Our Intuition Is a Gift: Judge Righteously

Spiritual promptings and our own intuition are gifts from God to keep us safe. Let us trust ourselves while still respecting others as children of God. Recently, I took my car to the dealership for a routine service appointment when an older man approached me and struck up conversation. As...

Sunday-Self vs. Thursday-Self

Have you ever walked out of an especially spiritual experience wishing you could hold on to that feeling forever? My Sunday-self and my Thursday-self are sometimes very different people. I cannot count how many times I’ve walked out of a church meeting on Sunday with a fire in my bones...

Our Patient Savior

The Savior is on our side, and he gives us as many second chances as we need. Peter once asked Jesus how many times he was supposed to forgive his brother. Peter suggested seven as a reasonable answer. After all, forgiving someone seven times for the same mistake seems like...

Fighting Worry With Hope

“Our hearts will always be restless until they rest in God.” When we look around at our modern world, we may feel like things are falling apart. War is raging, institutions are crumbling, and societies are dividing. And yet, despite all this chaos in the world, we are taught that...

The Beauty and Value in Messiness

Life is messy. Luckily, there is holiness in the mess. In her essay titled “This Holy Mess,” Sharlee Glenn shared an experience she had while in Italy. Glenn’s tour guide said something that struck her as they were rushing to make it to mass: “Hurry!… We can’t be late for...
A Pearl, a Penny, and Christ’s Infinite Grace

A Pearl, a Penny, and Christ’s Infinite Grace

A medieval poem sheds light on the New Testament parable of laborers in the vineyard, showing us that the Savior’s grace can satisfy all who seek it. In the parable of the laborers in the vineyard in Matthew, chapter 20, laborers and readers are left unsatisfied. The lord of the...
Ministering: A Life Hack for Making Friends

Ministering: A Life Hack for Making Friends

Do you ever wish you were better at building lasting friendships? One morning, I woke up to a big, long text from my ministering sister. You know the type: “Hey! I’m…[insert introduction, exclamation points!!!, and a bunch of personal questions]. What are you up to these days?” At this point,...
Power Up Your Prayers

Power Up Your Prayers

When it seems our prayers are unheard or have become mundane, there are ways we can make our prayers more powerful. Sometimes it may feel like our prayers are hitting the ceiling that seemingly stands between us and God. We know that Heavenly Father desires to hear from us and...
Be Forever Changed

Be Forever Changed

Knowledge of Christ’s Resurrection can change our perspective and increase our faith. This past year with COVID-19 has brought a tremendous amount of heartache and pain to people all around the world. At a time when deaths are diminished to a number on a webpage, we might find ourselves questioning...
What John Whitmer’s History Tells Us

What John Whitmer’s History Tells Us

John Whitmer’s history of the Church shows ordinary people working through real-world difficulties. When John Whitmer was commanded in 1831 to record the history of the Church, he simply said, “I would rather not do it.” Regardless, he obeyed, and as Joseph Smith promised, his history has become “a choice record in Israel.”...
Brotherhood behind Bars

Brotherhood behind Bars

Jesus Christ never let the sins that people have committed stop him from loving them. We should follow Christ’s example, including when it comes to those who’ve been incarcerated. Though my experiences and those of someone who’s incarcerated may seem to have little in common, our existence is still a...