Sometimes, the best thing you can do is laugh. Elder Wirthlin’s unforgettable General Conference talk reminds us that learning to smile through life’s challenges can bring strength and peace. Hank Smith explores how the idea of "come what may and love it" can help you through your next hard day.
What would you declare with absolute certainty if today were your last day on earth? Elder Holland’s 2009 talk, Safety for the Soul, is a bold and unmistakable testimony of the Book of Mormon’s truthfulness. Hank Smith unpacks why this talk remains one of the most powerful defenses of faith in modern Church history.
The Second Coming of the Savior will be a crazy and scary time for some, but the first few verses of D&C 29 contain some hopeful, helpful, and glad messages to prepare the world for that great time.
Today we’re bringing you a special conversation hosted by Jared Halverson, who’s joined by three women—Bethany Brady Spalding, Kathryn Knight Sonntag, and me—who’ve been part of a larger, ongoing conversation sparked by one of Jared’s recent videos on social media.If you haven’t seen the video, here’s the context: Jared highlighted the recent trend of women leaving the Church in greater numbers than men and encouraged women to stay, he connects this to D&C 25, highlighting how much depends on them.
When the Lord says “I come quickly” in 1831, it could freak out a lot of people. The reality of it is that we are here to help prepare the world for the Second Coming...and there are some that may not understand what that means and how to do it. Hopefully this week of studying D&C 29 can help. 😀
What if your most devastating life storms are actually clearing the path to your greater purpose? From the outside, Bethany Harger was living the dream—temple marriage, young children, and a promising future. But behind closed doors, crippling depression left her bedridden while her husband battled addiction.
We have a really fun episode for you today—We’re talking with James Goldberg about his delightful book Tales of the Chelm First Ward, which he co-wrote with his, wife Nicole Wilkes Goldberg, and his brother, Mattathias Singh.The book is a collection of fictional stories set in a Latter-day Saint ward in the imagined town of Chelm—a nod to Jewish folklore and the famous “village of fools.” The humor is wonderfully absurd but beneath the silliness is something powerful and profound.In this conversation, we explore what might be called a theology of humor. James reflects on how laughter opens us. It softens the edges of our seriousness and rigidity, and draws us closer in shared connection. He reminded us that not everything about “church culture” needs to be critiqued or stripped away—sometimes it can be embraced with lightness and joy, as part of what brings us together and helps us live in community. The idea that stayed with us most was this: maybe what makes a ward great isn’t how aligned everyone is theologically or politically, or how smoothly things run, or how polished people are in their callings. Maybe it’s just about creating a group of people who are all rooting for each other—through the everyday moments, the imperfect efforts, and the callings that stretch us. It’s about showing up with love, having each other’s backs, and learning to see one another the way God does—with patience, grace, and deep affection.We hope this episode might just help you love your ward a little more—with all its quirks and imperfections. We hope it helps you see the people around you with a little more grace, a little more humor, and a little more tenderness.And with that, here’s our conversation with James Goldberg.https://www.wayfaremagazine.org/p/tales-of-the-chelm-first-ward-introductionAffiliate link for Chelm: https://bookshop.org/a/108982/9781961471030
When years of crippling addiction tighten its grip, can a sliver of lasting change still exist?For carpenter, devoted husband, and former addict Orlando Mora, the path out of darkness was illuminated not just through sobriety and faith, but by a heaven-sent “gift of dreams.” From his first prayer of desperation to the day he opened the door to two unexpected missionaries, Orlando discovered that God’s guidance comes in many forms—sometimes through gentle impressions of the Spirit, and sometimes through vivid dreams that bring clarity, comfort, and renewed purpose.In this uplifting episode of Latter-day Lights, Orlando recounts the power of divine intervention that guided him from a dark “basement” of hopelessness to the bright promise of a new beginning.
Even when there is no hope in the world to have, there is always hope in Christ. Guest Kathryn Thomas reminds us that if we lay hold on every good thing that God has to offer, we can feel a peace and sufficient hope in the Lord.
Gary Miller is the host of the “Hope In Him Today” and “Outside The Lane” podcasts. Before joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he served as an independent fundamental Baptist pastor. He spent 11 years in the United States Air Force, dividing his time between critical care medicine and professional development training as a master military training instructor. He holds a B.S. from Wayland Baptist University and studied theology at Liberty Theological Seminary. Currently, he works as a director of marketing for a Salt Lake City-based insurance firm and serves as a stake high councilor in the Katy Texas Stake. He and his wife, Crystal, live in Katy, Texas, with their four children. You’ll likely find him at a NASCAR race somewhere when he’s not doing these things.