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...

Growing Through Every Season

Through faith in Jesus Christ, we can grow and flourish in every season of life.   Life rarely unfolds exactly as we expect. Plans change, opportunities are lost, and unexpected trials can leave us wondering why life is stagnant. In these moments, we can easily think that God has forgotten...

Ongoing Restoration

Renovations to Temple Square allow for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to be preached to the world like never before. During my mission at Temple Square, I sometimes struggled to keep Jesus Christ at the center of my conversations. I deeply wanted to share the joy of his restored...

Accepting Weaknesses Gracefully

How can I accept my weaknesses and grow without hopeless self-hatred, anxious disappointment, or worldly sorrow? The Apostle Paul is remembered as a great man of Christ. But in his own writings, he said, “There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet...

Culture vs. Creed: Thoughts on Our Bodies

As we teach and learn together, we must distinguish between Church doctrine and local culture. I see a disconnect sometimes, especially in online echo chambers, between my lived experience and the lived experiences of others within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These differences are often benign or...
Embracing Our Quirks on the Path to Perfection

Embracing Our Quirks on the Path to Perfection

Our quirks and peculiarities are a strength as we strive to become more Christlike. I wear a dinosaur backpack around my college campus. I always arrive ridiculously early to the airport. Every year I celebrate several made-up holidays, such as the anniversary of the first time I got stitches. My...
Common Marriage Misconceptions: 4 Practices to Avoid

Common Marriage Misconceptions: 4 Practices to Avoid

Much of the marriage advice offered today is paradoxical and negatively affects individuals and society as a whole. Today’s society spreads the idea that the family is no longer a fundamental social unit and that we should disconnect marriage from religion and sexuality. Unfortunately, these ideas have propagated a culture...
Learning to Love Ourselves

Learning to Love Ourselves

We can overcome fear and learn to love ourselves by following President James E. Faust’s six keys to strengthening self-esteem. Loving ourselves can be even more difficult than loving others. Although we are sons and daughters of a Heavenly King, we are imperfect. Rather than allowing our weaknesses to discourage us, we can choose...
Avoiding Pinterest Perfect Comparisons

Avoiding Pinterest Perfect Comparisons

On social media we usually see only the “picture perfect” ideal. We must learn to embrace reality for all its glorious imperfections. Have you ever scrolled through social media and felt horrible about yourself? With so much pressure to portray a certain image, social media too often becomes a platform...
Giving In to Compliments

Giving In to Compliments

Because I wanted to be humble, I used to focus too much on my weaknesses. Now I understand that God wants us to grow confident from our successes. “We talk about being kind to everyone and filling our speech with love, but whenever you say even one nice thing about...
How You Can Be A Missionary by Using the Correct Name of the Church

How You Can Be A Missionary by Using the Correct Name of the Church

Using the correct name of the Church brings more spiritual blessings than we realize. Since President Russell M. Nelson’s reemphasis on using the correct name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Church has updated everything from email domains to teaching materials in order to follow the...