“Jesus Wept”

Person on the end of a pier

Life can be unfair, painful, and uncertain. When we or our loved ones find ourselves in those times of grief or frustration, we can rely on the Savior and his perfect example of empathy. In his BYU devotional, “Hard Sayings and Safe Spaces: Making Room for Struggle as Well as… Continue reading

Preserving the Sanctity of Marriage in Modern Times

The Plan of Salvation: Temple Marraige

In today’s world, marriage is being attacked and ridiculed; we should restore its importance now more than ever. Marriage doesn’t have the same importance today as it once did. The narrative around marriage tends to lean in one of two directions: One is toward a twisted picture of misery and… Continue reading

The Jury’s Not Out: Avoiding Judgment of Ourselves

The Righteous Judge

Jesus never condemned; we don’t need to condemn ourselves. Have you ever heard someone say, “Well, it’s too late for me, I won’t be saved”? Or even, “I’m already going to hell, so what’s the point of trying?” It feels like people are prone to making judgments of themselves that… Continue reading

Small and Simple Actions

Baseball on the grass

We can strengthen our relationships with God, ourselves, and others through the “small things.” It’s easy to get caught up in big-picture goals and planning for the future, but this thinking can distract us from the moments of daily living that end up amounting to more than we may realize—the… Continue reading

Turning Trials into Temples

Silhouette of man sitting on grass field

Revelation can come at any time in our lives—even the hardest times—if we stay close to Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. I was preparing to go on my mission when the COVID-19 pandemic started. My life was turned upside down in a matter of days, and I was miserable… Continue reading

The Struggle to Grow Intellectually

Struggling is a part of life, especially in education. It is through our struggles, however, that we truly learn to grow. Making my way through community college and university hasn’t been all easy. Most classes I passed without too much struggle, but I can recall some classes that stressed me… Continue reading

No Trial Is Wasted

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Just as our Savior came to know us through his suffering, we come to know and love our Savior through our trials. A few years ago during a scripture study, I realized that as the Jaredites traveled across the sea, they encountered “furious wind” that created “mountain waves.”  This must… Continue reading

How to Build a Boat to Handle Life’s Storms

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The storms of life can be plentiful and scary, but when we build a strong boat, even the biggest storms become easier to handle. One summer day at a beach in the Puget Sound, two of my brothers and I decided to build a makeshift boat. We borrowed some rope… Continue reading

Love Thyself as Thou Lovest Thy Neighbor

ring on hand

We are told to love our neighbors as we do ourselves, but what do we do when we struggle to love ourselves? When a friend or a neighbor makes a mistake or does something that makes us mad, we might be annoyed or frustrated at them for a while, but… Continue reading

Conquering Comparison

One person holding a large pineapple holding it next to someone holding a much smaller pineapple

“Charity renders powerless this temptation to compare.” –J. B. Haws  If you have ever been caught in the trap of self-demeaning comparison, you are in good company—it’s a shared human weakness. If we are to become like Christ, we need to overcome the tendency to compare ourselves to others. But… Continue reading