Contest Winner: “Be Still, My Soul”

As life’s trials rock us, we can feel peace and love through songs of the heart. I came to know this truth more clearly than ever before as I grieved my mother’s death. The choice to serve a mission can be a hard decision for many young adults. I left… Continue reading

Louisa Barnes Pratt: Early Sister Missionary in French Polynesia

tropical flowers

Louisa Barnes Pratt served as one of the first sister missionaries of the Church in French Polynesia.  While her husband was serving a mission in the Society Islands in French Polynesia, Louisa Barnes Pratt was called to join him there as a missionary—along with their four daughters. After receiving the… Continue reading

Missed Me Already?

While coming home early from a mission can be devastating, being proactive can help turn your homecoming into a step forward instead of a step back.  When Jenny Rollins, author of “Dealing with Coming Home Early,” returned home from her mission nine months early because of consistent medical problems, she struggled… Continue reading

Four Ways to Be an Everyday Missionary

boys with book by tree

By committing to be missionaries for the rest of our lives, we can help others experience the joy and peace of the gospel. Many members of the Church have served missions across the world and know firsthand the blessings of sharing the gospel. But whether you served a full-time mission… Continue reading

A New Schedule for LDS Missionaries

On January 25, 2017, Church leaders made some big changes to missionary life, including a more flexible schedule and revised key indicators. The Mormon Newsroom article “More Flexibility Announced for Mormon Missionary Daily Schedules” discusses changes announced by Church leaders during a worldwide missionary broadcast on January 25, 2017. One… Continue reading

Contest Winner: Honeybees and Service

bee on a sunflower

Out of small things—even “honeybees”—great things can come to pass. Though I lacked the funds, the feeling that I should do something to help a missionary’s struggling family in Tonga persisted. This elder had served long and faithfully in our stake; now his mother’s diagnosis of cancer and mounting medical… Continue reading

Back So Soon?

Returning home early from a mission can be devastating. But with the support of loved ones and Heavenly Father, returning missionaries can press forward to achieve what the Lord has in store for them. For most missionaries, coming home is a joyous occasion. As the proud returning missionary is greeted… Continue reading

From the Mouths of Babes

Four children with their arms around each other.

We can learn a lot from children, including how easy it is to share the gospel with our friends.   Stories of the funny things kids blurt out travel far and wide and sometimes become some of the best family memories. However, there are also moments when children say insightful… Continue reading

Contest Winner: As If You Had Never Sinned

Man adjusting his orange tie

Do you sometimes forget the miracle of repentance and forgiveness? Through the Savior, you don’t just have your sins washed away. You become as if you had never sinned. “And now, my brethren, if our brethren seek to destroy us, behold, we will hide away our swords, yea, even we… Continue reading

What I Learned From Not Serving a Mission

While not serving a mission, I learned more about myself, my Heavenly Father, and the places he is leading me.   As waves of missionaries return home, lots of things have changed, such as housing, dating, school enrollment, and marriage. President Thomas S. Monson’s 2012 general conference announcement lowering the ages… Continue reading