What do the small and simple things have to do with the trials we find ourselves facing? For some reason, we balk at simplicity. As humans, anything too easy makes us suspicious. With this tendency, sometimes we overlook the building blocks of the gospel, even though these building blocks are often what we need… Continue reading
When we face trials, Heavenly Father can help us. But the solution we want isn’t always the solution we need. Sometimes our prayers are answered quickly and predictably. But for Brittany King, miracles haven’t always come so easily. In her Ensign article “Not the Miracle We Wanted,” Brittany reflects on the struggles she… Continue reading
I was working toward worthy goals. But a gentle reminder of the blessings that I currently had showed me that I didn’t have to wait for joy. I needed to finish two papers, study for a math test, call some of the girls in my Young Women class, and figure… Continue reading
The way we face our trials contributes to how happy and successful we are. But how do we face trials that seem impossible to overcome? We all experience disappointment, sadness, sickness, and heartache. Why would a loving Heavenly Father want us to face such adversity? He does not give us… Continue reading
A general conference talk gave me hope for my wandering son’s future. My husband and I have six children. They all bring us joy, but parenting them has also provided us with trials and learning experiences. In 2003, our fourth child was fourteen and was struggling with many issues. Although I never learned… Continue reading
Fact: life can be tough. However, as we look toward Christ, we can find the joy we need to endure even the most difficult trials. We never think that we will be the ones who will have to suffer through a particular challenge or trial—until it is staring us in… Continue reading
For the longest time, I didn’t think I had any charity. Whenever I heard about charity in Primary, Sunday School, Young Women, Relief Society, and even many of my university religion classes, the message I always got was that charity was service. Charity was going out and giving, working, and… Continue reading
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.… Continue reading
God can seem like an impersonal, unknowable being in the sky. But we can find peace during our hardest times as we seek to understand him as our Father, who loves us individually. My pre-teenage concept of God was perhaps a little irreverent, but it nonetheless sculpted my dutiful, strained relationship with… Continue reading
We must have faith that things will work out—but if they don’t work out according to our desires, we need to trust in God and in his timing. During the April 2004 general conference, I listened to a talk by Elder Dennis E. Simmons that literally made me stop in my… Continue reading
