A Season of Gratitude
Every year we are lucky to celebrate Thanksgiving. All over the world in some form or another, we celebrate a day of thanks. In China, it’s called the August Moon Festival. In Vietnam, it’s Tet Trung Thu, the Jews call it Succoth, Africa has Kwanzaa, in India it’s...
Humility is Power
“You know, we have a saying on earth. We say: "I'm only human." We say it because we're vulnerable, we say it because we know we're afraid, but it doesn't mean we're weak,” said by Hal Jordan in the movie Green Lantern (2011). With those three simple, humble...
The Preparing of a Prophet
Today I had the opportunity to speak on the topic of Joseph Smith, Jr. As I pondered what specifically to address, the preparing of a prophet is what came to mind. In the Book of Mormon, we find the words of the prophet, Nephi: And it came to pass that...
Bad Things Happen to Good People
Tragedy and even evil seem to be all around us these days. If natural disasters weren’t enough, mass killings are becoming more frequent. I’ve seen a very disturbing trend. Some people are blaming God. Others are publicly persecuting those who pray during or after a...
Make a Difference Day
Did you know the fourth Saturday in October is always Make a Difference Day? I'd like to tell you what we did to celebrate Make a Difference Day this year. Our area had many fires last year. So we decided to help with the replanting projects. We started...
How Nimrod Got the Garment of Adam
The Bible refers to several books of scripture as references to verify some of its stories. One book is the Book of Jasher. The Old Testament refers to it twice. A New York publisher published Mr. Samuel's translation of the Book of Jasher in 1840....
Life as a Full-time Mormon Missionary
The first Sunday that I attended with the Bishop and his assistants (Counselors). They were dressed in suits and wore black name tags. Not one other person in the congregation nor leadership was wearing a name tag -- only those two young men. I asked my friend,...
Quitting Grad School
I occasionally joke that I don’t know much, “I’m just a college drop-out”. At which point my husband or my parents roll their eyes, and explain to the listener that, “Yes, she quit her Ph.D. program at Stanford University in Aeronautics and Astronautics AFTER getting...
Freedom from Tyranny
Freedom is never more than one generation from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same. -Ronald Reagan We are fighting a war. Did you know that? Yes, it is the...
Nourishment From the Scriptures
We have an old dog. He’s a miniature border collie, and his name is Oreo. The days of chasing squirrels and herding grandchildren are done. His day consists of begging for dog treats, letting me pet him, and sleeping. I’ve noticed that the older Oreo gets, the more...
The Unrecognized Sermon in Songs
I have been meaning to write this story for months. What was the hang-up? I am not exactly sure. Like we are taught in Ecclesiastes “To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” I suppose articles have their time and place as well....
Joseph Smith, Jr. – The First Vision
Joseph Smith, Jr. was born into a newly formed country, stumbling to its feet after winning its independence against Britain. Religious fervor was sweeping the nation and preachers from all factions of Christianity were calling the people to repentance. Like...
Does Your Faith Make You Whole?
Does my faith make me whole? It seems like the Savior said "thy faith hath made thee whole" so often throughout His ministry. But He only said that phrase to four people! One person whose story was told three times (in Matthew, Mark, and Luke) is the...
Social Media Missionary Work
Many missionaries are now sharing the gospel, using social media! Our missionary had only been doing social media missionary work for a few weeks when he asked me if I could give him some pointers. I have worked within the LDS church’s Public Affairs department...
Your Time, Your Money, Or Your Stuff
A high school friend picked a quote one year and wrote it all our yearbooks. It was something along the lines of, “Some people spend time to save money, some people spend money to save time, which one are you?” It seemed obvious at the time. I didn’t appreciate...
Developing a Righteous Character
Last week was a sad one for me. A woman who had been a great friend and close family member passed away. I don’t blame her, though. She was 91 years old and ready to go. Her husband had been gone seven years and she was tired. I’m sure the welcoming of her arrival...
Surviving Church with My Special Needs Child
Church can be stressful for everyone. But when you have a special needs child, the stress levels go up. One of the most beautiful things I’ve learned recently, as a special needs mom, is the power of letting your child be himself. My son has High Functioning Autism. ...
Seeking Help
I have a friend that I know is struggling, and I really want to help. She is sweet and inspiring and I have looked up to her for many years. But for some reason every time I try to visit there is some reason it won't work out. She has a dentist appointment, she has...
A Different Way to Liken Nephi and Laman to Myself
I wanted a different way to liken the scriptures to myself besides just substituting my name. So I visualized different parts of myself in each story. The basis for comparison stems from these scriptures. Ye were also in the beginning with the Father; that...
Getting More Done In My Day
Monday’s emails with our missionary generated the usual question, “Mom, whatcha doing today?” I responded with an outline of my day’s To-Do-List. My son’s response was quick and to the point, “Mom, be sure to do your scripture study first. Everything else will fall...
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