Earlier this week I talked to a friend about my desire to pray more mightily and with faith to do God’s will every day. She knew my schedule and some of the daily demands on my time and asked if I was worried about getting an answer. Yes! We laughed about how funny that seemed. But I’d recently listened to a devotional by Elder David A. Bednar that flitted by on a YouTube suggestion. Elder Bednar promised that if... Read more
The Savior’s wheat and tares parable acknowledges the opposition in all things as good and evil seeds grow together until a harvest of sifting and burning. Therefore, let the wheat and the tares grow together until the harvest is fully ripe; then ye shall first gather out the wheat from among the tares, and after the gathering of the wheat, behold and lo, the tares are bound in bundles, and the field remaineth to be burned. (Doctrine and Covenants 86:7) Through beautiful introspection,... Read more
I wear glasses. Apparently, I have a very oily face, and my glasses inevitably have oily smudges by the end of the day. So my typical routine is to clean my glasses every morning with soap and water. In all my running around one day, my glasses got really dirty. I laughed at how smudgy they were at the end of the day. But the next morning, I ran out the door without making time to clean the lenses. I... Read more
So many of you are going through such difficult, refining trials right now. I stand in awe of your faith, trust in the Lord, and sheer grit to keep going day after day, hour after hour, and minute after minute. One of my very favorite scripture stories is of the woman with an issue. Isn’t she all of us? We all have issues. Because of her experience with the world, this woman knew that the only source of healing, change,... Read more
My mom, Darla Bushman, shared some blessings she’s seen from being wholehearted as she pondered Sister Michelle Craig’s talk “Wholehearted” in the October 2022 General Conference. “Wholehearted” by Darla Bushman Sister Craig’s main premise was that We should be followers of Jesus who are joyful and wholehearted in our own personal journey of discipleship. She asserts that hard times are a part of every life and that “trials do not mean God’s plan is failing.” No, “they are part... Read more
I’m a very visual learner. When I was young, I dreamt about going to Jerusalem to walk where the Savior walked. I went to Jerusalem with BYU’s study abroad program and loved exploring the places I’d read about in the scriptures. That experience of walking where Jesus Christ walked became an important foundation stone in my faith and knowledge that Jesus Christ lives. One day while sitting on the Mount of Olives overlooking the Temple Mount, the Holy Ghost nudged... Read more
Last night my sister sent me a “trigger warning” text asking for any Bible scriptures or quotes to help a friend find peace who recently had another miscarriage. The friend is a faith-filled, Christian woman seeking solace through Christ. While I’ve definitely had experience, words seem so inadequate. Like so many other women, the grief of miscarriage I experienced was just one of the griefs I bore. How do you adequately categorize what brought peace to one thing when you’re... Read more
Recently this miracle where I heard and felt the Holy Ghost’s whisperings that I recorded in a journal entry came to mind. The journal entry recorded some of the angst, stress, and fear I felt during that particular “crisis.” I was amazed at the peace that came when I decided to listen to the Holy Ghost’s whisperings. By following the prophet’s admonition to “refine our ability to recognize the whisperings of the Holy Ghost,” we can be guided through turbulent... Read more
Growing Your Testimony in Christ by Austin Bushman I am Austin Bushman. My parents are Daylen and Scarlet. I have got the best immediate family and extended family in the world because they taught me while I was young to believe in Jesus Christ and in His Atonement. I love my parents and I have come to realize so much more of what they did for me and my love for them has been enhanced on the mission. [In December,... Read more
In the preface of his gospel, Luke addressed “most excellent Theophilus.” Theophilus seemed like a pretty Greek name to me. I glossed over it assuming I couldn’t know who Theophilus was because he isn’t found in the scriptures beyond Luke’s mention in Luke and Acts. But as I began a new reading of Luke 1, I found some clues about Theophilus. Several theories exist about who Theophilus is. Two, in particular, fascinated me. Theophilus ben Ananus Theophilus ben Ananus served as... Read more
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