Over the past two years, I’ve been visiting important historical sites of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I’d never been to the Priesthood Restoration Site on the banks of the Susquehanna River and eagerly visited. In my typical style, I’d sandwiched my visit into a drive—on a schedule—from Palmyra to New York City. I quickly wandered the paths and Sugar Grove and then drove to the baptismal site. Surprised to be the only car in the parking... Read more
I am fascinated by people’s stories. I love learning what makes you, you! I love journeying beyond the pleasantries to find out what you really think about life and struggle and why. I believe we all deal with our version of abandonment, rejection, heartbreak, and trauma. How did yours shape you? I lived for a long time in the shadows of my experiences. I learned to define myself differently by listening to the stories of other people who did, too.... Read more
Mulek and Ai When trying to liken the scriptures to myself, it’s cool to see that some of my scripture heroes may have done the same thing! The description of Moroni’s retaking of Mulek is one of these stories for me. Captain Moroni and Mulek In Captain Moroni’s story, the Lamanites captured the city of Mulek. The administrative leader of that area, Teancum, found it impossible to dislodge the Lamanites from the city within the city, and the Lamanites refused... Read more
Within a matter of hours, I stepped into and out of two extremely different environments: The Sacred Grove, Palmyra, NY, and Times Square, New York City, NY. While opposites, both locales are full of intense energetic life and light. Times Square From New York Spaces: Times Square, often dubbed “The Crossroads of the World,” is more than just a bustling intersection in the heart of New York City; it’s a global symbol of entertainment, commercialism, and the urban spectacle. This iconic... Read more
What do “bright, shining seraphs” and “numberless concourses of angels” surrounding the throne of God look like? I’ve wondered this since reading scriptural accounts of angels surrounding God’s throne. Concourses of Angels Here are two depictions of angelic hosts at the throne of God: I’ve thought more about this concept of angels surrounding God’s throne since President Nelson admonished the study of Doctrine and Covenants 109 as a tutorial for the last days. In the second to last verse, Joseph... Read more
Disney Pixar’s Inside Out 2 came through again with all of Riley’s familiar feels: Joy, Anger, Sadness, Fear, and Disgust. A surprising automatic deployment of 13-year-old Riley’s Puberty button introduced new (and remarkably relatable) emotions to headquarters: Anxiety, Embarrassment, Envy, Ennui, with a few cameos by Nostalgia. Along with the memory creation and storage, which continued from Inside Out, the film showed the formation of Riley’s belief system in a pooling area of Riley’s stream of consciousness. Beliefs like “I am... Read more
The Holy Ghost gently whispered a thought to my mind that I’d never before considered and I suddenly saw how the “establish a house” attributes in Doctrine and Covenants 109 related to the creation of this world—an organization of a house of God. Let me explain. I’ve been studying Doctrine and Covenants 109 since President Russell M. Nelson called it a tutorial and challenged us to study it. He said, Joseph Smith’s dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple is a... Read more
I grew up in a family that comfortably believed our dearly departed were not eternally dead. Uncles and aunts had dreams and encounters in the House of the Lord with departed family members. The experiences fascinated me. While I believed the family stories, I hadn’t personally experienced anything similar. So I asked my aunt about how she was able to see. She told me that connections to the spirit world were spiritual gifts and if I wanted to use those... Read more
President Russell M. Nelson’s invitations at the Worldwide Relief Society Devotional solidly struck me as I heard him speak them. Make the Scriptures your personal Liahona, the temple your place of refuge and recalibration, and your personal prayers the way you learn where the Lord needs you to be that day. I’ve been pondering and studying a lot about signs of the last days and the reference to the Liahona and temple as a place of refuge and recalibration really... Read more
Terror gripped me as I swayed back and forth in a bucket lift high above the ground. While in a building, the space was expansive, and I felt like I was floating in space. I felt out of control. And that, apparently, is one of my fears. I went up and down in the lift several times. It functioned fine, but I still felt super uneasy because of the motion I felt with the lift’s full extension. The lift exaggerated... Read more
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