A few weeks ago, I had an interesting experience at the temple. As I entered the front door and handed my recommend to the man at the front desk, another woman walked up next to me and said that she was there seeking a priesthood blessing. She is no longer an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, nor did she have any interest in becoming one, but she said she had come to the only place she could think of because she was in desperate need of peace. I offered to wait with her in the lobby, and we had a few minutes to talk.…

Several years ago I attended a Relief Society activity where we were learning how to make hair bows. The women who were teaching the class displayed dozens of beautiful bows they had created and gave us a quick demonstration. They made bow-making look like the easiest thing ever. I am here to tell you that bow-making is not the easiest thing ever. As time went on, I started to feel increasingly frustrated at my lack of bow-making skills. All the women around me were creating one adorable hair bow after another. I had not been able to finish a single bow and was obviously struggling, even while others were trying…

My mom has a truly debilitating fear of snakes. So when construction behind her house stirred up several nests a few summers ago, she found herself literally unable to walk into her own backyard. Professional therapy, countless precautionary measures, priesthood blessings all failed to rid her of intense, overwhelming terror. One day, while discussing the matter over the phone, my mom tearfully and desperately described how the only way she could manage to even walk across the driveway to her car was to get on her knees and plead for help before opening the back door. A sudden spiritual realization caused me to blurt out in response, “Mom, it probably…

Water has always been powerful imagery for me. There have been times in my life when I have felt like these words from David could be my own: “Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.” (Psalms 69:1-2) During the most difficult times of my life, the word that has most often come to mind to describe my experience has been the word “drowning.” The feelings of helplessness, suffocating, crushing weight pressing down on my chest, sinking deeper and deeper as waves of heartache,…

While teaching his disciples and followers, Jesus was asked by one in the company, “Master, speak to my brother; that he divide the inheritance with me.” And Jesus responded, “Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?” (Luke 12:13-14) What a beautiful and probably somewhat unexpected response from the Savior! Christ makes it clear that, unlike the wise teachers and leaders of that day, he has no interest whatsoever in worldly versions of adjudication or mediation. In fact, as he often does throughout the scriptures, he rejects outright the notion that we must compete for limited blessings or resources. And by contrast, he implicitly reiterates that his…

Years ago I discovered an amazing book called “Prayers of the Cosmos: Meditations on the Aramaic Words of Jesus” by Neil Douglas-Klotz. It shares explanations and meditations on the Aramaic meanings behind some of the most familiar King James Version scripture passages. The book’s foreword gives some examples: How much . . . might result from hearing, for example, that what we have translated as “be you perfect” really means, “be you all-embracing,” or that . . . ”blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” also means “soften what’s rigid inside and you shall receive physical vigor and strength from the universe . . . and that…