The Power in Fast Offerings

Loaves of bread with blue background

When we choose to sacrifice more through fast offerings, not only will we be blessing others, but our own lives will be blessed as well. In a world of monthly expenses, credit card bills, and student loans, the decision of how much to donate for fast offerings can be a laborious… Continue reading

Trusting in Our “Promise Keeper”

UPWARD GAZE IN A GROVE OF TREES

God has promised each of us blessings that we may receive only after this life. How can we trust God and find happiness now? The problem with eternity is that it lasts a really long time. When we are promised blessings, God fulfills them in his eternal time. Sometimes we… Continue reading

Fruits of the Fast

People sitting arund a dinner table

When we follow the commandment to fast, we harvest far more than we sow. The law of the fast includes forgoing two meals in a 24-hour period, attending fast and testimony meeting, and contributing a generous fast offering. Though obedience to this commandment can be difficult, the rewards of fasting… Continue reading

Forgotten Commandments in a Changing World

Singer at a concert

Elder L. Tom Perry warns us not to ignore six of the Ten Commandments. It’s easy for most of us to avoid murdering, stealing, and lying and to obey our parents. But we often neglect six of the other commandments. In a video featured on the Mormon Newsroom website, Elder… Continue reading

Louisa Barnes Pratt: Early Sister Missionary in French Polynesia

tropical flowers

Louisa Barnes Pratt served as one of the first sister missionaries of the Church in French Polynesia.  While her husband was serving a mission in the Society Islands in French Polynesia, Louisa Barnes Pratt was called to join him there as a missionary—along with their four daughters. After receiving the… Continue reading

Simple Acts of Faith

sun rays through the clouds

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

Faith to Not Be Healed

Sometimes faith isn’t found in receiving desired blessings but in accepting the will of the Lord regardless of the outcome.  John and Heather were recently married when they discovered that John had cancer. His prognosis was bad. However, the couple had confidence that everything would work out. When Elder David… Continue reading

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… Continue reading

Computer Screens and Big Blessings

Boy sitting on ledge looking at screen of a laptop

As a generation of texters and tweeters, we have been prepared to serve our ancestors through family history work and to lay claim to promised blessings.  With the increasing number of genealogy records on the Internet and the tools to access them, you don’t have to be a genealogist to… Continue reading

Blessings of Religious Diversity

person looking at a view of old city and sunset

When we realize that Latter-day Saints don’t have a monopoly on spiritual truth, we can learn truth and insight from members of other religious beliefs. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints make up less than one percent of the world’s population. This means that over seven billion… Continue reading