Louise Yates Robison: An Ordinary Extraordinary Woman

portrait of woman

Louise Yates Robinson’s life of service shows us that all women can be extraordinary, no matter how ordinary they are. You have probably never heard of Louise Yates Robison (1866–1946), and that would most likely please her. In the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Janath R. Cannon tells us that Louise was… Continue reading

Ruth May Fox: Carrying on Despite Difficulties

Ruth May Fox

The author of the beloved hymn “Carry On,” Ruth May Fox lived the words she wrote. Her firm testimony of the gospel helped her overcome the hardships she encountered. “Ever since I could understand, the gospel has meant everything to me.” A woman of “great strength and refined features,” Ruth… Continue reading

Claiming Priesthood Blessings: A Single Mother’s Experience

Her husband was dead. She was alone with her children crossing the plains. But Mary Fielding Smith quieted her fears. She protected and empowered her family by relying on the power of the priesthood. Mary Fielding Smith (1801–52), best known as the wife of Hyrum Smith and mother of Joseph… Continue reading

Eliza R. Snow: A Childless Mother in Zion

eliza R. Snow

Though Eliza Roxcy Snow never bore children, she sacrificed her time, risked her health, and used her extensive education and remarkable poetry to bless the lives of the Latter-day Saints. Called “Zion’s Poetess” during her lifetime, Eliza R. Snow (1804–87) penned poems, organized three different organizations, and taught the Saints… Continue reading

Learning from an Outside View of Mormonism

Three women laughing on a park bench

A university professor tells what helps non-LDS students of Mormonism to gain a more accurate and nuanced understanding of the faith. When Dr. Laurie F. Maffly-Kipp teaches her Mormon studies class at the University of North Carolina, she uses the study of Mormonism as a model that can be applied… Continue reading

A Historical Context for Race and the Priesthood

Priests blessing sacrament

The topic of race and the priesthood has tried the faith of Latter-day Saints and others. To understand this issue, discover the historical context. An article titled “Race and the Priesthood” in the Gospel Topics section of lds.org provides rich historical details and spiritual insight. The Church of Jesus Christ… Continue reading

Church Disciplinary Councils: Acts of Love

Christ comforts the woman taken in adultery

High-profile cases of Church discipline have recently made national headlines, leading some people to question the need for excommunication. Church disciplinary councils lovingly invite those who seriously transgress to repent and start over with the full blessings of the gospel. Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve… Continue reading

Joseph Smith’s Example of Accepting the Lord’s Will

Pen laying on a piece of paper with old script writing

In a letter to his wife, Emma, the Prophet Joseph Smith shows his willingness to humbly submit to the will of the Lord. In 1832, Joseph Smith and other Church leaders traveled from Ohio to Missouri and back. They were delayed in Indiana for one month on their journey home because Newel… Continue reading

Joseph Smith’s Handwritten Account of the First Vision

portrait of Joseph Smith Jr.

Joseph Smith’s 1832 account of the First Vision preserves personal and intimate details that are not recorded elsewhere. The only known account in Joseph Smith’s own handwriting of his early spiritual experiences—including the First Vision—are included in his 1832 personal history. This unique history can be read on The Joseph… Continue reading