Creating Space for God

No matter how busy we are, being intentional with our time opens up opportunities for God to speak to us. I love a good audiobook or podcast to keep me company while I drive or walk someplace—it keeps me occupied and helps me feel like I’m making good use of...

A Day of Great Importance

Life is full of important days. How do we know what choices can prepare us for them? I recently attended the temple sealing of a good friend. As I sat in the sealing room and listened to the words of the ordinance, I could feel the eternal importance of that...

We Are Found

We are found.  We are no longer sheep fallen in a canyon, out of sight and beyond aid.  We are found.  We have been lifted up by gentle, calloused, scarred hands.  We have been embraced.  We are now placed behind the Shepherd as we do our best to stumble on...

Kinsman Redeemer

In ancient Israel, the closest male relative was responsible for the well-being of the entire family. He was often the head of the house, but he could also be a brother or an uncle. His responsibilities included making sure the extended family, in-laws, and nonrelatives living with the family were...

How Christ Can Help You Heal from Sexual Assault

Being a victim of sexual assault often leads to confusion, hopelessness, and guilt. Yet the versatility of Christ’s Atonement can still be a comfort for guiltless victims.  There are few things more devastating than being sexually abused. The aftermath of one’s agency being ignored is often full of regret, anxiety,...
The First Mormon Government: The Council of Fifty

The First Mormon Government: The Council of Fifty

Before Joseph Smith ran for US president, he established an organization in Nauvoo to govern the temporal concerns of the Saints. He called the group “the Council of Fifty.”  I remember the first time I learned about Joseph Smith’s seer stones, polygamous relationships, and other uncomfortable tidbits of Mormon history. I...
Intellectual Integrity

Intellectual Integrity

To truly be intellectually honest, we need to consider the evidence in favor of God’s existence. It’s pretty difficult to make it through life without your faith being challenged at some point; sometimes it happens sooner, sometimes later, but it almost always happens. What we choose to do in those...
Calvary and Gethsemane: Where Did Christ Atone for Our Sins?

Calvary and Gethsemane: Where Did Christ Atone for Our Sins?

We tend to emphasize the role of Gethsemane in Christ’s Atonement, but the Crucifixion at Calvary also plays a crucial role. How can we come closer to Jesus Christ by learning about his death? Where did Christ’s Atonement take place? In Dr. John Hilton III’s interview titled “The Atoning Crucifixion,”...
Gaining Maturity by Cultivating Appreciation

Gaining Maturity by Cultivating Appreciation

The often-forgotten virtue of appreciation can transform your relationships with others and with God. Think of all the people you’ve interacted with today. Regardless of whether you’re related to them, whether you’re friends with them, or whether you just met them, did you treat them with kindness? Did you say...
Rolling with the Punches

Rolling with the Punches

Learn not only to adapt to unexpected situations in life but also to find joy in them too. We’ve all had those days—something breaks, the dog makes a mess inside, we’re late for work, the traffic is endless. Everything that can go wrong, does. Sometimes these days stretch into months,...
Finding Light in Laoag

Finding Light in Laoag

While serving my mission in the Sunshine City, God not only lit my path but showed me where it leads. When I first read my mission call to Laoag, Philippines, I had no idea how to pronounce Laoag. So of course, I also didn’t know that laoag means light in...