Navigating Nuance: The Value of Inquiry

folded hands over an open Bible

Deep and serious reflection about religious concerns can feel both daunting and unavoidable;  however, embracing this complexity may be the key to finding peace with your spiritual identity. Navigating young adulthood is a continual process of inquiry and change as individuals encounter major transitions such as graduating, entering the workforce,… Continue reading

Changing Life Directions?

Child with crayons

Life circumstances change constantly. Sometimes we get caught in an unexpected flow, but we can make that a good thing. In a devotional given at Brigham Young University, Sister Janet G. Lee told a poignant story about her daughter’s kindergarten registration. When Sister Lee and her daughter Stephanie arrived at… Continue reading

Patience Is Active and Humble

clock in the road

“Patience is not indifference. Actually, it means caring very much but being willing, nevertheless, to submit to the Lord.” —President Neal A. Maxwell When I was younger, I remember learning about Christlike attributes during a lesson at church. Our teacher listed a few attributes on the board: faith, hope, charity,… Continue reading

Enduring to the End of the Day

Foggy view of trees and mountains

Enduring to the end is a big task—especially when it’s difficult just to get through the day. Luckily, we don’t have to do it alone. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ, but sometimes the commission to endure to the end seems like a daunting and impossible task. There are… Continue reading

Struggling Through Life Together

Sunrise over a field

We all go through hard things in life, but when we make time to help other people, we can better overcome difficulty. Someone who has never struggled through hard times has never lived. We all face challenges, and many of them are not easily fixed. Trials and challenges are part… Continue reading

Choose to Believe

Questions and choices surround us, but one choice is vital for our spiritual growth: the choice to be willing to believe in Christ. “Why do you believe in God?” The question bursts out before I can stop it. I’m holding back tears, looking desperately at my dad. If anyone had… Continue reading

Finding God in Our Storms

In our storms, God is with us. Though he doesn’t always calm the storm, he can calm us to be able to bear the storm. Have you ever felt like a sailor lost at sea in the middle of a storm, like your life is chaotic and frightening and lonely?… Continue reading

Healing Mentally with God in Mind

When we struggle with mental health, God is an option. One day a friend of mine visited me. He told me that God knew what I was going through, that God could help me, and that God loved me. This message reminded me that there was hope for me, not… Continue reading

The Healing Power of Grief

In abandoning public expressions of grief, we lose opportunities to heal and grow as a community. I remember the first time I stepped up to a door that had a white slip of paper posted to it. The characters were incomprehensible to me, but my Japanese companion quickly explained that… Continue reading

My Second Life … As a Latter-day Saint

The Salt Lake City Temple

The first time I heard the story of Joseph Smith and the First Vision was at Temple Square in Salt Lake City during a guided tour. I believed it. But my family didn’t. My father said it was the most bogus story he had ever heard. I was crushed and… Continue reading