A Perfect Gospel with Imperfect People

an image of a banana peel is on the ground next to a shoe

Don’t give up on a perfect God just because of imperfect disciples. In his talk “Come, Join with Us,” Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles states, “The Church would be perfect only if it were run by perfect beings. God is perfect, and his doctrine… Continue reading

Church Disciplinary Councils: Acts of Love

Christ comforts the woman taken in adultery

High-profile cases of Church discipline have recently made national headlines, leading some people to question the need for excommunication. Church disciplinary councils lovingly invite those who seriously transgress to repent and start over with the full blessings of the gospel. Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve… Continue reading

The Joy of Forgiveness Is a Miracle Waiting for You

Exterior image of the Orem Utah Temple. The image is in black and white.

How can we get over the shame of talking to our bishop? Trusting in God’s desire for us to return, despite imperfection, can lead us to healing, worthiness, and deeper discipleship. Recently, I’ve felt God’s presence strongly in my life. I work hard throughout the day, and at night as… Continue reading

The Miracle of Self-Forgiveness

White and purple crocuses poking out of dead winter leaves.

Through Christ’s Atonement, we can remember our past without letting it define who we are. I sometimes wonder if I’ve been truly forgiven. Even after praying, repenting, and striving to apply the Savior’s Atonement, I still feel weighed down by guilt. I know Christ can forgive others—even me—but that truth… Continue reading

Finding Growth Through Failure

Scrabble tiles on a white background that spell out “learn from failure.”

Experiencing failure is part of our mortal existence, but through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can grow through those mistakes and progress toward perfection. We will all make mistakes and experience failure at various points in our lives. It is an inevitable part of being a human in this… Continue reading

Jesus Christ: The Coauthor of Our Story

A woman sitting and writing in a notebook.

Having a hard time forgiving yourself for past mistakes? Let the Savior help rewrite your pain into your purpose. I saw the arrow turn green and I accelerated while glancing down at my phone’s GPS. I expected to be able to look up in time to turn. Instead, my car… Continue reading

Force Quit the Things Freezing Your Life

Person typing at Mac computer

Repentance can be a joyful choice when we choose to regulate our lives with the task manager provided by God. Have you ever encountered the frustrating experience of an unresponsive computer? If you have, you probably know that pressing Control-Alt-Delete on a PC (or Command-Option-Escape on a Mac) is the… Continue reading

How Can I Choose Love Over Bitterness?

plant being held

Even when the world gives us every reason to be bitter, we can make the choice to cultivate love in our hearts. Under the government system of racial segregation called apartheid, South African communities were fraught with racial tension. But when the car accident that killed Julia Mavimbela’s husband was blamed… Continue reading

Lost and Found

Sheep on a mountain covered with fog

When all hope seems lost, where can we turn? When we feel we are too damaged to return to the fold, how can our Father in Heaven lovingly repair our broken spirits? Most of us are familiar with the parable of the lost sheep. It is typically used as an… Continue reading

Let Your Future Be Bright

Yellow sunflower field

Sometimes the most difficult thing about change is letting go of our past mistakes and allowing ourselves to be better. People change. Although this statement is true, we don’t always act like it is. Sometimes we dwell on our mistakes. Sometimes we hold on to our regrets. Sometimes other people… Continue reading