Finding belonging can be difficult, especially for those who are shy. By identifying with our true identity as a child of God, we can find true belonging as we become more like him. When my husband and I—both shy introverts—attended our first nonstudent ward for the first time as a… Continue reading
Promoting belonging at church requires examining why certain people feel isolated and implementing more inclusive language. Differences in ethnicity, heritage, profession, age, and many other characteristics are what make each community member unique, and this diversity has tremendous potential to cultivate meaningful connections between church members specifically. However, these differences… Continue reading
Belonging is an individual feeling. But paradoxically, belonging is also a group activity. Although human beings are vastly different, one thing links us all in a shared human experience: our emotions. At one point or another, we’ve all felt the breath of peaceful relief, the smile of giddy joy, the… Continue reading
By keeping our covenants with God, we open the doors to a shared community of belonging with God and with each other. In an increasingly individualized society, it may be difficult to see how any of us can truly connect with and understand one another. However, we can create a… Continue reading
Even if you feel like your family is broken or simply does not reflect the structure of other families in the Church, you still have a place within the family proclamation. If you feel like your family is broken or incomplete, it can be difficult to understand how the principles… Continue reading
Couples without children may feel out of place in church and family circles. We can help them by showing greater sensitivity in our words and actions. During the past year, my husband and I wanted to have kids, but for a while, we were unable to realize our dream. This… Continue reading
As human beings, we all crave a sense of belonging. How should we reach out to others to satisfy this hunger? Creating an atmosphere of unity and inclusion is certainly easier said than done. But if there is anything to learn from the 2021 BYU Women’s Conference, it’s that we… Continue reading
To become better disciples of Christ, we must have “the courage to confront our own prejudices and to challenge the assumptions we make about others.” —Phillip D. Rash We may feel we belong when most of the people in our communities look like us and have similar experiences to us.… Continue reading
Although sometimes we may feel like we do not belong, we always have a place as God’s children. Deserved or not, lasting or temporary, major or minor, we have all probably had the terrible experience of feeling like we don’t belong. It’s an emotion to which we humans are all… Continue reading
How do we find belonging when we feel out of place? At a time when I didn’t think I could ever be—or even wanted to be—the “ideal LDS woman,” I often asked myself, “Do I really belong here?” At that time, my testimony in Christ as my Savior and in… Continue reading
