Failure—It’s All Part of the Plan

A woman writing on a chalkboard.

When failure becomes motivation, we can learn and grow from any outcome. While pursuing his undergraduate degree at BYU, Matthew O. Richardson failed a chemistry test.  He hurried out of the classroom after stuffing the test with the red “76” scrawled at the top into his backpack. In disbelief, he… Continue reading

Defining Your Own Success

When you fail to reach the standard of success, examine your definition of success. How do you feel when your friends are dating more than you? Or when someone gets accepted into graduate school while you were under the average GRE acceptance score by five points? Or when graduation looms… Continue reading

Fear of Failure, Fear of Success

There’s no need to fear repentance. We all need to repent. But sometimes we don’t repent, even when we know we should. Why is that? In “7 Things We Fear about Repentance: And Why We Shouldn’t,” an article published in the Liahona and New Era, David A. Edwards suggests that… Continue reading

Don’t Allow Mistakes to Paralyze Your Progress

Path in woods.

Life will throw challenges our way that threaten to paralyze us with fear. But when we continue to show up and try, our mistakes can become valuable opportunities for learning and growth. The world teaches us to avoid mistakes at all costs. Words such as failure, loser, and not good… Continue reading

Feeling Discouraged?

It’s an inevitable hazard of becoming awesome. Do you think Moses felt overwhelmed when he was charged with leading the Lord’s covenant people? Or that Joseph Smith was insecure about his ability to be the prophet through whom Christ’s church would be restored? Chances are that your lack of confidence… Continue reading

Failure Is Part of Success

Girl doing tree pose on rock outcropping.

The things I thought were failures in my life were actually my best opportunities to grow—and God didn’t love me any less for them.    We all have those moments when something we have heard our entire lives finally clicks, really sinking into our minds and hearts. I had that… Continue reading

Failing on the Path to Perfection

mountain road railing

Why keep trying if we just keep failing? BYU’s new president, Kevin J Worthen, explains the surprising role failure can play in our quest for perfection. In a January 2015 devotional, Brigham Young University president Kevin J Worthen addresses the tricky relationship between perfection and failure. Jesus Christ taught us to… Continue reading