Faith to Not Be Healed

Sometimes faith isn’t found in receiving desired blessings but in accepting the will of the Lord regardless of the outcome.  John and Heather were recently married when they discovered that John had cancer. His prognosis was bad. However, the couple had confidence that everything would work out. When Elder David… Continue reading

Back So Soon?

Returning home early from a mission can be devastating. But with the support of loved ones and Heavenly Father, returning missionaries can press forward to achieve what the Lord has in store for them. For most missionaries, coming home is a joyous occasion. As the proud returning missionary is greeted… Continue reading

What’s Your Why?

man on a bike

There’s more to living the gospel than mere obedience. We need to understand the why behind our decisions and act with deliberate purpose.  There are countless reasons we might do certain things in our lives. We might do our homework because we want to get good grades, because we want… Continue reading

Graduating Life with Honors

Decisions to take the higher road can make us feel disadvantaged; but when in doubt, consider what the Anti-Nephi-Lehies did.  In the Book of Mormon, Aaron presents his account of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies—a people who, when they had come to a knowledge of their Savior, promised never to lift their swords… Continue reading

Lessons Learned from a Broken Bow

When Nephi breaks his bow in the Book of Mormon, he teaches us by example how to deal with adversity. The first part of the Book of Mormon follows the journey of Lehi and his family out of Jerusalem, through the wilderness, and across the ocean to the promised land.… Continue reading

A Return to True Civility

group of college age talking

Although we are imperfect mortals, we can still treat others with love and civility even if we don’t always agree with them. In today’s society, “civility” often sounds like an old-fashioned word. Why? In his publication “Civility and Moral Being,” Terrance D. Olson points out that in our day, we… Continue reading

Curve Ball or Careful Pruning?

shrub

At times, God may seem to throw you a curve ball that is unfair or causes hurt. Those are times of “pruning.” He is preparing you for something greater. You probably have something you are working toward right now. It might be a degree, a job, a trip, or some… Continue reading

Strong in Spite of My Weakness

Our weaknesses aren’t meant to beat us down or make us discouraged. They can help us to eventually become strong. During my freshman year of high school, I memorized—and promptly forgot—Ether 12:27: “And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness… Continue reading

Talking about Suicide

The most important thing we must remember when discussing suicide is that Heavenly Father is a merciful and just God who knows the intents of our hearts.  Suicide is understandably a difficult topic to address emotionally, verbally, and socially. In his article “Suicide: Some Things We Know, and Some We Do… Continue reading

Relationships and Peeling Grapefruit

Grapefruit and pomegranate design

We all have tiffs at some time or another with family, friends, or our significant other. But are all of these issues really significant? Having problems with your boyfriend or girlfriend, fiancé, or spouse? Have you ever openly talked about the differences that might cause rifts in your relationship? Once… Continue reading