More than a Holiday Special

Celebrating the Easter story is not meant to be reserved for the holidays; Christ lives—today! During the Easter season, Church leaders have reminded us of the significance of the Easter story. But the truth of the Atonement, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ is not simply a holiday message. In...

A Mighty Heart Workout

How to become like Jesus: a transformation made possible through his grace. Love one another as Jesus loves you. Try to show kindness in all that you do. Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought, For these are the things Jesus taught. (“I’m Trying to Be like Jesus,”...

Faith: A Power Rooted in Eternal Principles

We often wait for the fog to lift before taking another step. Learning instead to walk through it is real faith. The modern world is a chaotic echo chamber, reinforcing our own thoughts about who to be and how to plan our lives. We may try to rely on our...

Rejoice with Those Who Rejoice

Even in seasons of sorrow and grief, we can rejoice with those who rejoice. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I try to live by the principle to “mourn with those who mourn” and “comfort those that stand in need of comfort,” as taught...

Faith to Affect and Faith to Accept

The absence of a miracle doesn’t necessarily mean we lack faith—the faith to accept God’s will is an equally valid expression of devotion. President Russell M. Nelson once told the story of two contrasting yet powerful examples of faith. In his April 2021 general conference talk “Christ Is Risen; Faith...
Are You There, God?

Are You There, God?

Sometimes when it seems like God is silent, we need only to be patient, and we will see his hand in our lives. “Are you there, God? It’s me, Mackenzie.” “Heavenly Father, are you really there? And are you hearing and answering my prayers?” I know I’m not the only...
Louisa Barnes Pratt: Early Sister Missionary in French Polynesia

Louisa Barnes Pratt: Early Sister Missionary in French Polynesia

Louisa Barnes Pratt served as one of the first sister missionaries of the Church in French Polynesia.  While her husband was serving a mission in the Society Islands in French Polynesia, Louisa Barnes Pratt was called to join him there as a missionary—along with their four daughters. After receiving the...
Healing from Addiction

Healing from Addiction

When pornography addiction makes us feel broken, we can find healing through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. When a plague of fiery serpents befell the ancient Israelites, the Lord gave Moses a solution: make a serpent of brass, fix it to a pole, then invite those who have been bitten...
More than Divine Words on a Page

More than Divine Words on a Page

I had been living far below my privileges when it came to scripture study. In a class I took on teaching seminary, I learned that there is a better way to study scriptures: by following the learning pattern. The learning pattern includes understanding the context and content, identifying and understanding...
Curve Ball or Careful Pruning?

Curve Ball or Careful Pruning?

At times, God may seem to throw you a curve ball that is unfair or causes hurt. Those are times of “pruning.” He is preparing you for something greater. You probably have something you are working toward right now. It might be a degree, a job, a trip, or some...
Honeybees and Service

Honeybees and Service

Out of small things—even “honeybees”—great things can come to pass. Though I lacked the funds, the feeling that I should do something to help a missionary’s struggling family in Tonga persisted. This elder had served long and faithfully in our stake; now his mother’s diagnosis of cancer and mounting medical...