Cultivating a Spirit of Thanksgiving

porcupine among food

During a two-month internship in Brazil, I had difficulty developing feelings of gratitude for the very things that made my experience so amazing. As I stood under the pathetic, lukewarm trickle of the shower, struggling to rid my hair of the last of the fruity shampoo suds, I was struck… Continue reading

After the Checklist: What’s Next

Life doesn’t stop when we reach some of our goals. We have to set new ones to keep progressing.   Young adulthood is full of life-changing decisions such as where to attend college, whom to marry, and what career to pursue. Once we’ve checked these items off our figurative to-do… Continue reading

Charity Revisited

man atop a mountain with sky

For the longest time, I didn’t think I had any charity. Whenever I heard about charity in Primary, Sunday School, Young Women, Relief Society, and even many of my university religion classes, the message I always got was that charity was service. Charity was going out and giving, working, and… Continue reading

Why Religion Matters

Stained glass window of Jesus and his disciples

The indisputable power of religion binds us with “loving ties” to each other and to God. What can religion actually do for us? In a world of changing values and widely varying opinions, many of us are starting to ask this question. Others of us may feel that religious freedom is… Continue reading

Combating Suicide

Man sitting alone on bench in darkness

The LDS Church has recently launched a new webpage, “Preventing Suicide,” to combat suicide and its traumatic effects.  Suicide is difficult for many of us to talk about—perhaps because we don’t want to be vulnerable, make others uncomfortable, or say the wrong thing to someone who we know is struggling.… Continue reading

Peacemakers and Children of God

As a people who have decided to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, Mormons should seek opportunities to make peace in the political world. Ernest Benn once said, “Politics is the art of looking for trouble [and] finding it everywhere.” With the political world becoming more and more polarized, it’s… Continue reading

Who Are the Godhead?

sun streaming through clouds

Understanding who the members of the Godhead are will help you draw closer to God and prepare for your own salvation. There are a lot of different ideas about who God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are as a Godhead. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland explains who they are and… Continue reading

Feeling Discouraged?

It’s an inevitable hazard of becoming awesome. Do you think Moses felt overwhelmed when he was charged with leading the Lord’s covenant people? Or that Joseph Smith was insecure about his ability to be the prophet through whom Christ’s church would be restored? Chances are that your lack of confidence… Continue reading

Single and Still Faithful

In a church that focuses so much on dating, marriage, and family, how can you avoid feeling discouraged when you are single? Being single is often difficult for members of the Church, no matter their age. Even as a young adult, you may feel unwanted and doubt that you will… Continue reading

He Will Heal Us

Flower for heal article

Even though we may have suffered the damaging effects of abuse, our spirits can be lifted and healed and our burdens can be removed when we rely on the Savior. Many of the challenges we face in this fallen world arise not from our own mistakes but from the mistakes… Continue reading