Every Day Follower of Jesus Christ

The Jericho Road or Parable of the Good Samaritan surely had three people expressing gratitude: the man who fell among thieves, the innkeeper and the Samaritan. When do we pause to express thanks to God during our afflictions for the mercy that is still given to us?

“We have de-emphasized the indebtedness and overemphasized the gratitude, and they belong together,” explained Jenae Nelson,

The spirit of every human being is different.  We were meant to be different. Each person was created differently to play a particular part in the divine plan of the universe.  You have a part to play that no one else can play.  Until you find out way down deep who you really are – you are not ready to play your part.

Their work in bringing forth the potential within every human being - especially our children in five simple steps shows easy ways adults can change their language, seek the teachable moments, set clear boundaries that keep others and self safe, honor the human spirit that is within each person and learn deeply listen to others and walk alongside them in genuine companionship. The key is to learn...

Those who mourn need time to grieve their losses, and they need supportive friends and family to be with them through that experience. The amount of time needed for grief to run its natural, healthy course varies from person to person, depending on several factors. Was the loss sudden or agonizingly anticipated? Some people might need to avoid things that remind them of their loss, while others mi...

All of us are faced every day with the decision of how to react to the actions of others. The past few months have been filled with adversity, and I have allowed the adversity to affect my thinking, increase frustrations, and even my health. The crossroads is what will be next. In looking at Frankl's work, I was reminded that no matter what the action of another, I have this small moment where I c...

When the $28 million dollar pitcher took the mound, fans were either cheering or booing. It had me wondering why sports stadiums are filled with fans who pay a lot of money these days for a ticket to attend. The striking answer was it creates a sense of belonging to something. Often times athletes and sports teams become the idol for people, buying gear, dressing up, and spending limited resources...

we are all battling the mortal appetites that cause us to stray from God's side of the line, human beings have the light of Christ within them and a constant meter of right and wrong. I also believe God when it was stated, "this is my work and glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of all mankind." The constant battle to be on the right side of the line requires each of us to sacr...

The royal courts on high are the only destination that really matters. A glorious reunion awaits us. What is more reasonable or wonderful than children going home? As children of heavenly parents going home to where an eternal now awaits each of us, should encourage us to pursue the path that Jesus Christ marked for us with His atoning sacrifice. Come Follow Me, are His encouraging words.

Now don't misunderstand; there are inspired children that can show us the better part. Children often have the “thoughts and [the] intents of [their] hearts” focused on the Master. Though not full of years, such children are full of faith! The scriptures assure, “little children do have words given unto them many times." [Alma 32:23, The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ] The resur...

In the last presidential election, only 66.66% of eligible voters exercised this vital right and responsibility. According to the PEW Charitable Trust, the US ranks 24th in the world among nations that hold elections where the people vote. I remember when the people of Iraq had their first election, 99% of the people voted. A right, responsibility and a privilege.

Today as birthdays are celebrated around the world, like every other day of the year, I'd like to help us capture an understanding of what you are worth, a question that can be deeply contemplated each birthday of our lives. “So what are you worth?”

The realities of living in our limited, imperfect world mean that we have no choice but to make do with an approximation—to admit and accept imperfection. Whether it is jumping over cracks to avoid the or, the way people speak to us, the failures that haunt us. We are human beings in a mortal experience and we make mistakes. Life is full of problems and routes to solutions.

The law of occupied space states that an object can only occupy one place at a time. As it applies to the mind, both faith and fear, self-belief and self-doubt, or simply positive and negative thoughts, cannot occupy the mind at the same time. When we allow the fear of missing out to drive our thoughts and actions, it begins to solidify the habits of our mind and the actions that follow.

What do we place before God, in our lives, today and in doing so, strengthen the power of the Destroyer. Evil seems about to engulf us like a great wave, and it feels that truly we are living in conditions similar to those in the days of Noah before the Flood. During the time of Jeremiah, one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament, the people preferred to worship idols made out of wood than...

This day, wherever you are, I greet you as my friend. Someone has said, “A friend is a person who is willing to take me the way I am.” Accepting this as one definition of the word, may I quickly that we are something less than a real friend if we leave a person the same way they are found.

The Savior has never made excuses for our behaviors and I don't believe He would make excuses for us now. I believe He would remind us that he suffered in Gethsemane and on the Cross so we would be able to repent of our sins and wrongdoings toward others. I believe He would also remind of the enabling power of the Atonement that is ours to access.

If you live where it is car season, and animals dart across the road where at night it is difficult to see them their eyes blinded by headlights and your reaction rates too slow, pray, pray, pray, for God's help. If you are thinking, well that is good and fine for you, Sharyl, but not for me, I encourage you to take the test of prayer and patience. Remember, Christ came despite the masses that wou...

There are biologists who claim to have the scientific knowledge to declare that human life is not more valuable than animal life and to claim so is a moral evil. Richard Dawkins has gone on to suggest there is a benefit of "culturing" meat from human cells to help human beings overcome their repulsion to cannabalism. Let me warn you - today this sounds awful but such people whose suggestions dismi...

We all know that the moon is only a few days away from us at present speeds of travel. (The speed is about 25,000 miles per hour when the astronauts leave the vicinity of the earth. Their rocket continually slows down, however; otherwise, at 25,000 mph, we could reach the moon in ten hours.) Four hundred times as far away as the moon is our sun, the nearest star. If we could maintain the 25,000 mp...

“We  are  the children of God. That doctrine is not hidden away in an obscure verse. It is taught over and over again in scripture. These clear examples are from the Bible: “‘All of you are children of the most High’ ( Psalm 82:6 ). “And: ‘We are the offspring of God’ ( Acts 17:29 ).

The fulfillment of hopes and dreams rests in self-mastery; the self-discipline to wait upon the season that will foster new hopes and dreams. We are responsible for our success or failure. Remember, the most fundamental need of every human being is to be loved and needed. However, we choose. Our free agency is our most priceless possession, the power to choose. With that power we must also re...

So many wonderful things are ahead. In the coming days, we will see the  greatest  manifestations of the Savior’s power that the world has  ever  seen. Between now and the time He returns “with power and great glory,” He will bestow countless privileges, blessings, and miracles upon the faithful. Nonetheless, we are presently living in what surely is the most complicated time i...

If we do not know our one thing, we will be life a leaf in the wind, blowing to and fro.  What is the meaning of life for you?  Your answer will be found as you seek God's purpose for you.  Even as the prophet Jeremiah was told as a twelve-year-old boy that he would be called to open his mouth as God directed, meaning he would be a prophet of God, you too , have a purpose...

We too, without a clear destination, may find ourselves going in circles, instead of on the path to our divine destination. In the holy writings we find, "Thou shalt not idle away thy time, neither shalt thou bury they talent that it may not be known." [D&C 60:13]. Using our time well, should be a priority for each of us. The key to improving our time is "adjusting our idle",