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...
Agency: Putting Choices in Context

Agency: Putting Choices in Context

Agency is not the power to make choices in a vacuum—it is the power to make choices in relationship to our surroundings. We as children of heavenly parents have agency, or the ability to choose. The hymn “Choose the Right” expresses succinctly what we are to do with this ability:...
Proved Before God and Yourself

Proved Before God and Yourself

As we trust that trials are for our good, we will be proved before God and ourselves.  Life can be a struggle, a pain, and a test of endurance. Sometimes it’s easy to view the trials in our lives as evidence that God doesn’t care about the difficulties we face—or...
Tithing: More Than the One Thing I Do Right

Tithing: More Than the One Thing I Do Right

As we faithfully pay tithing, it becomes not only a habit but a meaningful ritual of service to the Lord. Tithing often brings to mind the miracle stories: A poverty-stricken family pays their tithing and is miraculously blessed. Some are suddenly given just the amount of money they need to survive. Or they...
Lessons Learned from a Broken Bow

Lessons Learned from a Broken Bow

When Nephi breaks his bow in the Book of Mormon, he teaches us by example how to deal with adversity. The first part of the Book of Mormon follows the journey of Lehi and his family out of Jerusalem, through the wilderness, and across the ocean to the promised land....
Choose Joy—Choose Repentance

Choose Joy—Choose Repentance

The choice to forsake sin and repent may be hard, but it will bring joy. Some people struggle with charity. Some people struggle with purity. But as a kid, Elder Dale G. Renlund struggled with lighting firecrackers before sacrament meetings. In his talk “Repentance: A Joyful Choice,” Elder Renlund describes how, when he...
Building the Church through Friendship

Building the Church through Friendship

Strengthening our relationships with others is a big part of living the gospel. The third hour of my Sunday church block generally goes like this: I walk into Relief Society, grab my usual seat next to my roommates, and promptly leave as soon as the meeting ends. In other words,...