God Is Love

a storm rolls over the ocean

God can seem like an impersonal, unknowable being in the sky. But we can find peace during our hardest times as we seek to understand him as our Father, who loves us individually. My pre-teenage concept of God was perhaps a little irreverent, but it nonetheless sculpted my dutiful, strained relationship with… Continue reading

What’s So Great about Prayer?

family praying in a circle

How do we pray? What should we do if we feel distanced from God when we pray? Elder Richard G. Scott instructs us on how to access the power of the divine gift of prayer. As Mormons, we have different kinds of divine communication. Some, such as sacrament prayers, use… Continue reading

Unplugging: How Literature Brings Us Closer to God

an image of a stack of pink books sitting on top of a wooden floor

Taking time away from computer, phone, and television screens gives us the stillness we need to find refinement and come to know our Heavenly Parents.  Many missionaries have a hard time giving up Facebook, phones, and computer time for eighteen months to two years. For my friend, the difficult sacrifice was books.… Continue reading

Sadness Is Not Suffered Alone

an image of a rain covered window with rain drops on it

As members of the Church, we can lean on our Heavenly Father, the Savior, and other members to lift the burdens of sadness and mental despair.  Since I was a young girl, I remember always feeling nervous. This nervousness persisted and became a part of my permanent thought process. Eventually,… Continue reading

Gracefully Accepting God’s Will

an image of a woman standing on a beach with her arms outstretched

We may not understand why certain things happen, but we can be certain that trusting God’s plan leads to eternal happiness. When President Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave the talk “Fourth Floor, Last Door,” I felt humbled and realized his words had completely changed the way I think about my faith… Continue reading

Stumbling Toward Heavenly Father

an image of a woman is looking out a window in the rain

Struggling with mental illness does not mean you have a broken spirit. But how do we avoid feeling that way? We are all aware that life is not easy. Everyone experiences hard times and difficult trials. But for some of us, mental illness can make those dark times all the… Continue reading

Hope You Know, I’m Having a Hard Time

an image of a woman covering her face with her hands

Remembering that the atonement covers all trials can help us feel God’s love during hard times. In his October 2008 General Conference talk, “Hope Ya Know, We Had a Hard Time,” Elder Quentin L. Cook shares the following story: After he and some of his children experienced a harrowing car… Continue reading

Are You Listening to the Spiritual Secrets of the Universe?

an image of a night sky with a lot of stars

All the planets and stars, nebulas, and galaxies witness that there is a Supreme Creator, and they teach us of his nature. In 2009, apostle Neal A. Maxwell turned his attention to the skies. In his talk “Our Creator’s Cosmos,” he spoke about how the nature of the universe can… Continue reading

Turn to the Source of Truth

an image of a book open on a rock in the woods

It is more important now than ever before to proclaim the truth of the Book of Mormon and “hearken unto these words and believe in Christ.”  We are currently living in the last days: political turmoil, widespread economic upheaval, and a world turning to sin more and more every day.… Continue reading

What Is God Like?

A person reaches out towards a sunrise over the ocean.

Sometimes God feels distant and unknowable, but he doesn’t have to be! Restored scripture and prayer can show us what he’s like. Humanity has wondered about the nature of God for thousands of years. The stories in the scriptures sometimes endear him to us, but other times seem to paint… Continue reading