When Is Envy a Virtue?

Dome of the Rock

Interfaith experiences can help the deeply religious learn more about God. When the Stockholm Sweden temple opened in 1985, many Swedes were unhappy about it. But defense for the building came from an unexpected source: Krister Stendahl, Bishop of Stockholm for the Church of Sweden. Stendahl, who was also the… Continue reading

The “Be” I Will Always Remember

Photo of orange maple leaves.

President Hinckley taught us many things to be, but out of them all, the one I have learned the most from is “be grateful.”  President Gordon B. Hinckley addressed young adults in a general conference talk “A Prophet’s Counsel and Prayer For Youth.” In this talk, he introduces six “B’s” to… Continue reading

Overcoming Bad Habits

close up of someone writing in a journal

With Christ’s help we can replace our bad habits with good ones. We all have habits that we are trying to change, whether they are big or small. One habit I’m trying to overcome is spending too much time on TikTok. To change my habit, I decided I was going… Continue reading

Ministering: A Life Hack for Making Friends

Two friends shaking hands.

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,… Continue reading

A History of Hope

Holding up a light on a starry night.

The present is made from the hopes of the past, and our hope today will empower our future against anxiety and despair. In April of 2020, I listened in despair to the Church’s general conference—not because of the quality of the talks, but because of my own trials. Anxiety has been… Continue reading

Six Simple Steps to Develop Divine Confidence

Stained glass window

Developing confidence can be difficult. Start today with these small and simple steps. Sometimes I struggle with knowing where I stand. I tend to become anxious when I think too much about what my purpose is in my friend group, among my roommates, or with my coworkers. Even though I… Continue reading

How to Avoid the Rut of Spiritual Apathy

Green mountains

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… Continue reading

Beat the Blues by Serving Others: President Spencer W. Kimball

elderly couple reading.

Learn from President Kimball how serving others and sharing the gospel can help you—and help you help others—stride over hurdles in your life. “Lengthen your stride.” You’ve probably heard this quote from President Spencer W. Kimball’s (1895–1985)  October 1974 address urging members to engage in missionary work. (Also see “Lengthen… Continue reading

The Secret Behind Cultivating Inclusivity at Church: Charity

A colorful picture frame with the words “You Belong.” The frame is surrounded by big green leaves.

Charity is cultivating inclusivity at church—it’s recognizing the signs of exclusion and learning to be inclusive toward excluded members. Moving to a new location usually means moving to a new ward. For shy people like me, the thought of starting over fills us with dread. Will I make friends? Will… Continue reading