We all find ourselves in life’s crucibles—at the hand of others, as a part of life, or sometimes because of our own choices. Those refining times in a fiery furnace reveal so much about who we are and can help us determine our spiritual trajectory. Next to the Savior’s atoning sacrifice, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego’s crucible story is my all-time favorite. I imagine them standing in a huge throng before the 90-foot version of Nebuchadnezzar. They’d gathered by order of... Read more
By Daylen Bushman, written after sending his second son on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “I am a child of God, and He has sent me here.” Our Heavenly Father knows who we are and what we did before we came to earth and our potential and growth opportunities we have while we are in this mortal life. Over the past few months, I have reflected on the love that our Father in Heaven... Read more
Niagara Falls astounded me! What an awe-inspiring force of nature with its 5.9 million cubic feet of water rushing over the falls every minute. On another day, I stumbled upon a little spring in a Scottish field. The water bubbled gently at the surface then flowed in an almost imperceptible rivulet through the field. Both the little spring and Niagara Falls perpetually flowed as fountains of water. Fountain of Living Waters What image comes to mind when you visualize the... Read more
I’m sitting here with a chance to testify that the Lord never fails me when I’m reaching for the hem of the Healer, and I will do that. While visiting family in Utah three weeks ago, I noticed a little painful twinge in my left ear. I shrugged it off to any number of innocuous causes. I hit the ground running when I arrived home; stress levels increased, sleep levels decreased. Four days after returning home, while playing at a... Read more
Edmund and Magdalena Durfee, Tamma Durfee Miner Curtis Lima existed before the Mormons arrived in Illinois, and from the ranks of settlers already there came several anti-Mormon activists by 1944. Just five miles to the north of Morley’s SEttlement was a non-Mormon district called Green Plains, which, given its proximity, became a staging place for raids against the Mormons. Warsaw, which became a hotbed of anti-Mormon activity that led to the murders of Joseph and Hyrum Smith in... Read more
Unity is “the quality or state of being one, single, whole, complete … forming a whole from separate parts … harmony.” Unity through the doctrine of Christ In His old and new world ministries, Jesus described the manner of men we should be. I would that ye should be perfect [whole, complete] even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect. This unity – perfection, wholeness, completeness – is a process. Unity Through the Doctrine of Christ... Read more
For me, the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman is such a meaningful Church historical site. I hadn’t been to the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman since I was 16 years old. I took a lot of hopes and expectations with me on my recent trip. Discovering the town site contributed to a fantastic overall visit. My cousin Jenni shared an old copy of the town map and prophetic quotes and scriptures about the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman. I’m excited to share those along with a... Read more
Garden Grove As the Saints headed westward, Church leaders decided to create a long-term camp at Garden Grove, which was 128 miles from Nauvoo. Parley P. Pratt recorded All things being harmonized and put in order, the camps moved on. Arriving at a place on a branch of Grand River we encamped for a while, having travelled much in the midst of great and continued rains, mud and mire. Here we enclosed and planted a public farm of many hundred... Read more
After visiting Adam-ondi-Ahman, we drove to Far West. I timed our arrival at sunset. I wanted to be on the temple site after dark as we talked about the fulfillment of a dated prophecy—meeting to continue the foundation of the Far West Temple. The Saints had been driven from the state and a few people gathered in the very early hours of April 26th to see that prophecy fulfilled. Our ancestor was there. We circled our camp chairs in the... Read more
My parents, siblings, families, and I made a pilgrimage to Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa to walk in our ancestor’s footsteps and learn more about their lives. Rush Creek in Clay County, Missouri was our first ancestral stop. A deadly cholera outbreak wreaked havoc on Zion’s Camp at Rush Creek and Sidney Gilbert’s adjacent farm. The healthy moved the sick into the Gilbert’s home. When the men died, they were carried back to Rush Creek and buried. Ultimately, cholera claimed 13... Read more
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