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...
Elder Ronald A. Rasband: A Life of Service

Elder Ronald A. Rasband: A Life of Service

Elder Ronald A. Rasband said of his call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “It was the Lord’s decision and . . . I needed to understand that and have it confirmed to me.” Elder Ronald A. Rasband was sustained on October 3, 2015, as a member of the...
Mormonism’s Lost American Gothic: Rediscovering Joseph Paul Vorst

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...
Keep Following God’s Will: Don’t Give Up on What You Feel Is Right

Keep Following God’s Will: Don’t Give Up on What You Feel Is Right

Sometimes we don’t understand the spiritual promptings we receive. But Joseph Smith’s example shows us that as we trust and follow those promptings, we can know for certain that we are doing God’s will. We all have desires, many of them righteous ones. You may want to serve a mission...
It’s Not about You; It’s about Me: Who You’re Really Competing Against

It’s Not about You; It’s about Me: Who You’re Really Competing Against

How can I have confidence before God when others seem to be doing so much better than I am? As mortals with plenty of weaknesses, we have a tendency to compare ourselves to others. We compare our looks, our social life, our number of followers on social media. We sometimes...
You Were Meant to Be Different

You Were Meant to Be Different

You may feel you don’t belong in church because you are different, but God designed you to be different, and he needs you and your unique strengths in his plan. There may be some times in the Church when you feel like you don’t belong. But you do belong—of course...
5 Ways to Guard Against Lust

5 Ways to Guard Against Lust

Combating lust will help us develop true love and grow closer to the Spirit. Lust isn’t something we generally like to think or talk about. It’s dark and alluring at the same time. However, talking about lust can lead to understanding it, which can lead to a greater ability to...