We cannot learn by study alone. We must also learn through experience and action. Chronic illness. Natural disasters. Premature death. Many trials surface in our lives, often seeming random, with no one to blame for their appearance. It’s easy to ask, “Why? Why do good people suffer such hardships?” In… Continue reading
Being a disciple isn’t just what we do; it’s who we are. When I’d hear the word disciple, I used to imagine the ancient apostles Mark, Peter, and John literally following in the Savior’s footsteps. Since two millennia separated me from when Christ lived on the earth, I felt that… Continue reading
When the unrelenting trials in my life were threatening to tear me down, I was reminded by a general conference talk that “hard is good.” By the time the weekend of the October 2017 general conference arrived, I was completely overwhelmed. I felt like I had thirty-five hours of work… Continue reading
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
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
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
If we align our timing with God’s and learn patience, we can find happiness and charity through trials. In the age of smartphones, social media, and Netflix, we’ve been trained to expect results without much effort or wait. We can type a question into our phones, and Google will give… Continue reading
Patience is a virtue, but we don’t always have to wait for good things to come. Many of God’s blessings are right in front of our faces. Sometimes it’s easy to feel as though God takes too long to answer our prayers or that certain blessings will never come. It’s… Continue reading
Allowing the Lord to be our guide on our eternal journey home will help us navigate the unexpected stops and detours of life. The week my husband was in the hospital with a ruptured appendix was one of the longest weeks of my life. Sleep was always out of reach,… Continue reading
Perfection means something different to Christ than it does to us. Does your heart rate jump when you hear the word perfection? If it does, you’re not alone. Many of us panic at Christ’s mandate to “be ye therefore perfect.” Being a good disciple of Christ already involves service and… Continue reading
