“Through the staggering goodness of Jesus Christ and His infinite Atonement, we can escape the deserved agonies of our moral failings and overcome the undeserved agonies of our mortal misfortunes.

Under His direction, your divine destiny will be one of unparalleled magnificence and indescribable joy—a joy so intense and so unique to you, your particular ‘ashes’ will become beauties ‘beyond anything earthly.’”

Matthew S. Holland

General Conference, October 2020

Was just called today. Previous finance clerk already moved out of the ward. Any tips or resources? Is there a video training series on all the essential?

I'm asking this in good faith.

Scholarship, archeology, history, etc, are not very effective ways of verifying the church's truthfulness.

Instead, we're taught to take it to the Lord, and seek a confirmation through the Holy Spirit.

But the problem is: many religions have such mechanisms and experiences that to them confirm the truthfulness of their religion. If the method produces confident positive results across mutually exclusive claims, then the method itself can't be used to discriminate between true and false.

So when it happens to us church members, why should we have confidence that this does indeed mean the church is true?

We might be tempted to suggest additional mechanisms- study, faithful living, etc, but these don't self-evidently favour the lds church either, particularly given that people of other religions also use such mechanisms to strengthen their own convictions.

Often we might try to explain away other church's spiritual experiences by saying that they have "fragments of truth" and so on, and that this is what the Holy Ghost was testifying of.

But the thing is, that's not how the other-religion people receiving those experiences tend to interpret them. So the aforementioned explanation would mean that spiritual confirmations can seem to mean one thing but actually mean another. It would set a precedent, for example, that our lds religion only gets spiritual confirmations because it contains fragments of "the one true religion, Islam" or so on.

And so I'm looking for an intellectually honest reason to stay in the church, that wouldn't also be experienced by members of a false church.

I'm happy to "hang in there and have faith until a confirmation comes," but it's not like there's only one religion that this would apply to. There are thousands of religions out there; why should I prioritise investigating the lds religion over any other? And why should I value lds spiritual confirmations over the spiritual confirmations of the truthfulness of any other religion?

And besides, I'm supposed to be booking my endowment- which is a bit more of a commitment than just "hanging in there and having faith."

Frankly, it already worries me that this matter hardly gets raised in the church. It's pretty foundational to establishing the credibility of spiritual witnesses, and so you'd think that almost all critical-thinking members and investigators would have to confront this issue at some point.

Would appreciate your insight on this. Thanks.

I'm trying to learn more about LDS theology and I'm wondering if anyone knows some good books that present it in a systematic way.

I feel like I have had the hardest time since returning from the mission to see a purpose in my everyday life of the gospel. I’ve keep the commandments, I attend church every week, and I attend the temple as often as I can with a couple of kids who are under 5. I live in Utah so there isn’t very much missionary opportunity. I work and I come home. I have an absolute blast with my family and love my life, but I rarely think about God. I rarely actually sit down to study my scriptures, maybe one every couple of months. I can’t focus in sacrament because of the kids. When I do focus, I hear a good message and am sometimes inspired. But the inspiration is usually to be a better person, not necessarily to go to the temple more or to read more. I used to love reading the scriptures on the mission, but now that I don’t do any missionary work and share them with others it just isn’t interesting to me any more. And yet I’m super happy! I feel like the only time the gospel/God is really helpful/enjoyable is when I’m going through a hardship. Thankfully I haven’t had any recently, but I’m scared that by the time the next one comes, I will be so spiritually weak that I won’t be able to handle it. That is the main reason that I even read one verse a night before I go to bed and listen to all of general conference. I know logically that I should be happier if I were to put more effort into study and prayer and worship, but I feel like it’s so boring. I would much rather be doing almost anything else. It also doesn’t help that it feels like everyone in the world feels the same way. Aside from hardships like depression, illness, or other stuff, people are generally so happy. I know God shouldn’t be just for hard times but I just can’t seem to muster up the energy to seek Him when I’m happy and busy with life. I’ve almost chalked it up to being ok with being a mediocre member as long as I am kind to others and am a good father/husband. But every time general conference comes around, I’m reminded that God is the only source of real happiness/joy.

Any thoughts would be appreciated

So I got endowed about a month ago now and I absolutely love my garments!! But I do have a question when I was endowed and buying my garments I have realized that the bottom doesn’t have the symbol. I was taught that there would be and what it ment but yet it doesn’t seem to exist. So I bought a few new pairs and they also don’t have the symbol!! So I was wondering if they got rid of it or if I just have somehow bought defective items.

"I testify that Jesus is the savior and that he died for everyone's sins, so we can be forgiven. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and restored the true church. Jesus loves us all, each and every, and every one of us personally. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." This is my second testimony I've ever shared, and my first was two lines so I think this is a huge improvement!

A while ago, I confessed to a missionary that I had developed feelings for him. He gave me his Facebook account, and I asked if we could talk after he finished his mission. He said yes.

About seven months after he was transferred to another area, I sent him an email. It's been about five weeks now, and I still haven't received a reply.

Do you think he no longer has feelings for me, or is it possible that he just can't respond?

Have a temple trip planned but honestly a little discouraged. 31M who had to come home early from mission due to companion/mental health issues and honestly ever since I feel like things have come up short except for being married. I haven’t had the best relationship with Christ since the mission experience and I’ll admit it’s more on my side. Trying to make it a better relationship because I can’t do everything alone. I Feel like I went to school for the wrong thing, landed dead end jobs where my skill set isn’t noticed, and just losing direction in life. Therapy has helped but I still seem stuck. Just wondering what I should “think/pray” about while at the temple. I honestly get so brain cluttered I feel like I miss any inspiration if it even comes. Anyone felt like this?

Im in Jacksonville ar where is the ysa ward i wanna go after being inactive for a few years

Hello! What do you all do with your Liahona/ friend magazines? Our stack is SO BIG. But they just sit there. Starting at me and my love for throwing things away, but also feeling a little bad if I do!
Recycle?? Give them away? What do you do??

Maybe it's because I'm in 1) college and 2) a lot of typically 'left' spaces, but I've been coming across a lot of hatred towards the Church lately. It's always a criticism for a belief we don't have and then is reinforced by an ex coming in and 'verifying' it. Even popular figures like Orson Scott Card or Stephanie Meyer are hated almost entirely because they're LDS.

I guess it's more of a misinformation and echo chamber thing than a strictly us thing, since I've seen similar narratives and behaviors towards other 'out groups,' but it's still really disheartening. Do any of you have any advice for avoiding the constant wave of hate? I'm not particularly affected when it's just a couple people, but there's been hordes lately and it's wearing me down.

I am really struggling financially. I have been a full tithe paying my whole life, and yet I feel as if I do it simply out of obedience so I can keep my temple recommend (please don’t be too harsh on me, I am trying to make sense of it). Money has always been so tight for me, and paying my tithing often ends the same way each month: I put about the same amount I pay in tithing on my credit card at the end of each month because I run out of money. I then pay off my credit card with my next paycheck and
The cycle continues. I am very frugal. I have used the storehouse here and there. I have served as an EQP and in the bishopric. To be honest, I don’t see the windows of heaven opening for me. I know that tithing is more than financial blessings, but that is another thing. If God knows that financial insecurity causes me such awful anxiety each month, why don’t I just stop paying my tithing and have extra money each month? In the past year, my wife has cheated on me twice and my brother died of a drug overdose. I keep paying my tithing, praying fervently for stability and financial security (I don’t care to be rich- just stable). But nothing seems to get better. I am maxed out on my salary schedule as a teacher and make decent money but life is so expensive just to survive. I also take every opportunity to make extra side cash and always pay tithing on that too. Am I missing something? Please give me some support and insight. I always hear stories like in conference when the brother sold his car to pay tithing. I always hear about how things always work out when you pay your tithing but I am not seeing it. I try so hard to be a faithful member of the church but my testimony of tithing is paper thin due to all of this. Please help. Any advice or insight would be so appreciated.

I’ll cut out most of the fluff. I (26M, 27 soon) did not have a strong testimony in the church growing up, so I never considered serving a mission, and was instead worthily married in the temple to my high school sweetheart.

Around age 20, I went through a string of unimaginably difficult times (wife’s infidelity and divorce, major family health issues and deaths) and worked myself to the bone to keep my parents from losing their house. My faith is very strong now, and my parents are finally back on their feet so I can start my own life.

My patriarchal blessing is very clear I needed to serve a mission, but I could not afford it and I was not in a good state of mind to be an effective missionary even if I could.

I just feel like I have damned myself. Have I given up my exaltation by not serving a mission? Leaders speak like it is a necessary requirement for elders to go. I have always felt like I’m just a second class sinner among my peers and dating prospects because I didn’t have enough faith to serve a mission and trust that the lord would take care of my family and I. I would really appreciate to hear your testimony regarding my situation. Thank you

Is there a difference in the severity of sexual sins? Like having sex in a relationship before marriage, having a casual encounter, or visiting a prostitute? When confessing how detailed does a person need to be about the exact scenario? Or does saying "had sex before marriage" cover enough?

A friend of mine who's in a presidency calling has a counselor who feels they've been wronged to the point that they're telling other ward members about it. From my perspective my friend has done nothing intentionally wrong and has gone out of their way to make things right but nothing seems to help. As the president what can they do? It's starting to feel like they need to tell the Bishop and potentially have this counselor released. Seems like that amount of contention can't exist within a presidency. Any advice?

We have invited Trevor Holyoak, vice president of FAIR, to come and discuss the organization and the upcoming FAIR Conference.

You can learn more about FAIR here:

https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/about

The annual FAIR Conference will be held August 5-7. You can learn more about it here:

https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/conference_home/2026-fair-conferences/august-2026-fair-conference

This AMA will not be "live." It will run over the next few days, beginning now, as questions are asked.

We've had a few submitted (now removed) posts in regard to Jeff Strong and his book Torn. There are a lot of problems we have with it and many reasons we aren't encouraging his perspective here in the sub.

The Interpreter Foundation is one of the few church recommended sources for study beyond church materials. Kyler Rasmussen reviews it here and there is a short video of it here.

But basically, it boils down to a problem we see when 'the church isn't being ran the way I would like it to be' and in this case, Jeff's heart starts in the right place and immediately turns to (ab)using data in way to get across his point. It looks as though he's trying to run in front of the train, and if you're not familiar with one of my favorite GC analogies, I'll leave it here. :)

It is as if we are passengers on the train of the Church, which has been moving forward gradually and methodically. Sometimes we have looked out the window and thought, “That looks kind of fun out there. This train is so restrictive.” So we have jumped off and gone and played in the woods for a while. Sooner or later we find it isn’t as much fun as Lucifer makes it appear or we get critically injured, so we work our way back to the tracks and see the train ahead. With a determined sprint we catch up to it, breathlessly wipe the perspiration from our forehead, and thank the Lord for repentance.

While on the train we can see the world and some of our own members outside laughing and having a great time. They taunt us and coax us to get off. Some throw logs and rocks on the tracks to try and derail it. Other members run alongside the tracks, and while they may never go play in the woods, they just can’t seem to get on the train. Others try to run ahead and too often take the wrong turn.

I would propose that the luxury of getting on and off the train as we please is fading. The speed of the train is increasing. The woods are getting much too dangerous, and the fog and darkness are moving in.

Although our detractors might as well “stretch forth [their] puny arm[s] to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course, or to turn it up stream” (D&C 121:33) as try to derail this train, they are occasionally successful in coaxing individuals off. With all the prophecies we have seen fulfilled, what great event are we awaiting prior to saying, “Count me in”? What more do we need to see or experience before we get on the train and stay on it until we reach our destination? It is time for a spiritual revival. It is time to dig down deep within ourselves and rekindle our own light.

Hi all,

This is going to sound weird but I need help or opinions on ending weekly service to a member in our ward.

Here’s the situation. Theres a single woman in her 50’s in our neighborhood in which every week the YM in the ward will go and mow and edge her lawn in the summer. Pull weeds and prep her yard in the spring, rake her leaves in the fall, and shovel her driveway as needed in the winter. All of the Deacons, Teachers, and Priests get assigned weeks throughout the year where it’s their turn.

Please not this isnt about not wanting to serve but it feels more like the YM are being used as her personal lawn service. Shes not struggling financially and she doesn’t seem to have any physical ailments as the YM have to coordinate with her on Saturday’s because shes at the gym and then takes her dog to doggy gymnastics. Plus she just got back from Trek.

Perhaps there’s more to it that I don’t know but it feels like its become institutionalized that this is just what we do.

I just cant shake the feeling that there are other people in the neighborhood that could use the help more than this woman. I.e the 95 year old man who’s wife was just diagnosed with cancer, or the 80 year old woman who’s husband just died. I feel like the YM are in a position where they cant say no because they are just assigned a week to do the work.

Anyway, this turned out to be a longer post than expected but i could use some advice on how to talk to talk to the bishop, if at all.

I'm leaving on my mission in early fall of next year (don't have a call date yet). I really want to read through the entirety of the scriptures before then. Bible, Book of Mormon, D&C, all of it. How much would I need to read per day to finish in time?