Family History: More Than Work for the Dead

A zebra sticking his nose into an old, blue car.

Family history isn’t just for the salvation of our ancestors. As we learn about our ancestors, their example strengthens us. I always felt like family history was for old people, so when Elder David A. Bednar gave his talk “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn” in October 2011, I immediately… Continue reading

It’s Not Where You Serve, but How You Serve

an image of a group of people standing around a room

After being reassigned to a new mission and then leaving the field early, a conference address helped me put things into perspective.  In April 2017, I was in the Missionary Training Center when I got a major concussion and sprained my ankle. Consequently, a week later I was reassigned to… Continue reading

Change in the Church: Eternal Doctrines, Revealed Applications

an image of a street with a red light and a street sign

As members of a living church with continuing revelation, we need to understand the difference between unchanging doctrines and procedural adjustments. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is directed by revelation. However, when curriculums and even regular worship schedules change, it can be hard to reconcile the idea… Continue reading

Beyond the Metaverse: Level Up

A woman biking down a road while wearing a VR headset.

The best achievements occur outside of virtual reality. We can realize meaningful achievements by setting aside technology and developing ourselves. If you’re anything like me, you quietly ignore the weekly usage report from your phone. I accidentally opened mine recently, and I saw that I had spent an average of… Continue reading

Finding Light in Laoag

an image of a field with tall grass and a sunset in the background

While serving my mission in the Sunshine City, God not only lit my path but showed me where it leads. When I first read my mission call to Laoag, Philippines, I had no idea how to pronounce Laoag. So of course, I also didn’t know that laoag means light in… Continue reading

Getting Your Feet Wet: The Faith to Act

Feet in water

As you wait for the waters to part, don’t hesitate to start walking. Trust that soon enough you’ll see the dry ground beneath your feet. As a high school senior, I prayed daily about which college to attend, but I did not get an answer from God. Frustrated, I eventually… Continue reading

Becoming Like Christ

an image of a woman is comforted by a man who is standing in front of a crowd

“It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the character of God.” —Joseph Smith In “The Character of Christ,” Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles describes an experience he had years earlier while serving as a stake president. He was… Continue reading

Choosing to Be Chosen

Two sign posts going in opposite directions

Being an “agent unto yourself” balances doing things of your own will and seeking God’s will. When we think about agency, we imagine the divine gift of the right to choose for ourselves. We often hear of agency in connection with being an agent, someone who actively makes decisions and… Continue reading

Don’t Let Virtual Reality Deceive You

an image of a man holding a pair of glasses over his eye

Satan minimizes the importance of our bodies through virtual reality experiences and encounters.  If we are to become like Heavenly Father, we must gain a physical body, prove our faithfulness to the Lord, and, after this life is over, present our bodies to God. We can’t achieve our purpose—eternal life—without… Continue reading

What Should I Pray For?

an image of a woman standing in front of a bush of flowers

With the enabling power of Christ’s Atonement, we can pray for strength to change our circumstances rather than for our circumstances to be changed. As I lay on my bed suffering from what I later learned was a herniated disk in my lower back, I didn’t know what to pray… Continue reading