2 things my son’s genetic disorder have taught me about faith

In what has been dubbed as the “great intervention” by researcher Dr. Matthew Mayhew, every fall young adults from across the country flood college campuses to begin their freshman year. This may be the first time that many students are exposed to people that identify as a different race, sexuality, and, for the purposes of this article most notably, a different religion from themselves.

On this week's episode of This Is the Gospel, during a weekend adventure, Utah State University track star, Brittany, fell in love with climbing the red rocks of southern Utah. And a moonlight repel from a 200-foot cliff with a friend was just the adventure Brittany was looking for. But that night, adventure quickly turned to tragedy, leaving Brittany with a life-changing diagnosis and leading her to appreciate a new relationship with her Savior.

When asked to return to Jerusalem and retrieve the plates of brass, Nephi responded in faith that he would “go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded” (1 Nephi 3:7). He later learned from experience that the Lord was true to His word, providing divine assistance to help him accomplish the task. As I talk with Latter-day Saints who struggle with anxiety or other mental health issues, they often look to the example of Nephi. If the Lord wants me to overcome anxiety, He will provide a way, they reason. But what is the way? How much am I supposed to do and how much will He help? It is a very legitimate question. We know the Lord will bless us with divine assistance, but He also insists we do our part. So, what is our part? Coincidentally, Nephi’s own life experience also answers that question.

I’m currently serving as a Young Women adviser in my ward. When the new Children and Youth program was first announced, I was both nervous and excited. How different would this be from Personal Progress, Duty to God, Activity Days, or Scouts? Would our youth feel like this was one more thing they had to add to their busy schedules, or would this new program easily integrate into their current extracurricular activities? Would it be flexible for our small youth program?

George Frideric Handel’s famous oratorio Messiah was first performed in 1742 and has been performed by The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square every two years in the Tabernacle. The concert is also streamed live over the internet to audiences around the globe.

Benjamin Taylor had a routine—and it wasn’t one he wanted to keep up. He had held six different jobs over the course of six years, and none of them had worked out.

After 20 years of Latter-day Saint cinema (and 19 years of the festival itself), the annual LDS Film Festival is going stronger than ever, offering a wholly unique and wholesome spin that Sundance, Cannes, and other festivals can’t match. By showcasing the talents of Latter-day Saints and other Christian filmmakers, this weeklong event offers much by way of worry-free entertainment, learning about filmmaking, and rubbing elbows with the artists themselves. It all starts tonight and runs all week at the SCERA theater in Orem, Utah.

Editor's note: "Start with a Smile" is a weekly Monday feature that starts the week off with family-friendly content. This article was originally published in November 2017.

Latter-day Saint Charities’ global footprint expanded in 2019 to bless millions of lives in 142 countries and territories through 3,221 completed projects with 2,000 partners. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ humanitarian organization released these numbers and more today in its 2019 Annual Report.