Note By Note
A few years ago while serving a full-time Mission in North Carolina, I received a phone call. We were having a mission conference in a week. Elder Hilbig a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy was coming with his wife to speak to us. The phone call was from...
The Blessings of a Temple Journal
On my 22nd Birthday I went through the Mount Timpanogos Temple to receive my Endowments in preparation for serving a Full-time mission for the Church. That morning before we left the house my mother gave me one of the best birthday presents I have ever received. She...
Faith Amidst The Darkness Of The Unknown
A few weeks ago in my Singles Ward our sacrament meeting theme was about missionary work. I was blessed to hear from three amazing return missionaries who are now serving as ward missionaries (they assist the local missionaries in their work, they act as a liaison...
Born Again
As a new member, people who don’t understand your new religion may ask if you’ve been born again. For some, that means no more than saying you’ve accepted Christ as your Savior, which you most certainly have. It’s one of the questions you’re asked when you are...
Teens: The Value of a Written Record
I am an avid reader. When left uninterrupted I can consume a 500+ page book in less than a day. Of course that’s when I’m reading for entertainment. When it comes to reading for knowledge, the process is considerably slower. This doesn’t stop me from reading for...
Obedience in Little Things
As a young teenager I use to hate driving any where with my mother. The reason? She followed the rules of the road to a “T” and this annoyed me. As I sat and watched everyone pass us by I’d tell her that we needed to go faster. She would point to her speedometer...
Protecting the Children
In this world that is drenched with sexual images and commodities, what is a parent to do to strengthen their child (and even themselves) against this onslaught? It is a rampant problem, one that appears to be worsening. My husband a few years back attended a...
Follow the Map
I love the scriptures. Some days they are the only things that brings me peace. I particularly enjoy the Old Testament, as odd as that sounds. Even though it is a loooong book of scripture, the stories within it are rich and instructive. Generally speaking, the first...
When Others Don’t Believe You’re Christian
If you’ve mentioned to others you are investigating the church, or have recently joined it, you may have had someone tell you that you are no longer a Christian. This is, of course, completely false. Why, the very name of your church has the Savior’s name in it: The...
Teaching the Scriptures to Young Children
Are you surprised when your small children—even those who can’t read yet—are asked to bring their scriptures to Primary? Your new religion considers scripture literacy very important, and the best way to help children understand and value the scriptures is to begin...
The Price of Discipleship
We talk so often about the sweet blessings of discipleship it sometimes seems easy to ignore the cost. In fact depending on how you look at it, the cost of not following the Savior is much higher than that of becoming a disciple. While this is true, it doesn’t mean...
Truth: A Foundation to Rely On
Elder Richard G. Scott, a living Apostle of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, tell us: Since truth is the only meaningful foundation upon which we can make wise decisions, how then can one establish what is really true? Increasingly more people are finding that making...
Righteous Priesthood Holders
Men kind of get a bad rap in this world. It is a sad statement, but true. Of course, some of them do all they can to foster that bad rap. But they aren’t who I want to talk about. I want to talk about the benefit of having a righteous priesthood holder in my life. I...
Honoring the Sacrifices of Our Ancestors
Several weeks ago an interesting idea came to mind. Okay, it was probably more like several months ago. Nonetheless, I toyed with the idea for quite some time before I spoke to anyone about it. After a few interesting conversations with friends I called my mother. You...
Diversity of Faith Respected by Mormons
The 11th Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often referred to as the Mormons, states: We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them...
Emma Smith and the First Hymns of the Church
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was officially organized in April 1830. The Book of Mormon had been printed and the gospel was being to travel faster than ever. As the church grew, Joseph Smith continued to receive revelations to help him make sure the...
How to Treat an LDS Wife
If you’re a man who has recently joined the church, you may be wondering how the teachings of the church will affect your relationships with women, particularly your wife. Everyone is Heavenly Father’s child and He does not love any one child more than any other. God...
Head of the Household
As a new male member of the church, you may have learned that you are to be the head of the household. If this hasn’t been a part of your marriage in the past, it may seem complicated to you to understand how to do this in light of the way the missionaries taught you...
The Holy Ghost: The Disciple’s Companion
When Christ was preparing to leave His disciples for the final time, He promised them a special gift. This gift, the Holy Ghost, was described by Christ as a Comforter, as foundation of peace, a Teacher, a source of truth and a Testifier, a way for Christ to be with...
Playing The Glad Game
Right now my mother is reading Pollyanna to my youngest sister. They are both enjoying it immensely, just as I did when I first discovered this written story. There are many great lessons that can be gleaned from this children’s classic. For me the most powerful of...