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Nadia Cates: The Power of Remembering Who We Are

Nadia Cates is on a mission. Literally. She and her husband are mission leaders of the Costa Rica San José West Mission. But long before putting on the black name tag she now wears, she felt a desire to create something that would preserve the hispanic heritage she has grown to love and cherish—a heritage that has given her power and confidence. But on this week’s episode of “All In,” she explains why that was not always the case.

33: "Establish … a House of God" (Doctrine and Covenants 88)

Were you ever afraid of the dark as a kid? Maybe you still are? Even if you are brave enough to never have feared the dark, there’s something undeniably comforting about stepping into the light. And this week’s lesson in Doctrine and Covenants 88 is all about comfort and light. After previous sections filled with prophecies of war and discord, this section shows us what we can always find comfort in as Latter-day Saints. So grab your scriptures and as many marking pencils as you can find, and let’s dig in.

30: Where "Much Is Given Much Is Required" (Doctrine and Covenants 81–83)

“The key to happiness,” “Keys to success,” “The key to your heart”—let’s face it, keys are an important part of a lot of metaphors. In fact, they are used so often, we may not even really think about what they represent. But what if we paused to consider why the Lord uses the word "keys" when describing the keys of the kingdom or the keys of the priesthood? This week as we study Doctrine and Covenants 81–83 we’ll dig into what these keys represent, who can use them, and what they mean for us.

29: "I Will Lead You Along" (Doctrine and Covenants 77–80)

Have you ever asked someone to do something, and they didn’t do it? Maybe you found yourself saying, “I thought I asked you to. . .” only to see a blank stare in return? Well, Doctrine and Covenants 77–80 is sort of the Lord’s way of saying that to the early Saints. They were supposed to do something specific concerning the law of stewardship and consecration, and they didn’t do it. But in this week’s lesson, we are going to learn how merciful God was to the early Saints as well as how important this law of stewardship and consecration is to our salvation.

28: "Great Shall Be Their Reward and Eternal Shall Be Their Glory" (Doctrine and Covenants 76)

For this week’s lesson, you may want to buckle up because there’s a reason Doctrine and Covenants 76 is called “The Vision” with a capital “V.” This is the vision of the three degrees of glory. There is so much pivotal knowledge of the gospel in these verses, and it’s going to be quite a wild ride as dive into this section. So grab your scriptures and as many colored pencils as you can find, and let’s dig in to section 76.

23: "All Flesh Is in Mine Hand" (Doctrine and Covenants 60–62)

You may not be a world-class beatboxer—or do public math—but chances are, you have a talent. In fact, all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a very specific talent. And as we study Doctrine and Covenants 60–62, we are going to find out what that talent is, why it was important to the early Saints, and how we can share it with others today.

19: "Seek Ye Earnestly the Best Gifts" (Doctrine and Covenants 46–48)

Do you remember watching the giveaway episodes on Oprah? Did you ever feel a tad envious of the audience when Oprah would say, “You get a gift! You get a gift! Everybody gets a gift!”? Well, today we’re going to study about a different—but infinitely more valuable—type of gift that you already have. In this week’s lesson of Doctrine and Covenants 46–48, we’ll learn about spiritual gifts and how we can use them to help those around us.

16: "If Ye Are Not One Ye Are Not Mine" (Doctrine and Covenants 37–40)

“Pack up everything—we’re moving.” When you read those words, how do you feel? Are you excited? Or does your heart drop as you think of all the packing, cleaning, and organizing that moving entails? Maybe you feel a bit of both? Well in this week’s lesson, the early Saints are asked to do just that: pack everything up and move. While this move was challenging and full of hardship, it also came with many blessings. And as we dig into Doctrine and Covenants 37–40, we’ll learn how the Lord asks us to move spiritually and what blessings we receive as we obey.

32: "Preserved by His Marvelous Power" (August 10–16)

On a scale of 1–10, how busy are you? Okay, okay, maybe the scale should be 1–1,000,000 with all the things we have to do nowadays. But what if some of our perceived duties are actually distractions that hold us back? In this week’s study group, we’ll dig into Alma 53–63 and discover how distractions, big and small, can be destructive in our lives.

14: "I Am He Who Liveth, I Am He Who Was Slain" (Easter)

Have you ever heard of the Lectures on Faith? Maybe you’ve read them a million times, maybe you remember a vague reference to them in seminary, or maybe you’ve never heard of them at all. If you fall into any of those categories, this week's episode is for you. Because what better way to celebrate Christ’s life and Resurrection this Easter week than to study the attributes and characteristics of Deity? So make sure to grab some paper and a pen as we study the sacred attributes of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ as taught in the Lectures on Faith.