Trust in God’s Plan for You

Orange van with suitcases tied to the top on pavement.

When facing stress, confusion, disappointment, and more, seeing the bigger picture can be a challenge. But God has a better plan for us than we can imagine. Everyone has expectations for life: make good friends, graduate college, serve a mission, marry and have a family, own a business, become a… Continue reading

Not So Bad

When life doesn’t make it easy to sing “all is well,” try “not so bad.” Science and religion agree about the benefits of gratitude. Research and scripture alike show that grateful people are happy people. But what about when I fail a test, have a bad day at work, or… Continue reading

Navigating Grief and Death: Finding Hope Through Jesus Christ

A graveyard on a hill

It’s never easy to lose a loved one, but with a sure understanding of Christ’s Atonement, we can find peace and hope while in the midst of grief and death.  Imagine being one of Jesus’s disciples standing on the hill of Calvary witnessing his Crucifixion. Their friend, teacher, exemplar, and… Continue reading

How Can I “Think Celestial”?

The Christus statue from the Salt Lake Temple visitor's center

In the face of adversity, it can be difficult to believe that God loves and wants the best for us. We can manage this doubt by thinking celestial. I had a rough year in 2019 (little did I know what 2020 had coming for us all!): my family moved from… Continue reading

Get on Your Knees and Face It

Woman wearing red sweatshirt looking at top between trees near grass during daytime

When life is beating you down, relying on the Lord through prayer can help you confront your trials. A highlight of this week’s Come, Follow Me lesson is the classic scripture 3 Nephi 5:13, which starts off, “For behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.” It’s clear why this… Continue reading

Discovering Light in the Dark: The Power of the Book of Mormon

Light comes from the Book of Mormon.

We can know through the example of the brother of Jared that the Book of Mormon is a radiant source of light, guiding us through life’s darkness and illuminating the path ahead.  What does absolute physical darkness actually look like? It’s hard to imagine that kind of darkness when modern… Continue reading

Witnessing the Power of Community Care

The Lord has blessed us with friends and neighbors to strengthen us when the floods of life—literal or metaphorical—threaten to overwhelm us. I’d never truly understood the destructive power of water until I witnessed it submerge my hometown under seven feet of water. In 2017, Hurricane Harvey overtook many homes… Continue reading

Hear, Hearken, Obey: A Pattern to Overcome Adversity

Person sitting on a dock looking at a lake

When it feels like our life is cracking under pressure, how do we continue? Sometimes the answer is to submit to the will of God. I was 12 years old when I lost all my friends—for the second year in a row. Another move, another state. With burgeoning depression, I… Continue reading

Remembering Emmeline Wells

While Emmeline Wells lived over 100 years ago, her example of faithful living demonstrates how our faith can drive us to do good works. Tucked among the Church History Topics in the Church’s digital library is an entry dedicated to a woman named Emmeline Wells (1828–1921). I stumbled upon this… Continue reading

3 Concrete Ways to Apply Jesus Christ’s Atonement

For the times when life seems hopeless, here are three concrete ways to apply the Atonement of Jesus Christ. When discussing how to overcome trials in Sunday School, I frequently hear the comment, “Just apply the Atonement.” But when a crisis hits, I often wonder, “How do I apply the… Continue reading