Small and Simple Actions

Baseball on the grass

We can strengthen our relationships with God, ourselves, and others through the “small things.” It’s easy to get caught up in big-picture goals and planning for the future, but this thinking can distract us from the moments of daily living that end up amounting to more than we may realize—the… Continue reading

Family History: Why Is This Even a Thing?

Group of women on laptops

Why should sorting through the names of people I don’t even know be important in my own life? Family history. We’ve all heard of it. But several friends have mentioned to me that family history work just seems too complicated and, honestly, just not worth their time. Since I am… Continue reading

Joy in the Cause!

Small Plant Grows

With the challenges facing our world today, young adults may feel hopeless. By focusing on Christ, we can have hope and joy that we’ll want to exclaim to others! Many consider the exclamation point to be an ugly, unprofessional punctuation mark that should be avoided at all costs. But as… Continue reading

A More Perfect Love

Group of smiling people sitting in grass

As we reach out to one another in empathy and love, our diversity can unite us. I love Berlin. Of all the wonderful places in the world, it’s one of my favorites because of its rich human diversity. While living in Berlin, I brushed shoulders with people from all over… Continue reading

Stuck in Place

Blue door

It’s easy to feel like you’ve tried and can’t change, but no one is ever beyond the help of Christ’s Atonement. This life is about improving, and while we all have a long list of Christlike attributes we’re working on, sometimes it can feel as if our efforts are wasted.… Continue reading

Turning Trials into Temples

Silhouette of man sitting on grass field

Revelation can come at any time in our lives—even the hardest times—if we stay close to Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. I was preparing to go on my mission when the COVID-19 pandemic started. My life was turned upside down in a matter of days, and I was miserable… Continue reading

Prioritizing Spiritual Health

Man looking over an ocean from a perch, sunrise lighting him

While living in a world full of materialistic and increasing secular interests, how can we maintain our spiritual health? With the advent of social media and the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, more of us are emphasizing our emotional and physical health. However, when I scroll through social media,… Continue reading

Finding Peace in Imperfection

A harvested field

Why should we even try to be perfect when we have been taught that perfection is out of reach in this life? Many of us find the concept of reaching perfection incredibly confusing. We are told to try to be like Jesus, but we are also told that Jesus was… Continue reading

Loving Our Enemies

three hanging wooden hearts

It’s easy to be kind to those who are nice to us, but what about being kind to our enemies? Why should we even try? Being kind to those who are hurtful to us can seem very counterintuitive. After all, it’s rare that we ever feel like being nice to… Continue reading

They Have Done What They Could

The Widow's Mite

Christ instructs us to be “perfect,” but when we study his words and actions, it’s clear that he looks at our effort more than our outcomes. The modern world preaches that outcomes are the key indicators for success. What counts is whether or not we hit a metric, achieve a… Continue reading