Every Day Follower of Jesus Christ

The world needs your light. You see, each human being is unique and came to mortality with a key part to play, at this time, wherever you are planted. Perhaps it is your friendly hello and with a smile that lights the world today, for someone who was feeling a bit discouraged. You are essential.

With all the inward and outward disappointments in the lives of many coupled with the wanderings, the searchings, and unsolved problems, it is Christ who has said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” [Job 19:25, Bible Old Testament]

"Our prayers were answered as we had an incredible agent, who kept working with us as one of the coaches and I just kept searching and believing in possibility.

The most amazing thing about the Christmas story is its relevance. It is at home in every age and fits into every mood of life. It is not simply a lovely tale once told, but eternally contemporary. It is the voice crying out in every wilderness. It is as meaningful in our time as in that long-ago night when shepherds followed the light of the star to the manger of Bethlehem.  [Joseph R. Sizoo...

Christmas is so often interpreted by children. The other day, I was in my home office when my 3-year-old came to visit me. She had sensed that a part of me was burdened and sad. Her words carried such weight, "Meme', your love goes right into my heart, it's ok." A few minutes later, Meme' your love is the greatest gift I have. I love you." She quietly hung out with me for over two hours and, at ti...

"Brother John" she said, "the Savior's address is in my heart and it is also in my home." This was the story of the widow's mite all over again. Then she said, "What may I give the community?" I have no money but I have extra clothing, extra bedding, bottles of fruit and canned meat. Please let me help."

One day we will all return home to the arms of the Savior and feel His love. I want you to pause for a moment and think about what it means to be on the earth at this time when the fullness of Christ's gospel established with apostles, during His first time on earth is back. A time when it will appear that the dark clouds of evil are winning the war. At times, when commercialization seems to domin...

It was Jesus Christ Himself who taught us to look to children as an example. The New Testament records His answer when His Apostles disputed who should be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus answered their question with a small yet powerful object lesson. He called a little child to Him and set him in the midst of them and said: “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye s...

When we look at the life of Christ and his apostles, we, like His apostles need to answer, are we meant to be givers or receivers, lifters or leaners? Our hope and the hope of others this Christmas season can be wrapped in being seekers, givers and lifters. The Lord and his disciples were always lifting people up not being leaners on others.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, wraps her firstborn child tenderly and lays Him in a manger. God sends angels in glorious light to announce to humble shepherds that the long-promised Messiah is born. And Luke tells us that choirs of angels were sent to celebrate this greatest of gifts from a loving Heavenly Father to His children.

This Christmas we are blessed to light others lives with the Light of Christ by our acts of kindness. It is our willingness to emulate our Savior whose life and birth we honor this Christmas season followed by every day of the year. Throughout communities are toys for tots, giving trees, efforts by different groups to provide anonymous assistance to others.

Paramahansa has written, "the whole world has forgotten the real meaning of the word love. In the universal sense, love is the divine power of attraction in creation that harmonizes, unites and binds together...Those who live in tune with the attractive force of love achieve harmony with nature, and their fellow beings, and are attached to blissful reunion with God." As you take in this story, may...

Just a week before Christmas, I had a visitor. This is how it happened. I had just finished the household chores for the night and was preparing to go to bed when I heard a noise in front of the house. I opened the door to the front room and to my surprise, Santa Claus himself stepped out behind the Christmas tree. He placed his fingers over his mouth so I would not cry out. "What are you doing......

There was a family with several small children, a father whose lay-of a few months earlier was ensuring that Christmas for these children would be one where gifts would include just being together. Having parents that love children and the excitement of gifts asked all of us to forgo Christmas gifts and instead ensure that these children had a Christmas filled with food and gifts.

The morning became more bearable as my spirit led and peace descended with a clear answer as to what I needed to do next.  The Lord lets us know He knows where we are and then the phone rang. My church leader was on the line asking if I could speak a few minutes in church that same day about gratitude and share my testimony of Jesus Christ.

t is important to recognize that trials and challenges are what we signed up for in our pre-mortality choice to follow Jesus Christ. The road was never going to be easy. We learn from Lehi that “it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things” and from the Doctrine and Covenants that “my people must be tried in all things.”

Peacefulness is a sense of control of that which governs our actions. 

“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. … Let us with caution, indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. … Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

What will be different today than yesterday? Will we look a little closer to see how we can serve those in need? Will we praise God every day for His mercy and perfect love? Will will lift someone feeling sad? Will we take time every day to count our blessings? I hope so.

"I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, do hereby appoint and set apart the last Thursday in November next as a day which I desire to be observed by all my fellow citizens, wherever they may then be, as a day of thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God , the beneficent Creator and Ruler of the Universe. And I do further recommend to my fellow-citizens aforesaid that on that occasion th...

Charles Dickens penned words that resonate with all of us from a Christmas Carol and old Marley’s reflection: At this time of the rolling year I suffer most. Why did I walk through crowds of fellow beings with my eyes turned down, and never raise them to that blessed Star which guided the Wise Men to a poor abode! Were there no poor homes to which its light might have conducted me!"

Children are able to express thankfulness for the simple things in life, the moon, grass, snow, stars, Hocus Pocus 2, parents, bed, favorite blankets, Jesus. The simple things in life. What might those be as adulthood and its complexities arise?

Everything the Savior did and said was for the benefit of humankind. His Atonement, His example, and His teachings—everything was to help us not only to have a more abundant life on earth but also to attain the most abundant of all life—even eternal life. For His Atonement, which overcame death for all of humanity and He claims us. What do we have to offer Him for this sacrifice?

I, Sharyl, having been born of goodly parents seek to find deeper faith, learn to love all who cross my path and choose to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Let me tell you about learning to love those who cross my path. My dad was a generous man. To our home came all manner of humanity, the stranded Israelis bikers, the Serbians

“When they began to shoot rockets in our region, near our apartment — a rocket hit our building — the Lord blessed us , and the rocket did not explode. We survived. We grabbed our bags and food and left our home,” Sergei said.