Prophets through the ages have taught God’s children to stand steadfast in holy places, refusing when tempted to move. Doing so gives them spiritual and physical safety in a turbulent world, enabling spiritual growth and progress in life. President Russell M. Nelson has taught that “we need to be in holy places because that is where we can best feel the Spirit of the Lord,” that spiritual survival is not possible “without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence... Read more
“Jesus wept”—the shortest verse in the New Testament—charged with emotion we should recognize. When Jesus wept with Mary, He knew He was going to raise her brother, Lazarus, from the dead. But He was weeping because Mary was weeping. He hurt because she hurt. Sometimes we rush to say what we ought or want to say a little too quickly. And we don’t sit with people and grieve the way Jesus grieved with Mary. In our awe over miracles, we... Read more
My health issues often make me dizzy or light headed—I bump into walls, doors, furniture, or anything else that won’t move out of the way. My life changed when I got an apparatus with four wheels, handlebars, and brakes, along with a seat and a back support for resting. Americans call it a “walker”; the British call a “walking frame.” I prefer frame. It doesn’t walk, and it doesn’t make me walk; my frame helps me focus and direct my... Read more
About 70 years after Babylon destroyed Jerusalem, Persia took over Babylon and allowed the Jews to resettle Jerusalem. During this time, a Jew named Nehemiah served in the court of a Persian king as a professional food taster, which was a position of great trust. When some of Nehemiah’s friends from Jerusalem visited him, Nehemiah asked how things were going in the holy city. Unfortunately, the news was not good: among other problems, Nehemiah learned that the wall had been... Read more
“He would have walked right here,” I tell those with me. I’ve been blessed to introduce groups of people to the Holy Land. Some came specifically “to walk where Jesus walked.” At these sacred places, I love teaching them about what happened and still happens there. I‘m glad to walk with groups of students or church leaders to places where walking took Jesus to heal and teach individuals with needs and faith. But regardless of where we are, we... Read more
It is hard to choose a favorite scripture, but if I had to it would be “I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell” (2 Nephi 33:6). Maybe it is the personal nature of this scripture—my Jesus? Or is it the simple power of relying completely on Christ to find peace and redemption? It is both. We mortals tend to make things more complicated than needed. When... Read more
At 3:31 a.m. on February 27, 2010, our Santiago, Chile world was in turmoil, shaken by an 8.8 magnitude earthquake. Everything around us was hurled about, smashed, or overturned. The entire city went dark. When the quaking stopped, shock waves beneath the ocean formed a tsunami, pounding the country’s costal areas and forcing residents to flee inward and upward. As we think of the traumas of that eventful day, we sometimes think of how mental, emotional, and spiritual survival—as well... Read more
I have a large wooden sign in my bedroom, which continually reminds me, “Just enough grace for today.” When I saw it out of the corner of my eye in a home goods store, I knew it was for me. I had not asked for a sign—literal or figurative—but I was blessed with one. All my life I had been what I call a “rusher”: from early childhood being valued for working hard and accomplishing what was expected. God knew... Read more
Many wonder how the Sea of Galilee, a lake one can see across, produces storms so violent they can cause shipwrecks. These storms come because the lake is below sea level, leading toward the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth. But the Sea of Galilee is surrounded by mountains—like a bowl—so when hot air rises up, cold air gushes in, bringing on violent storms. By its very nature and location, the sea was made for storms. Mortality is like... Read more
Amid life’s journeys we might sometimes find ourselves trusting in God, whereas other times we trust in ourselves. In some instances, we might work hard to achieve valuable outcomes, whereas other times we can be a little bit lazy. For me, the Trust Matrix is a helpful way of thinking about where I am at any given point in time. On the Trust Matrix, The Y-axis indicates our level of effort in solving a problem, and the X-axis measures the... Read more
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