A Humble Roadmap to Reach Perfection

Question marks on colored paper

While achieving perfection may seem like an impossible feat, the perfect first step is asking our Heavenly Father, “What lack I yet?” Becoming perfect can seem daunting, but perfection is ultimately required by our Heavenly Father if we want to return to live with him. So how do we accomplish… Continue reading

Need a Hand to Hold?

A winding mountain path

Life can be overwhelming to face alone, but the Lord has promised to hold your hand. When I was sixteen, I had a memorable hike with my ward. On the way down the mountain, the path became very steep, and I began to move very slowly. My friends got ahead… Continue reading

How Can I “Think Celestial”?

The Christus statue from the Salt Lake Temple visitor's center

In the face of adversity, it can be difficult to believe that God loves and wants the best for us. We can manage this doubt by thinking celestial. I had a rough year in 2019 (little did I know what 2020 had coming for us all!): my family moved from… Continue reading

More Holiness Give Me—More Savior Like Thee

an image of a large building with a clock on the front

“All requirements to enter the temple relate to personal holiness.”—President Russell M. Nelson After the October 2019 General Conference ended, I kept thinking of these words: happiness and holiness. While President Russell M. Nelson was giving his closing remarks, he shared the temple recommend questions that were recently edited for… Continue reading

Loving Our Enemies

three hanging wooden hearts

It’s easy to be kind to those who are nice to us, but what about being kind to our enemies? Why should we even try? Being kind to those who are hurtful to us can seem very counterintuitive. After all, it’s rare that we ever feel like being nice to… Continue reading

Have Hope: The Light Will Come

brilliant light shines at the end of a row of white columns

I thought this new calling would be my worst nightmare. Instead, it was exactly what I needed.  The first few years of college were hard for me. Really hard. Three years into college, I still found myself struggling. It wasn’t just schoolwork. I felt strangely drained. My workload was what… Continue reading

Making Peace Our Strength

Pink, purple, and orange clouds at sunset.

The peace we receive from accepting our weaknesses gives us the power to conquer our trials—not just endure them. When the sons of Mosiah began their missions to spread Christ’s teachings, they prayed to have the Spirit to guide them (Alma 17:9). They knew many people would mock them, hate… Continue reading

Proved Before God and Yourself

Silhouette of Man Raising His Hands

As we trust that trials are for our good, we will be proved before God and ourselves.  Life can be a struggle, a pain, and a test of endurance. Sometimes it’s easy to view the trials in our lives as evidence that God doesn’t care about the difficulties we face—or… Continue reading

Drawing Closer to the Savior

Two people walking in the forest.

Through prayer, faithful obedience, and service, we can draw near to the Savior and feel his love. This week, my niece chose the blessing of baptism. As she prepared to enter the water and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, I found myself reflecting back on my own baptism… Continue reading

Ready for Revelation

an image of a man sitting in a chair reading a book

Hearing from prophets, seers, and revelators can be more meaningful if we are spiritually prepared to receive their messages. Twice a year, the world has the opportunity to hear from leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in a two-day conference that is broadcast across the globe. Men… Continue reading