Persecution, Faith, and a Gold Bead

gold beads in a hand

Sometimes the smallest objects can symbolize the greatest faith.   In the Church’s early days, Joseph Smith and his family faced nearly constant persecution. An article by Heidi Bennett on the Church history website shares one story that demonstrates their courage despite enormous pressures to deny the gospel.   One… Continue reading

Sharing the Christian Message—Hand in Hand

Latter-day Saints share many of the same beliefs as other religions, including our stance on the family. We can work together as religious people to share elements of the gospel with the world.   As the fight for the family becomes more heated in modern society, people of different religions… Continue reading

The Law of His Nature Is Love

Hand holding two black and white photos of ancestors.

Love is bound into the eternities through saving ordinances. Love is patient, love is kind, love is binding. Christ teaches us to love one another under all circumstances, regardless of one’s religion, ethnicity, political views, sexual orientation, or other potentially dividing differences. This belief is surely a tenet of many religions;… Continue reading

Changing Times, Constant Truths

swirly sky

We live in an ever-changing world, but gospel truths remain constant and help build our faith in God.  The world is filled with doubts and misconceptions, especially when it comes to religion. In his 1980 Brigham Young University devotional address, “The Seven Deadly Heresies,” Elder Bruce R. McConkie reminds us of the importance of seeking a correct understanding of gospel… Continue reading

Pornography Is Not Love

landscape photo of a desolate land

Chop down the tree of pornography by cutting off the roots of lust. Through Christ’s healing and forgiveness, you can overcome pornography addiction. Pornography addiction is a real issue that affects us all in some way: it can destroy self-worth, relationships, and—most importantly—true love. In his address “Place No More… Continue reading

Science Is Catching Up

Modern science continues to affirm the blessings of following the Word of Wisdom. In his Ensign article, “A Principle with Promises,” G. Craig Kiser discusses the counsel given in Doctrine and Covenants 89 with an insightful approach to the Word of Wisdom. Not surprisingly, there is scientific evidence to support the… Continue reading

Sisters, No Effort Is Lost

Photo of young women in front of the Manila, Philippines Temple courtesy of lds.org

While we may not always feel the significance of the little things we do, God keeps a perfect record and none of our efforts are lost. Have you ever gotten stuck thinking about all the people you neglected to help or about the things you failed to get done in… Continue reading

Talking about Same-Sex Attraction

yellow leaf in a pile of purple leaves

Conversations about same-sex attraction require love and understanding. In a world where more and more people believe that right and wrong are relative, the teachings of the Mormon church about same-sex attraction stand out. Mormons believe that only marriage between a man and a woman is of God. But does that mean they reject… Continue reading

Cultivating a Spirit of Thanksgiving

porcupine among food

During a two-month internship in Brazil, I had difficulty developing feelings of gratitude for the very things that made my experience so amazing. As I stood under the pathetic, lukewarm trickle of the shower, struggling to rid my hair of the last of the fruity shampoo suds, I was struck… Continue reading

Charity Revisited

man atop a mountain with sky

For the longest time, I didn’t think I had any charity. Whenever I heard about charity in Primary, Sunday School, Young Women, Relief Society, and even many of my university religion classes, the message I always got was that charity was service. Charity was going out and giving, working, and… Continue reading