Service Starts with Self-Love

Girl skipping through a field

When the daily to-dos of life overwhelm us, contributing good to the world can be as simple as practicing self-love. Attend a team meeting, schedule an appointment, complete a ten-page essay, call mom, make dinner, stop by a friend’s movie night, clean the apartment—for many of us, the list of… Continue reading

Finding Strength in Healing

Broken heart hanging on wire

It’s easy to assume that our broken situation is our only situation and that asking for help is a sign of weakness. What if we restructured these assumptions to see asking for help as a source of strength and healing? Seeking help can feel difficult in a world full of… Continue reading

Doers of the Word: Coming to Know God

Coming to know God is an important part of our conversion and path to eternal life, but how can we know someone we haven’t even met? The Bible famously declares that eternal life is knowing God (John 17:3). However, most of us won’t have life-altering experiences like Peter, Mary, Moses,… Continue reading

It Starts with Empathy

A busy intersection with people walking

“You are surrounded by people. You pass them on the street, visit them in their homes, and travel among them. They are all children of God.” (Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service, 2018). In Elder Jorge T. Becerra’s April 2021 general conference talk, “Poor Little Ones,” he shares… Continue reading

The Jury’s Not Out: Avoiding Judgment of Ourselves

The Righteous Judge

Jesus never condemned; we don’t need to condemn ourselves. Have you ever heard someone say, “Well, it’s too late for me, I won’t be saved”? Or even, “I’m already going to hell, so what’s the point of trying?” It feels like people are prone to making judgments of themselves that… Continue reading

The Ubiquity of God’s Grace

sunset

Hearing others’ stories of how God’s amazing grace is at work in their lives can help us see that he is also working miracles in our own lives. Too often, perhaps, we think that God’s grace can arrive only after we have somehow earned it. After all—as we read in… Continue reading

Small and Simple Actions

Baseball on the grass

We can strengthen our relationships with God, ourselves, and others through the “small things.” It’s easy to get caught up in big-picture goals and planning for the future, but this thinking can distract us from the moments of daily living that end up amounting to more than we may realize—the… Continue reading

A More Perfect Love

Group of smiling people sitting in grass

As we reach out to one another in empathy and love, our diversity can unite us. I love Berlin. Of all the wonderful places in the world, it’s one of my favorites because of its rich human diversity. While living in Berlin, I brushed shoulders with people from all over… Continue reading

You Are Everything to God

In a world with billions of people, it’s easy to feel insignificant. But you matter. Remember the last time you took a moment to stand still and look up at the stars? Doing so reminds me of how incredible our Heavenly Father’s creations are. It also reminds me of how… Continue reading

One Way to Help Loved Ones Come Back to Jesus

two friends holding a third friend. All of them are excited and happy

Sometimes helping our loved ones come back to Jesus seems impossible. How can we help them on their journey? We all know someone who has followed a path that leads away from Jesus Christ. We strive to love them, support them, and eventually bring them back to the Savior—but all… Continue reading