a weapon, a defense, and a refuge. And it’s powerful. When I was a missionary in southern Argentina, my mission president taught an important truth from a scripture I now hold...
Becoming Whole

Becoming Whole

We can become whole and find healing through Jesus Christ, despite the brokenness of this world. In my last two months serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, my body started to seriously falter. I could barely walk and I struggled to get up...
Space for Agency: Loving Our LGBTQ Brothers and Sisters

Space for Agency: Loving Our LGBTQ Brothers and Sisters

God’s call to love one another and his call to stand for truth seem to clash, but that’s only because we don’t understand that we can love people without conforming to their choices. When I reconnected with an old friend online, she stated that she was saving up for sex...
Familiarity Among Strangers

Familiarity Among Strangers

We should develop an appreciation for the diversity around us and see everyone as fellow citizens in the household of God. Anyone who has visited another country may attest that it can be deeply disorienting to exit the plane and find yourself immersed in an unfamiliar culture. I know the...
How to Balance Your Life: Listen to the Spirit

How to Balance Your Life: Listen to the Spirit

Work, finances, family, church, health, friends, hobbies—it can be hard to balance all the different aspects of our lives and make time for them, but the Spirit can guide us and Christ can magnify our efforts. In my last semester working as a teacher’s assistant, a student asked me how...
Understanding the Book of Mormon’s Translation

Understanding the Book of Mormon’s Translation

Though translating with a seer stone may seem odd, what matters most is that the Book of Mormon was translated by the power of God. Never-before-seen pictures of Joseph Smith’s first seer stone are found in “Joseph the Seer” in the October 2015 Ensign and Liahona. Assistant Church Historian Richard...