Calling Home

When we go through trials do we talk to God as much as we talk to our family and friends? Something really difficult just happened, and you’re feeling confused, conflicted, frustrated, and stressed—really stressed. You don’t know what to do to move forward, and you need guidance. The first person… Continue reading

Homesick for Heaven

God is calling out for you to come home—and asking you to help your brothers and sisters on their journey back. Whether your family situation is idyllic and peaceful or strained and uncomfortable, you have a perfect home waiting for you up above. In the talk “A Yearning for Home,”… Continue reading

Of Infinite Worth: Discovering Our Divine Potential

galaxy

As one person in a world of seven billion, it’s easy to feel small and insignificant. It’s a comfort to know that to God, we are everything. I was one of 26 people in my high school graduating class. In a class that small, you might think that everyone felt valued… Continue reading

The Only Goal That Matters

close up on foosball table.

When we become uncertain, overwhelmed, or lost in this life, we can reorient ourselves toward the goal that matters: returning to Christ. For as long as I can remember, I have had some goal that I was working toward. First it was to be more involved in my small community. Then… Continue reading

Who Are You?

The only way to peace in this life is to turn to God and understand who we are as his children. Sometimes the weight of the world is overwhelming. There are many voices telling us who we are and who we should be. In the midst of our most painful… Continue reading

Divine Masculinity: What It Means to Be a Man

dad holding baby

Despite the false messages the world offers about masculinity, the masculine roles of husband and father, established and exemplified by God, are sacred and noble.   What does it mean to be a man? Representations of men and masculinity in the media offer many definitions—definitions that are often harmful or unrealistic. Men… Continue reading

Who Is My Father?  

 In my struggle to reconcile two conflicting views of God, I learned more about the nature of my Heavenly Father.   For nearly all of my 22 years on earth, I had felt confident in my understanding of God. He was always there when I prayed, I felt his love, and I had seen too… Continue reading

Contest Winner: “Are You Really There?”

The world confuses us about our relationship with God. But a simple children’s song reminds us to send our questions heavenward. “So, do you believe in God or not?” My friend Jane was the kind of person to dig deep into a person’s soul, and tonight my brother was the specimen… Continue reading

Prayer of an Atheist: Out Loud and in His Name

back view of girl overlooking road and river

As an atheist, I knew nothing about prayer. But when I learned about Joseph Smith and the First Vision, I learned how to get answers from God. I asked God every night for eight years if he was real, and I never got an answer. Growing up as an atheist,… Continue reading

Unplugging: How Literature Brings Us Closer to God

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