Becoming Ambitious for Christ

Busy street crowded with taxis and people

The world demands that we be ambitious if we want to be successful, but what would happen if we focused our ambitions on Christ? When American academic William S. Clark went to Japan in 1874, he left his students with a rousing speech. The most famous part of that speech… Continue reading

Love Thyself as Thou Lovest Thy Neighbor

ring on hand

We are told to love our neighbors as we do ourselves, but what do we do when we struggle to love ourselves? When a friend or a neighbor makes a mistake or does something that makes us mad, we might be annoyed or frustrated at them for a while, but… Continue reading

Conquering Comparison

One person holding a large pineapple holding it next to someone holding a much smaller pineapple

“Charity renders powerless this temptation to compare.” –J. B. Haws  If you have ever been caught in the trap of self-demeaning comparison, you are in good company—it’s a shared human weakness. If we are to become like Christ, we need to overcome the tendency to compare ourselves to others. But… Continue reading

Befriending Our Missionaries

spiderweb over water

Missionaries are more than just the name tags they wear; they are individuals who need support just like us. When I returned home for the holidays last year, my family invited four missionaries over on Christmas Day: three that currently served in the ward, and one that had served in… Continue reading

First, You Gotta Want It

Person walking through snow

With countless worldly voices vying for our time and attention, shifting our focus and priorities toward eternity is more important than ever before. The key is desire. As human beings, what do we really want? We all have basic human needs—food, shelter, sleep, friendship (to name just a few). Most… Continue reading

Patience Is Active and Humble

clock in the road

“Patience is not indifference. Actually, it means caring very much but being willing, nevertheless, to submit to the Lord.” —President Neal A. Maxwell When I was younger, I remember learning about Christlike attributes during a lesson at church. Our teacher listed a few attributes on the board: faith, hope, charity,… Continue reading

Struggling Through Life Together

Sunrise over a field

We all go through hard things in life, but when we make time to help other people, we can better overcome difficulty. Someone who has never struggled through hard times has never lived. We all face challenges, and many of them are not easily fixed. Trials and challenges are part… Continue reading

Inclusive Language: The Key to Promoting Belonging at Church

Promoting belonging at church requires examining why certain people feel isolated and implementing more inclusive language. Differences in ethnicity, heritage, profession, age, and many other characteristics are what make each community member unique, and this diversity has tremendous potential to cultivate meaningful connections between church members specifically. However, these differences… Continue reading

Where Do Lonely Hearts Go?

girl looking at ocean

Belonging is an individual feeling. But paradoxically, belonging is also a group activity. Although human beings are vastly different, one thing links us all in a shared human experience: our emotions. At one point or another, we’ve all felt the breath of peaceful relief, the smile of giddy joy, the… Continue reading