A Place of Safety
One summer my family decided it would be fun to raise backyard chickens. I went to the farm store and returned with ten tiny chicks. We put them in a bin in the basement with wood shavings and a heat lamp, and I enjoyed their tiny cheep cheep cheeps as I went about my...
Follow Him in Faith
It is not the big things that bring us joy—not directly. It’s the little things that make us happy. The big things are a result of the countless little things that we do. We have all experienced missed calls. With today’s technology and our busy lives, it will...
Fences
The first time I saw the state of Idaho was in 1975. I went with my fiancé to meet my future in-laws. I was awestruck by its natural beauty. Beyond that beauty, there was one thing that really stuck out: there were no fences. Everywhere I looked, one yard ran into...
Prophets on Free Agency, Freedom, and the Constitution
We're taught that free agency is a fundamental right inherent in being children of Heavenly Father. Free agency or free will is the ability to act, but not to dictate the consequences of the actions. As I studied this principle this time, I primarily searched for...
America Is Beautiful Because She Is Free
On the first Sunday of the month of July, in the USA, the hymns at church are specifically chosen to celebrate our nation’s Independence. I look forward to singing praises to God and country. It reminds me of the importance of this being a God-centered nation. It is a...
The Touch
Over the summer I’m taking a BYU religion course exploring the four Gospels in the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. This course, as with most BYU religion courses, is taught in a very intellectual way. In order to understand greater spiritual messages and...
Maybe, Maybe Not
It wasn’t the typical setting for a gathering of believers — or at least not something I had ever witnessed before. The building was all locked up with the exception of one entrance. Sunday School classrooms were closed. Ushers stood at the door greeting each...
Feeling Spiritually Depleted? Try These Three Simple Things
I minister to a sister who struggles with having church at home. She is the only member of her family who attends church so none of her family is participating with her during home church. She is struggling to find a spiritual connection to the Lord and her faith...
Doing All Things After All We Can Do
After great teaching by Aaron, Ammon, and their brethren, many Lamanites accepted truth and repented of "sins and of the many murders which we have committed." They declared their determination to keep their newly made covenants by physically burying their swords deep...
Autism and ADHD: Decoding My Autism
As an autism mom and autism big sister, I often go to my brother's blog to learn how to be a better parent to my son. He has so many excellent insights! This week I want to share one of his articles with you instead of one of my own. It was an answer to a prayer as I...
Devolution From Truth to Modified Apostate Truths
I'm fascinated by the strong antagonists of the Book of Mormon. The sons of Mosiah encounter one apostate faction of them in Alma 21. The Lord directed Aaron, the could-have-been-king of the Nephites, to the Lamanite city of Jerusalem. At Jerusalem, he met Lamanites...
The Gift You Are to Me, Pt 3: Memorial
“The only measure of your worth and your deeds will be the love you leave behind you when you’re gone.” Fred Small You didn’t realize, when I was in labor that morning before my Scotty was born, how you taught me about courage when you said, "No matter how much...
The Silver Lining of a Crisis
A few months ago my husband’s son was excited to show us an HBO documentary mini-series about Chernobyl. For those who don’t know, Chernobyl was a place in Russia (then the USSR under Communist rule) where a nuclear power plant near the city of Pripyat exploded in...
The Greatest Comeback Ever
During this COVID-19 isolation, sports events of all kinds have been sidelined, so we go into history books and the internet to relive and celebrate contests played in years gone by. We will get through this. It is not insurmountable. There may be some...
Observations and Pandemic Spiritual Growth
There are things to be learned from living through a pandemic. Aside from the obvious things that are discussed daily in the news and on social media, there are observations to be made that can change the way we see ourselves and how we worship. Be patient with me for...
Help with the Scary: Dentists, Haircuts, and More
My brother has a blog that offers me tremendous insight as an autism mom. And this week I wanted to share an article he wrote because I think it will benefit all of us. The unfamiliar can be scary for a kid, especially when that kid has autism. But those...
Abigail as Template of a Mediator
I stare at the screen for an hour with nothing to say. My life lessons seem so inconsequential amidst the great injustices and suffering of our times. So I just want to share one of my favorite stories. I've felt such an application to our current war of words and...
God is Low
If you have turned on the news or social media recently, you might have noticed what some describe as a time of tumult. Global events tower over the public's consciousness. There are causes and factions and crises and movements. Politicians and pundits and activists...
The Gift You Are to Me, Part 2: The Family Letter
This is part two in a three-part series about the gifts others are in our lives. To read part one, click here. This part, part two, is a letter Sonja wrote to her family after Ruby's memorial service (with some minor changes made for clarity by the editor). ...
The Morning Star
Life can be difficult. To many it can seem almost too difficult. There is always a challenge to meet and overcome before the next one comes. Some challenges are hard to handle and some are more bearable. We all look forward and hope someday to reach what we...
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