When the LDS missionaries came to Toronto in 1836, Mary Fielding Smith and her sister Mercy ran and warned their neighbors to avoid them, fearing the strange new church. Amazingly, only a few days later they were baptized. Parley Pratt wrote that the people in Toronto “drank in truth as water, and loved it as…
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A 10 year-old German boy named Christoph went with his family to visit one of the most famous castles in the world: Neuschwanstein in Bavaria or the “Sleeping Beauty Castle.” He climbed up the suspension bridge overlooking the castle and he was absolutely stunned by the beauty he saw there. Even though he was only…
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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!…
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I’ve experienced some defining moments in my life—discovering my testimony of the Book of Mormon, meeting my husband for the first time, experiencing the deaths of my beloved mother and grandmother—the list goes on. Joseph Smith also had many defining moments, but it all began with what has come to be known as his “first…
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192 years ago the Church was organized with six members. Now, Church membership soars above 16 million across the globe.1 I love the description of this momentous day found in “Saints.” The day began with the meeting formally organizing the Church, which included the administration of the sacrament and the Prophet Joseph Smith receiving a…
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Even though it’s been 177 years since the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum, the place where it happened still stands. You would think Carthage Jail would be depressing to visit, but the place is eerily triumphant. I write “eerily” because there is a palpable spirit there. It’s almost unlike anywhere…
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The other day I had a peculiar experience. I saw a caterpillar climbing a single strand of silk high up into the trees. Because the silk strand was nearly invisible, at first it looked as if he was floating, frozen in mid-air. Upon closer examination I could see how the little guy was using his…
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March is a big month for women. It includes Relief Society’s birthday, International Women’s Day, and Women’s History Month. Because of all this a question came to my mind: Have I been empowered by my membership in Relief Society and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? When I was a kid my family…
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When I was deciding whether or not I should serve a mission, the biggest question on my mind was: will my mom be alive when I get back? She had been diagnosed with breast cancer. We didn’t know how long she had. We did know, however, that we needed to have faith. Together my mom…
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