Abide in Me
I ran across a beautiful set of scriptures the other day as I was celebrating the return of spring. They’re found in John 15. 1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that...
True Beauty
There has been a lot said recently about a certain new children’s book. Apparently the whole premise of the book is to prepare a child for their mother’s upcoming plastic surgery. At this point I become very torn. While the nurse in me agrees that children definitely...
Message to New Mormons: Converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
I still remember my early days as a newcomer to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often inadvertently known as "The 'Mormon' Church"). A former Catholic (Karen Trifiletti Merkley), I raised unanswered questions about the war in heaven, confession of...
Salvation and Exaltation
At the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, referred to as the Mormons, 178th Annual General Conference Elder Russell M. Nelson, a living Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, stated: This life is the time to prepare for salvation and exaltation. In God’s eternal...
A Sure Compass and Guide
Do you dread going to a large shopping mall because you can’t quite get your bearings in that monster of a maze – the parking lot? Have you ever gone to visit someone in a large hospital and felt embarrassed about not knowing which hallway takes you back to the...
Joseph Smith: The Profile Of A Prophet
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as the Mormons, believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet. That is, they see him filling the same role as Moses or Isaiah. He was called of God to teach and lead people, and to be a witness of Jesus...
Becoming an Effective Follower
We hear much in the church about the importance of leadership, but less about what Roger Merrill calls followership. There is no point in having leaders if there is no one to follow, and followership is an excellent place for new members to provide service in the...
What’s a Mother to Do?
Go on, admit it. Every mother’s been there. It’s what we do every single day of our lives. We are faced with this huge task of taking a totally dependent little bundle of joy from point A to point B (where they are a happy, productive adult member of society)....
Developing Leadership Skills Without a Calling
Since joining the church, you’ve probably become aware that we have a great need for leaders. There are many positions which require leadership, and most people get a chance to be a leader sooner or later. When I joined the church, I was certain I would not be one of...
Joseph Smith And I
Here is how a recent Sunday of mine went: I got up at 3:30 AM to go to work. I work at a hospital, which explains both the oddball hours and why I was at work on Sunday. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as the Mormons, affirms the Law of the...
Fading into the Background
It may seem like a strange goal in life, but I want to fade into the background. I’m not one who honestly enjoys being in the public eye, on the other hand I love watching my work make someone happy. My favorite place to be is in the background, quietly finding all...
God Gives Us Personal Direction
God does not just speak to the multitudes; He also speaks to us individually. In the beginning, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes referred to as Mormons) was very small, and people had a lot of direct contact with the prophet, Joseph Smith....
Teens Activity: Changing One Step at a Time
Changing bad behaviors isn’t going to happen overnight, no matter how eager we may be to make it happen. The further into sin we are, the more difficult it will be to turn around. It’s important to help youth understand that making significant changes to better our...
Controlling Thoughts to Control Actions
Have you found it difficult, since joining the church, to make some of the changes you need to make? Perhaps it’s time to focus on your thoughts instead of just thinking about your actions. We seldom do something we’ve never even thought of doing. Before we sin, we’ve...
Catching Up on the Church’s Past
Early in my church membership I discovered I sometimes felt like the new kid in school. Members often talked of a past I knew nothing about. They had lived under prophets I didn’t know and experienced church events I’d never heard of. One day, while shopping at the...
Joseph Smith: The Power Of One
We all admire people who stand up for what they believe, even in the worst of circumstances. We all remember Jeff Widener’s AP photo of the lone man standing in front of the four tanks rolling onto Tiananmen Square in 1989. This one man was clearly overwhelmed,...
See A Need
I don’t know about you, but as a parent I have selective hearing. I’ve honed my ability to tune out whining and minimal bickering as well as pleas for candy in the grocery store. I’m normally very easily distracted, so even on other tasks I’ve trained myself to stay...
The Super Woman Myth
There are so many demands on a woman’s time. We live in an age which has taught us that women can be anything that they want. Quite honestly, it’s instilled another belief as well. Not only do women feel more empowered to be anything they had somehow gotten the notion...
A Bouquet of Love
This last weekend was my little sister's wedding reception. My sister and her husband were actually married, in the Mount Timpanogos Temple, back in February, but since the engagement was so short (a matter of days not months) we set the reception for this last...
I’ve Been DREAMING Of My True Love
This morning when I woke up a scene from a favorite new movie came to mind. I have pondered this scene more then once since having seen it over a month ago, for it was quite the wake up call to me. Let me describe it to you: Here you have a dashing prince. He has...
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