Your Wonderful, Imperfect Offering

Women holding a leaf in shape of a heart.

“You don’t have to be perfect or the greatest person who ever graced the earth or the best of anything to be with Him.” —Elder D. Todd Christofferson I often make the mistake of equating productivity with self-worth. There are obvious problems with this kind of thinking—one being that humans… Continue reading

Erase the Anxiety of Perfection

A puzzle that shows bright yellow and pink two-story houses.

Perfection means something different to Christ than it does to us. Does your heart rate jump when you hear the word perfection? If it does, you’re not alone. Many of us panic at Christ’s mandate to “be ye therefore perfect.” Being a good disciple of Christ already involves service and… Continue reading

How to Stay Spiritually Safe

The best way to protect yourself from the terror that threatens the world is to turn to the scriptures to learn about God’s protection. Every story in the news highlights the instability of the world we live in. Wars, politics, violence, and hate are presented to us every day, and… Continue reading

Don’t Sweat the Details: He Has a Plan

It’s easy to get caught up in the details of the plan of salvation, but don’t let them overshadow the simple and pure truths.   There are so many details about the doctrines and practices of the gospel, and sometimes they lead to more questions than answers. In his conference… Continue reading

Will Being Holier Really Make Me Happier?

We can increase our personal happiness today by taking the needed steps to become more holy.  “Keeping the commandments makes you happier.” At times, this may feel like a line said by well-meaning parents and leaders simply because they want us to improve our behavior. In fact, we may think… Continue reading

Pause and Ponder Now for a Happier Future

“We make countless choices in life, some large and some seemingly small. Looking back, we can see what a great difference some of our choices made in our lives.” —President Dallin H. Oaks There were three paths at the top of the mountain. We went straight instead of left without… Continue reading

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

Pink flowers & grass

Life can sometimes seem overwhelming, and often God asks us to do hard things. So what can we do to find peace? As Christ’s mortal ministry was coming to an end, he promised peace to his disciples. But his peace was different than the peace the world could give. He… Continue reading

Help God Help You

In a time of great personal trial, I followed a prompting that allowed me to help God help me. When I was younger, I tried to find peace and happiness in every way but the right way; that is to say, God’s way. I ended up suffering from addiction, as… Continue reading

Hope You Know, I’m Having a Hard Time

Remembering that the atonement covers all trials can help us feel God’s love during hard times. In his October 2008 General Conference talk, “Hope Ya Know, We Had a Hard Time,” Elder Quentin L. Cook shares the following story: After he and some of his children experienced a harrowing car… Continue reading