Building the Courage to Stand Alone

In 2011, Thomas S. Monson counseled us all to “dare to stand alone.” What can we learn from his words 15 years later? My high school in San Diego, California, had nearly two thousand students. Around 15 of those were members of the Church, including my brothers and me. Throughout...

What We Ought to Know About Eternity

What does the gospel of Jesus Christ teach us about our life’s purpose and eternal destiny? Familial bonds don’t end with mortality. There are millions of pop culture portrayals of the afterlife and speculations about what it’s like. For instance, I recently watched a movie with a depiction of an...

Faithfully Acting on Revelation

Faith is what allows us to hear the Lord’s voice and act on his will. I packed my backpack for the first day of class after changing my major for the third time. I felt excited to begin the semester, convinced I had finally found my calling. However, as the...

A Gift More Precious Than Rubies

Despite its miraculous origins and exquisite teachings, we sometimes forget how important the Book of Mormon is in our lives. What is it worth to you? One way to realize how much we value something is to remove it from our lives. President Russell M. Nelson encourages us to engage...

Start Where You Are

Being a disciple of Christ doesn’t need to be complicated, and it doesn’t come with a list of prerequisites. In his October 2015 general conference talk, “It Works Wonderfully!,” President Dieter F. Uchtdorf emphasizes the Savior’s grace in the journey of discipleship. He asks us to consider whether we are...
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,...
Four Words Can Transform Life’s Journey

Four Words Can Transform Life’s Journey

As we follow four important words in Alma 34:32, the purpose of life can become clearer, and our journey through life can become easier. It’s easy to become overwhelmed with all that living the gospel entails. The long list of to-do’s can distract us from the true purpose of life....
Your Spiritual Superpower

Your Spiritual Superpower

The greatest superpower of all—God’s power in our lives—comes from keeping our covenants and receiving the power to change. If you could have one superpower, what would it be? It might be a hard choice! But there is a superpower you already have. In her address “The Power to Change,”...
Maintaining Balance: Loving Others While Defending the Faith

Maintaining Balance: Loving Others While Defending the Faith

In a world where having a different opinion is often laughed at, it is possible to follow Jesus Christ’s example of loving others, being kind, and avoiding contention while standing up for the gospel. It can be intimidating to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints....
The Power of Patience

The Power of Patience

Patience involves waiting for the Lord’s guidance, but it also includes acting with a positive attitude.  Hillary Olsen was sick and wasn’t getting better. She wanted a miracle, but all she heard was “we bless you with patience.” Her August 2015 article, “Patience: More Than Waiting,” was published in the...
Extraordinary Beginnings: The Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book

Extraordinary Beginnings: The Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book

Discover how the Relief Society was founded, how the organization’s name was decided, and how the early Church’s women became sisters. Within the large collection of documents called the Joseph Smith Papers, there is a precious treasure that is particularly significant to women of the Church: the Nauvoo Relief Society...