Joseph Smith’s Seer Stones: Coming to Grips with Troubling Information in Church History
Paradigm shifts can rock our world, but they can also bring greater understanding. Before 1697, Westerners believed the idiom “all swans are white.” But when a Dutch explorer discovered a black swan in Australia, his discovery “instantly demolished an apparent reality while also enabling a new, more informed state of...
Was That the Spirit?
We often wonder how to distinguish between the Spirit and our own thoughts. By acting on our first impressions, we can know that God is, in fact, communicating with us. “Get her ice cream tomorrow,” I thought when I saw a girl in my ward sitting alone during church. “What?...
The Creation Account and the Seed in Alma’s Sermon
If you don’t think of Genesis 1–2 when you read Alma 32, you’re missing powerful Creation imagery that emphasizes fundamental Christian teachings. The sermon on faith in Alma 32 is among the most iconic passages found in the Book of Mormon. In it we read that God’s word is a seed...
Where Does My Tithing Go?
Learn how the Church uses tithing and other offerings to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, care for the poor, and strengthen members’ faith in Jesus Christ. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are commanded to pay tithing. We consider tithing to be ten percent of...
Finding Peace While Pursuing Perfection
How do you know when you’re forgiven? In many LDS homes, a favorite activity for teaching children about repentance involves food coloring. In this object lesson, parents bring out a glass of water and add a few drops of food coloring to it, tainting the water to represent what happens...
How to Avoid the Rut of Spiritual Apathy
Remembering God’s love will strengthen your spiritual resilience and protect you from the trap of spiritual apathy. I peered out through the dense fog at the Ribeira da Torre Valley of Santa Antão, Cape Verde. As the clouds parted and sunlight illuminated the view, my jaw dropped. Enormous mountains covered...

