Shipwrecked in Antigua: How a Trial Became a Blessing

Water, Mountains, and Boats

When my family and I embarked on a journey to visit the Caribbean islands, we thought it would be smooth sailing. Little did we know what awaited us. My family has adventurous tendencies that kept my childhood interesting. My parents had always wanted to live on a boat, and the… Continue reading

Never Alone, Never Unloved: Faith to Climb Mountains

During hard times, it’s tempting to feel lost and discouraged. But as we exercise faith, we can know that we are never alone, forgotten, or unloved when we face trials. Sometimes our adversities seem like mountains, too tough to conquer. During our darkest moments, we might lose hope and wonder,… Continue reading

Burdens Are Blessings

Do you feel held back or weighed down by your burdens? They might actually be propelling you forward. When I think of the word burden, I imagine a man carrying a giant boulder on his back. He is exhausted and struggles to move forward. I’ve always viewed burdens as things… Continue reading

I Shall Come Forth as Gold

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, we can rise from our trials to become stronger and more capable. The fire was roaring, engulfing not only the plane and its passengers but also the life that Stephanie Nielson once knew. Whether or not our trials arrive in the form of… Continue reading

Instruments of Righteousness: Accomplishing God’s Work

We can use our spiritual gifts to fulfill the divine work that God has prepared for us. The Lord has prepared important and specific tasks for us to accomplish. God’s work is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39), and our divine gifts play… Continue reading

He Won’t Give Up on Me, So I Won’t Give Up on Him

girl staring out at hot air balloons

We must let our love for Heavenly Father, not the challenges of this life, define us. With a can-do attitude and unwavering determination, Marianne Fisher has accomplished amazing things in her life. Now in her eighties, Marianne has received two master’s degrees, has sung in a world-renowned choir for 17 years,… Continue reading

Turning Trials into Opportunities

We cannot learn by study alone. We must also learn through experience and action. Chronic illness. Natural disasters. Premature death. Many trials surface in our lives, often seeming random, with no one to blame for their appearance. It’s easy to ask, “Why? Why do good people suffer such hardships?” In… Continue reading

Thinking Critically about Our Faith

scriptures

Faith and scrutiny don’t have to be at odds. Careful reasoning and critical thinking can encourage experiences that deepen our faith. Can critical reasoning and religion work together? Science and the process of critical reasoning are often depicted to be at odds with theology and religious thought. But Dr. Ed… Continue reading

Confronting Uncertainty the Right Way

When we confront uncertainty in our lives, there are three ways we can face it. Which will you choose?  At some point, we learn that not everything is in our control. We become aware that there is a gap between the real and the ideal. And with these realizations, uncertainty… Continue reading

How Can I Choose Love Over Bitterness?

plant being held

Even when the world gives us every reason to be bitter, we can make the choice to cultivate love in our hearts. Under the government system of racial segregation called apartheid, South African communities were fraught with racial tension. But when the car accident that killed Julia Mavimbela’s husband was blamed… Continue reading