The Joy of Forgiveness Is a Miracle Waiting for You

How can we get over the shame of talking to our bishop? Trusting in God’s desire for us to return, despite imperfection, can lead us to healing, worthiness, and deeper discipleship. Recently, I’ve felt God’s presence strongly in my life. I work hard throughout the day, and at night as...

Civic Knowledge “by Study and by Faith”

Our leaders have always encouraged us to be civically responsible by independently exercising our right to vote. As I scroll on my phone and get notifications from online newspapers, there is a distinct feeling of dread that weighs on my shoulders at the end of each day. Faceless accounts spit...

Choosing the Safer Path: Avoiding Temptation in a Covenant Life

The Savior didn’t debate temptation—he dismissed it. When we do the same, his strength will help us overcome our weakness. In our world today, we are surrounded by distractions and worldly pleasures that seek to turn us away from the covenant path. One of the proverbs of Solomon teaches a...

Your Testimony Is a Weapon, a Defense, and a Refuge

We can share the gospel with greater confidence when we recognize the power of our testimonies. Your testimony is a weapon, a defense, and a refuge. And it’s powerful. When I was a missionary in southern Argentina, my mission president taught an important truth from a scripture I now hold...

Using the Book of Mormon to Understand the Old Testament

In his day, Nephi studied and cherished the Old Testament record. Because of what Nephi left behind, we can too. The Old Testament can be a difficult read for many, and it definitely is for me. Not only is it the oldest scripture in our canon, but it sometimes seems...
Comprehending Death

Comprehending Death

When my friend Malori passed away, my beliefs about life after death were put to the test. Did I really believe in the spirit world? We all will eventually face the reality of losing a loved one. Until recently, though, I had never had to experience that pain. It was...
Reassurance amid Weakness

Reassurance amid Weakness

We can feel reassurance and peace when we realize that our weaknesses and imperfections give us opportunities to draw closer to God. Though most of us are able to recognize the good that we do in our lives, sometimes we focus too much on our imperfections, weaknesses, and mistakes. In...
Enjoy the Ride

Enjoy the Ride

Life isn’t all sunshine and bliss. Whatever life throws at us, the trick is to enjoy the ride.    In a world where advertisements and Instagram posts promote the idea that everyone around us is happy and we can be happy too if we just apply ourselves or buy a certain product,...
Marriage: Then and Now

Marriage: Then and Now

By using “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” as our standard, we can see how far off-center the world’s idea of marriage has become, how it got there, and how we need to define marriage today.  A judicial system has to balance social and individual interests—the good of the...
Moving Forward in Spite of Fear

Moving Forward in Spite of Fear

Each of us faces fear in life; the best way to overcome our fear is by moving forward with faith in God. We’ve all experienced fear of the unknown at some point. When life hands us something that’s difficult or uncertain, we often feel fear or worry, even if we...
Finding Growth Through Failure

Finding Growth Through Failure

Experiencing failure is part of our mortal existence, but through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can grow through those mistakes and progress toward perfection. We will all make mistakes and experience failure at various points in our lives. It is an inevitable part of being a human in this...