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

Getting Your Feet Wet: The Faith to Act

Feet in water

As you wait for the waters to part, don’t hesitate to start walking. Trust that soon enough you’ll see the dry ground beneath your feet. As a high school senior, I prayed daily about which college to attend, but I did not get an answer from God. Frustrated, I eventually… Continue reading

How to Avoid the Rut of Spiritual Apathy

Green mountains

Remembering God’s love will strengthen your spiritual resilience and protect you from the trap of spiritual apathy. I peered out through the dense fog at the Ribeira da Torre Valley of Santa Antão, Cape Verde. As the clouds parted and sunlight illuminated the view, my jaw dropped. Enormous mountains covered… Continue reading

Need a Hand to Hold?

A winding mountain path

Life can be overwhelming to face alone, but the Lord has promised to hold your hand. When I was sixteen, I had a memorable hike with my ward. On the way down the mountain, the path became very steep, and I began to move very slowly. My friends got ahead… Continue reading

Divine Daughters of Heavenly Parents

Women sitting while talking.

As women, it can be easy to forget our purpose and place in God’s eyes, but the foundational truths in the Young Women Theme can remind us that we are divine daughters of our Heavenly Mother and Father.   When I was a teenager, I participated in the Young Women program.… Continue reading

Stormy Days and Mountain Waves: Finding Strength

Ocean waves at sunset.

We were created to withstand and overcome even our most challenging trials. Have you ever asked the question, “How could God let this happen?”  I have. I was 17 and struggling with severe depression, and I couldn’t understand why God didn’t just take it away and help me feel normal… Continue reading

We Are More Than Survivors

White flowers on a green stem.

When bad things happen to us, such as abuse, bullying, or trauma, we must remember what Christ said: “I know your sorrows, and I have come to deliver you” (Exodus 3:8–9). Survival stories come in many different forms. Some may think of natural disasters, wilderness survival, or plane crashes, while… Continue reading

Humility Will Take Us Home

Man sitting with hands clasped to cover his face

We are taught to “be ye therefore perfect” (Matthew 5:48), but is this actually attainable? With the help of Christ, it is—in time. We’ve all experienced feelings of pressure or stress. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with simple everyday tasks, school, work, or the expectations of family and friends. My to-do… Continue reading

How Can I Minister as Christ Did?

Man Soothing Crying Sad Woman on Sofa

Christ is the perfect example of ministering to the one. How can we use our modern-day resources to serve and minister as he did? “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go… Continue reading

How You Belong in the Family Proclamation

A woman and two boys play with a dog

Even if you feel like your family is broken or simply does not reflect the structure of other families in the Church, you still have a place within the family proclamation. If you feel like your family is broken or incomplete, it can be difficult to understand how the principles… Continue reading