Becoming Whole Through Broken Hearts

Ceramic circle with cracked clay

When we offer our broken hearts to God, he can mend them and transform our brokenness into beauty. The first time I saw a piece of kintsugi pottery, I was struck by the gold cracks in the bowl. Once broken, the bowl was laboriously made whole again by a master… Continue reading

Sexual Wholeness

people holding hands in the shape of a heart

Understanding the meaningfulness of sexual intimacy can help us acknowledge the role of sexuality in our lives and be okay with being single. It can be hard as young single adults to understand the sexual feelings we experience and to exercise patience as we look forward to expressing those feelings… Continue reading

“Peace I Leave With You”

Hand extended holding a dove with a teal background

The tools we need to “grow an economy of genuine goodness in society” are found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  In the current climate of growing social unrest and war, peace is needed more than ever. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland reminds us in his April 2021 general conference… Continue reading

You’re Not Stuck to Your Life Story

woman in orange in front of a building

How would you tell your own life story? Many cultures use stories to explain things in life that we don’t understand. Greek mythology often explained trials by blaming them on some god’s whims or personal vendetta. Luckily, our God is not like the gods of ancient Greece. Though our God… Continue reading

Trials and Tribulations as Disguised Mercies

A man slumped.

When the burdens on your back are overbearing, remember that our stumbling blocks are God’s gifted stepping stones. Pandemic. Job loss. Family division. Controversy. Wars. Rumors of wars. We are all affected by the turmoil of the world right now, and it is scary. Some people shake their fists at… Continue reading

Accessing the Power of the Prince of Peace

Sunset and mountainscape

Even when our world is engulfed in turmoil, we can find personal peace through the Prince of Peace. About a year and a half ago, my family uprooted our entire lives and moved into a new home with my very ill grandparents. On top of the emotional stress of leaving… Continue reading

Life and Improv: Building On Uncertainty

3 Silhouetted performers

By saying “yes, and…” to life’s uncertainties, we can be more prepared to creatively take the next step with Christ’s help. As a college student approaching graduation, I am asked about my postgraduation plans almost every day. I don’t always know how to answer—the next chapter of my life is… Continue reading

Embracing Our Quirks on the Path to Perfection

An aerial view of many different, multi-colored ceramic bowls

Our quirks and peculiarities are a strength as we strive to become more Christlike. I wear a dinosaur backpack around my college campus. I always arrive ridiculously early to the airport. Every year I celebrate several made-up holidays, such as the anniversary of the first time I got stitches. My… Continue reading

Faith in the Giver of Blessings

A fire lighting up the darkness.

When our faith is placed not in blessings but in the God who gives them, we will find strength to withstand our trials. Three young men found God in a furnace. Thrown into the flames for sustaining their religion, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego grasped for faith with their words, “Our… Continue reading