My Experience In Truth

Photo: "Open Road" by missduck08 on DevianArt ​Let me share with you all something that is very personal to me: lately I've really been struggling with faith. Lest you misunderstand, let me first say that my testimony is strong and secure. That will never change. But lately I've been consumed with fear about my own personal progress. Many years ago I made the decision to live my life by the Spirit. I know not all the answers will be given to us and we need to figure out a lot on our own, but I always try to remain worthy of the Spirit so I will be ready to receive guidance and direction when it is available. This has been a wonderful decision and it has greatly enhanced the quality of my life. But the thing is, when you prove to God that He can trust you, He'll begin to ask you to do more things that require YOU to trust HIM. And that can be a major test of your faith. Over the last several months God had asked me to do some really scary things, like

"Life is tough, but so are you." That's the theme of this book, and when Elise Hahl asked me to write a review, I got excited! I've been going through some difficult times in my life and I knew I'd learn a lot from reading it. So what did I think? At first I was disappointed (but bear with me, this isn't a negative review!) I was disappointed because I realized that my life was nothing like that of the authors (there are 8 of them). I thought to myself, I've never gone through what they went through. My trials weren't even remotely close to theirs. How was this book supposed to help me with my own unique struggles? I've never moved to another country, I've never played on a football team, my mother has never been to prison, I've never had to deal with paralysis, I've never been rejected by my family. How could I relate to these stories? And then I realized something. I've never had to leave my home and travel 8 years i

Are you preparing to serve a mission? Are you currently serving a mission? Did you just get back from a mission? Are you simply trying to figure out your life's mission? Then this book is for you! ​ I've always loved good mission stories. I grew up listening to my dad tell of his adventures in Italy, and then later listened to my brothers-in-law tell of their experiences in Louisiana and Brazil. I myself served in California and have quite a few stories to tell. The thing that's always struck me about mission stories is that people can serve in vastly different places, and yet learn the very same lessons. In this book, Ben Bernards does a beautiful job at teaching those lessons through stories. From being chased through the jungle by angry tribesmen, to receiving golden name tags, there's a lesson to be learned on every page. The subtitle of the book, "7 truths for your eternal mission," helped me realize that there's so much more I can be doing.

I've been wanting to address this topic for over a year, but as someone who loves my church with all my heart, and who also has an ever-increasing number of friends who are gay, I wanted to make sure I did it right. I've spent the last year pondering and praying, trying to figure out how to both live my religion fully, and support my friends at the same time. This post is written based on the personal revelation I have received in that time. ​ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka the "Mormon Church") is, and always will be, against gay marriage. The official doctrine of the Church states that "marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God" and that "the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife." We believe this to be not only a matter of policy within the Church, but also a commandment from God. And God never changes. As active, faithful members we

When you feel sad, read the Book of Mormon. When you feel angry, read the Book of Mormon. When you feel frustrated, read the Book of Mormon. When you feel lost, read the Book of Mormon. When you feel hopeless, read the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon holds the answer to all of life's problems. Read it.

I'm 25 years old and still single. Might as well start digging my lonely grave now, right? At least that seems to be the attitude here in Utah. But let me tell you something you probably haven't thought of: Maybe I'm still single for a reason. John Bytheway once said that "Moroni did some of his greatest work as a single adult." That work included traveling around North America dedicating temple sites, abridging the Book of Ether, and writing 12 chapters of his own. Do you think he would have had time to do those things if he had a wife and family to take care of? Probably not. Maybe you're still single because  God NEEDS you to be single. I invite you to take a look at your life and see what more you can be doing to serve those around you. Being single gives us so many unique opportunities to help other people. If you're not happy with your relationship status try strengthening your relationship with God. Spend more time studying the scriptures.