For psychologists and regular humans, one of the most interesting topics in the world is “How do we change?” We all wrestle with this and related questions: How do we break old habits? How do we nurture healthier relationships? How … Read more
The Book of Mormon, a Latter-day Corrective
I offer a challenge to members of the Church throughout the world
and to our friends everywhere
to read or reread the Book of Mormon.
(Gordon B. Hinckley, “A Testimony Vibrant and True,” Ensign, August 2005, p. 6)… Read more
Making Peace with Ourselves: Some Kinds of Esteem Matter More than Others
Finding a way to get along with ourselves is tricky business. I naturally have more concern for my own well being than for anyone else’s. But I am also at war with myself. I disappoint myself and fall short of … Read more
Charitable Dialogue
Sometimes I wonder what tricks and ploys Satan especially uses against Latter-day Saints. I suspect that one of Satan’s most treacherous tools with Latter-day Saints is to have us advance worthy purposes in unworthy ways. That is exactly what Satan … Read more
Lessons Learned from Embracing the Call
There are many myths in Mormon lore. One of the most reliable is that the call to serve as a bishop is to be dreaded like a death sentence. When one bishop’s term is coming to an end, ward members … Read more
Shafts of Light through the Trees: Cherishing the Things that Matter Most
Spring in Arkansas is heavenly. Nancy and I were walking around the neighborhood enjoying the redbuds, azaleas, and dogwoods set among the oaks and pines in our neighborhood of old cottages and grand homes. It is a blessing that our … Read more
Happiness—Just Over the Next Hill?
When I get that new car, I’ll be happy. When I graduate, we will have more time. When the student loans are paid, life will be better. When I find the right person to marry, life will be great. When … Read more
A One-Step Program to Wellness
Just as there are different levels of eternal rewards, perhaps there are different levels of truth and different levels of well being. To go from heathenism to reluctant respect for law is a step forward.
However, for someone who had … Read more
The Reluctant Gift: Putting Our Time on the Altar
It was a demanding day. Many projects. With some luck I might complete the essential tasks by the end of the day. I put my fingers to the keyboard just as a colleague stuck his head in my doorway. “Do … Read more
The Lord Offers Something Better than Self-Esteem
It is cause for serious reflection that Latter-day Saints have been as gullible with respect to self-esteem as the world in general. It has been taught by well-meaning teachers in Primary, Sunday School, Aaronic Priesthood, Young Women, and Relief Society. … Read more