Agency: Putting Choices in Context

A man facing a split path where one is dark and one is light

Agency is not the power to make choices in a vacuum—it is the power to make choices in relationship to our surroundings. We as children of heavenly parents have agency, or the ability to choose. The hymn “Choose the Right” expresses succinctly what we are to do with this ability:… Continue reading

The Foundation of Joseph’s Powerful Community

Joseph Smith has affected the way millions of individuals connect with God and with each other. Joseph Smith founded a religion that has grown at an impressive rate. However, Terryl Givens explains in “‘Lightning Out of Heaven’: Joseph Smith and the Forging of Community” that Joseph really did much more than that.… 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

Reveling in Paradox

bee on flower

When it comes to your faith, don’t shy away from paradox—embrace it.  A honeybee is a dangerous creature. It can effectively poison its predators by stinging them, but not without losing its own life. Why does such a creature exist? Why did the process of natural selection not continue to… Continue reading