Why We Need Church

A white chapel at dusk with clouds in the sky.

In recent years, more and more people are claiming that churches aren’t necessary. But when we come together in common worship, our faith grows stronger. In college, I live away from my parents and the rest of my family. I used to always go to church with them simply because… Continue reading

Why Do You Go to Church?

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

Three Lessons to Learn from Infertility

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

Why Does God Let Bad Things Happen?

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

When Friends Leave the Church

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

Hope: A Journey to Faith

Sometimes it can take seconds to gain faith in certain aspects of the gospel, but what if it takes twenty years? For twenty years, I didn’t have a testimony of Joseph Smith as a prophet. During these years, I served in numerous callings and even went on a mission. Despite… Continue reading

Church History and Doubt: Trusting in the Lord

glasses on top of scriptures

When aspects of Church history raise doubts, study and faith can help us navigate historical facts and lead us to answers. Sometimes learning about Church history can build testimonies, but other times, it can shake them. In his Ensign and Liahona article “Understanding Church History by Study and Faith,” Keith… Continue reading

Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching: What Counts?

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

a teacher in a gospel class, in spanish

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

Sunday Blues and Sabbath Delights

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