Search - LDS Living

April Giauque: Escaping The Darkness of Domestic Abuse

It is difficult to ignore the similarities between April Giauque’s description of an abuser’s behavior and Satan’s efforts to wear us down: isolation, manipulation, control, despair. Regardless of whether you feel held captive in an abusive situation like April or trapped by sin or discouragement, April’s story reminds us that there is always hope through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

"This Is the Gospel" Episode 67: Every Living Thing

Stories in this episode: A quest to solve the mystery of bees flying through cracks in their walls lead Kristen and Matt to discover important truths about God's laws of nature; Spencer’s childhood memories of catching bugs under yellow street lamps teaches him what it takes to recognize God’s hands in our lives.

34: "A Principle with Promise" (Doctrine and Covenants 89–92)

Has the line from the Word of Wisdom that promises we will “run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint” ever come to mind when you get out of breath while trying to get a little exercise? Or maybe you’ve faced serious health problems and wondered how that promise applies to you. In this week’s study group, we dig into the history of the Word of Wisdom and explore just what those promises mean and how the Lord keeps them—because He always does.

75: Letting the Light In

During a grueling, marathon recording of the concert film Lamb of God, cellist Nicole does what no musician working long hours ever wants to do. She asks composer and conductor Rob Gardner if they can record her difficult solo—again. In this song, called “Gethsemane," Nicole's cello represents the Savior. Rerecording pushes Nicole to her physical and emotional limits, but it is there that she not only finds the ability to depict Christ through the cello, but also learns about the Savior's ability to heal the darkness in her life.

76: Be Prepared

Stories in this episode: The sudden loss of his corporate job throws Dave into a new and sometimes confusing role at home; Jenny's once-thriving life is upended by an unwelcome diagnosis that offers her a powerful connection to some of her Church History idols.

Dean Hughes: Digging Into Polygamy and Other "Muddy" Issues

When Dean Hughes began writing his latest book, he didn't plan on writing about polygamy but the topic became impossible to ignore. At times, there are things (both past and present) that may affect our beliefs and be impossible to ignore. Dean describes these things as "muddy," but explains that there are faithful ways to approach seemingly messy aspects of our faith or our Church's history.

25: "The Lord Requireth the Heart and a Willing Mind" (Doctrine and Covenants 64–66)

Panning for gold isn’t what most people think it is. It takes time. It takes patience. And the payoff usually isn’t a large gold nugget. More often, it’s just a few tiny flecks of gold for hours and hours of work. But over time, those tiny flecks add up to something of great value. The same is true of studying Doctrine and Covenants 64–66. In these sections, the Lord is asking the Saints to be patient, to offer Him a willing heart and mind, and to work for these flecks of gold in their lives. The value of the Saints' determination and sacrifice was beyond measure to them, and it can be for us as well when we take the time to dig into these verses.

22: "Anxiously Engaged in a Good Cause" (Doctrine and Covenants 58–59)

Picture this: You have just arrived in Jackson County, Missouri, with the early Saints. You’re so excited and you just can’t wait to begin the work of building up Zion. But you have no idea where to start. Everywhere you look the land where the Savior will come again just seems like untamed American frontier. But then the prophet Joseph Smith arrives with very important instructions from the Lord. That's what this week’s lesson in Doctrine and Covenants 58–59 is all about—instructions the Lord gave, for the Saints then and for us today, about how to prepare spiritually to gather and build up Zion.

18: "The Promises … Shall Be Fulfilled" (Doctrine and Covenants 45)

This past year and its countless hardships may have had you wondering, “Is this a sign of the Second Coming? How about this?” Well, Doctrine and Covenants 45 is a revelation that is all about the signs of the Second Coming. But before we begin to wonder if some of those signs were fulfilled this past year, there’s more we need to unravel about what these signs actually mean. So as we dig into this week’s lesson, we’ll discuss the deeper meanings behind some of these signs and how those meanings affect us today.

3: “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn to Their Fathers” (Joseph Smith—History 1:27–65; Doctrine and Covenants 2)

When you were young, did you ever get so excited when someone knocked on your door completely out of the blue? And wasn’t it even better when this unexpected guest brought something for you? In this week’s lesson, we’ll be studying in Doctrine and Covenants 2 and Joseph Smith—History 1:27–65 and what happened when Joseph Smith received an unexpected guest and the special message this visitor had for the future prophet.