We often think we need to change the world in order to feel accomplished. In truth, it’s the small and simple things that are harder to achieve and more glorious in reward. In “Small and Simple Things,” President Dallin H. Oaks reminds us of a familiar scripture: “By small and… Continue reading
What you choose to do after general conference is over can have a far greater impact than can the notes you took or the good feelings you felt during the conference. Every six months, we have the privilege of joining with people across the world to hear messages from men… Continue reading
The translation of the Book of Mormon was a miracle of modern revelation. When most of us hear the word translation, we think of bilingual dictionaries, conjugation charts, and Google Translate. If we need to verify that something is translated correctly, we might ask a native speaker or someone who… Continue reading
Before Joseph Smith ran for US president, he established an organization in Nauvoo to govern the temporal concerns of the Saints. He called the group “the Council of Fifty.” I remember the first time I learned about Joseph Smith’s seer stones, polygamous relationships, and other uncomfortable tidbits of Mormon history. I… Continue reading
Prioritizing scripture study is a choice that can heal us. I had been home from my mission for three months, and I was already having trouble reading scriptures. I had read scriptures for an hour every day on my mission and had promised myself upon returning home that I would… Continue reading
When others are sad, we want to take their sorrow away. But we need to try to understand their feelings rather than try to fix them. When other people feel sad, our instincts tell us that we need to somehow make them happy again. Our society views sadness as a disease that… Continue reading
Paradigm shifts can rock our world, but they can also bring greater understanding. Before 1697, Westerners believed the idiom “all swans are white.” But when a Dutch explorer discovered a black swan in Australia, his discovery “instantly demolished an apparent reality while also enabling a new, more informed state of… Continue reading
As we follow four important words in Alma 34:32, the purpose of life can become clearer, and our journey through life can become easier. It’s easy to become overwhelmed with all that living the gospel entails. The long list of to-do’s can distract us from the true purpose of life.… Continue reading
Decisions to take the higher road can make us feel disadvantaged; but when in doubt, consider what the Anti-Nephi-Lehies did. In the Book of Mormon, Aaron presents his account of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies—a people who, when they had come to a knowledge of their Savior, promised never to lift their swords… 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
