Faith in Revelation: Learning from Joseph Smith’s Civil War Prophecy
Sometimes the revelation we receive can be confusing. But we can learn how to overcome our doubts from the experience of Joseph Smith. Just before Christmas in 1832, the South Carolina legislature established tariffs that challenged the federal government’s right to enforce its own laws. US president Andrew Jackson warned the...
Of Ducks and Destinies
Although we might prefer our lives be as neat and cozy as a duck pond in a manicured garden, we must navigate the wilderness of uncertainty guided by the Spirit if we are to discover our personal promised lands. While hurrying home one October day, I was struck by the...
Forgotten Commandments in a Changing World
Elder L. Tom Perry warns us not to ignore six of the Ten Commandments. It’s easy for most of us to avoid murdering, stealing, and lying and to obey our parents. But we often neglect six of the other commandments. In a video featured on the Mormon Newsroom website, Elder...
Understanding the Book of Mormon’s Translation
Though translating with a seer stone may seem odd, what matters most is that the Book of Mormon was translated by the power of God. Never-before-seen pictures of Joseph Smith’s first seer stone are found in “Joseph the Seer” in the October 2015 Ensign and Liahona. Assistant Church Historian Richard...
The Secret Behind Cultivating Inclusivity at Church: Charity
Charity is cultivating inclusivity at church—it’s recognizing the signs of exclusion and learning to be inclusive toward excluded members. Moving to a new location usually means moving to a new ward. For shy people like me, the thought of starting over fills us with dread. Will I make friends? Will...
Mormonism’s Lost American Gothic: Rediscovering Joseph Paul Vorst
An unsung immigrant painter’s work resonates with Latter-day Saints. Individual suffering and heartache are not common themes in LDS artwork. Many of us prefer “uplifting” and familiar scenes—pioneers fearlessly crossing the plains, Helaman leading his stripling warriors, Christ descending from the heavens. Although most of the paintings by Joseph Paul...

