Grow in Grace Grace, as understood in the Christian world view, is a gift from God that is unearned and not a product of works or merit. In Latter-day Saint theology, grace is unconditional in the case of the resurrection but is received through obedience and faithfulness in the case of spiritual progression and maturation. […]

We Are God’s X-Men I think most of us are familiar with the premise of the X-Men comics and movies, which is that some people are born with a certain gene that gives them superhuman abilities. These abilities make themselves manifest as the children begin to mature. They go to a school where they go

“…in an hour when ye think not…” Today, I want to combine three relevant messages. They are the general themes of Doctrine and Covenants 45, Mother’s Day, and a small tribute to my sister who passed away unexpectedly two days ago. I will start with my sister. She was the oldest of seven children; the

Why Do People Need a Church? The establishment of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and its subsequent development was miraculous. It required an incredible amount of faith and sacrifice on the part of the members, and revelation from heaven. Those who have visited the historic sites at Kirtland recognize just how unmagnificent

Understanding God: Easy or Hard? No one understood God better than Jesus, and that fact is indisputable. Jesus told us who the Father is and that he is his son. He also explained that we are the children of God and that his Father is our Father, too. Jesus did the will of the Father

Arguing the Reality of Resurrection It’s Easter, a holiday that often gets lost in pastel eggs and fluffy bunnies, yet it heralds the greatest event of all time: Jesus is risen! Why do we decorate with symbols of springtime instead of shouting Christ’s victory over the grave from the rooftops? I believe it’s because resurrection

Preparing For Hard Things When Jesus made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, he was perhaps the only one who knew what awaited him in the coming very few days. His disciples probably saw the way the people responded and had great hope that his mission and ministry had gained enough momentum that the best was

The Sacrament: A New Perspective As I read Doctrine and Covenants 27 in preparation for today’s message, I discovered that I had been missing something obvious about the ordinance of the sacrament. In the past, I think my brain must have shut off after reading that it doesn’t matter what we eat or drink for

The Organization of the Church—Perfect? On April 6, 1830, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was established as a legal entity in New York State. It did not start as a complete organization with all the details laid out perfectly. The concepts were in place, but it took many years to become a

Pain: A Godly Attribute? In Doctrine and Covenants Section 19, the Lord says, “For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I; Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to