This past weekend was the General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Sister Tamara Runia gave a talk that changed my life. She talked about Jesus, repentance, and the atonement in a whole new way; infused light into my previous understanding, and I’m forever grateful. I feel inspired to discuss this with you. The Atonement is a gift When I was young, I was taught that my sins wounded Jesus. That somehow I contributed to His... Read more
Autism, Survivor, And The Church I’m an autism mom. My son was diagnosed when he was 6, and it has been a long journey trying to find what helps him overcome his challenges. So when I saw this clip from the television show Survivor where Joe stepped out of his team to comfort Eva, I got emotional. It meant the world to me to get to see Eva, who also has autism, succeed. And I loved how the host, Jeff... Read more
When I first learned the Articles of Faith, I remember thinking there was a line that almost seemed to be an afterthought. But the more I examine it, the more I realize it is the secret to a life full of peace. It’s the very last line of the 13th Article of Faith: “If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.” Shocked Years ago, this line seemed redundant. Of course, we... Read more
Moana 2 is now streaming on Disney +, so today I sat down and indulged in some beautiful animation instead of doing responsible adult chores. I laughed, I cried, I was uplifted and deeply moved. I did NOT expect another out-of-the-ballpark home run for Disney. But WOW. This is only the second time in my life that the sequel is better than the original. And in Frozen fashion our beautiful heroine is transformed by the end of the movie. Warning... Read more
St Patrick’s Day is coming. But why does it matter? It matters more than you think. When I was a kid I heard stories about St Patrick, and how he drove the snakes out of Ireland. But that’s not what happened. St Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland, changing the lives of the people there forever. Before St Patrick came along the Celtic people worshiped nature. Their religion was based on the seasons and they worshipped many gods. They believed nature... Read more
March 12 may seem like a small and insignificant day. But in 1894 it was the first day that Coca-Cola was sold in glass bottles. Additionally, in 2003 it was the day Elizabeth Smart was rescued. As I researched this day for this article, Elizabeth Smart’s rescue stood out to me as the most significant. I remember the day she was kidnapped. I live in Utah, and it was all over the news. Her heartbroken family was pleading for her... Read more
Today in the news they announced the final autopsy results for both Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa. Betsy died about a week before Gene of the Hantavirus, and then Gene passed away from advanced Alzheimers followed by a heart attack. Gene was 95 and Betsy was 65. Although the news of their passing is very sad, it’s a little bit sweet that they got to pass so close together. They are together again in eternity. After a 35-year... Read more
Every Sunday we have a Sacrament Meeting. It’s a vital time of reflection, repentance, and renewal of our baptismal covenants. Did you know you are committing yourself to support your neighbors in that sacred ordinance? I want to discuss the blessings and commitments we make every Sunday during the ordinance of the Sacrament. Before we get into the details, I’d like to share the prayers said over the Sacrament. There is one for the bread and one for the water.... Read more
We recently had our Ward conference. That is when all the Stake leaders (leaders over many congregations) come to our congregation and share uplifting messages. This time, their message was to prepare for the Second Coming. It inspired me so much that I needed to tell you all about it. Our Stake president told us he had recently attended a five-hour training meeting with 250 other stake presidents in the Salt Lake Valley. Their topic was preparing the saints for... Read more
Editors Note: This article is written in conjunction with RootsTech’s “World’s Largest Family Discovery Event,” which will be held March 6-8. Learn more about it here. Family Search, which is sponsoring the event, invites anyone who is interested in researching their family history to participate in free online sessions. I’ve been a member of the church my whole life. As I was growing up, my ancestors were just stories. But then a few years ago we moved to Utah for my husband’s job,... Read more
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