Remembering the Relief Society: How to Incorporate Women’s History into Church History

A picture of the Relief Society General Presidency and general board from 1914

With Pioneer Day around the corner, let’s remember the role women have played in Church history—beyond entering the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. A few years ago, I had never heard the names of Zina D. H. Young (third Relief Society General President and suffragette), Jennie Brimhall Knight (one of… Continue reading

Spreading God’s Love on Valentine’s Day

Hand holding red heart

Valentine’s Day can be a lonely holiday for many of God’s children, but we can help the people in need all around us to feel God’s love on this holiday. When I was young, Valentine’s Day was my favorite holiday. My mom would get up early in the morning to… Continue reading

Get on Your Knees and Face It

Woman wearing red sweatshirt looking at top between trees near grass during daytime

When life is beating you down, relying on the Lord through prayer can help you confront your trials. A highlight of this week’s Come, Follow Me lesson is the classic scripture 3 Nephi 5:13, which starts off, “For behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.” It’s clear why this… Continue reading

The Best Christmas Gifts Only Christ Can Give

Woman holds Christmas gift to her chest

The truest desires of our hearts often can’t be bought and placed under the Christmas tree, but they can become a reality because of Jesus Christ. I have a very distinct memory of asking my dad what he wanted for Christmas one year. He simply said, “I just want you… Continue reading

Discovering Light in the Dark: The Power of the Book of Mormon

Light comes from the Book of Mormon.

We can know through the example of the brother of Jared that the Book of Mormon is a radiant source of light, guiding us through life’s darkness and illuminating the path ahead.  What does absolute physical darkness actually look like? It’s hard to imagine that kind of darkness when modern… Continue reading

Witnessing the Power of Community Care

The Lord has blessed us with friends and neighbors to strengthen us when the floods of life—literal or metaphorical—threaten to overwhelm us. I’d never truly understood the destructive power of water until I witnessed it submerge my hometown under seven feet of water. In 2017, Hurricane Harvey overtook many homes… Continue reading

Experiment upon the Words of God

As we implement the commandments in our lives, we can understand the blessings God promises to the obedient. As a chemist, my dad tests hypotheses about compounds to better understand how they react with one another. He doesn’t know the outcome of an experiment until he completes the procedures. Just… Continue reading

Hear, Hearken, Obey: A Pattern to Overcome Adversity

Person sitting on a dock looking at a lake

When it feels like our life is cracking under pressure, how do we continue? Sometimes the answer is to submit to the will of God. I was 12 years old when I lost all my friends—for the second year in a row. Another move, another state. With burgeoning depression, I… Continue reading

Building Healthy Community through a Gospel of Beauty

Building a healthy community may mean asking for help—Minerva Teichert did just that, helping her paint a gospel of beauty through her art. Building a healthy community means supporting one another, but it begins by having the courage to ask for help. In Laura Paulsen Howe’s article “I Have Dreamed… Continue reading

How to Slow Down and Savor the Scriptures

Appreciating a work of art

Is speed-reading the scriptures a regular habit? This principle for appreciating art may aid in slowing down and savoring the word of God once again. I dreamed of seeing the painting Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I for almost ten years. When I finally stood in the main room of the… Continue reading