Getting the Most from Your Temple Worship

an image of a group of people walking down a sidewalk

By treating the temple as a place of learning, our visits can become more meaningful. “Go to the temple.” It’s something we hear from Church leaders almost as much as the exhortation to read our scriptures and say our prayers. But no matter how many times it has been said,… Continue reading

The Secret to a Successful Life

Side view of the Kirtland Temple in summertime.

Sometimes we have to give up our good plans for God’s better ones. I remember standing in a little room above the Newel K. Whitney Store in Ohio, looking out the window at the beautiful temple up the hill. My missionary companion and I were sharing a story with a… Continue reading

Wanting Eternal Life

an image of a group of people holding hands in a room

The blessing of eternal life becomes infinitely more attractive once we understand what it entails. The promise of eternal life can sometimes be difficult to want. When we face hardships in life, the last thing we want to imagine is life, the seeming root of all our problems, lasting forever.… Continue reading

Adoption and Family History: Questions and Answers

Pictures and books with flowers.

How can adopted members of the Church pursue family history and temple work? Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have the opportunity to perform vicarious ordinances in the temple for their ancestors. While temple work can be a great blessing to members who were adopted into… 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

Creating a Community of Covenant-Keeping People

Temple building

By keeping our covenants with God, we open the doors to a shared community of belonging with God and with each other. In an increasingly individualized society, it may be difficult to see how any of us can truly connect with and understand one another. However, we can create a… Continue reading

Family History: Level Up 

man sitting with a backpack on lap using cell phone

As life speeds up and responsibilities pile up, how will we ever find time to learn—let alone do—family history? FamilySearch has the answer.  I’ll be walking in a cap and gown this August and heading out to D.C. with my husband: internship for me, student teaching for him. We’re excited… Continue reading

Family History: More Than Work for the Dead

A zebra sticking his nose into an old, blue car.

Family history isn’t just for the salvation of our ancestors. As we learn about our ancestors, their example strengthens us. I always felt like family history was for old people, so when Elder David A. Bednar gave his talk “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn” in October 2011, I immediately… Continue reading

Computer Screens and Big Blessings

Boy sitting on ledge looking at screen of a laptop

As a generation of texters and tweeters, we have been prepared to serve our ancestors through family history work and to lay claim to promised blessings.  With the increasing number of genealogy records on the Internet and the tools to access them, you don’t have to be a genealogist to… Continue reading