Category: Faith
“That Thy Faith Fail Not”
In studying the final days of Christ’s life, I was struck by the implications of Christ’s kind teachings to Peter to prepare him for what was to come. He…
Cherishing the Book of Mormon’s Teachings on the Fairness of God
One of the most spiritually and intellectually satisfying elements of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ the is fairness of God. Contrary to centuries of tragically misguided theology about the…
Relational Faith: An Essential Book for Understanding “Faith” as Used in New Testament Times and for Appreciating the Restoration
There’s a new book, Brent Schmidt’s Relational Faith, that may be one of the best resources around to help Latter-day Saints and perhaps many other Christians understand and explain what…
The Light of Christ and the Birth of Christ
This is the short message I gave near the end of the musical Christmas Devotional for the Appleton, Wisconsin Stake on Dec. 24, 2022 in Neenah, Wisconsin. The Light of…
“I Think It Helps Them”: A Young Boy with Cancer Teaches Us About Service, Duty, and Patience with Naughty Children
Steven J. Lund’s talk at the recent October 2020 General Conference focused on “Finding Joy in Christ.” It began with a story from his young son, a deacon, who lost…
The Power of Trust
What a blessing it is to have friends who are truly honest and trustworthy! Can you imagine what life would be like if we lived in a society where such…
Food for Thought: A 911 Dispatcher Hears the Hidden Plea for Help When a Woman Orders Pizza
The secret to effective communication is a widely overlooked action that few of us seriously try and even fewer do well: listening. Not just closing your mouth periodically to politely…
Getting Nuclear with Doubt: Lessons from a Sixth-Grade Nerd
When I was in sixth grade, our teacher taught a science section on the nature of the atom. In our classroom we had a physical model with some wooden balls…
Confirming a Small but Meaningful Miracle from President Monson’s Life
In his October 2011 General Conference address, “Stand in Holy Places,” President Thomas S. Monson shared an experience as a small part of his talk that I find instructive in…
Trivial Miracles and Petty Prayer: How the Accuser Teaches a Man Not to Pray
Sometimes we create our own barriers to spiritual experiences. Many people, including some Latter-day Saints, struggle with the notion that God would or could answer individual prayers, especially those dealing…