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Maddie Tolk

Maddie is a content specialist for LDS Living. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English from Harvard and has published and edited content for the Utah Symphony | Utah Opera, Macmillan Learning, HarvardX, Utah Valley University, and Adobe. Maddie enjoys reading, playing the violin and piano, and watching musicals.

A returned LDS missionary with her sister on her homecoming day
Latter-day Saint Life
The best thing to do with your missionary as soon as they get home
Maddie Tolk
By  Maddie Tolk
July 31, 2025 03:32 PM MDT
“This may be the most memorable thing we did when my sister returned home from serving her mission.”
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Young women from the LDS Firth Idaho Stake
Latter-day Saint Life
Watch: Moving song written at girls camp by 200+ young women
Maddie Tolk
By  Maddie Tolk
July 30, 2025 03:41 PM MDT
More than a campfire sing-along, the experience solidified the participants’ confidence as disciples of Jesus Christ.
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President Jeffrey R. Holland speaks about a scripture passage from the Doctrine and Covenants in a social media video on July 15, 2025.
Follow the Prophets
A scripture passage President Holland often shares with youth
Maddie Tolk
By  Maddie Tolk
July 29, 2025 02:35 PM MDT
These verses may be just what the youth in your life need to hear.
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Elder Gary E. Stevenson “Come, Follow Me” 2025 video
Follow the Prophets
The perfect scripture for when challenges feel too hard to bear
Maddie Tolk
By  Maddie Tolk
July 28, 2025 09:09 AM MDT
Elder Stevenson recently shared some beautiful counsel from the Doctrine and Covenants.
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The Church Office Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 11, 2025.
Latter-day Saint Life
10 facts about the Church Office Building that might surprise you
Maddie Tolk
By  Maddie Tolk
July 23, 2025 03:40 PM MDT
This week marks 50 years since the building was dedicated.
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Elder Patrick Kearon and Sister Jennifer Kearon hiking in Cebu, Philippines
Follow the Prophets
Watch: Elder Kearon visits a family’s home in mountains of the Philippines
Maddie Tolk
By  Maddie Tolk
July 22, 2025 02:46 PM MDT
“To be here, and to be enveloped in the light and the love and the faith of these people, is just the most beautiful blessing,” said Elder Kearon.
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A close-up of female hands holding a Bible in a field of flowers
Latter-day Saint Life
3 scriptures to soothe your soul when life feels heavy
Maddie Tolk
By  Maddie Tolk
July 21, 2025 04:02 PM MDT
Here are a few encouraging verses to save for when you need a pick-me-up.
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Temple Worship
5 beautiful blessings of temple worship
Maddie Tolk
By  Maddie Tolk
July 15, 2025 10:24 AM MDT
President Nelson has shared specific blessings we can receive from temple worship. Here are just a few.
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Painting of Jesus Christ holding a staff standing in front of mountains and a lake
Latter-day Saint Life
What the Hebrew idea of truth teaches us about Christ
Maddie Tolk
By  Maddie Tolk
July 14, 2025 03:29 PM MDT
This framework can provide greater insight into our relationship with the Savior.
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A large group of people kneel around the Savior Jesus Christ during His Second Coming.
Latter-day Saint Life
4 signs of the Second Coming that will fill you with hope
Maddie Tolk
By  Maddie Tolk
July 09, 2025 12:37 PM MDT
While we often focus on scary “signs of the times” like wars and earthquakes, we can find comfort in the many hopeful signs of the Savior’s return.
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Calm senior woman in a red sweater sitting on couch and writing in journal
Latter-day Saint Life
Why living the gospel is about writing a script—not following one
Maddie Tolk
By  Maddie Tolk
July 07, 2025 04:16 PM MDT
“I don’t think it’s about getting the ‘script’ right. I think God gives us a blank canvas and says, ‘Here, paint a beautiful picture,’” says Terryl Givens.
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Illustration of a happy woman smiling at herself in the mirror.
Latter-day Saint Life
The myth of searching for your ‘true self’
Maddie Tolk
By  Maddie Tolk
July 03, 2025 02:48 PM MDT
“We’re not searching to uncover some ‘true self’—we are deliberately and consciously aspiring to a self,” says Latter-day Saint scholar Terryl Givens.
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A male hand writes in a notebook with a pen
Latter-day Saint Life
This song from the new hymnbook was written in a jail
Maddie Tolk
By  Maddie Tolk
June 30, 2025 03:03 PM MDT
For a hymn centered on joy, the lyrics originate from a surprising place.
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Chad Hymas 2
Stories of Faith
A quadriplegic man’s faith to not be healed
Maddie Tolk
By  Maddie Tolk
June 26, 2025 02:52 PM MDT
Chad says that his circumstances have allowed him to focus on what truly matters and serve in new ways.
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A woman pondering during an LDS sacrament meeting
Help for Life Challenges
This new hymn is a must-listen if you have anxiety
Maddie Tolk
By  Maddie Tolk
June 24, 2025 02:11 PM MDT
The composer based the song on a turning point in her experiences with anxiety.
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A confident Black woman with curly hair
Help for Life Challenges
A 2-word mantra to help you recognize personal revelation more often
Maddie Tolk
By  Maddie Tolk
June 23, 2025 01:54 PM MDT
This framework helps remind us that God is always reaching out to us.
2 Min Read
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The Hartford Connecticut Temple
Temple Worship
Practical advice for first-time temple goers
Maddie Tolk
By  Maddie Tolk
June 20, 2025 02:13 PM MDT
These two suggestions can help you find more joy in your temple worship.
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Shelby Stroud in front of "A Sure Foundation"
Stories of Faith
Must-see portrait of Christ made with seashells
Maddie Tolk
By  Maddie Tolk
June 11, 2025 02:22 PM MDT
This breathtaking image is composed of stones, seashells, fossils, and wood.
4 Min Read
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Elder Bednar ‘Come, Follow Me’ 2025 Video
Follow the Prophets
Elder Bednar on why you don’t need to wait until you feel the Spirit to teach
Maddie Tolk
By  Maddie Tolk
April 28, 2025 02:04 PM MDT
In a new video, Elder Bednar shared a thought-provoking insight about Doctrine and Covenants 42:14.
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Film studio stock image
Stories of Faith
What’s the audition process like to play Jesus Christ? 1 actor’s inspiring experience
Maddie Tolk
By  Maddie Tolk
April 25, 2025 02:19 PM MDT
“The whole thing was just an incredible experience,” Paul Wuthrich says of auditioning for the Book of Mormon videos.
3 Min Read
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Monte Deere,
Help for Life Challenges
The D&C section that comforted a mission president when his brother died by suicide
Maddie Tolk
By  Maddie Tolk
April 22, 2025 10:25 AM MDT
Kizik CEO Monte Deere was serving as a mission president in Spain when he learned that his brother had died by suicide.
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Adassa performs “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” with BYU Noteworthy.
Latter-day Saint Life
This a cappella version of ‘His Eye Is on the Sparrow’ will lift your spirits
Maddie Tolk
By  Maddie Tolk
April 18, 2025 11:30 AM MDT
Disney star Adassa joined BYU Noteworthy for a soaring rendition of the hymn.
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President Jeffrey R. Holland sits at his office desk with an open copy of the Bible.
Follow the Prophets
Pres. Holland on what ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ means in the Easter story
Maddie Tolk
By  Maddie Tolk
April 15, 2025 01:50 PM MDT
“I think the force of that verse is the force of the ultimate expression of Christ’s gift for us,” the Apostle shared in a recent video.
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The Toronto Ontario Temple in Brampton, Ontario, is pictured on Friday, March 21, 2025.
Follow the Prophets
Pres. Holland turns the phrase ‘going through the temple’ on its head
Maddie Tolk
By  Maddie Tolk
April 10, 2025 02:01 PM MDT
At the Toronto Ontario Temple rededication, the Apostle shared an insightful spin on this common phrase.
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