Navigating Grief and Death: Finding Hope Through Jesus Christ

It’s never easy to lose a loved one, but with a sure understanding of Christ’s Atonement, we can find peace and hope while in the midst of grief and death.  Imagine being one of Jesus’s disciples standing on the hill of Calvary witnessing his Crucifixion. Their friend, teacher, exemplar, and...

Spreading God’s Love on Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day can be a lonely holiday for many of God’s children, but we can help the people in need all around us to feel God’s love on this holiday. When I was young, Valentine’s Day was my favorite holiday. My mom would get up early in the morning to...

The Best Christmas Gifts Only Christ Can Give

The truest desires of our hearts often can’t be bought and placed under the Christmas tree, but they can become a reality because of Jesus Christ. I have a very distinct memory of asking my dad what he wanted for Christmas one year. He simply said, “I just want you...

Christ, the Universal Savior: Lessons from Third Nephi

Jesus Christ’s presence as an active character in Third Nephi proves the Book of Mormon’s purpose of inviting all to come unto Christ.   When I was a missionary, my companion and I met every week with a recently baptized young adult. Our friend struggled with reading, so we would study...

Get on Your Knees and Face It

When life is beating you down, relying on the Lord through prayer can help you confront your trials. A highlight of this week’s Come, Follow Me lesson is the classic scripture 3 Nephi 5:13, which starts off, “For behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.” It’s clear why this...
Before the Doctrine and Covenants

Before the Doctrine and Covenants

The “Revelation Books” preceded what we now know as the Doctrine and Covenants. Thanks to these books, the path for publishing modern revelation was open.   As the prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith was given power by God to translate the golden plates...
How Can I Choose Love Over Bitterness?

How Can I Choose Love Over Bitterness?

Even when the world gives us every reason to be bitter, we can make the choice to cultivate love in our hearts. Under the government system of racial segregation called apartheid, South African communities were fraught with racial tension. But when the car accident that killed Julia Mavimbela’s husband was blamed...
Understanding the Gift of Pain

Understanding the Gift of Pain

Recognizing the purposes for pain can help us see it for what it really is—a gift from our loving Heavenly Father. Have you ever thought about what it would be like to never feel pain? As appealing as this sounds, Brother Derrel Higgins, a professor at BYU-Idaho, explains why pain...
A Personal Witness

A Personal Witness

The Holy Ghost can testify of the truth of the restored gospel through music. In only two weeks I would leave on my mission to serve in the Dominican Republic. I was excited and nervous about my new journey, but mostly I wondered if my testimony was strong enough to...
Hope: A Journey to Faith

Hope: A Journey to Faith

Sometimes it can take seconds to gain faith in certain aspects of the gospel, but what if it takes twenty years? For twenty years, I didn’t have a testimony of Joseph Smith as a prophet. During these years, I served in numerous callings and even went on a mission. Despite...
We Seek After These Things

We Seek After These Things

There are many different cultures and perspectives within the Church, and sometimes those appear to divide us; however, we are all sons and daughters of a loving Father. While I did not personally serve a mission, I have heard countless stories from missionaries who had to adapt to different cultures...