Curve Ball or Careful Pruning?

shrub

At times, God may seem to throw you a curve ball that is unfair or causes hurt. Those are times of “pruning.” He is preparing you for something greater. You probably have something you are working toward right now. It might be a degree, a job, a trip, or some… Continue reading

Love Thyself as Thou Lovest Thy Neighbor

ring on hand

We are told to love our neighbors as we do ourselves, but what do we do when we struggle to love ourselves? When a friend or a neighbor makes a mistake or does something that makes us mad, we might be annoyed or frustrated at them for a while, but… Continue reading

Pornography Is Not Love

landscape photo of a desolate land

Chop down the tree of pornography by cutting off the roots of lust. Through Christ’s healing and forgiveness, you can overcome pornography addiction. Pornography addiction is a real issue that affects us all in some way: it can destroy self-worth, relationships, and—most importantly—true love. In his address “Place No More… Continue reading

Accepting Others Regardless of Beliefs

an image of a couple of little girls standing on a wooden bridge

People with different religious views often focus on their differences and push each other far apart. What would happen if we focused on how we are alike? In a speech given at BYU, Barbara Culatta gave seven tips to help us accept those who believe differently than we do. She… Continue reading

Come Follow Me: More Than Just a Manual

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The Church’s new program invites us to become more converted in our love of Christ through teaching gospel truths. Christians everywhere recognize the phrase “Come, follow me” as Christ’s invitation to follow his example. In October 2016, Elder Robert D. Hales taught about this invitation to follow the Savior in his… Continue reading

Teach Me All That I Must Know…or Do?

an image of a woman sitting on the ground with a man standing behind her

While knowledge is important, it is not enough; we must act on what we know in order to return to live with our Father in Heaven. Do you know the story of the children’s hymn “I am a Child of God”? Sister Naomi Randall wrote the hymn in 1957. The… 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

How to See the Love in God’s Laws

an image of a family walking in a park holding hands

God has given us some pretty tough laws to follow because he loves us and knows what will ultimately be best for us. Life is hard. Sometimes it can feel like God is opposed to the desires of our hearts, and sometimes keeping his commandments can be downright painful. We… Continue reading

How to Gain Power Through Patience

an image of a woman standing on a sidewalk next to a building

Jesus Christ practiced the power of patience throughout his life. As his disciples, we can follow his example and be patient. Patience is the ability to endure well through the trials of life without constantly feeling angry or negative. While being patient may seem impossible at times, we can learn… Continue reading

Talking about Same-Sex Attraction

yellow leaf in a pile of purple leaves

Conversations about same-sex attraction require love and understanding. In a world where more and more people believe that right and wrong are relative, the teachings of the Mormon church about same-sex attraction stand out. Mormons believe that only marriage between a man and a woman is of God. But does that mean they reject… Continue reading