The Fragile Gift of Freedom, Pt II
To read part one, click here. Although the Constitution was not perfect and certain compromises were made in order to get it ratified, the men who brought it forth did a number of things incredibly well. The founders were wise men. They understood this...
Seek Unity And Civility
There is a lot of contention in the world around us. The presidential election for 2020 is only a few days away. And social media is awash in opinion and heated debate as each person makes a case for their candidate. But today in Sunday School I was reminded of the...
Don’t Tell Me That Was Just Luck — Elder Phung Meets Judith
Sometimes it's easy to wonder if God really knows who we are or anything about our lives. Stories like Elder Phung share below continue to testify to me that the Lord is in the details of our lives. Even when we're alone and in need of help, the Lord can orchestrate...
The Fragile Gift of Freedom, Pt I
At the start of the Revolutionary War, Thomas Paine penned these words: “These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; “but he that stands by it now,...
Places of Security
We all want to feel safe and protected. We all need a place we can go to retreat from the world. I’ve been thinking a lot about what President Russell M. Nelson said about places of security to the women of the Church in the Women’s Session of the October 2020 General...
Peace In This World
A hymn came floating gently into my heart as I sat down to relax tonight. I turned on the TV, and immediately something political was on the screen. So, I turned it off, and sat back searching my heart for peace. That is when the Lord send me this beautiful hymn I...
Standing With the Steadfast and Immovable Trees
I met my friend Anna at Sugar House Park, near Salt Lake City, to reconnect and chat. We both love to be outside and the idea of meeting there sounded so lovely. As we walked through the park to find a place we could sit and talk, I couldn't help but notice gigantic...
Happiness is Being True to Yourself
One of the great inhibitors to true happiness is a failure to realize our true potential. There are a lot of reasons why we settle for less—from ourselves, from others, from life. We can’t do much about what others do, or about how life turns out, but we...
The Best Part
I am passionate about preserving and celebrating the best part. When I watch a movie, I love the climax. To me, that's the best part. When I listen to a song, I frequently have a favorite stanza. My daughter Melanie went to Nepal recently, and her favorite part...
How Do I Hear Him?
Over the last several months, we have been counseled by President Nelson to think about how we “Hear Him." I have been pondering this counsel and what I’ve noticed is that I most often hear Him when I’m pondering, writing, teaching, or speaking. Before I get out of...
BYU TV: The Chosen
Last weekend my husband recommended this new series on BYU TV called The Chosen. It's about the life of the Savior. It's live action and in English, and really well done. I started watching it and I have learned so much! I need to recommend you watch it too. Now...
Sœur Summer Spendlove and Her Miracle on a Friday
I received an amazing miracle story from Sœur Summer Spendlove. I love and celebrate stories of miracles and being an instrument in the hand of God. I treasure these stories in our lives. This story that Sœur Summer Spendlove shared showed ways she heard the voice of...
Specific Prayers
After a few days of sporadic and rushed scripture study, I realized I had not really prayed to ask God for help as I tried to learn more about overcoming fear with faith. Well, I had prayed, but it was more of a general prayer that my heart was not really into. I had...
Hike the Mountain
I am not an avid hiker. So, when my husband invited me to hike Table Mountain with him, I was skeptical. Fourteen miles round trip on a trail rated difficult. But hoping it would be a fun, shared experience for us, I chose to go. We began our climb...
Unity
Many of us have struggled to make sense out of injustice and civil unrest in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. It seems everyone is cranky these days. Quarantine, claustrophobia, record-breaking temperatures, hurricanes, political nastiness, injustice, and civil...
Become Like Him
In his powerful talk "Becoming like Him," Elder Scott D. Whiting reminded members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that we are under the Savior's directive to become like Him. [A]ll are under the directive to become like Him, just as Jesus...
Courageous Parenting: Teenagers Are Fun
Teenagers are fun. That statement draws a lot of attention. Some parents are afraid of their teenagers, while others enjoy the time their children are in their teens. It takes courageous parents to guide their teenage children through the pitfalls and bumps in...
Too Busy to Be Doing Good
I remember once hearing someone say that they feel so much satisfaction when they are busy. What is that about? Why do we tend to correlate busy with successful? I have a friend whom I adore dearly who is always busy, always tired, and always overdrawn. When I ask her...
God Wants a Powerful People
Admittedly, if you participated in the recent general conference sessions of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you watched an unprecedented gathering that is still just in its beginning. Millions around the world view or listen in more than 90 languages...
Why Prayer Matters
Since God will do what’s best for us, why do we need to pray?