Three Lessons to Learn from Infertility

an image of a couple holding hands on a pier overlooking the ocean

Why do some couples struggle with infertility? Here’s what I’ve learned. One of the first commandments that God gave to Adam and Eve was to “multiply and replenish the earth” (Moses 2:28). Having a family is a central teaching of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—but what about… Continue reading

Visitors Welcome: Mormon Sunday Service 101

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What do Mormons do at church? Latter-day Saint sacrament meetings allow visitors to worship in powerful yet comfortable ways. Most Latter-day Saint meetinghouses have a sign in front engraved with the words “visitors welcome.” But visiting somewhere new can be awkward, especially when it comes to religion. MormonNewsroom.org has published… Continue reading

When Friends Leave the Church

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When your friends leave the Church, you don’t have to leave them. Read these five tips for maintaining great relationships with friends who are no longer Latter-day Saints. Several of my friends have recently left the Church. Even though I love and care about them, I have really struggled to… Continue reading

Why Do You Go to Church?

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We will get more out of church attendance by focusing on what we can contribute and on whom we can serve than if we just go for our own benefit. Near the end of my high school experience, I stopped going to Mutual—but not for the reasons you might think.… Continue reading

Why Does God Let Bad Things Happen?

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Trials—those seemingly bad things that happen to us—give us opportunities to learn patience, humility, and faith; ultimately, they teach us how to become more like God.   God is all-powerful and all knowing, right? Yes. And God can stop any bad thing from happening, right? Yes. So that means God… Continue reading

Sunday Blues and Sabbath Delights

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I dreaded Sundays. I wanted to enjoy them, but I didn’t until I learned to focus on my relationship with God. In his talk “The Sabbath Is a Delight,” President Russell M. Nelson uses the word delight sixteen times. To me, delight meant eating ice cream or watching a romantic comedy; it did not… Continue reading

Staying Planted in Christ 

man in aspen trees

Even the strongest testimonies can be shaken, but there are ways you can keep holding on to your faith and stay planted in Christ.  Some Latter-day Saints are experiencing what LDS scholar Patrick Q. Mason refers to as a “faith crisis”: they are questioning their beliefs and seeking answers to… Continue reading

How Is a New Apostle Called?

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When a vacancy opens in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the process of choosing a new apostle is guided by heavenly inspiration. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is organized in the same way that Jesus Christ organized… Continue reading

Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching: What Counts?

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It might feel like something to check off every month. But home teaching and visiting teaching are about more than just delivering a scripted message.  Home teaching and visiting teaching are supposed to be “the Church’s first source of help” for its members (see True to the Faith, “Priesthood”), but these assignments can… Continue reading

3 Dos and Don’ts for Asking Effective Questions

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Do you use effective questions when teaching the gospel at church or at home? Imagine you are in Sunday School. Your teacher wants the discussion to go a certain direction that works with his or her notes, but also wants to ask a question to get people involved. In order to drive the discussion,… Continue reading