Peace and Rest Amidst Our To Do List

This whole thing was amazing and really pinged my soul. 

 

Helping Our Children Love the Temple

 Helping our children prepare for the temple can be a natural and normal part of our lives. As the temple and its blessings are important to us, our actions and our words will teach our children to love the temple as well. When children understand the importance of making covenants with God, their desire to prepare for those covenants is likely to increase.

Teaching Your Children to Love the Temple

By Nancy Dance and Dana Wright

Former Members of the Primary General Advisory Council

October 2021

Other Bible Translations

 

Seeing Christ in the Bible

By John Hilton III

Professor of Ancient Scripture, Brigham Young University

In 2025, an update to General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reinforced that while we should generally use the Church-published or preferred Bible translation in Church meetings, other translations may also be used. The General Handbook states: “Some individuals may benefit from translations that are doctrinally clear and also easier to understand. Examples of such translations can be found in the Church’s Holy Bible list.” If members find doctrinal discrepancies between Bible translations, the General Handbook advises members to “refer to the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, and teachings of latter-day prophets.”

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/translations-and-downloads/scriptures/holy-bible?lang=eng

From Dating to Sealing

 

Preparing for Eternal Marriage: A Global Invitation to Joy

By Elder John “Keoni” S.K. Kauwe III and Monica S. Kauwe

Elder Kauwe is an Area Seventy and president of Brigham Young University–Hawaii

Preparing for Eternal Marriage: A Global Invitation to Joy

By Elder John “Keoni” S.K. Kauwe III and Monica S. Kauwe

Elder Kauwe is an Area Seventy and president of Brigham Young University–Hawaii

Faith, preparation, and communication make dating, marriage, and family some of the most joyful and sacred parts of our mortal journey.

Dating can be complex and sometimes heart-wrenching. But understanding the joy the sealing ordinance will bring makes it worth it all.

“The Family: A Proclamation to the World” states: “The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan.” Every member of the Church should plan for and prepare to make this sacred covenant.

The Truth That Unites Us All

President Dallin H. Oaks has taught, “Marriage is central to the purpose of mortal life and what follows.” Sister Kristen M. Oaks added, “In truth, marriage is a gift. Not only does marriage give us the opportunity for children, but it gives us the opportunity and incentive to begin a journey of growing with one another. We learn to sacrifice and serve as we can in few other ways.”

President Russell M. Nelson (1924–2025) declared, “Marriage brings greater possibilities for happiness than does any other human relationship.”

These are not just encouraging words. They reflect eternal truths about our purpose and the joy possible when we follow God’s plan.

Cultural backgrounds and traditions differ, but one truth remains consistent: Each person is a beloved child of God with a divine destiny. This destiny includes the opportunity to be sealed for time and all eternity to an eternal companion in the house of the Lord.

(If you’re already married, don’t skip the rest of the article. These lessons apply as you continue your courtship and deepen your relationship with your spouse.)

How to Prepare for Marriage and Continued Courtship

President Nelson urged us to “strive to stand for principle instead of popularity” and to prioritize spiritual growth over secular concerns. That includes planning for righteous courtship and covenant marriage.

Preparing for eternal marriage isn’t about setting a date—it’s about becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ who makes and keeps sacred covenants.

Just as Jesus grew “in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Luke 2:52), our preparation should include efforts toward spiritual, social, physical, and intellectual progression.

Sister Oaks counseled: “If you find yourself marking time waiting for a marriage prospect, stop waiting and start preparing. Prepare yourself for life—by education, experience, and planning. Don’t wait for happiness to be thrust upon you. Seek out opportunities for service and learning. And most important, trust in the Lord. … And I promise as you do, happiness will come to you.”

Central to preparation for marriage and complete fidelity in marriage are striving for moral cleanliness and repenting daily. Keeping the Lord’s law of chastity brings additional spiritual power. Freedom from the bonds of sexual sin and pornography allows us to feel the Spirit, build trust, and prepare for an eternal relationship grounded in honesty and respect. If you’ve struggled in this area, know that healing is possible. Through sincere repentance and the power of Jesus Christ, you can be clean, whole, and ready to move forward with peace.

Please remember how very loved you are as a child of God. President Nelson asked you to have this “eternal truth imprinted upon your heart.” Do not dwell on your imperfections. When you elevate the way you honor your covenants and follow Jesus Christ, your physical, emotional, social, intellectual, and spiritual wellness will be elevated too.

Beginning Basics of Dating

Dating is a sacred and joyful step in preparing for eternal relationships. Let’s make this simple. A date should:

• Allow the two people to get to know each other.

• Follow a plan that you share with the other person ahead of time.

• Be in a safe environment and public area.

• Include a wholesome activity that allows for comfortable conversation.

• Have a clear, predetermined endpoint.

In addition, bear in mind:

• A single date does not mean you are getting married. It does not mean you are exclusive. It means you are getting to know each other as friends with potential.

• You can learn something from and even enjoy going on a date with someone whom you don’t envision as your eternal partner.

• That being said, it is very reasonable to go on one date with someone and know very clearly that one date was enough.

• Dating is not a status update for gossip, speculation, or unkindness. A surefire way to sabotage your future dating prospects is to belittle someone you dated or who asked you on a date.

• “Most people you meet as a missionary are not currently interested in learning about the Church. Most people you date are not going to marry you. … And that’s okay.”

Something Important to Communicate About: Physical Expressions

Physical expressions of affection or romantic interest that are in harmony with God’s law of chastity, such as holding hands, an embrace, or a kiss, should be preceded by clear communication and affirmative consent. This can be especially true at the end of a date. Here are some basic principles related to consent and respect:

• Agency is foundational in God’s plan.

• You cannot build trust where agency is ignored. You cannot claim love where coercion or manipulation exists.

• Through clear words or actions, a person should indicate permission to engage in physical expressions of affection.

• The absence of a “no” does not mean “yes,” and consent on one occasion does not mean consent can be assumed from that time forth.

• Any action that violates another’s agency is a sin. Abuse of any kind—emotional, physical, sexual, spiritual—is a violation of covenants and completely contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ.

The foundation of healthy dating, marriages, families—all relationships, really—is kind, candid, consistent, and clear communication.

After several dates, you may start to wonder if you are in a relationship. Do not make assumptions about the status or trajectory of your relationship. There is only one way to know this. You have to talk about it!

Say what you mean; don’t assume the other person is filling in the gaps with correct information. They are filling in the gaps but often with the wrong information....

As you date, be thoughtful and intentional. Look for someone who shares your commitment to Jesus Christ and His restored Church, heeds living prophets, honors their covenants, prioritizes temple worship and the sealing ordinance, forgives others, and demonstrates a strong work ethic. Be confident that you can raise children in a Christ-centered family with them. Physical attraction is important; spiritual alignment and shared purpose are paramount....

President Nelson taught, “Harmony in marriage comes only when one esteems the welfare of his or her spouse among the highest of priorities.”

 

Discipleship and the Law of the Fast

By Elder Steven D. Shumway

Of the Seventy

1. Living the law of the fast prepares us to meet the Savior. As represented in the parable of the sheep and the goats, Christ will gather all nations, and then “he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left” (Matthew 25:33). Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explains that those on the Christ’s right hand become heirs to His kingdom, while those on His left receive no inheritance. The distinguishing characteristic is whether they served Christ by feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, providing shelter to strangers, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick or imprisoned.

3. The law of the fast strengthens us to overcome temptation. Isaiah teacher that living this law helps "loose the bands of wickedness" (Isaiah 58:6). Each time we fast, we gain more control over worldly appetites and passions and develop power to overcome temptation. Elder James E. Talmage (1862-1933) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles observed, "Have you some besetting weakness, some sinful indulgence that you have vainly tried to overcome?... Your sin may be of a kind that goeth out only through prayer and fasting."

Setting Aside Designated Time for the Lord is in Your Control

5 Invitations to Help You Feel More Joy in Living the Gospel

By Elder Benjamin M. Z. Tai

Of the Seventy

If it feels like the world is dictating your schedule, remember—setting aside moments of designated time for the Lord is completely within your control....

4. Identify and Clear the Debris

There was one more factor at play that helped many miracle homes survive: The owners had cleared the weeds and debris surrounding their homes. Without the dry brush, the flames had little fuel to ignite.

We have also been invited to clear the debris from our lives. What is the debris in your life? What might set your foundation aflame when the adversary attacks?

I would say debris is anything that takes you away from the Savior and could potentially hurt your relationship with Him, like sin. But there is also more to it.

Are you making choices every day that aren’t necessarily taking you away from the Savior but might be distracting you?

What is wasting your time? What choices are you making that are good but could be better?

Are there individuals you need to forgive but haven’t? Are there things you need to repent of?

In the allegory of the olive tree found in Jacob 5, we can learn about clearing debris. Keeping the tree alive and producing good fruit requires the Master’s involvement. He can trim your branches and strengthen your roots, and He can also show you how to prune and remove the habits or behaviors in your life that are not serving you. It’s all about finding balance, and you don’t have to figure this all out at once; it’s a process.

When you clear the debris from your life, you will see how living the gospel protects you from many hardships, blesses your ability to overcome life’s challenges, refines your relationships, and develops your confidence in your divine identity and potential....

You can find God’s love through scriptures, through prayer, and through temple worship. But if you are doing those things and still don’t realize how He feels about you, you will find and feel His perfect love most abundantly when you share it with others.

Remember, all Lehi wanted to do after he tasted the fruit of the tree was share the “exceedingly great joy” he felt with those he loved most (1 Nephi 8:12).

What if you turn outward instead of inward? What if, when you feel like your calling and other responsibilities at church are a burden, you instead see them as a way to help others feel Christ’s love?

What if instead of seeing your ministering assignment as just another item to check off your list, you see it as an opportunity to help God answer someone’s prayer?

Not everyone will remember everything you say or do as a disciple of Christ. But they will always remember how you made them feel—especially if you share the love of God and Jesus Christ. And you will remember that love too.

Miracles Today

 

A God of Miracles

By President D. Todd Christofferson

Second Counselor in the First Presidency

President Russell M. Nelson (1924–2025) counseled us to “seek and expect miracles,” stating: “Moroni assured us that ‘God has not ceased to be a God of miracles’ [Mormon 9:15; see also verse 19; 2 Nephi 27:23]. Every book of scripture demonstrates how willing the Lord is to intervene in the lives of those who believe in Him.”

President Nelson taught that each miracle, ancient and modern, “took time and may not have been exactly what those individuals originally requested from the Lord.

“In the same way, the Lord will bless you with miracles if you believe in Him, ‘doubting nothing’ [Mormon 9:21]. Do the spiritual work to seek miracles. Prayerfully ask God to help you exercise that kind of faith.”

Certainly, that “spiritual work” includes striving to align our will with heaven’s will. When we have the mind of Christ, when our desires are the desires of Christ, and when His words abide in us, “we then ask for things it is possible for God to grant.”

The Evolution, and End, of EFY

 

From the BYU magazine

Oaks BYU Speech at Prophet

 

Coming Closer to Jesus Christ

Dallin H. Oaks

President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

I share four impressions that will draw us closer to our Savior:

• First, strengthen our faith in Him.
• Second, increase our humility.
• Third, seek help from others.
• Fourth, be patient.

Quality Time Spent on Devices

 For the rest of us, however, the volume of usage may matter less to our well-being than the quality of the time spent on the device. In fact, experts still haven’t prescribed a set amount of smartphone time for adults or teens. And the results of Coyne’s eight-year longitudinal study of social-media use suggest that the amount of time has little to no connection to levels of anxiety and depression. “Two teenagers could use social media for exactly the same amount of time but may have vastly different outcomes as a result of the way they are using it,” Coyne says.

Gaskin, who studies the impact of different technology on people and work spaces, agrees: “Usually, [an increase in anxiety and depression] has more to do with the motivation behind the use” of smartphones than it does with the amount of time.

The professors say the adults and teens who struggle most are those who use devices to escape reality or who are highly affected by comparison (more on that below). And those who use phones for entertainment fare worse than those who use it for education or for connecting with others.

Healthy device use comes down to being intentional, says Coyne, or choosing to be an active rather than a passive user. Passive device use often involves a lot of scrolling. “That tends to be related to depression, anxiety,” she says. On the other hand, she notes that posting, making positive comments, and other active engagements “actually relate to decreased depressive symptoms.”

Intentional users turn on their phones with an objective in mind—like texting a friend details about an upcoming event, posting a picture of a family gathering, or looking up information on a topic of interest. Passive users, on the other hand, are more likely to open their phones for no reason or for the vague purpose of alleviating boredom. Cue the endless scrolling or hours of unplanned gaming.

Smartphone Best Practices: Take Cues from the Missionaries

Now that many full-time missionaries have smartphones, the Church of Jesus Christ has provided guidelines for how to best use those devices. While some guidelines apply specifically to missionary work, most are wise practices for anyone with a phone.

Know your purpose. “Turn on your device only after your intention is clear. If you can’t remember why you are using your device, stop what you are doing and review your plans.”

Consider your feelings. “Limit the use of technology when you are feeling bored, lonely, angry, anxious, stressed, or tired, or when you feel any other emotion that makes you vulnerable or susceptible.”

Prioritize in-person interactions. “Avoid checking or responding to digital messages while you are talking with someone face-to-face.”

Don’t dodge direct conversations. “Avoid using your device as an excuse to avoid talking to people in person.”

https://magazine.byu.edu/article/phone-smarts/