How I Faked Conversion

a girl wearing a backwards baseball cap gazes out toward the ocean

I wasn’t even close to being a disciple of Christ, but I was able to fake it. Fortunately, God saw straight through me.  I think you should know right off the bat that I was born into a super-normal Mormon family. We went to church, we had family prayer, we… Continue reading

Inspiring Others With Your Identity

The backs of four women hugging

Having a unique identity can seem important, but what’s more important is loving those who choose different paths than we do. We live in a world with ever-increasing controversial opinions and views. Each of us may want a strong sense of individual identity, including our political perspectives, social outlooks, and… Continue reading

Why You Should Make Time to Love God

Silhouettes walk in the distance

Although life is hectic, if we focus on one thing—love for the Lord—everything we need to juggle will fall exactly into place.  About six months ago, I had the tiniest prompting.  “You should volunteer to be the church organist,” I thought.  To say I was surprised would be an understatement.… Continue reading

Sacrificing Seconds to Seek Service

an image of a group of people climbing a mountain together

Sacrificing time for service will help you love those you serve. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are asked to perform many acts of service, especially through our callings. Sister Cristina B. Franco notes in her talk “The Joy of Unselfish Service” that in… 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

Healing Spiritual Depression

an image of a statue of an angel with a cross in the background

Dealing with depression can be difficult, especially when it affects our spiritual lives. But with proper treatment, depression does not need to keep us from feeling the comfort and guidance of the Spirit. The symptoms of depression are fairly recognizable: apathy, sadness, guilt, lethargy, insomnia, loss of appetite, and so… Continue reading

The Atonement: How We Can Heal and Forgive

Christ hugging two women

The Atonement of Jesus Christ not only helps us repent; it can also give us the strength to forgive others. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the most important event in history, but it is often hard to understand. How does it apply to each of us? And what must we do… Continue reading

Love Intended to Lift

an image of a very large star formation in the sky

God’s love is infinite, ever-present, and eternal. But in order for it to bless us, we need to meet certain conditions.  As children of Heavenly Father, we receive Heavenly Father’s love eternally and constantly. But do we receive it unconditionally? In his conference address “Abide in My Love,” Elder D.… 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

The Law of His Nature Is Love

Hand holding two black and white photos of ancestors.

Love is bound into the eternities through saving ordinances. Love is patient, love is kind, love is binding. Christ teaches us to love one another under all circumstances, regardless of one’s religion, ethnicity, political views, sexual orientation, or other potentially dividing differences. This belief is surely a tenet of many religions;… Continue reading