The Beauty and Value in Messiness

an image of a church with a cross on top of it

Life is messy. Luckily, there is holiness in the mess. In her essay titled “This Holy Mess,” Sharlee Glenn shared an experience she had while in Italy. Glenn’s tour guide said something that struck her as they were rushing to make it to mass: “Hurry!… We can’t be late for… Continue reading

Not My Feet Only: Accepting the Lord’s Service

Two hands cup water as it pours in

When we struggle to accept the Lord’s help, let us follow the example of Peter at the Last Supper when Christ washes Peter’s feet. My parents were recently called to serve as a mission president couple in California. While they’ve been preparing for their mission, I’ve thought a lot about… Continue reading

Suicide Doesn’t Define Eternity

Hand reaching out over ocean

When someone we love takes their own life, how do we respond? I always tried to be sensitive to the complex emotions and pain of people who were affected by suicide, but I never truly felt those emotions myself until recently, when a close friend decided to end his life.… Continue reading

6 Ways Your Pride Is Controlling You

Dying Roses

To conquer pride and develop humility, we must first understand pride and its consequences and then choose to be humble. We’re all plagued by pride. Despite our valiant efforts to be humble, pride always seems to slip in, perhaps because we don’t fully understand pride and how it can be… Continue reading

Not Ordained but Called: Women and the Priesthood

an image of a woman with a hat and scarf looking at a river

For a long time, I believed that women didn’t exercise the priesthood. But a class I took at BYU taught me how wrong I was. I’ve often grappled with women’s roles in the priesthood. For the majority of my life, I thought the priesthood was something that only men had… Continue reading

At a Crossroads: Learning by Study and by Faith

an image of a woman reading a book on the beach

When two of my greatest dreams seemed to be at odds, the Holy Ghost taught me they could complement each other beautifully—but only if I remembered to put God first. As I walked home in the rain, I found myself dreaming about gathering around a mahogany table stacked with books… Continue reading

Finding Hope in Jesus Christ

Young man smiling in a field.

No matter how dark or difficult life becomes, there is always hope through our Savior, Jesus Christ. Have you ever felt like life has gone so wrong it could never be set right? Has something ever felt so hard or so painful that you weren’t sure you would survive? In… Continue reading

Marking the Way Back Home

person walking on a log in the forest.

Our spiritual experiences can become the monuments we raise to mark God’s hand in our lives. If you’ve ever been on a hike, you’ve probably seen stones stacked on top of each other. These manmade trail markers, called cairns, have been used to point out a hiker’s course along the trail, ensuring that hikers know which way… Continue reading

Choosing Joy

Top view of blue umbrella

We can choose to have faith, trust in God, and find joy during the storm. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf‘s talk “Living the Gospel Joyful” was exactly what I needed to hear. I was halfway through my mission, and I felt that my obedience determined any hope of success for my mission area and… Continue reading

Your Journey Toward Joy

gravel road through the forest with the sun shining through the trees.

Understanding God and his plan for us can make it easier for us to navigate the decisions we face throughout our lives. Making decisions can be stressful, especially if we are worried about making the right choices for our futures. In her LDS.org blog article “You’re Not Messing Up God’s… Continue reading