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Elder Holland Gives Can't-Miss Address on Questions, Doubt, and Faith

In an address given to CES religious educators earlier this month, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland shared powerful insights on how we can handle teaching others of our faith and belief in the face of "troubling contemporary issues." Here's what he had to say:

Latter-day Saint Life

What to Do When Doubting Your Faith

To one degree or another, every person will face doubt in the gospel of Jesus Christ. This isn’t because the gospel is weak, flawed, or because the Church stands on weak historical ground (spoiler: it doesn’t). Doubt occurs naturally, even with faithful, commandment-keeping members. Just like joy and sorrow or bitter and sweet, doubt and faith are two sides of the same coin.

How S. Michael Wilcox has held on to his faith despite impulses to leave

By S. Michael Wilcox

I remember vividly my first “faith crisis.” I was 14 or 15 years old. It centered on my desire to receive for myself, independent of my mother, a testimony of the Book of Mormon. Except for a period of rebellion when she left the moorings of her youth and wandered in the wilderness for a season, she was a believing, committed Latter-day Saint and the godliest woman I knew. The solid base of her faith was the Book of Mormon, which restored her to her roots and anchored her there for the rest of her life. I can’t recall a day when I did not see that book lying on her bed stand or on the lamp table next to her chair. I started reading the Book of Mormon fully expecting that its concluding promise would be fulfilled in my life as it had been in my mother’s. I was filled with Alma’s “desire to believe” (Alma 32:27). I wanted my own tree.

Brett and Kate McKay: Loving the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the Second Half of Life

Various philosophers have often mused that there are two halves of our lives. What separates them is the period of time when we transition from a belief system to a humble inner knowing. This week’s guests, Brett and Kate McKay, are no strangers to the evolution of faith and say they have experienced significant moments of decision within their own faith. But they have also found that it is very possible to transition from the first half of life to the second with your faith intact. They believe faith shouldn’t be boring; instead, it’s very possible to stay passionate about the gospel after leaving young adulthood.

Fiona and Terryl Givens: The Restoration of All Things

For the last decade, Fiona and Terryl Givens have brought to light wonderful and expansive doctrines in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ by drawing upon literature and other faith traditions. Their work helps Latter-day Saints appreciate the beauty of what we believe. On this week’s episode, we talk with these scholars about many of their books, how those books are influenced by their life experiences, and how their studies have brought us greater appreciation for our faith tradition and the faith traditions of others.

Latter-day Saint Life

Why faith crises are real, and how we can avoid making them worse for loved ones

By Patrick Q. Mason

How we deal with our brothers’ and sisters’ questions and doubts in the Church today is one of the most pressing tests of our collective discipleship.

Tips for Asking (and Hearing) Hard Questions About the Church

By Preston Lee

Have you ever noticed that asking difficult questions about the Church and the gospel can seem a bit taboo at times?

Latter-day Saint Life

9 Things That Helped Me Survive My Faith Crisis

► You'll also like: "Surviving a Faith Crisis (and How Church Members Can Help)"

Latter-day Saint Life

Is Doubt or Certainty More Destructive to Faith? How to Understand Doubt's Role in Our Spiritual Growth

By Terryl Givens, Faith Counts

The following has been republished with permission from faithmatters.org.

Latter-day Saint Life

2 Things You Can Do When a Loved One Leaves the Church

By Nate Bagley

Two years ago I wrote an article titled “Why People Leave The Church and Never Come Back.” Since then, the article has been read nearly a million times. Rarely does a week go by without someone reaching out to say, “Hey Nate, I don’t know you, but I read your article. Can we talk?”