Dr. David T. Morgan

December 15, 2023 12:41 PM MST
If for whatever reason your Christmas doesn’t look like everyone else’s, don’t worry. Own it. You are unique, which means you can “keep Christmas” your way.
4 Min Read
May 17, 2023 11:29 AM MDT
Two stories from my recent ‘Come, Follow Me’ studies spoke to my psychologist brain, as I’m constantly seeking better tools for emotional resilience.
5 Min Read
March 27, 2023 05:00 AM MDT
For some, the biannual general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a joyful time. ... But for others, general conference can be a time of stress and has the potential to induce guilt.
8 Min Read
February 27, 2023 05:00 AM MST
“When it comes to physical health emergencies, society seems to be in universal agreement on how to handle them. ...Yet when it comes to mental health issues, and even sometimes mental health urgencies or emergencies, we are not all so agreed.”
10 Min Read
January 05, 2023 02:47 PM MST
“The new year is a natural time for many to reflect on past patterns and commit to new and better ones.”
7 Min Read
December 17, 2022 05:00 AM MST
Sometimes these ancient individuals, like Mary, can seem a little flat and unidimensional...but surely they were robust and complex, not unlike human beings today.
7 Min Read
October 11, 2022 05:00 AM MDT
When teaching indoor cycling, I’d always encourage my students to “empty their gas tanks” during every workout. Some days we have ten gallons in the tank; some days we have two. Just do your best.
6 Min Read
September 20, 2022 01:31 PM MDT
“There is hope in purposeful action. It provides us a measure of control, meaning, and determination that is very different from the feelings that come from passively waiting.”
7 Min Read
August 30, 2022 08:00 AM MDT
If you find yourself as one of the “shocked and saddened,” here are some suggestions that can help you cope while your loved one follows their new path.
8 Min Read
July 28, 2022 05:00 AM MDT
“I thought that miracles were things that God did out of the blue. But it also seems there are times when the miracle is a combination of His efforts and ours.”
8 Min Read
June 27, 2022 09:10 AM MDT
The word “anxiety” is mentioned only eight times in the Book of Mormon. Four of these times it is used by the prophet Jacob. Looking at his life, it makes sense that he probably experienced anxiety.
8 Min Read
May 26, 2022 09:55 AM MDT
“As you look into the many excellent options available for mental health improvement, please don’t leave the Savior out of this process.”
7 Min Read
May 02, 2022 05:00 AM MDT
Are mental health challenges part of divine design for our growth? Are they effects of choices made by others that afflict our development?
7 Min Read
April 05, 2022 06:00 AM MDT
We become stronger and more resilient as we experience challenges, learning strategies to defend against and defeat future threats.
7 Min Read
March 16, 2022 09:06 AM MDT
“How can I get rid of this feeling? I hate feeling this way.”
6 Min Read
March 04, 2022 10:56 AM MST
Imagine being Sarah, Abraham’s wife. You’ve been faithful through many trials. You and your husband receive a promise that through your descendants, the world will be blessed for generations. But how?
6 Min Read
February 02, 2022 10:03 AM MST
Global research shows mental health issues in youth have doubled since the pandemic.
7 Min Read
January 19, 2022 11:00 AM MST
Lehi taught Jacob there must be “opposition in all things”. Fourteen verses later, he taught his son that “men are, that they might have joy”. How do we reconcile those two concepts?
7 Min Read
October 30, 2019 09:00 AM MDT
As I listened to the women’s session of the October 2019 general conference, my focus was on a number of things. The talks were inspiring. I was looking forward to the additional information and changes to the Young Women program that had been promised in the previous session. My thoughts drifted from one to the other. Then my mind snapped to attention: Did Sister Aburto just say her father committed suicide? I listened intently to confirm that what I thought I heard was accurate. Indeed, it was true. Quite frankly, it was a bit of a shock. In over 40 years of general conference sessions I’d listened to, I cannot ever recall a brother or sister sharing something so intensely personal from that pulpit. I pondered, what are people going to think? Perhaps there would be some Church members that would think Sister Aburto had overshared, or that general conference might not be the best venue for such a personal experience. My thoughts were, Thank goodness; it’s about time.
8 Min Read
September 25, 2019 09:00 AM MDT
Some time ago I was traveling for business. My hotel was just a couple of miles from the local temple. One morning, I committed to go to the temple after work. However, work was very, very long that day. I saw dozens of clients in a stressful, fast-paced environment that left me emotionally and physically drained. I headed back to my hotel that night, looking forward to some time to decompress. I walked into my hotel room and saw my temple bag sitting on the bed. What should I do? I knew the Lord would forgive my weakness if I didn’t go, but also knew I’d be blessed for going. After a short deliberation, I changed my clothes, grabbed the bag and headed to the temple.
7 Min Read
August 27, 2019 09:39 AM MDT
I have a very distinct memory of sitting in a car in the parking lot of the Provo Missionary Training Center. Less than 24 hours before, we had been notified that our son would be coming home early from his mission. We were there to pick him up. If someone had walked by our car that morning, they would have seen a man and a woman, clearly grief-stricken, with their heads bowed in prayer. They would not have been able to hear the soft but sincere pleadings from my lips, imploring Father in Heaven to allow our son to stay and fulfill his mission. My prayer was not answered in the way I had hoped, as about one hour later there were three of us in the car, heading back to our home in Washington.
7 Min Read
July 30, 2019 09:08 AM MDT
Our youngest son recently graduated from high school with plans to attend college in the fall. Because of a number of vacations and other summer plans, it hasn’t worked out for him to get steady employment during the time between graduation and college departure. As such, he’s kind of broke most of the time, but he has things he wants to do, some of which cost money. I will periodically get a text message saying, “Dad, could you loan me some money for [insert item here]?” When I get such texts, I usually have two competing thoughts. The first is I love my son and want to do everything I can for him. I want him to be comfortable and enjoy life. Just give him the money! The second thought is Hold on! He needs to learn to be responsible and that money doesn’t grow on trees. Make him work for it. Those thoughts duke it out in my brain for a moment, and then after consultation with my amazing wife, we usually arrive at a compromise that enables generosity combined with responsibility.
7 Min Read
July 13, 2019 09:00 AM MDT
Many years ago, my wife and I were students, had a small family, and had little disposable income. We had one car that had a cracked windshield. The crack wasn’t substantial, but being somewhat of a perfectionist, it bothered me. The only long-term solution was to replace the windshield, which was not in the budget. I lived with the cracked windshield for a couple of years until finally we had saved enough money to replace it. The new windshield was perfect, and I was almost deliriously happy to be rid of that unsightly crack. About a week later I was driving on the freeway. As I passed a large truck, it kicked up a rock that landed squarely on my windshield. It left a large crack.
7 Min Read
June 03, 2019 09:23 AM MDT
In creating the world, God was organized and methodical. The foundations were built such that each step built upon the next. But when almost all the creative work was done, the Lord noted that Adam was alone: “And I, the Lord God, said unto mine Only Begotten, that it was not good that the man should be alone; wherefore, I will make an help meet for him…. And I, the Lord God, caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam; and he slept, and I took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in the stead thereof; And the rib which I, the Lord God, had taken from man, made I a woman, and brought her unto the man” (Moses 2:18, 21–22). It was clear that Adam, on his own, was unequal to the tasks ahead of him. He needed a partner. It was then that Eve was brought forth. It was only after her creation that the world was complete.
6 Min Read