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Every parent knows that being a good mom or dad is the most difficult job in the world. No challenge is greater than giving your all to raise a child to become a responsible and honorable adult. And while it can seem exhausting and never-ending at times, the day soon comes when that son or daughter leaves home. It can be as challenging to see your children go as it was to raise them. In some ways, perhaps it’s even more difficult.
Whenever we start something new—whether it’s a new year, a new day, a new project, or a new goal—it typically means putting an end to something old. Even when it’s a positive change, it can be hard to let go of the familiar past and step into an uncertain future. But while we certainly can’t live in the past, we can always learn from it. Jeffrey R. Holland expressed this truth in these words: “We look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences but not the ashes. . . . Then we look ahead and remember that faith is always pointed toward the future.”1
“A Note of Hope” As its name suggests, Charles Dickens’s classic tale A Christmas Carol was written primarily for the Christmas season. However, its timeless message is fitting for any season of the year. In the story, miserly old Ebenezer Scrooge, through a series of ghostly visitations, comes to realize how selfish he has been, […]
“The First Noel” Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. The sights and sounds stir within us a sense of excitement—and of reverence. As we jubilantly sing the songs of the season, we think of all that is good about Christmas: the renewed hope, goodwill, and good cheer that typify this time of […]
Over 2,000 years ago, shepherds tending their flocks by night heard the herald angels’ song of peace on earth and good will toward men.[1] With haste they went to Bethlehem to see Jesus, the Prince of Peace, born in the most humble circumstances. When He grew to manhood, Jesus “went about doing good”[2] and teaching […]
At this time of year, people all over the world turn their thoughts to Bethlehem, as did the shepherds of so long ago when they declared, “Let us now go . . . unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass” (Luke 2:15). The ancient city of Bethlehem is located along an […]
A common characteristic of happy people is that they feel grateful; even happier, however, are those who express their gratitude. It’s one thing to take stock of blessings silently, to be thankful in your heart; it’s quite another to give voice to those feelings. Recently, social scientists confirmed this observation—they noted a slight increase in […]
We rejoice whenever someone embarks upon a worthy pursuit, especially in service to others—from joining the military to serving a religious mission to volunteering in a humanitarian effort. We give thanks for their sacrifice as we imagine the countless lives that they will touch for good.And we commend our loved ones who choose to serve. […]
It was only a two-minute speech, given 150 years ago, but as long as freedom is prized and those who fight for it are honored, it will never be forgotten. It was given on a rural battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the site of the deadliest battle of the Civil War. It was in this setting […]
Obituaries are snapshots of a life. In short order, they give us a glimpse into a person’s experiences and character. Granted, they do not claim to paint a complete picture—every life is more nuanced than what can be summarized in a few lines in the newspaper. But there’s something noble about focusing on the positive […]
If you’ve ever tried to help a toddler eat, you know how important independence is to human nature. The older a child gets, the more she insists on feeding herself—no matter how messy it gets. To the child (and, to a lesser degree, to her parents) the increased independence is well worth getting some food […]
While serving in the president’s cabinet as United States Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich kept a hectic and pressure-filled schedule at the heart of the nation’s decision-making process. So busy were his days that he rarely had contact with old friends and saw little of his wife and two sons. One evening he called home […]
In 1941, Viktor Frankl was a prominent Jewish psychiatrist and neurologist in Vienna, Austria. The threat of Nazi concentration camps was increasing, but Viktor had found a way out: a visa that would allow him to take his new wife and his promising career to America—and to safety. But Viktor knew that when the Nazis […]
Not long ago, a family decided to spend a hot summer afternoon floating down a river on inner tubes. A river guide gave them clear instructions to make their trip enjoyable and safe. In particular, he warned them about a stretch of river where a bridge produced a strong undercurrent. He instructed them to get […]
Two busy parents of a large family recently discovered the difference one caring person can make in the life of a child. It’s a simple story, really, and similar stories take place often and all around us, but the results are sometimes profound. Their six-year-old son, Micah, was stubborn about learning to read. Although he […]
Over a hundred years ago, Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote The Secret Garden, an enchanting novel about a young girl, Mary, who is orphaned during a cholera outbreak and sent away to live with relatives she has never met. Her childhood has been filled with loneliness and neglect, but Mary’s personality begins to blossom as she […]
A masterpiece is a work that demonstrates extraordinary talent, artistic skill, or workmanship—a supreme intellectual or artistic achievement. Historically, a masterpiece represented an artist’s finest piece of work, evidence that he or she, after years of perfecting a craft, had achieved the rank of master. Yet when we see or read or listen to a […]
It has been said that while pain and heartache are inevitable, misery is optional. In other words, even amid the difficulties and adversities of life, we can choose happiness and reject misery. Misery so often leads to a sense of defeat and despair, the feeling that life is either so painful or so hard that […]
At the funeral service of his father, a middle-aged man stood to express his feelings. “Father provided well for our family,” he said. “He always made sure we had what we needed, but the greatest gift he gave me was teaching me how to work.” With tears in his eyes he continued, “Dad loved us, […]
Isaac Newton’s first law of motion states that an object in motion tends to stay in motion; and likewise, an object at rest tends to stay at rest. Unless something acts upon the object, it will remain in its current state of motion or rest. This law from classical physics has been used to explain […]
Has anyone ever given you a gift and said, “This reminded me of you”? Did it make you stop and wonder what traits or qualities stand out to others when they think about you? Consciously or not, we spend a lifetime crafting our reputation. Of course, we can’t really control what people think of us, […]
We live in an age of rapid change, when longevity and consistency are rare. And so it seems appropriate, once or twice in a decade, to pause and reflect on the long legacy of our weekly broadcast, Music and the Spoken Word. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has been broadcasting since the early days of radio. […]
In May 1860, four men were vying to be their party’s nominee for president of the United States at the Republican convention. Delegates were expected to give the nod to well-known and experienced Senator William Henry Seward, with Ohio Governor Salmon P. Chase the next most likely candidate and Judge Edward Bates another viable choice. […]
From time to time, moments arise in our lives that require us to stretch farther than we ever have before, to rise to the greatness that we didn’t know we had within us. For one young couple, it happened when their twin girls were born. All of the anticipation and expectation of the long-awaited day […]
We live in an age of disposable goods. It seems that so many of our material things are made to be enjoyed for a brief moment and then thrown away. If something breaks or loses our interest, we quickly toss it aside and run to the store for a new one. It wasn’t always that […]
Sometimes relationships flounder because we don’t convey enough genuine love—or perhaps we don’t convey it in quite the right ways. In our zeal to help loved ones improve, maybe we focus too much on how we think they should change instead of communicating sincere acceptance and appreciation for who they are. Just as plants thrive […]
Most of us would agree with the lyrics of the well-known song, “When you’re smiling, the whole world smiles with you.”1 But did you know that smiling may also be good for your health? Researchers are finding that smiling slows down the heart rate, reduces stress, and can make you feel happier. In fact, some […]
Anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, and other commemorations are an important part of life. They give us a chance to mark our progress, celebrate for a moment our accomplishments and growth, and renew our bonds as a family, community, and nation. And so today we celebrate this land that we love. As we do, we recognize that […]
With great excitement, a woman nearly 90 years old smiles at her grandson as he installs a new computer in her home. “Now I can get emails and pictures over the Internet,” she says, so happy to learn about technology that could help her stay in touch with loved ones. Elsewhere, an elderly man sits […]
Popular culture and media sometimes portray fathers as either unnecessary or incompetent, and yes, there are bad fathers who are unworthy of the name. But let’s not forget, most fathers give their all for their families. Most do their best to be there for their kids, to set good examples and show their children how […]