Are You There, God?

Sometimes when it seems like God is silent, we need only to be patient, and we will see his hand in our lives. “Are you there, God? It’s me, Mackenzie.” “Heavenly Father, are you really there? And are you hearing and answering my prayers?” I know I’m not the only… Continue reading

While Waiting for Heaven’s Response

If you trust Heavenly Father and move forward in faith, you will be able to look back and recognize the Lord’s guiding hand in your life. These days, everything around us is instantaneous: instant messaging, instant music, instant Google results, and even instant oatmeal. But heaven doesn’t always work that… Continue reading

Trials Can Be For Your Good

Our success and happiness are determined by how we choose to react to trials. By Heavenly Father’s eternal design, mortality wasn’t meant to be easy. Though trials may weigh us down, we can face them with confidence as we look to Christ. The challenge? To have an eternal perspective in… Continue reading

Not Just a Hand-Me-Down Plan

When God’s plan for us seems like a thrift-store, hand-me-down plan, we need to be patient, have faith, and remember the blessings God has promised us. Maybe you’re past the “standard” Mormon marrying age or you’re working in a job unrelated to your degree. Or maybe you’re wondering if you’re… Continue reading

7 Strategies for Tackling Tough Spiritual Questions

We shouldn’t be afraid to ask tough questions, but we should expect to work hard for a good answer. All Latter-day Saints can expect to face difficult questions regarding the Church and its history. Many people struggle with topics such as gay marriage and polygamy. Most people also have personal… Continue reading

Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

What’s the little bit of magic we need to recognize and understand so we can continue exercising faith and trusting in God’s plan for us? Patience. It’s a word and a concept I’ve come to both love and hate. We’ve all heard the saying “good things come to those who… Continue reading

Love Yourself: A Key to Patience

Perhaps the best way to learn patience with others is to first be patient with yourself. How many perfect days have you had? Days that were truly perfect: love and harmony abounded, the sun shone brightly, and you were the paragon of patience. Or do you more often find yourself… Continue reading

Never Alone, Never Unloved: Faith to Climb Mountains

During hard times, it’s tempting to feel lost and discouraged. But as we exercise faith, we can know that we are never alone, forgotten, or unloved when we face trials. Sometimes our adversities seem like mountains, too tough to conquer. During our darkest moments, we might lose hope and wonder,… Continue reading

Never Forget These Five Things

The five petals of the forget-me-not flower symbolize five things to remember that will help us find joy as we live the gospel and face the trials of life and the challenges that come. Instead of getting caught up in life’s challenges, we can choose to find joy in them… 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