Choosing to Be Chosen

Being an “agent unto yourself” balances doing things of your own will and seeking God’s will. When we think about agency, we imagine the divine gift of the right to choose for ourselves. We often hear of agency in connection with being an agent, someone who actively makes decisions and...

Gifts and Rewards

By developing our spiritual gifts with all our hearts, we can be led to find our own personal success and rewards.  For years, I have struggled to recognize the gifts and talents that God has given me. I searched the scriptures, but I couldn’t seem to believe that I had...

Trusting in God’s Plan

When fear of the future blurs your faith, trusting God realigns your path. My last year at Brigham Young University has been strenuous as I’ve felt anxious about my future after college. At times, the thought of being without a secure job, a place to live, or a partner has...

Spiritually Creating Your Day

God created all things spiritually before he created them temporally. Similarly, we can “spiritually create” our day through meaningful prayer. I always seem to have a billion things to do, which makes it hard for me to keep track of everything and even harder to remember to involve God in...

No Success Is Too Small

New year, new you…right? When you fall short of your goals, God sees each tiny step you take in the right direction. Every time January rolls around and the world is abuzz with New Year’s resolutions, I can’t help but feel anxious rather than excited. Setting goals has often felt...
Sally Randall’s Letters from Nauvoo

Sally Randall’s Letters from Nauvoo

Joseph Smith’s death was a heartrending event in Church history. In her letters home, Sally Randall shares her faith-filled perspective of the tragedy. The martyrdom of Joseph Smith on June 27, 1844, was unjust and abhorrent. However, many early Saints did not let Joseph’s death shake their faith. Sally Randall, a woman...
Reason and Revelation: Friends, Not Enemies

Reason and Revelation: Friends, Not Enemies

Reason and revelation don’t necessarily conflict in Latter-day Saint doctrine. Alan Hurst, Utah Supreme Court clerk and religious freedom advocate, presents a new perspective on the conflict that some feel between reason and revelation. This tension stems from the parents of traditional Christian thought: Jewish doctrine and Greek philosophy. Jewish...
Embracing Our Forever Trials

Embracing Our Forever Trials

There are some trials that you just can’t shake—no matter how much you’ve healed, they’ll be with you for the rest of your life. And that’s okay. One day you wake up and your whole life is different. Maybe you’ve lost a loved one. Maybe you’ve suffered from an accident,...
5 Ways to Become Converted to the Lord

5 Ways to Become Converted to the Lord

Conversion is a lifelong process of dedicating our lives to Christ. Here are a few simple habits that we can develop to help our conversion continue. Becoming converted to the Lord isn’t a one-time event or a casual process. But it also doesn’t have to be intimidating or confusing. In...
Fruits of the Fast

Fruits of the Fast

When we follow the commandment to fast, we harvest far more than we sow. The law of the fast includes forgoing two meals in a 24-hour period, attending fast and testimony meeting, and contributing a generous fast offering. Though obedience to this commandment can be difficult, the rewards of fasting...
Are You Listening to the Spiritual Secrets of the Universe?

Are You Listening to the Spiritual Secrets of the Universe?

All the planets and stars, nebulas, and galaxies witness that there is a Supreme Creator, and they teach us of his nature. In 2009, apostle Neal A. Maxwell turned his attention to the skies. In his talk “Our Creator’s Cosmos,” he spoke about how the nature of the universe can...