Oct 2, 2023

Come, Follow Me

“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18).

If you have ever felt singled out because of your membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you are not alone. As a Latter-day Saint, you are part of a “peculiar people” (1 Peter 2:9)—and it shows. The people of the world have always had it out for anyone who sticks out, and particularly for what they don’t understand. Such has been the case since even before God restored the gospel to the earth through Joseph Smith.

Sep 25, 2023

Come, Follow Me

At twenty-three years of age, Wilford Woodruff decided that he wanted to make some changes in his life. Reflecting on this time later, he wrote:

“Up to this period, I ha[d] spent my life a little like a ship tossed upon the waves of the sea—up and down, unstable and unsettled in my mind, at times trying to worship the Lord and living the life of a Christian, and then at other times giving it up and trying to take pleasure in the things of the world. . . . I felt that I had spent a good deal of my time in a manner that was not profitable to me. Not that I had been guilty of committing any heinous or outbreaking sins . . . yet I had spent a good deal of my youth in vanity and folly, giving way at times to many idle words and vain and foolish recreations which did not store the mind with knowledge or produce any profitable fruit”¹ (emphasis added).

Sep 18, 2023

Come, Follow Me

It goes without saying that we live in a fallen world, with bad situations and baser instincts leaving many of us physically and spiritually poor. The Lord has taught us to pursue self-reliance, learning to provide for ourselves and our families in every aspect of our lives. Take a moment and think of Christ’s teachings in the New Testament. Many were taught using everyday events and situations that His audience could understand. Roman coinage, wedding traditions, the rule of kings, and other aspects of ancient life can seem foreign to latter-day readers, yet mustard seeds and finding pearls of great price resonate with us centuries later because we recognize the eternal principles of growth and seeking to change. In order to effect change, one must put in work. This principle of sacrifice extends to everything we hope to build, yet this represents only half of the Lord’s instruction.

Sep 11, 2023

Come, Follow Me

Yesterday, I sat helplessly by as my precious grandson wailed his little heart out. He had a terrible rash, and his sweet mother was doing all she could for him. It wasn’t enough. Even though the years of life have taught me that pain is inevitable, my heart still ached. Knowing that he had only recently left the bosom of his Heavenly Father, I wondered how much of this mortal life he understood before he left those celestial realms. I think we all can feel for my grandson, as most of us likewise still struggle to understand much of life.

Sep 4, 2023

Come, Follow Me

“​​The devil has great power; he will so transform things as to make one gape at those who are doing the will of God,” recorded Wilford Woodruff in 1842, quoting Joseph Smith. How much more applicable is that in 2023? We live in a confusing time. Many things are distorted to make us believe that good is evil and evil is good.

Aug 28, 2023

Come, Follow Me

Paul taught that we can find unity through believing in Christ. He wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” Our Church is filled with many different kinds of people who all bring their own unique gifts to strengthen us as a whole. This was also the case during Wilford Woodruff’s time.

Aug 21, 2023

Come, Follow Me

Wilford Woodruff once said, “In every age of the world the Saints of God have been obliged to be united. Babylon may divide; the inhabitants of the earth may have all the division they wish for . . . But the Saints of God cannot prosper unless they are united.”

Aug 14, 2023

Come, Follow Me

Recently I attended a sacrament meeting in my wife’s hometown of St. George, Utah, in which all of the speakers were youth and leaders who shared insights from their stake’s trek activity. Multiple youth commented that their favorite experience was the final devotional given by their stake president at the end of their route, overlooking the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Simply from hearing them describe the event and location, I could feel the spiritual power of coming so close to a new family, enduring much physical hardship, and then listening at the edge of one of the great wonders of the world to the gospel truths and powerful history of those who came before us in the Church.

Aug 7, 2023

Come, Follow Me

It can be easy to feel “ashamed of the gospel of Christ,” but the Apostle Paul refused to, despite all the persecution he encountered. He knew and testified of the truth, encouraging others to believe in the “power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16).

Jul 31, 2023

Come, Follow Me

In studying the difficult years of Paul’s imprisonment, I am humbled by his great strength to stand as a witness for Jesus Christ. He was ever confident in his testimony of the miraculous vision of the Savior, proclaiming its truth throughout the Roman world. He withstood the efforts of the wicked Sanhedrin to murder him; he suffered trials by Felix, Festus, and Agrippa II; and he underwent another shipwreck on his way to Rome as a prisoner. He was able to testify and teach the gospel during all of those difficult years. David Patten, a modern-day Apostle, was equally committed. He was valiant in his testimony, and during the Missouri conflict in 1835, he led 75 brethren in the Battle of Crooked River. He fell in this battle trying to liberate three captives and was a martyr to his faith.