Believe that You Are Beloved

Christus Statue

Truly believing in and accepting the constant care of the Shepherd empowers us to become more like him and share his love.  You are held, supported, and adored by the Good Shepherd. You are his lamb. Jesus loves us eternally, but sometimes we imagine that Jesus will love us less… Continue reading

How Worthy Music Can Bring Us Joy

Girl with headphones around her neck

If we seek out good, uplifting music, we will likewise see ourselves become good, uplifting people. Could you live in a world without music? I know I couldn’t. In fact, when someone asks me what my favorite kind of music is, I am at a loss for words because I… Continue reading

How Do I Know if I Am Worthy?

man in black hoodie sitting on bench near green trees

Feelings of doubt and guilt can make us feel as if we aren’t doing enough to be worthy. If we are honestly trying our best to follow Jesus Christ, we are worthy. In the struggle of mortality, it can be hard not to stumble over even the tiniest of things.… Continue reading

Blazing Bonfires: How I’ve Learned to Love Obedience

hands praying over scriptures

“Don’t rock yourself into the bonfire,” my grandpa joked as he purposefully wobbled his cheap plastic chair in front of the roaring fire.  Six-year-old me giggled and thought, “Duh, fire’s dangerous. Who’d ever touch it on purpose?” A few seconds later, however, I decided to ignore my grandpa’s advice. “Chairs… Continue reading

Combating Satan’s False Advertising

Man with a light in a dark tunnel.

In a world of shifting morality, there is an increasing need to discern right from wrong and take a stand for the truth to combat Satan’s brand of false happiness. What if Satan had an advertising campaign? What would be his slogan? In a BYU devotional address, “A Banquet of Consequences:… Continue reading

Taking Back My Faith

man looking at mountains at sunset

I used to believe blindly. But then I found out you can’t believe everything you hear from a Church leader.  Whenever I got a calling, I used to think, “I don’t need to pray about it because of course the answer will be yes.” If I was told something in sacrament… Continue reading

Finding Healing from the Pain of Suicide

Woman staring at the ocean

I learned that being left behind by suicide is difficult and painful—but there is hope. Grief is like the tide: vast, unfathomable, and alternately crashing on the beach or pulling away into the sea. Often without warning, those grieving are fine one moment and broken the next. The morning I… Continue reading

Living Happy, Living Now

Woman with blue shirt flapping in the wind

I was working toward worthy goals. But a gentle reminder of the blessings that I currently had showed me that I didn’t have to wait for joy. I needed to finish two papers, study for a math test, call some of the girls in my Young Women class, and figure… Continue reading

Louisa Barnes Pratt: Early Sister Missionary in French Polynesia

tropical flowers

Louisa Barnes Pratt served as one of the first sister missionaries of the Church in French Polynesia.  While her husband was serving a mission in the Society Islands in French Polynesia, Louisa Barnes Pratt was called to join him there as a missionary—along with their four daughters. After receiving the… Continue reading

Of Lambs and Lost Sheep

lamb face

By fulfilling his role as shepherd, Christ shows us how to support our struggling friends and family. What does it mean to be a shepherd? Is a shepherd just someone who herds sheep or goes looking for the ones that wander away? Sister Jayne B. Malan shares how she came to understand the… Continue reading