Margarett lived in the Salt Lake Valley in the late 1800s. Her story is a powerful reminder that no heart, and no life, is too broken for Christ to heal.

My grandmother, Verla Butler Roundy, was an amazing woman. She was a mother to many of her grandchildren, and others who took refuge in her home. I was one of the lucky recipients of that mothering, privileged to be in her care. Following my parents’ divorce, I took on some of the responsibility for my five younger siblings, which was a lot for a 13-year old to bear. She willingly took us into her heart and home and bandaged our broken hearts. It’s been almost a year since she passed from this life. As difficult as it is to let her go, any of us who were lucky enough to know her can remember the love she gave to us, and carry that love in our hearts.

Satan is laboring mightily to impede the progress of the Kingdom. If you had been assigned by him to decide where to attack in order to lessen the power of the Church, where would you focus your efforts? Which doctrines or organizations would you be most determined to undermine? Elder Boyd K. Packer named the number one target on Lucifer’s hit list.

Editor's note: The following responses have been edited for length and clarity. Names were not included to respect the privacy of those who responded.

When children truly feel loved and connected with their parents, home can be a warm, wonderful place. But in addition to showing love on an individual basis, parents can make small choices to foster a spirit of love in their homes between them and their children, between siblings, and in the family as a whole.

The following is republished with permission from faithmatters.org.

Most of the stepmothers I know didn't grow up thinking, "Hey, someday I'm going to be a stepmom. I can't wait." Nevertheless, I grew up to be the stepmother to three and my sister—brave sister that she is—grew up to marry a man who is the widowered father of six. And the reality is, my sister and I both have friends who grew up to be stepmothers as well. If you are a stepmother or know someone who is, here are a few suggestions for making the most of blended family life.

This excerpt is adapted from Reaching for the Savior available now for preorder at DeseretBook.com.

Compared with a once-soulful experience of prayer and scripture study, many of us know what it’s like to find spiritual practices becoming impoverished, superficial, and thin. Although it’s easy to conclude that prayer or scriptures themselves are somehow limited, it would be shortsighted not to also consider ways in which larger tendencies toward distractedness, stressful busyness, and an accelerating pace of life might be playing a role.

I recently received an email from a friend looking for advice. He related how he has been diagnosed with major depression for several decades. Throughout that time, he has gone to counseling, read self-help books, taken antidepressant medication, and done his best to keep his covenants. Still, his feelings of depression never fully resolved and have waxed and waned. Then about five years ago he was diagnosed with a chronic nervous system disease which has increased his suffering and decreased his hope. Although he tries every day to look forward with faith and gratitude, he finds this more and more difficult as his situation deteriorates. I empathized with his situation. Reflecting on his case, I realized he was definitely not alone. I have personally known many individuals who suffer with persistent problems. Despite their best efforts, they are not able to fully overcome their challenges.