Why Marriage: A Focus on Family

an image of a family laying on the grass in a park

With such pressure to get married, it’s easy to forget why we focus on marriage in the first place. “Why aren’t you married?” “Have you found a husband yet?” Ever since I became an adult, questions like these seem to keep springing up around me. And it has become a… Continue reading

Fighting Fear with Faith

an image of a person standing on a glass platform looking down

The Lord commands us to “fear not.” We can be courageous by increasing our faith and taking four key steps. Have you ever missed an opportunity to do something good because you were afraid? President Kevin J Worthen addresses the topic of fear in his BYU devotional “‘Fear Not:’ Four… Continue reading

The Gospel and Sexual Assault

A man looking away from the camera

The plan of salvation shapes the way we respond to sexual assault. As society grapples with sexual harassment and sexual assault, Latter-day Saints join with others in condemning such offensive behavior. In a devotional address given at BYU, Benjamin M. Ogles, dean of the College of Family, Home, and Social… Continue reading

Prayer of an Atheist: Out Loud and in His Name

back view of girl overlooking road and river

As an atheist, I knew nothing about prayer. But when I learned about Joseph Smith and the First Vision, I learned how to get answers from God. I asked God every night for eight years if he was real, and I never got an answer. Growing up as an atheist,… Continue reading

Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching: What Counts?

an image of a group of women sitting on a couch

It might feel like something to check off every month. But home teaching and visiting teaching are about more than just delivering a scripted message.  Home teaching and visiting teaching are supposed to be “the Church’s first source of help” for its members (see True to the Faith, “Priesthood”), but these assignments can… Continue reading

From God to You: Your Patriarchal Blessing

girl praying and background unfocused

Do you ever wonder who you are or what message God wants you to remember throughout your life that is specifically for you? Your patriarchal blessing gives some answers to these questions.  We sometimes lose sense of our divine nature. We stand, looking at our reflection in the mirror, wondering if we have… Continue reading

Our Sacred Temple Garments

Woman in front of the temple

Temple garments worn by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provide blessings when worn properly.  People who are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints often raise questions about the temple garment. In “The Temple Garment: ‘An Outward Expression of an Inward… Continue reading

A Woman’s Place: What Does Gender Equality Really Mean?

silhouette of woman at sunset

Where is a woman’s place? What is gender equality? See what millennials, scholars, and prophets are saying. For some, gender equality means that men and women are equal only if they do exactly the same things in the workplace and at home. However, many recent studies show a wave of traditionalism sweeping over the… Continue reading