Alma When we went to the temple for what I hope will not be your last time ever, my heart was broken and contrite as I earnestly sought answers. While the main focus of my prayers was that you might regain that light and restore your faith, I personally felt great comfort. At the beginning of … Read more
Amanda Barnes Smith was an early member of the Church who lived in Kirtland. After the fall of the Kirtland Safety Society and the apostasy in Kirtland, the faithful Saints went to gather in Missouri because they were trying to follow the Prophet. On their way to Far West, they were harassed by a Missouri … Read more
A few years ago, during one of the holidays, we went skiing as a family at Cherry Peak. We were in the lodge attending to a younger child, where there was a small section of books, including several on Church history. For some reason, you started a conversation with a man named Carlos, who had … Read more
Last Sunday in ward council, we talked about the people in our ward—how we can make a difference and help strengthen faith. There are many who are struggling right now both temporally and spiritually. Most of the people serving on our ward council do so because they genuinely care about others. They want to uplift, … Read more
Travis was Sam’s friend at Ricks College before his mission and was our roommate during my senior year of college. He later worked for me at SB Systems in Riverside, and was even a success story from one of our “pizza dates.” Like you, his wife Amy is the daughter of a CES director. He’s … Read more
Remember when Caleb was young—when we were just a young family with little children, figuring out life together. We were happy. Life was fun. We served in the Church, and our two young boys were our life. We’d go on walks and bike rides, and we were building a house and a family together. Then … Read more
When we were listening to the last General Conference, my heart was heavy. This was just after you “came out” about your loss of faith, and it gave me extra purpose and desire to hear the truth—to listen to the words of the prophets. In many ways, my own testimony was also struggling, because I … Read more
My freshman year at Ricks College was awesome. I had so much fun and grew so much. Living away from home in an environment like that was such a great experience for someone on their own for the first time. All my roommates and friends in the ward were either people who had just returned … Read more
As you know, I come from an incredible family. My mother is one of the closest things to an angel on earth that I have ever seen. As a child, I regularly saw her on her knees praying. I knew that she knew. We did all the things—family prayer, scripture study, family home evening, and … Read more
The miraculous translation of the Book of Mormon is one of the greatest evidences of its authenticity and divine origin. That an unlearned young man who struggled to write a coherent letter could dictate a complex, 500-plus-page volume in sixty-five working days is astounding. He did this while newly married, maintaining a household, working to … Read more