Great Blessings from Crossing the Finish Line

It is hard to believe that it has been nearly thirteen years since the prophet Gordon B. Hinckley gave his “Book of Mormon Challenge.” In August, 2005, he stated, “I offer a challenge to members of the Church throughout the world and to our friends everywhere to read or reread the Book of Mormon…before the end of this year.”

The Scripture That Saved My Son's Baptism Day

Some people might call me mildly obsessive, Type-A, controlling, or bossy.  I prefer organized, assertive, intuitive, and “The Enforcer,” (to borrow the title given to the late former First Lady, Barbara Bush).  It’s true that I like to be in control of a situation, although I have learned quite well to multi-task and change plans spontaneously, thanks to my years as a 5th grade teacher and as a mother of three boys.

Part 2: But If Not... When Prayers Might Not Be Answered As You Hope

“Please bless that the two new spots in Mommy’s brain are not cancer.” 

He Knows Your Name

Throughout Primary, Young Women’s and now Relief Society, I’ve been taught about women in the scriptures. I learned about righteous examples of women who were kind, brave, humble, contemplative, service-oriented, loving, and strong. With the Easter season, I am reminded of one such woman in the New Testament, Mary Magdalene.

I Will Not Leave You Comfortless: How Christ Brought Hope in the Face of Tragedy

Thirteen years ago, when I was 17, my mom and I were driving on I-15 in Utah, and we were in a terrible car accident. Only the two of us were in the car. On the other side of the freeway, a 16-year-old boy was driving a pickup truck when a tire blew out. He lost control of his vehicle, crossed the grassy median, came up on our side of the freeway, and hit us: immediately, unexpectedly, and head on.

The Creation in our Lives

The creation of this world is both humbling and mind-blowing. In seven different “creative periods” the entire earth was created, ending with a day of rest.

But, if not… -- Part One

A common experience in gaining a basic testimony that God answers prayers tends to be in praying to find something that has been lost. When car keys, glasses, jewelry, or any important item goes missing, I often find myself stopping to say a humble and heartfelt prayer to plea for guidance on where to begin my search. Often, I am able to clear my mind, listen to promptings, and locate the item soon after my prayer has ended. It is a comforting reassurance that God knows His children personally and cares about even the mundane difficulties in their lives. I know these prayers for missing objects do not only occur in my household, for rarely does a monthly testimony meeting go by without a similar faith-promoting story being shared by a member of my congregation. 

Why Texas A&M Aggies Make Great Mormons

When I was nearing the end of my high school career many of my friends assumed I would be continuing my education at what they referred to as “the Mormon School,” namely BYU. This idea isn’t totally erroneous. It does seem to be a trend among Mormon education seekers to make the trek to Utah for the cheap tuition, academic and spiritual enlightenment, and--let’s be real--the dating pool. They were always somewhat surprised to learn that I had no interest in BYU and that I was actually headed to Aggieland; the home of Texas A&M University.

Juggling Life

Rubber balls and glass balls—we all juggle both kinds. The trick is to not let the glass balls drop, and to keep picking up the rubber ones that do.

Life is full of so much stuff: important stuff, fun stuff, hard stuff, and inconsequential stuff. One key to happiness is learning where to put our focus. There is always good, better, and best.

Lectures on Love - 5 Times Pres. Nelson Taught from the Heart

As a well-known surgeon, Russel M. Nelson became an expert on the heart.  His lectures on love show that this expertise goes far beyond the operating room.  Below, examples of five times he spoke from the heart, teach us of the importance of strengthening the power of love.

6 Acronyms for Spiritual Growth

The restored gospel of Jesus Christ has one purpose; “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” Everything within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints works towards that purpose in one way or another, from living prophets and renewal of covenants to ward camp outs and potlucks. As a logophile, or lover of words, I can't help but appreciate how even acronyms have become a useful tool in this divine mission. Here are 6 helpful acronyms to make use of in the pursuit of spiritual growth. 

Increasing Faith in Heavenly Father and in Jesus Christ and His Atonement

This post was originally shared as a talk at stake conference of the College Station Stake in 2017.

I was born with a congenital heart defect and consequently underwent open heart surgery right before I turned 5. Five years later, I was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma. And five years after that, I fractured my back in a sledding accident. So it may not be a surprise that exercise has never come naturally or easily to me.

The Night I Learned that President Nelson Still "Looks on the Heart"

As Church members around the world prepare for the leadership of President Russell M. Nelson, I look forward to the ways his prophetic leadership will help us all strengthen our personal spirituality. The recent challenges President Nelson has issued—for example, to read every passage of scripture about the Savior from the Topical Guide and to list the many ways our lives have been blessed by the Book of Mormon—have brought greater spiritual power into our lives.

This past week, I have reflected on a memorable experience I had with President Nelson during my full-time mission, which taught me the power of his individual care.

Turn Stress into Joy in the New Year

The late Thomas S. Monson once taught about the importance of finding joy in the journey of life. He said, “I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by…Instead, find joy in the journey—now.” (Monson, “Finding Joy in the Journey,” Ensign, Nov. 2008).

In his honor, my word for the new year is JOY. All of us are here on earth, that we might have joy (2 Ne 2:25), but what seems to come more naturally is stress. The joy of life tends to get bogged down with what I like to call “all the things:” the to-do lists, the assignments, the requirements, and constraints, plus what always seems like not enough time to complete it all. An added stress, social media seems to point out all we’re not doing as parents, partners, professionals, and people.