The Ubiquity of God’s Grace

sunset

Hearing others’ stories of how God’s amazing grace is at work in their lives can help us see that he is also working miracles in our own lives. Too often, perhaps, we think that God’s grace can arrive only after we have somehow earned it. After all—as we read in… Continue reading

Heavenly Support in Our Hardships

Ukrainian flag in front of dark forest and blue sky

Even when the world around us is falling apart, God is always by our side. The first temple in the former Soviet Union was announced only eight years after Ukraine opened to Latter-day Saint missionaries. It would take another decade to build, but the Ukrainian Saints were faithful and patient.… Continue reading

We Are More Than Survivors

White flowers on a green stem.

When bad things happen to us, such as abuse, bullying, or trauma, we must remember what Christ said: “I know your sorrows, and I have come to deliver you” (Exodus 3:8–9). Survival stories come in many different forms. Some may think of natural disasters, wilderness survival, or plane crashes, while… Continue reading

Sadness Is Not Suffered Alone

As members of the Church, we can lean on our Heavenly Father, the Savior, and other members to lift the burdens of sadness and mental despair.  Since I was a young girl, I remember always feeling nervous. This nervousness persisted and became a part of my permanent thought process. Eventually,… Continue reading

The Whys of Suffering

Why does an all-powerful God allow his children to suffer? If we are God’s children and he is a loving and perfect God, why does he allow suffering? This question has perplexed and troubled many people for years, and it’s truly difficult to come to terms with the immense suffering… Continue reading

Mormonism’s Lost American Gothic: Rediscovering Joseph Paul Vorst

An unsung immigrant painter’s work resonates with Latter-day Saints. Individual suffering and heartache are not common themes in LDS artwork. Many of us prefer “uplifting” and familiar scenes—pioneers fearlessly crossing the plains, Helaman leading his stripling warriors, Christ descending from the heavens. Although most of the paintings by Joseph Paul… Continue reading

Christ: Our Physician

Mortal physicians may be limited, but the healing offered by the Great Physician knows no bounds. We know that pain is a part of the mortal experience and that in every trial there are lessons we can learn and blessings that we can obtain. But what about the times when… Continue reading

Moving Forward after Divorce

Divorce wasn’t something I thought I would ever have to deal with, but I knew that everything would be all right if I believed in God and did my best. I hauled myself onto my bed, staring numbly at the new sheets my parents had bought for me. The bright… Continue reading

Enduring with Cheer: Aurelia Spencer Rogers, Founder of the Primary

group of pioneer children

Through trials of faith and heartaches, Aurelia refused to give up, using her love heightened by loss to help the children of the Church. After her mother’s death, Aurelia Spencer Rogers (1834–1922) and her older sister cared for their four younger siblings for two years while their father was on… Continue reading