The famed poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once penned the beautiful words, “Be still, sad heart! and cease repining; Behind the cloud is the sun still shining; Thy fate is a common fate of all, Into each life some rain must fall.” Longfellow is right—rain comes at different times to all of us. But his words also remind us that behind the clouds, the sun is always still shining. In this week’s lesson in Matthew 8, Mark 2–4, and Luke 7, we’ll read about when a tempest caught Jesus’s disciples unaware. And we’ll see that just as the physical sun always still shining, so too is the Son of God always there for us.

“There comes to us from the voice of the Book echoes as from some word that we have heard long since and have well understood; they are the whisperings to us of familiar truths. We recognize them, for they are attested by the reasoning of the mind and the sanction of the spirit within us. They tell us that the end of life is that we shall be born again (Mos. 27:25), redeemed and become the sons and daughters of God; that there is no happiness in sin, and that obedience is the way to joy (Alma 41:10; 2 Nephi 2:25). It teaches that an element of faith is a recognition of God's superior knowledge (Mos. 4:6 12), and how that faith is nurtured and grows in the heart of man (Alma 26:22); and how it may become so powerful that nothing can be held from it (3 Nephi 7:18; Ether 12:19). That spiritual gifts to man cease only because of his wickedness (Mormon 1:14), and that God to be unchangeable must be a God of miracles (Mormon 9:19). It gives full light on the comprehensiveness of the plans of the Almighty (2 Nephi 27:7 10), and shows that all men have been alike to him from the beginning of creation, and that his atonement applied as well before as subsequent to his coming in the flesh (Mos. 3:13). That baptism, necessary now, was always necessary (2 Nephi 31:9; Mos. 2:22; 3 Nephi 11:38 39). That the mission of all prophets has been to testify of the Christ (Jacob 7:11). It teaches that purity of heart alone gives access to God (Jacob 3:1). And with unanswerable authority is given again, by the Lord himself, the essence of his Gospel” (3 Nephi 27:13 16) (John A. Widtsoe and Franklin S. Harris, Jr., Seven Claims of the Book of Mormon, pp.167,168).

I am not in a same-sex relationship. I have no plans to marry a man. I have no children. The November 2015 policy said nothing about gay Latter-day Saints like me. And yet when I read about the policy, I felt pain and confusion. You see, the hurt came from wondering if the church didn’t want people like me. The hurt came from feeling excluded. The hurt came from fearing that if I chose to be in a same-sex marriage that I would be erased from my people.

Wilmara Valentin Pierce had been walking for hours when she came across the sign that said “Visitors Welcome.” In an attempt to distance herself from the chaotic life of downtown Sao Paulo, a city she called the “New York” of Brazil, the young model was searching for a new place to live. She was also searching for a fresh start.

Take a step back in history and read the accounts of courageous men and women who contributed to the unfolding of the restoration of the gospel. Be inspired by the testimonies of living prophets and countless men and women who trusted in God and labored faithfully amidst trial and heartache.

MR says: How does a DJ who pulls in up to half a million a night balance his music career with his life as a husband and dad of three? How does he stay true to his standards? Two-time winner of America's Best DJ Kaskade says, "For me, I made up my mind a long time ago who I am and what I’m about."

Scholars and faith leaders joined together on Saturday, 14 May 2011, for a symposium at the University of Oxford in England marking 400 years of the King James Version of the Bible. The event, which was jointly organized by Harris Manchester College and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, celebrated the impact of the Holy Bible on culture, religion and literature.

Elder Jeremy McCauley, 19, passed away on Friday night from unknown causes while serving a mission in Wisconsin.

If you or a loved one is struggling with pornography, you’re not alone. It’s a challenge that many face, often in silence, and it can be difficult to find the right kind of help. But healing is possible—and it may come from a path you haven’t yet explored: finding support in a community of like-minded individuals who share your values.

This excerpt originally ran on LDS Living in July 2016.