When What We Want and What We Need Aren’t the Same

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We all face choices. What can we do when what seemed like a good plan starts to fall apart? When I got home from my mission, I had it all planned out.  I wanted to leave for college early to see my friends, find a place to live, and settle… Continue reading

How to Stay Spiritually Safe

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The best way to protect yourself from the terror that threatens the world is to turn to the scriptures to learn about God’s protection. Every story in the news highlights the instability of the world we live in. Wars, politics, violence, and hate are presented to us every day, and… Continue reading

Going the Extra Mile to Minister

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When we go the extra mile to minister, the Lord blesses us with the ability to serve others and live a full life. If you’re like me, the new ministering program announced last year has held more confusion than revelation. With such an open-ended directive to serve each other, this… Continue reading

Obtaining Salvation for You and Your Ancestors

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By doing temple work for our ancestors, we develop gratitude and love for them and recognize the significant role we play in their salvation. Cynthia Doxey, associate professor of Church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University, says that we are “noble and great ones” who can help our ancestors… Continue reading

Questions Got You Down? Look Up for the Truth

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We live in a world where fact-checking has never been more important. But with the wealth of information available at our fingertips, where do we go to find real truth? In a society overloaded with information from every medium possible, where do we turn for the truth? Social media is… Continue reading

Gospel Lessons from Harry Potter

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The Harry Potter series can teach us more about sacred gospel principles than may initially meet the eye.  In Bridgitte C. Madrian’s BYU devotional “Harry Potter and the Five Gospel Truths,” we read about five gospel principles we can learn from Harry Potter. 1. “All Are Alike unto God” Harry’s… Continue reading

Getting the Most from Your Temple Worship

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By treating the temple as a place of learning, our visits can become more meaningful. “Go to the temple.” It’s something we hear from Church leaders almost as much as the exhortation to read our scriptures and say our prayers. But no matter how many times it has been said,… Continue reading

Making Sense of Mental Illness

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Whether you struggle with mental illness or want to help someone who does, you can find hope by understanding it more thoroughly. “She’s gotten so crazy!” “He had so much potential.” “Snap out of it!” We often say things like this when we don’t understand how to help friends or… Continue reading

Sacrificing Seconds to Seek Service

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Sacrificing time for service will help you love those you serve. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are asked to perform many acts of service, especially through our callings. Sister Cristina B. Franco notes in her talk “The Joy of Unselfish Service” that in… Continue reading

While Waiting for Heaven’s Response

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If you trust Heavenly Father and move forward in faith, you will be able to look back and recognize the Lord’s guiding hand in your life. These days, everything around us is instantaneous: instant messaging, instant music, instant Google results, and even instant oatmeal. But heaven doesn’t always work that… Continue reading