When Words Fail, Hope Lives

Woman gazing at a sunset on a mountain.

I always thought my mom would be at my wedding and my college graduation, that she would be at the hospital when I had my first child. How could my life continue without her in it? Since my mom passed away just over two years ago, I have attempted many… Continue reading

Faith in the Future

Woman in an orange vest looking at a cloudy sky.

In learning from past mistakes, make sure you don’t lose sight of brighter days ahead. Faith in Jesus Christ is always grounded in hope for the future. Sometimes we may feel stuck in the past. Although this is a common experience, living in the past can hold us back from… Continue reading

We Do Not Walk Alone

Woman walking alone in nature

When it feels like we are left alone to face our trials, we can be assured that the Savior will always walk with us. I switched my college major four times because I didn’t feel a passion for anything. Each time I switched majors, I felt that I was getting… Continue reading

Joy Through His Perspective

Sunlight over Brown Bamboo Trees.

How can we be happy in difficult circumstances? When we align our vision with God’s, we find joy through his perspective. If we see an eight-ounce glass with four ounces of water sitting on a table, our perception of the glass at half capacity tends to vary—it could be half… Continue reading

It’s Time to Let Go of Your Past

Silhouette of tree against sunset

If we don’t let go of the past, we run the risk of committing the greater sin of focusing on the past  instead of enjoying the present. Do you know what it’s like to have your past mistakes loop through your head repeatedly? I do. After you’ve done all you… Continue reading

Trusting in Our “Promise Keeper”

UPWARD GAZE IN A GROVE OF TREES

God has promised each of us blessings that we may receive only after this life. How can we trust God and find happiness now? The problem with eternity is that it lasts a really long time. When we are promised blessings, God fulfills them in his eternal time. Sometimes we… Continue reading

Belonging to God’s Family

People leaning together.

How I found belonging as a single member of the Church It was my first week in a family ward when the Relief Society president asked me to introduce myself. I offered a brief spiel, and after a moment’s pause, an older sister asked, “Are you married?” I felt several… Continue reading

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

“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