Joseph Smith’s Handwritten Account of the First Vision

portrait of Joseph Smith Jr.

Joseph Smith’s 1832 account of the First Vision preserves personal and intimate details that are not recorded elsewhere. The only known account in Joseph Smith’s own handwriting of his early spiritual experiences—including the First Vision—are included in his 1832 personal history. This unique history can be read on The Joseph… Continue reading

A Trial of Faith: The Beginning of Plural Marriage in Nauvoo

Nauvoo temple

Joseph Smith’s Nauvoo journals include brief references to the revelation about plural marriage that tried his faith and the faith of the Saints. How can we make sense of plural marriage or explain it to others? One place to begin is the introduction to Joseph Smith’s Nauvoo journals found on… Continue reading

Generating Happiness, Rather than Just Consuming It

A womans smile

How can we find the road to happiness in our turbulent world? Happiness comes from righteousness, selflessness, service, and inner peace. In our constant search for happiness, we experience life’s endless ups and downs. While serving as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder James E. Faust  (1920–2007)… Continue reading

Space for Agency: Loving Our LGBTQ Brothers and Sisters

An egg with the words "Come Together" and a wreath of flowers painted on it.

God’s call to love one another and his call to stand for truth seem to clash, but that’s only because we don’t understand that we can love people without conforming to their choices. When I reconnected with an old friend online, she stated that she was saving up for sex… Continue reading

The What, When, and How of the Book of Moses

an image of a book open on a table with a white background

The Book of Moses came to Joseph Smith as a revelation from God, eventually sparking the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. Why is it that only The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a book of scripture named after Moses? Doesn’t the world already have books of… Continue reading

Magnifying Your Calling from Home: Service during COVID-19

A photograph of a woman video chatting with a man; both are wearing cloth masks

During the COVID-19 outbreak, the world needs our service. Here’s how you can magnify your calling in these turbulent times. During the COVID-19 outbreak, how can we magnify our callings if we can’t meet together?  Sister Sharon Eubank, the first counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, sheds light on… Continue reading

Changing for the Better

Picture of a small branch and leaf

Changes range from fun and exciting to devastating and frightening. Here’s how to prepare for whatever comes your way. An unexpected plot twist makes a novel engaging, but an unexpected life twist usually causes a headache. We can’t control all of the changes that come our way, but we can… Continue reading

Selfless Service through Self-Reliance

Old pier at sunset with flying seagulls.

Self-reliance gives us the freedom to follow Christ’s commandment to “lift up the hands that hang down” (Doctrine & Covenants 81:5). “Let’s not be gullible gulls. We…must preserve our talents of self-sufficiency, our genius for creating things for ourselves, our sense of thrift and our true love of independence.” In… Continue reading

10 Characteristics of an Educated Person

an image of a group of people throwing their hats in the air

Education can help you learn about your eternal nature, discover truth and self-discipline, and become who God wants you to be. Personal questions can help us evaluate our educational progress: “Where am I now? What do I need to do better? What do I need to learn in order to… Continue reading

Uprooting Negative Body Image

man looking at reflection in window

Seeing ourselves as God sees us can improve our “body image resilience” in an objectifying world. We’ve all been there. We’ve all looked in the mirror and found things we disliked about our bodies, be it our height, weight, hair, glasses, braces, or acne. We’ve wondered why our appearance isn’t… Continue reading