All Posts

There’s a scripture you’ve probably heard referenced before. It’s in D&C 123:16 and it goes like this, “You know, brethren, that a very large ship is benefited very much by a very small helm.” What do you think of when you hear that scripture? Maybe like me, you think of the verse in Alma 37 that says “by small and simple things are great things brought to pass,” and that would be an appropriate interpretation. It’s true, those small and simple things, the Sunday school answe

My journey to gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon has been a roller coaster of fear, stubbornness, backbreaking trials, and ultimate peace and direction, all at a young age. I grew up in the church, yet from an early age my struggle with mental illness and subsequent isolation, loneliness, and fear led me to having a hard time knowing what was true and believing my life had value. I strayed from praying and grew more and more skeptical. In middle school, I went from bei

Miyamoto Jensen came home from her mission depressed and anxious. She found healing and purpose in doing her family genealogy. Her work as a professional genealogist has informed how she thinks about the gospel, family, race, and trauma.

Aurelia Spencer Rogers was not impressed with the boys in her recently established community of Farmington, Utah. Words like “hoodlum” and “carelessness in the extreme, not only in regard to religion, but also to morality” were thrown around. She was sympathetic – she understood that after all the losses that occurred on the path to Zion and the hard work involved in establishing a new community, parents were exhausted and barely scraping by. But she felt the children’s needs

Throughout my life I have read from this book many times. This book is about families. The stories of immigrant families. Families fleeing war, death threats, slavery, and wanting a refuge and a better life for their children. Families that love each other, families that split apart. Families that are separated for centuries and then find each other again. It’s about culture, heritage, and genealogy. It’s a book about the Americas, but mostly it is a book about Jesus Christ.

Dana Willard is the blogger, designer, and sewist behind MadeEveryday. She is well-known in the sewing community for fun fabrics and quick and easy tutorials. When the COVID-19 quarantine was announced in the United States, many sewists contacted Dana for guidance in making fabric face masks to stem the spread of the virus.

For my entire life, I would say that one of my core identities has been “I am a believer.” As a result, I have been called naive, brainwashed, stupid, and more. But, for me, there is just no doubt that my Father and Mother in Heaven exist, that They love me, and that They are all powerful and benevolent. So . . . where’s the problem?

Jesus can help us make real changes in every season of our lives. His words are the same, but each time we read them, our lives are different. Translating His words into the context of our lives requires persistence and patience across days, months, and years to become the best version of ourselves. When I was a grumpy 14 year old, I wanted to be happier so I decided to read The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. I plunked through it on my own and six mont

Out of the thousands of books I have read, I love this one the most. I have read and re-read this text many times and learned new principles to apply to my current struggles every time. The Book of Mormon reminds me that God loves each one of his children, that Christ is the Savior of this earth and that through righteous choices, people can live happy, fulfilled lives in this life and the next. The best way to read this book is by keeping an open mind, asking questions, and

In 2016 I had a series of events that created spiritual doubt and skepticism in me. I never struggled with my faith before, but found myself skeptical of certain principles and worried that the Latter-day Saint faith was more based off of “blind faith” than truth.

I left the Church due to an unhappy marriage and divorce and certain people in the local Church leadership. I never lost my testimony of God or Jesus Christ, just distrust in the Church. Then I met my soulmate and love of my life. We were happily married for 30 plus years. He had some experience with the Church but was not a member. We were extremely close and happy. We occasionally attended other churches but they seemed hollow to me.

I was the young lady that attended every meeting—first to volunteer to give a talk or help with whatever was needed. I was referred to as “perfect,” which is hard to live up to. I guess I just decided to go astray. No one influenced me or tempted me. I made the decision to start doing all the wrong things. I do not want to dwell on the stories of my past, but if it was wrong to do I did it. I was 17 and feeling unworthy, and I stopped going to my church meetings.

I was never particularly aware of how many pillars there were in Washington until being asked to give this speech. The anxiety at having to define my faith was such that it was infinitely easier to analyze pillars.

I “quit attending” when I was about 16 due to a job that had me work Sundays. When I finally quit the job and started back to church, I felt like a stranger. I thought people would be happy to see me but I didn’t get much response. I had both great and horribly bad examples of members in my youth, and my family wasn’t a righteous example—although they weren’t terrible either. I guess I was left to my own devices. So I chose my best friend who was Mormon, and we partied heavil

I have not walked a traditional or simple journey of faith. I love the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but struggled with inactivity for almost thirteen years. This is the tale of my return to activity.