Developing the Faith to Be Healed

A brown teddy bear with bandages on its head and leg.

When we focus on the Lord and have unwavering trust in him and his plan, he promises that we will be healed according to his will and timing. Recently, I had an opportunity to be healed from a physical ailment that I have had for more than 20 years. My… Continue reading

Families: All Shapes and Sizes

A man holds a child's hand while they stand in the ocean during sunset

Families are essential to the plan of salvation, but what do we do if our family doesn’t fit the traditional mold? Every birthday as a little girl, I would wish to become a fairy-mermaid when blowing out my birthday candles. When I was older, I asked my mom what she… Continue reading

Creating Peace on Earth

Two candles labeled peace and joy sit on a reflective black surface.

As Christians, we can honor Christ by striving to develop peaceful characters—and through that, create more peace for the world. Christmas is my favorite time of year for a variety of reasons, but what I love most is how my priorities get realigned. There’s lots to do, of course—the holidays… Continue reading

Living Harmoniously with Others

People standing in front of a blackboard with their arms around each other

In a world full of varied beliefs, the Savior asks us to live in harmony with everyone.  Today’s world is full of different religious beliefs and identities, differences that can often lead to contention. How can we go about combating that contention? In his general conference talk “Loving Others and… Continue reading

Not Ordained but Called: Women and the Priesthood

an image of a woman with a hat and scarf looking at a river

For a long time, I believed that women didn’t exercise the priesthood. But a class I took at BYU taught me how wrong I was. I’ve often grappled with women’s roles in the priesthood. For the majority of my life, I thought the priesthood was something that only men had… Continue reading

General Conference Roundup: April 2019

an image of a woman smiling while standing on a balcony

“May [Heavenly Father] bless us to strive with patience and persistence toward the ideals we have heard proclaimed this conference weekend.” —Elder Jeffrey R. Holland The 189th Annual General Conference has come to an end. But that doesn’t mean the learning and loving that happens during this sacred weekend has… Continue reading

Becoming One Through Christ

Silhouette of someone helping pull someone else up

Society and the world often feel fractured in our day, but when we turn to Christ, we can come to truly love our friends and our enemies. While the world has always dealt with conflict, the past several years have been especially tense, with disputes arising over politics, religion, culture,… Continue reading

Marriage: Should I Be Worrying About It Right Now?

Man hugging woman

I know I should get married eventually, but should I be worrying about it as a young single adult? In this world of selfies, self-love, and selfishness, young adults are postponing marriage in favor of other activities and personal development. In fact, many young adults are not marrying until they… Continue reading

Judging with Compassion

an image of a man and a little girl sitting on a bench

Compassion is essential to making righteous judgments and maintaining respect in relationships. Many people interpret the Savior’s counsel “judge not” (Matthew 7:1) to be absolute and final. However, it is difficult to be truly nonjudgmental in our day-to-day lives. There are many situations in which we must make distinctions—or judgments—between… Continue reading

Priesthood Authority to Perform Priesthood Functions

an image of a group of three women standing next to each other

Latter-day Saint men and women are equal in the sight of God. Both have access to priesthood authority to perform priesthood functions. A string orchestra is made up of five sections: first violins, second violins, violas, cellos, and string basses. Sometimes it seems like one section is more important than… Continue reading