Category: Church History

“The Savior is never closer to you than when you are facing and climbing a mountain with faith.”

December 10, 2021

Joseph F. Smith’s family was hesitant to share the news of his daughter-in-law, Ida’s, passing. She had died in childbirth just months after her husband, Hyrum, had died unexpectedly from a ruptured appendix. Joseph F. Smith had been sick for five months—rarely seen by the public. He was very close to passing, himself. He had … More “The Savior is never closer to you than when you are facing and climbing a mountain with faith.”

“We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.”

December 8, 2021

Joseph F. Smith had a rough life trajectory going. As a child, he had to peek over the coffin to see his father, Hyrum’s, bullet-ridden body. Then, his mother died when he was 13, leaving him an orphan. Joseph described the year and a half after his mother died as “perilous times. . . . … More “We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.”

“Worthiness is not flawlessness. Worthiness is being honest and trying.”

November 7, 2021

It was a cold and stormy day when Mary Ann Young and her seven children—suffering from malaria—ran out of food. This was two months after Brigham left to serve a mission in England.  She wrapped up her baby in an old worn blanket and paddled across the Mississippi River in the storm. A friend wrote, … More “Worthiness is not flawlessness. Worthiness is being honest and trying.”

“Our future will be determined far less by our starting point and much more by our slope.”

October 28, 2021

Gardeners will water and fertilize the spot they planted a Chinese bamboo tree seed for five years with no sign of growth above the surface. FIVE YEARS. And then, it will grow 90 feet in 5 weeks! Was the tree dormant for those five years? No, it was developing a complex root system under the … More “Our future will be determined far less by our starting point and much more by our slope.”

Many dead ends only look that way to our mortal eyes.

September 4, 2021

I have a friend who fell in love and one day, the spirit said, “You will be sealed July 30th.”  She believed it and planned on being married to her husband on that day. However, due to circumstances out of her control, they got married in October.  She was so confused. She had truly thought … More Many dead ends only look that way to our mortal eyes.

“It is our faith that unlocks the power of God in our lives.”

August 2, 2021

Amanda Smith was camping with her family at Hans Mill when a mob attacked. Her husband and one of her sons was killed. Another son, Alma, got shot in the hip. Desperately needing help, Amanda went to the Lord. She received inspiration on how to create and apply a poultice for the wound. Her son … More “It is our faith that unlocks the power of God in our lives.”

“The great test of life … is not to endure storms, but to choose the right while they rage..”

July 4, 2021

“The great test of life … is not to endure storms, but to choose the right while they rage..” I woke up in the middle of the second night of trek to a torrential downpour of rain and wind that was flattening tents. I was a leader (and six months pregnant), and we knew we … More “The great test of life … is not to endure storms, but to choose the right while they rage..”

“When we work together in love and unity, we can expect Heaven’s help.”

June 13, 2021

The river was dangerous and the weather was stifling as Joseph and some elders traveled down the Mississippi River coming back from Independence. Some elders were quick to place blame and tensions soon ran high. A few men were so angry with the situation that they refused to paddle.  Consequently, during a particularly dangerous river … More “When we work together in love and unity, we can expect Heaven’s help.”

“Sometimes, when you are in a dark place and you think you’ve been buried, you’ve actually been planted.”

May 25, 2021

“Dreary and underdeveloped.”“Backwater trading post.”“Godless and rough.” These were the words to describe the land upon which Zion would be built. Many of the Saints were disappointed. Many couldn’t see how anything good could come from such a place. Joseph himself cried to the Lord in anguish, “When will the wilderness blossom as the rose?” … More “Sometimes, when you are in a dark place and you think you’ve been buried, you’ve actually been planted.”

It all works out in the end. So if it hasn’t worked out, it isn’t the end. Have faith in God, not results.

March 1, 2021

Martin Harris was asked to mortgage his farm to print the Book of Mormon. They needed $3,000 up front to print five thousand copies, and no one else had it but him. [Sidenote: Isn’t it beautiful that the person who lost part of the scriptures was given the opportunity to help the world “find” the … More It all works out in the end. So if it hasn’t worked out, it isn’t the end. Have faith in God, not results.