When your faith, your family, or your future are challenged—when you wonder why life is so hard when you are doing your best to live the gospel—remember that the Lord told us to expect troubles. Troubles are part of the plan and do not mean you’ve been abandoned; they are part of what it means […]
My brothers and sisters, should we not be the gardeners for our fellow men and women? Are we not our brother’s keeper? Jesus commanded us to love our neighbor as ourselves.11 From His mouth, the word neighbor does not merely mean geographic proximity; it implies a proximity of the heart. It encompasses all the inhabitants of this planet—whether […]
The Lord commands us, “Be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.”3 We should be diligent in rooting prejudice and discrimination out of the Church, out of our homes, and, most of all, out of our hearts. As our Church population grows ever more diverse, our welcome must grow ever more spontaneous […]
The joy promised in the scriptures as the purpose of our existence7 should not be understood to mean that we will have no difficulties or sorrows, that we will have no “cracks” as consequences of temptations, of adversity, or from the actual trials of our earth life. This joy has to do with Nephi’s perspective on […]
Several important truths become clear about Jesus as the Christ. First, when we try to help someone we love come unto Christ, we can do so with confidence that He has the capacity to lift the burden of sin and to forgive. Second, when we bring physical, emotional, or other illnesses to Christ, we can […]
It is important to observe that the government in the family follows the patriarchal pattern, differing in some respects from priesthood leadership in the Church.18 The patriarchal pattern entails that wives and husbands are accountable directly to God for the fulfillment of their sacred responsibilities in the family. It calls for a full partnership—a willing compliance […]
The Savior taught that we “should be perfect.”17 This can seem so daunting. I can clearly see my personal inadequacies and am painfully aware of the distance between me and perfection. We may have a tendency to think we have to perfect ourselves, but that is not possible. Following every suggestion in every self-help book in […]
As my love for the Savior has grown, so has my desire to replace hurt and anger with His healing balm. It has been a process of many years, requiring courage, vulnerability, perseverance, and learning to trust in the Savior’s divine power to save and heal. I still have work to do, but my heart […]
My great-grandparents followed Jesus Christ with footsteps of faith throughout each of their trials. I am grateful to them for never giving up. Their footsteps of faith have blessed me and subsequent generations, just as your footsteps of faith today will bless your posterity. – M. Russell Ballard, “Follow Jesus Christ with Footsteps of Faith,” […]
Our living prophet is doing his part to flood the earth with the Book of Mormon.20 But he cannot open the floodgates alone. We must follow his lead. Inspired by his example, I have been trying to humbly and more fervently share the Book of Mormon. – Ronald A. Rasband, “This Day,” Ensign (CR) October 2022