Visitors Welcome: Mormon Sunday Service 101

an image of a group of people sitting in a room

What do Mormons do at church? Latter-day Saint sacrament meetings allow visitors to worship in powerful yet comfortable ways. Most Latter-day Saint meetinghouses have a sign in front engraved with the words “visitors welcome.” But visiting somewhere new can be awkward, especially when it comes to religion. MormonNewsroom.org has published… Continue reading

Finding Power through Forgiveness after Abuse

an image of a woman standing on a hill with her arms outstretched

Those struggling to forgive after abuse can find healing through the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I was convinced that I would not find peace until he was in prison. I needed justice. But I was an eighteen-year-old with few resources and he was a much older man with criminal lawyers… Continue reading

Be True, Be You, Be Millennial

an image of a close up of a cell phone with various apps

The title millennial is not a scab of leprosy but a crown of royalty. Wear it boldly with honor, courage, and reverence. “It must be a millennial thing.” The generational label millennial is often used in a negative way, suggesting all that is wrong with the world’s young people: they… Continue reading

Understanding Instead of Fixing: Mourning with Those That Mourn

an image of a woman sitting on a couch with her head in her hands

When others are sad, we want to take their sorrow away. But we need to try to understand their feelings rather than try to fix them.  When other people feel sad, our instincts tell us that we need to somehow make them happy again. Our society views sadness as a disease that… Continue reading

The Pearl of Great Price…and Mummies?

an image of a painting of a boy reading a book

With the publication of the Joseph Smith Papers, we can better understand the history of the Book of Abraham and thereby gain greater faith in it. The Pearl of Great Price is perhaps the least-mentioned book in the Latter-day Saint canon. We know that some parts of the book are… Continue reading

How to Find the Sun During Your Spiritual Eclipse

an image of a partial eclipse of the sun with a bird flying in the sky

Even when you can’t see the light of Christ, it’s still there. Reorganizing your priorities can help you end your spiritual eclipse. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon blocks out the light and warmth of the sun. Even though the moon is about 400 times smaller than the sun,… Continue reading

Ancient Witnesses of Joseph Smith

Drawing of the Gold Plates

Just as we are blessed with knowledge of the past, ancient prophets were blessed with knowledge of the future. Joseph F. McConkie (1941–2013) was an emeritus professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University when he researched the connection between ancient prophets and Joseph Smith. Through revelation, ancient prophets learned… Continue reading

Wandering Sheep

child in a field of red flowers

A general conference talk gave me hope for my wandering son’s future. My husband and I have six children. They all bring us joy, but parenting them has also provided us with trials and learning experiences.  In 2003, our fourth child was fourteen and was struggling with many issues. Although I never learned… Continue reading

How Burdens Can Become Blessings

an image of a man kneeling down with a dog in his lap

Through faith and patience, we can learn how the burdens of today can become the blessings of tomorrow. Experiencing an overload? Obligations, illnesses, decisions—each of us carries a load. Sometimes our loads seemingly become too heavy to bear. But Elder L. Whitney Clayton shows us that our burdens don’t have to… Continue reading

Failing on the Path to Perfection

mountain road railing

Why keep trying if we just keep failing? BYU’s new president, Kevin J Worthen, explains the surprising role failure can play in our quest for perfection. In a January 2015 devotional, Brigham Young University president Kevin J Worthen addresses the tricky relationship between perfection and failure. Jesus Christ taught us to… Continue reading