Why Religion Matters

Stained glass window of Jesus and his disciples

The indisputable power of religion binds us with “loving ties” to each other and to God. What can religion actually do for us? In a world of changing values and widely varying opinions, many of us are starting to ask this question. Others of us may feel that religious freedom is… Continue reading

Finding and Giving Love

couple on bench

The scriptures tell us to love others as we love ourselves. Elder Holland helps us understand what that really means. In a Brigham Young University devotional address in 2000, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland discussed ways we can find and give true love. Elder Holland emphasizes that true love is divine… Continue reading

Perfection—Still in Progress

We are commanded to be perfect like Christ, but we aren’t expected to attain perfection immediately. It’s easy to see the distance between where we are and where we want to be—and even should be. It’s also easy to be discouraged when we realize how often we fail to “be… Continue reading

Hope: A Journey to Faith

Sometimes it can take seconds to gain faith in certain aspects of the gospel, but what if it takes twenty years? For twenty years, I didn’t have a testimony of Joseph Smith as a prophet. During these years, I served in numerous callings and even went on a mission. Despite… Continue reading

Pursuing Happiness

Happiness comes when you live the way that happy people live. Everyone wants to be happy, but in today’s world it seems that happiness is becoming an impossible pursuit. Still, there’s something that resonates with truth and hopefulness in Joseph Smith’s words: “Happiness is the object and design of our existence;… Continue reading

Do You Find Yourself Doubting Answers to Your Prayers?

Many of us struggle with doubt and fear after receiving personal revelation. Elder Holland suggests three ways to stay confident after God has revealed his will to us. Have you ever faced doubts after receiving an answer to a prayer? Elder Jeffrey R. Holland addressed these doubts at a BYU… Continue reading

Forgiveness: The 490th Time’s the Charm

Forgiveness brings peace to an aching soul. Bitterness can gnaw at our hearts for many reasons: insult, offense, sin, guilt. Perhaps we have failed to let go of a grudge. Perhaps we are coming up on the 490th round of forgiveness. Perhaps it is our own mistakes that we need… Continue reading

Are You Listening to the Spiritual Secrets of the Universe?

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

Stumbling Toward Heavenly Father

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

Keep Christ at the Center

During the ups and downs we all cycle through, we must always keep Christ at the center and as the foundation of our lives.   The gospel of Jesus Christ is full of good news, but more than anything else, Christ is our good news—the best news. But for all the… Continue reading