Master, My Tempest Is Raging

an image of a lightning storm is coming over a mountain

In the midst of my battle with pornography, a sacred hymn let me know that I was loved. You wouldn’t have recognized me that Sunday in Los Angeles. I was 19. I had tangled, unkempt hair that came down past my shoulders and a bushy beard that hid most of… Continue reading

Finding Faith amidst Our Failings

silhouette of man at sunset

When we ask ourselves “What lack I yet?” most of us (if we are being honest) would have to respond with a long list of faults and failings. Is there any reason to hope for anything better? In the world that many of us imagine for ourselves, each of us… Continue reading

Honeybees and Service

bee on a sunflower

Out of small things—even “honeybees”—great things can come to pass. Though I lacked the funds, the feeling that I should do something to help a missionary’s struggling family in Tonga persisted. This elder had served long and faithfully in our stake; now his mother’s diagnosis of cancer and mounting medical… Continue reading

Everyone Can Be a Witness

row of bookshelves

We all have a story worth sharing because God is part of each of our lives. He is our Father whether we are Christian or not. I believe that everyone has a story. By that, I mean that all people—even those self-proclaimed as “insignificant”—have something in their past that is worth… Continue reading

A Girl, Her Journal, and the Memories that Saved Her

an image of a man using a cell phone on a desk

Gratitude has the power to heal desperation, shame, sadness, and more. As I wrote down the ways I’d seen God’s hand in my life every day, my burdens lifted. I have a little black journal I write in every night. It has a tight red elastic band that has left an indent… Continue reading

As If You Had Never Sinned

Man adjusting his orange tie

Do you sometimes forget the miracle of repentance and forgiveness? Through the Savior, you don’t just have your sins washed away. You become as if you had never sinned. “And now, my brethren, if our brethren seek to destroy us, behold, we will hide away our swords, yea, even we… Continue reading

When Life Doesn’t Go According to Plan

mother and child in big city

When life doesn’t go according to my plan, maybe it’s going according to God’s plan. From a very young age, I had a general plan: make it through school, attend BYU, marry an attractive returned missionary, have a fantastic career, raise a family, and live happily ever after. Up until… Continue reading