Doubting My Doubts

As I struggled to gain a testimony of the gospel, a general conference talk helped me put my doubts into perspective. “I’m just not sure if I believe in the Church anymore,” I said as I kept my eyes fixed on the distant waters of Utah Lake. I saw Niel… Continue reading

Believing in the Power of Belief

My husband doesn’t know the Church is true, and that’s completely fine with me. When I first watched Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s April 2013 general conference talk, “Lord, I Believe,” I loved Elder Holland’s solemn assurance that I didn’t have to know every gospel teaching all at once. I could just believe.… Continue reading

There Is Always an Olive Branch

Maybe the path to peace entails not only forgiveness but understanding. With billions of people in the world, it may seem impossible to understand and love everyone. Sister Kathleen H. Hughes discusses this difficulty—and how to overcome it—in her 2005 general conference address, “That We May All Sit Down in… Continue reading

Simple Acts of Faith

sun rays through the clouds

What do the small and simple things have to do with the trials we find ourselves facing?  For some reason, we balk at simplicity. As humans, anything too easy makes us suspicious. With this tendency, sometimes we overlook the building blocks of the gospel, even though these building blocks are often what we need… Continue reading

Speaking More Positively by Overcoming Negative Thinking

Group of friends standing outside.

You can build better relationships with those around you when your words flow from optimistic thoughts. “Even in the golden age of civilization someone undoubtedly grumbled that everything looked too yellow,” quoted Elder Jeffrey R. Holland during his April 2017 general conference address, “The Tongue of Angels.” Even in the best of… Continue reading

Confidence: A Perfect Understanding of Repentance

Person on a beach at sunset.

Jesus Christ has the power to provide healing and relief regardless of the trials we face. The most harrowing feeling I’ve ever had was looking at my husband sleeping so peacefully next to me and thinking, “I’m going to be the thing keeping him out of heaven.” I wanted to… Continue reading

Foster the Desire to Do Good

Lady in red top walking down dirt lane

Can our efforts ever be good enough when we are imperfect at best? Do our desires and our less-than-perfect efforts count for anything? I desire to do good and to improve myself, yet I frequently fall short of my expectations. I feel edified and motivated one day, yet find myself struggling the… Continue reading

Let God Lead the Way

Two people walking through the mountains

The way we face our trials contributes to how happy and successful we are. But how do we face trials that seem impossible to overcome? We all experience disappointment, sadness, sickness, and heartache. Why would a loving Heavenly Father want us to face such adversity? He does not give us… Continue reading

Cultivating Constant Companionship

two women looking at Ensign

When we strive to listen to the Holy Ghost, we can be blessed not just with occasional guidance but with constant companionship. Standing with his father in a hospital room, President Henry B. Eyring watched his mother succumb to cancer. After years of fighting the disease, she passed from this… Continue reading