Happy New Year! I’m realizing that January is becoming one of my favorite times of year. That’s because it’s oftentimes full of two things: hope and snow. Snow is cold and can be a nightmare to drive through, but in my mind, snow equates to fresh starts and clean slates. January is full of hope. […]
Kindness that Can Never be Forgotten Read More »
“We assume so many things that aren’t so,” said Karen Ihrig. Ihrig has lived in Nauvoo for 50 years and she’s been engaged in civic involvement for the last 30 years. “It’s not what you know that ain’t so,” said Ihrig. “It’s what you think you know that ain’t so.” Originally from Chicago, Ihrig came
A Pillar of the Community: 50 Years in Nauvoo Read More »
I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but we are not living in a peace-filled world this Christmas. There are wars and countless conflicts happening right now across the globe. Sometimes, the conflicts are happening in our own homes, families, and communities. This Christmas I have been struggling with this question: how do we find peace
Five Ways to Find Peace in Christ this Christmas Read More »
Happy New Year Everybody! January is an exciting time of year. It’s like we all take a collective deep breath, shake off the dust and wear-and-tear from the year, and agree to begin again. Hope runs rampant! I love that contagious feeling of hope and positivity—feeling like good things are coming our way. I wish
Four Ways God Can Help us in the New Year Read More »
What is the True Spirit of Christmas? December comes just once a year. If we’re not careful it can pass us by in a frenzied whirlwind of ribbons, packages, and parties. Or, for some, it may seem like a month just like any other. Nothing special. Neither of those scenarios sound like a fun Christmas!
8 Ways to Find the True Spirit of Christmas Read More »
Worldwide Prayer of Gratitude It’s been exactly two years since President Russell M. Nelson offered his monumental prayer of gratitude to the world. We stood at the cusp of a global pandemic. The collective heart was full of fear, anxiety, even panic. And then, the prophet spoke. Of course! The healing power of gratitude. “Does
Three Reasons to #GiveThanks this Year Read More »
The Camp of the Poor Travel back with me 176 years. The year was 1846. The October morning was cold and biting. Imagine over 600 people camped out right here on this riverbank. They were sick and shivering. They didn’t even have blankets. Food was scarce. They were starving. This group of Saints included the
Riverside Service Honors ‘Miracle of the Quails’ Read More »
This week I learned about an early Latter-day Saint named Theodore Turley. It turns out we are distantly related! In his autobiography he wrote, “I came to Nauvoo with Joseph Smith the Prophet and built the first house that was built by a Mormon in Nauvoo.”1 I was intrigued by the phrase “first house” because
First Home in Nauvoo Read More »
I had hit a crossroads. I knew I had to make a decision. I was 17 years old and I wanted to know: Should I continue to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or should I take a different path? Growing up, sometimes we would go to church, and
I have been thinking about the meaning of home. What makes a home? A house? A person? A family? A neighborhood? A community? A church? A country? A language? A culture? This question is important to me because my family and I recently moved from Germany to America. Ever since we got married my husband
