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...
What Can We Actually Do to Build Zion?

What Can We Actually Do to Build Zion?

Building Zion seems like a massive undertaking, but there are many ways we can contribute in our own wards and branches. Have you ever not known where to start with a work as lofty as building Zion? Recent Church publications have focused on this theme of building Zion, but it...
Trials: Mercies in Disguise

Trials: Mercies in Disguise

What if we stopped seeing our trials as burdens and started seeing them as blessings? How often do we go through trials and ask, “Why me?” While this is natural, it is not the way Heavenly Father wants us to react. In a devotional given at BYU-Idaho, Brother Larry Richman...
7 Tips for Making Righteous Judgments

7 Tips for Making Righteous Judgments

We are sometimes required to pass judgment on other people and on important decisions in our lives. These seven principles outline how we can make righteous judgments. In Matthew 7:1, Christ commands us not to judge. Through the Joseph Smith Translation, however, we see that not all judgment is bad....
“O God, Where Art Thou?”: The Trials of Liberty Jail

“O God, Where Art Thou?”: The Trials of Liberty Jail

When everything seems to go wrong, has God left us to face our trials alone? On December 1, 1838, six men, including the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum, were wrongfully imprisoned in the dungeon of Liberty Jail in Clay County, Missouri. One of the other innocent captives charged with...
How Worthy Music Can Bring Us Joy

How Worthy Music Can Bring Us Joy

If we seek out good, uplifting music, we will likewise see ourselves become good, uplifting people. Could you live in a world without music? I know I couldn’t. In fact, when someone asks me what my favorite kind of music is, I am at a loss for words because I...
War, Politics, and Power of the Book of Mormon

War, Politics, and Power of the Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon includes details and principles of war that would have been impossible for young Joseph Smith to make up. Although the Book of Mormon was published by Joseph Smith, a young man with little education and no war experience, it is remarkably accurate in its portrayal of...