Discipleship: A Journey of Learning

Person participating in outdoor rock climbing against a backdrop of cloudy skies, trees, and mountains.

Life can often feel overwhelming, but God is aware of our imperfections. Knowing this truth can make life a wonderful journey of discipleship. Life can often feel like an adventure where surprises, disappointments, and challenges can overwhelm our best efforts. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf makes this exact comparison in his… Continue reading

Witnessing the Power of Community Care

an image of a group of people in colorful clothing hugging each other

The Lord has blessed us with friends and neighbors to strengthen us when the floods of life—literal or metaphorical—threaten to overwhelm us. I’d never truly understood the destructive power of water until I witnessed it submerge my hometown under seven feet of water. In 2017, Hurricane Harvey overtook many homes… Continue reading

Your Journey Toward Joy

gravel road through the forest with the sun shining through the trees.

Understanding God and his plan for us can make it easier for us to navigate the decisions we face throughout our lives. Making decisions can be stressful, especially if we are worried about making the right choices for our futures. In her LDS.org blog article “You’re Not Messing Up God’s… Continue reading

Authentic, Happy, and Beautiful: The Virtues of Cheerful Discipleship

an image of a young boy holding a ice cream cone

Although everyone feels sad or angry at times, we can color our days with more happy moments as we stay on the gospel path. In the talk “Three Sisters,” President Dieter F. Uchtdorf tells the story of three sisters: one sad, one mad, and one glad. He notes that at times,… Continue reading

Emulating Christ’s Ministry to the Margins

Silhouette of people on hill photo.

To become better disciples of Christ, we must have “the courage to confront our own prejudices and to challenge the assumptions we make about ­others.” —Phillip D. Rash We may feel we belong when most of the people in our communities look like us and have similar experiences to us.… Continue reading

Why You Should Make Time to Love God

Silhouettes walk in the distance

Although life is hectic, if we focus on one thing—love for the Lord—everything we need to juggle will fall exactly into place.  About six months ago, I had the tiniest prompting.  “You should volunteer to be the church organist,” I thought.  To say I was surprised would be an understatement.… Continue reading

The Sabbath Day Is Not a Chore

boy reading the bible

Through small and simple means, our Sabbath day worship can be about spiritual rest rather than the guilt trips of the to-do (and to-don’t) list. I was an energetic kid growing up, so three hours of church felt like an eternity. It was all my mother could do to keep… Continue reading

Why Choice Matters

Man Standing in Woods

In order to more fully experience joy in this world, we must choose to live the gospel and follow Christ. In today’s world, it’s easy to prioritize choices that will help us either fit in or avoid notice, but that’s not what living the gospel is really about. As Elder… Continue reading

A More Perfect Love

Group of smiling people sitting in grass

As we reach out to one another in empathy and love, our diversity can unite us. I love Berlin. Of all the wonderful places in the world, it’s one of my favorites because of its rich human diversity. While living in Berlin, I brushed shoulders with people from all over… Continue reading

Sunday-Self vs. Thursday-Self

Paintbrushes in a cup

Have you ever walked out of an especially spiritual experience wishing you could hold on to that feeling forever? My Sunday-self and my Thursday-self are sometimes very different people. I cannot count how many times I’ve walked out of a church meeting on Sunday with a fire in my bones… Continue reading