Be Still and Know

What a strange time we are living in. Living room sacrament meetings, toilet paper shortages, no live sporting events, and a world deprived of social interaction. I have seen so many posts over this time of people feeling upset, frustrated, angry, etc. I have also seen a lot of positivity. Service is being rendered to neighbors and friends. Care packages and support groups and family video calls are being shared. Quite a few friends of mine were affected by the mission changes due to the virus and many had to return home before they planned to. Their initial feelings of sadness were understandable, but the more we talked, the more I started to understand a characteristic of God the Father that can be so easily overlooked when we are faced with disappointment or change. I remember when I first got home from my own mission feeling pretty discouraged. I had a hard time accepting and understanding what Heavenly Father really had planned for me and how this could possibly be part of i...

HOLY WOW General Conference was, yet again, the best yet. I seem to say that every time it comes around, but it never ceases to be true. Amid all of this confusion and craziness that a global pandemic has brought us, I felt so much peace listening to the words of our leaders and especially our prophet. The first round of the worldwide fast was powerful, but I'm excited to witness miracles as we participate in yet another worldwide fast on Good Friday "that the present pandemic may be controlled, caregivers protected, the economy strengthened, and life normalized," as the Prophet explained. I think an even more important part of his invitation was this: "F or all whose health may permit, let us fast, pray, and unite our faith once again." For all whose health may permit.  What really is the purpose behind fasting? Doctrinally, we are taught that fasting is included in what is called the Law of Sacrifice.  President Ballard taught that "The law of sacri...