Is Your Financial House in Order? A Simple Checklist for Latter-day Saint Families

In a memorable General Conference address in October 1998, President Gordon B. Hinckley advised members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints around the world that “the time has come to get our houses in order.” In the years since President Hinckley’s remarks, the United States has endured two economic recessions, including the most severe recession of the post-World-War-II era. But did you realize that in every decade since the 1930s, the U.S. has experienced at least one and in some cases two recessions? When difficult financial or economic conditions arise, having your financial house in order will allow your family to weather the storm.

Below is a simple checklist to help you assess whether your family’s financial house is in order:

6 Reasons Why I Believe in Jesus Christ and in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

1.     I believe in Jesus Christ because God has answered my prayers. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are strongly encouraged to pray to God for personal inspiration regarding the reality of Jesus Christ and whether the claims made by the church and prophets are true. When I was ten years old, I prayed and asked Heavenly Father if the church was true and if the experiences recounted by Joseph Smith really happened. God answered my prayer by sending an incredible feeling of warmth, peace, and joy into my heart. He confirmed the truth of those things to me. Since that time, I have had numerous other confirmations of those truths. Most notably, I received many confirmations of my faith when I served as a missionary. During that time I would teach about the experience of the Prophet Joseph Smith seeing God the Father and His son Jesus Christ. When I would explain this experience and recite Joseph’s words, I always received an additional confirming witness in my heart.

5 Gifts Mom Really Wants For Mothers’ Day

It’s May, which means your inbox and social media feeds, like mine, are probably full of “helpful suggestions” for what to get your mom for Mothers’ Day. But before you buy that “priceless” bracelet or send that edible bouquet, you may want to ask yourself what mom really wants from you this year. Knowing I would be writing the post this week, I did just that; and I even solicited the help of three mothers in my life—my wife, my mother-in-law, and my own mother. Below are 5 “wants” you should consider as you try to find that perfect gift.

My Letter to Anyone Experiencing a Faith Crisis

Even though we’ve probably never met, I feel like I know you—and I wish I knew you even better. You are not the first person in my life to face a crisis of faith in recent years. I understand that it can be frightening to find yourself questioning a faith you have accepted and embraced. Let me reassure you that there is nothing wrong with having serious questions about your faith. I say that, in part, because I am a questioner, too.

I appreciate your willingness to let me share some of my thoughts with you. I hope the things I write here will be helpful, and I hope you’ll sense the honesty of what I share. My prayer is that you’ll understand why I am so settled about my own religious convictions, my faith in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My convictions have never been deeper than they are today; I have never been more optimistic about the Church’s future than I am now.

10 More Common Words That Mean Something Different to Mormons

I remember being in a professional development course and how the instructor emphasized not using too much jargon with the families we worked with because it could be intimidating and give the families a sense of isolation.  Similarly, there is much jargon that is well known to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but that is not understood by everyone.  It is important to be aware of the words we use and how others might interpret them.  Due to popularity of the original list (found here), I have created a new list of 10 more words.