by Autumn Dickson

Are you feeling completely torn down? Are you feeling discouraged about what you have to offer? Do you feel hollowed out after a time of refining fire?

Isaiah includes many warnings to Israel. The Lord allowed them to be smitten and scattered and left without anchor for a while in order to turn them back to Him. These warnings are good reminders for us in our day as they can contribute to our desire to repent. We can observe patterns and try to avoid the same traps.

But Isaiah also includes many words of comfort about the Savior. Isaiah reminds Israel of the promises that were made to them so long ago. These words of comfort and promises are equally applicable in our lives.

Isaiah 51 is one of these chapters filled with promises and encouragement from the Lord. Israel is finding itself completely torn down, discouraged, and hollowed out. They are not a mighty people any longer. They have been scorned and trampled on. Here is where the Lord starts to lift them up again.

Isaiah 51:1 Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.

The rock in scripture often refers to the Savior, but in this particular chapter, the Lord is referring to someone else.

Isaiah 51:2 Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.

The rock and hole of the pit are Abraham and Sarah. Why is the Lord telling Israel to look unto Abraham and Sarah at this particular point in the timeline? Surely they were good examples of righteousness, but the Lord’s encouragement is a bit more purposeful than that.

He is essentially telling Israel, “You feel hopeless about Israel? Look at where you came from! Abraham and Sarah were one couple, just one! They were completely alone, separated from family and any society they had known, but I chose them. They were childless, but I turned them into a great nation. If I can work with them, scorned and downtrodden and alone, then I can work with you. If I can multiply them into a mighty nation, then I can multiply whatever I need to with you.”

Isaiah wants Israel to remember that their entire nation came from something that the world would have labelled as “nothing.” How can we take Isaiah’s advice? How can we look unto the rock from whence we have been hewn?

We can look directly at Abraham and Sarah, but there have been many mighty miracles performed on behalf of the Lord’s fallen, bereft people. There are examples all throughout the scriptures of the Lord taking care of His people and making something from nothing, but there are also stories in our personal and family histories that we can look to for comfort, encouragement, and hope.

There was a time when Conner and I found ourselves in some financial trouble. We had just made a significant investment and within a couple of weeks of that investment, found ourselves with some unexpected bills. We were in a rather large deficit every month, and we had no idea how we were going to make it work. We explored all of the options we could think of with little success.

I talked to my sister during that time period, and she told me some of those miraculous tithing stories from our own family. My parents couldn’t afford their electric bill and a clerical error meant that they didn’t get an electrical bill for several months; the gigantic bill hit right when my father got a commission. My sister couldn’t pay one of her bills until someone felt a huge prompting to hand her an envelope of money with almost exactly how much she needed.

My sister told me something profound alongside these miraculous stories, “The Lord’s math is not our math.” He calculates things very differently and has an abundance from which to bless us. Just look at what the Lord can do with so little.

Now, I used financial examples, but this goes for anything you feel lost on. There have been times in my life where I swear the Lord has paused the clock, and I have found myself with extra pockets of desperately needed time. I have found this to be true in terms of my abilities, strength, endurance, and faith. His math has not been my math. He can make a mighty nation from a forlorn, childless, lost couple. He can make me whatever I need to be.

1 Nephi 17:50 And I said unto them: If God had commanded me to do all things I could do them. If he should command me that I should say unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I should say it, it would be done.

If God commanded me to do ALL things, I could do them. Don’t look at your lack. Look at God’s abundance. This is all very easy for Him. That doesn’t mean He’s going to make it easy on you because that would take away from His eternal purposes of turning you into something glorious, but don’t be afraid of having nothing to offer. He can work with nothing but humility and a desire to follow Him.

What is wonderful about the specific example of Abraham and Sarah is that the Lord blessed them according to their desires. They wanted posterity so desperately. This wasn’t just about multiplying them for His own purposes. He multiplied them and gave them according to their deepest hopes and dreams. He started with a rejected husband and a barren wife and gave them enough posterity to fill the entire world.

I testify that it doesn’t matter what kind of deficit or fragility or brokenness you bring to the table. The Lord can turn it into a mighty nation. He can turn you into a “mighty nation.” He can multiply and multiply and multiply and fulfill your deepest desires and hopes and dreams. You don’t need to fear having nothing. He can work with that if you turn to Him.

Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award.

The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Isaiah 50–57 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

The official English text of the general conference talks is now available at conference.ChurchofJesusChrist.org and in the Gospel Library app. Text in many more languages will be posted over the next several days.

• Each page provides the video and text of the conference talk. Click the three dots at the top right of any talk to reveal options to print or to download the audio file.
• Use the Study Plans feature in the Gospel Library app to set a schedule for studying general conference. You can create and access the General Conference study plan from the Gospel Library app’s Home section. When creating a new plan, you can select the content you want to study and determine a time frame that suits your lifestyle and schedule.
• Download a PDF of talk summaries from the Church News.

Other Ways to Study Conference Messages

• Watch each session on the General Conference YouTube channel.
• Watch videos of full sessions and individual messages on Gospel Stream on smart TVs. See the general conference collection in the “Categories” section.
• Read the talks online in the digital issues of the Liahona magazine.
• The Media Library of ChurchofJesusChrist.org has videos in the general conference category.
• Watch videos of full sessions and individual messages on Gospel Stream on smart TVs. See the general conference collection in the “Categories” section.

I feel these changes almost every day of my life. As the daughter of two Hungarian-born Holocaust survivors, I have long been aware of the evils of antisemitism. Yet the reality of that time of horror seemed like a nightmare from a world which, thankfully, no longer existed. Many thoughtful people believed that the deadly poison of Jew hatred had at long last been expunged from society following the Holocaust—that the sheer magnitude of the evil perpetrated against the Jewish people during World War II had somehow purged this cursed toxin from our body politic.

Furthermore, as my mother often reminded me in my youth, after 2,000 years of persecution in the diaspora, there was once again a Jewish home in the ancient land of Israel. She would say with sorrow, “If only Israel had existed during the Second World War, there would have been no Holocaust because there would have been a safe haven that those of us threatened by the Nazi death machine could have fled to.” It was a comforting thought that such vicious hatred could never again be unleashed on the Jewish people, but, in retrospect, it was naïve and simply wrong. October 7 exposed just how naïve and wrong such thinking was.

If you had told me the day after the attack that the worst atrocity committed against the Jewish people since the Holocaust would unleash an unprecedented tidal wave of global antisemitism, I would have dismissed it as absurd. Yet that is precisely what happened, and it continues as I write these words three years later.

The Warning Signs Were Already There

Looking back, the signs of danger were all around. Let me explain with a bit of history. In 1947, the United Nations adopted a partition plan for the territory of the former British Mandate for Palestine in the Middle East. It called for two independent states: one Arab and one Jewish, with Jerusalem and Bethlehem as part of a special international zone that would have been administered by the U.N.

Israel accepted the partition plan, while all the Arab nations rejected it. Egypt, Transjordan, Syria, and Iraq launched a war against the newborn nation of Israel. The secretary-general of the Arab League, Abdul Rahman Hassan Azzam, declared that this would be “a war of extermination” and promised “a momentous massacre.” He advised a British official that “It does not matter how many Jews there are. We will sweep them into the sea.” He was not alone in announcing the Arab armies’ genocidal intentions vis-à-vis the Jewish state.

Thankfully, they failed in their efforts to “drive the Jews into the sea,” and in 1949 Israel became the 59th member of the U.N. by a vote of 37 to 12 with 9 abstentions.

A more recent example of the U.N.’s moral corruption as it relates to the Jewish homeland is one that hits close to home. The U.N. held a World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa, 25 years ago, which was originally meant to combat global discrimination and slavery. Instead, it devolved into a festival of hate that demonized Israel and engaged in sickening antisemitism. My father, Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor ever to serve in the U.S. Congress, led the congressional component of the American delegation to this shameful conference. As participants distributed blatant Nazi-style caricatures of hook-nosed Jews and thousands marched in the streets with signs reading “Hitler should have finished the job,” individual Jewish participants faced nonstop harassment and intimidation. At the direction of Secretary of State Colin Powell, my father spearheaded the walkout of the entire U.S. delegation and subsequently denounced the conference as “the most sickening and unabashed display of hate for Jews” that he had witnessed since the Nazi era.

Just as with the October 7 attacks, a rational person would expect that this “Durban debacle” would have led to profound regret and introspection on the part of the global diplomatic and human rights communities, along with a sincere attempt to right a ship that had so clearly foundered on the rocks of moral confusion and hatred. That did not happen. On the contrary, many historians mark this terrible episode as the start of a dark new era in which the language of human rights was laundered and hijacked to denigrate, slander, and isolate the Jewish homeland.

Criticism and Antisemitism

Natan Sharansky, former Soviet dissident and current chairman of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, has suggested a simple framework to help any fair-minded, nonracist person spot the difference between legitimate and hateful censure. Sometimes called the “Three Ds” test, it is an effective tool that, like the sword spoken of in Hebrews 4:12, is “quick, and powerful … a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The three questions posed by the test are as follows:

1. Is the intent of the criticism to demonize?
2. Is the intent of the criticism to delegitimize?
3. Does the criticism apply a double standard to the actions of the state of Israel that no other nation is subjected to?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then disagreement has devolved into something darker, and it has lost its legitimacy.

What Antisemitism Looks Like Now

I wrote at the beginning of this article that, as a person of proud Jewish heritage, I live every day in this new world of pervasive antisemitism. This takes many forms, from people looking at me askance or making comments under their breath when they see my Star of David necklace, to the fear and worry I feel when I see a young Jewish boy wearing a kippah in public and wonder if and when he might be attacked, to watching the fear of so many Jewish students who face a climate of suspicion and exclusion on college campuses while so many university administrators remain indifferent to this reality. It also takes the form of my 95-year-old mother pleading with me not to publish this article because she fears that in this new climate of Jew hatred, it could bring me to harm.

Still, I am fortunate to continue to live in relative peace and safety. The same, sadly, cannot be said for many Jewish individuals and communities throughout the world. Antisemitism may begin as muttered comments and stereotypes, shifting to slurs and chants, but it always moves with alarming speed to violence. The examples are manifold and heartbreaking: An angry mob storming a Russian airport in search of Jewish passengers; two young Israeli embassy employees gunned down on the streets of Washington, DC, after attending an event focused on interfaith bridge-building; a fatal attack on a synagogue in Manchester, England, on Yom Kippur, with another suspected plot only recently foiled by the British police; an elderly Jewish woman killed by a violent flamethrower attack in Boulder, Colorado, during a peaceful march in support of the October 7 hostages; an armed driver plowing into a Michigan synagogue that also housed a preschool for more than 100 Jewish children; a modern-day pogrom in the streets of Amsterdam targeting supporters of an Israeli football club; and, most devastatingly, a Jewish community joyfully celebrating Hanukkah at Bondi Beach gunned down in broad daylight.

Choosing Light

Despite all these tragedies, and others too numerous to list, the darkness of this present moment cannot compare to the shadows that covered the earth during my parents’ childhood. Yet even then, when “evils were most free,” as the Jewish-Hungarian writer George Gabori put it, the light found a way to shine in the darkness and not be overcome by it.

I think of Denmark. My family lived there for three years while my husband served as the American ambassador to that country. We never tired of hearing or retelling the story of how the Danes rescued virtually their entire Jewish population from deportation, literally under the noses of their Nazi occupiers. For this national act of courage, Denmark has been uniquely recognized at Yad Vashem for its valor and humanity, with a special tree dedicated in its honor in the Avenue of the Righteous.

I think of the noble defiance of Moroccan Sultan Mohammed V, who refused the demands of the Nazi-collaborating Vichy government to turn over a census of Jewish Moroccans, instead reportedly stating, “There are no Jews in Morocco. There are only Moroccan subjects.”

I think of Albania, the only occupied European nation where the Jewish population was larger at the end of World War II than at the beginning. Following its noble code of “Besa,” which means “to keep the promise,” it extended protection to nearly 2,000 fleeing Jews, often at the peril of its citizens’ lives.

These heroic examples of light shining in the darkness give me more than hope; they give me courage to face the evils of my day. I was recently reminded in an article by Daniella Greenbaum Davis about God’s very first act, as recounted in the book of Genesis. She writes, “The first thing God does in the Torah—before light, before land, before people—is draw a line. He separates light from darkness … day from night. Creation itself begins as an act of distinction … Right from wrong. Truth from fiction. Order from chaos.”

I sometimes despair that there are far too few people today who are willing to choose light over darkness. Then I think of Ahmed Al Ahmed, a Muslim father of two, who bravely charged the attackers at Bondi Beach and likely saved dozens of Jewish lives by doing so. When confronted by evil, he did not hesitate, and he put his life on the line to stop it. Most will not be called upon to show such courage in defense of their Jewish brothers and sisters, but I hope more will see his example and have the decency to at least speak out against the tidal wave of antisemitism that was unleashed on October 7.

As I reflect on that fateful day, three years on, I am grateful for those in history and today who have chosen light over darkness. I pray, and I must believe, that this will always be the choice that ultimately prevails in our world.

The post Choosing Light After October 7 appeared first on Public Square Magazine.

The Interpreter Foundation and Redbrick Filmworks continues to release a new episode of their not-for-profit series of mini-documentaries titled Becoming Brigham each Monday. This week, they released the following episode:

Episode 36: “Brigham Young: Deeply Loved?”

• If the Saints would not leave without their endowment, how did Brigham try to both keep God’s promise and preserve their lives when Nauvoo was no longer safe?
• Why did so many Saints follow a blunt, sometimes offensive Brigham Young into the wilderness—and what does that fact say to modern people whose faith is shaken by that history?

Brigham Young tells the Saints they must leave because it is no longer safe, but members refuse to go without the endowment they were promised. Brigham receives inspiration that they need to complete the temple before they depart for the West. Historian Brett Dowdle traces the westward idea back to Joseph as early as 1838, to Brigham’s March 1845 dream of a mountain refuge, and then Governor Thomas Ford’s April letter warning that the mobs were growing and that Illinois could not protect them. By late August Brigham tells the Saints they have a second goal besides finishing the temple: get ready to leave. Dowdle also addresses a question for people unsettled by Church history: Brigham was sharp-tongued and made enemies, yet most Saints still followed him to Utah and regarded him as a father-figure.

Episode 37: “A Temple Finished Only to Abaondon?”

• Why did Brigham finish a temple he already knew they were going to abandon—and what does that decision say about Brigham Young as Joseph Smith’s successor?
• Why did the same Illinois neighbors who once sheltered the Saints later tell them their mere presence was the problem?

The temple walls were only about halfway up as the Saints faced mobs, an uncertain future, and two commitments that seemed to pull against each other: finish the temple and move west. Church opponents expected the restored church to collapse; instead Brigham Young, as leader of the Twelve, reported in January 1845 that the Lord had answered his inquiry by telling them to stay and complete the temple. That choice created a “pressure cooker” for the final months in Illinois, and a test of whether Brigham would carry out Joseph’s revelation when other claimants to leadership abandoned the temple, the westward move, or both.

The hosts discuss the irony of how Quincy, Illinois—the same town that had welcomed destitute Saints fleeing Missouri—later passed a September 1845 resolution urging them to leave Hancock County. They then visit the reconstructed Red Brick Store to trace how ordinances began before the building was done: baptisms for the dead in a basement font in 1841, the first endowments upstairs in May 1842, then winter 1845–46 work in the attic behind canvas partitions.

Why this docuseries? Many people are aware of Brigham Young as a pivotal figure in American religious and frontier history, but Brigham is also often misunderstood, seen as a larger-than-life caricature rather than as a man. Who actually was Brigham as a man, a father, a husband, and a prophet? The video web series Becoming Brigham debunks fictions and provides surprising new insights into the real Brigham Young. Learn more in the article “Becoming Brigham: The Video Series Premieres.”

Jennifer Roach Lees holds a Master in Divinity as well as a Masters in Counseling Psychology. She is a licensed mental health therapist and lives in Utah. She was the 2023 recipient of the John Taylor Defender of the Faith award.

The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Isaiah 50–57 – Jennifer Roach Lees appeared first on FAIR.

While we should always be careful to avoid saying “all is well in Zion,” the newest report shows a church whose members are becoming increasingly diverse, living happy lives, increasing their educational attainment, and contributing to their communities.

I wanted to highlight six of the big takeaways I had from the report, supplemented by some of the other recent news around the health of the Church. 

Latter-day Saints are Distinguished by Their Service

Nearly three in four Latter-day Saints surveyed (72%) said that they volunteered in the previous year. This compares to 41% of Americans overall. 

In my own analysis of Pew’s public data, 42% of former members reported volunteering in the previous year, in line with national averages. This seems to suggest that there may be something about the practice of the religion itself that is inspiring these volunteerism rates.

This comes as little surprise, as the Church recently reported reaching 90,000 currently serving full-time missionaries, an all-time high. The willingness to make substantial volunteer commitments appears to me to be something that is inculcated in our religious beliefs and practices.

Faith is Associated with Happiness and Gratitude

The survey distinguished those who were raised as Latter-day Saints and continue to affiliate with the Church from those who were raised as Latter-day Saints but no longer do. This led to some interesting observations. 

Among the American adult population at large, 28% report being very happy. That number rises to 37% among Latter-day Saints. Among those who have left the faith, meanwhile, 21% report being very happy. This means that, among those raised as Latter-day Saints, those who stay in the faith are 76% more likely to report being very happy than those who leave. 

This pattern is especially pronounced among women. Thirty-eight percent of women who were raised in the Church and still identify as Latter-day Saints are very happy, compared with 27.5% of the total U.S. adult population and 17.1% of those raised in the Church who have since left.

This is also true at the bottom of the rankings. Fourteen percent of U.S. women say they’re not at all happy, compared with only 9.4% of women in the Church, and 27% of women who were raised Latter-day Saint but have since left the Church. 

A similar pattern shows up for gratitude. Seventy-eight percent of Latter-day Saints report having a strong sense of gratitude or thankfulness at least weekly compared to 62% of U.S. adults and 55% of former Latter-day Saints. 

As Latter-day Saints, we understand that the Lord’s blessings come in His own time and way, but there does seem to be a real association between keeping the commandments and recognizing the blessings that come as a result.

Family Life is Very Good

The public perception of Latter-day Saints is that they tend to have strong families, and the Pew data continues to back up this impression. Thirty-one percent of Latter-day Saints describe their family lives as excellent, and only 1% say they are poor. This compares with 23% of the U.S. population who rate their family life as excellent and 3% as poor. And among those raised as Latter-day Saints who have since left, 19% rate their family life as excellent, and 6% rate it as poor. 

As with the happiness numbers, Latter-day Saint women fare much better in comparison. But even Latter-day Saint women rate family life as very good at lower rates than Latter-day Saint men. 

And religion seems to be a core component of what bonds these marriages. Thirty-seven percent of married Latter-day Saints discuss religion with their spouse every day, more than twice the rate among married U.S. adults overall. 

It seems to me that The Church of Jesus Christ’s emphasis on eternal relationships gives a larger purpose to what can be the sometimes dull work of marriage and parenting, which helps Latter-day Saints find greater satisfaction in those activities. Regardless of the reasoning behind the data, it is encouraging to find that the family life of so many Latter-day Saints is going well.  

Education is Associated with Religious Conviction

Among Latter-day Saints, higher levels of educational attainment are associated with greater levels of religious conviction. Eighty-five percent of Latter-day Saints with a bachelor’s degree say that religion is very important to them, compared with 65% of those without a bachelor’s degree. Among those who stay in the Church, 41% of lifelong Latter-day Saint adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 28% of former Latter-day Saints. 

Women have seen particularly large increases in their levels of educational attainment. In 2007, 25% of Latter-day Saint women had a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 40% in the most recent survey. 

We also see this desire for education reflected in the Church’s seminary and institute enrollment figures. In March 2026, Church seminary and institute enrollment surpassed 1 million students for the first time. 

It is largely a good sign that higher education among Latter-day Saints is associated with stronger religious commitment. But the gospel of Jesus Christ is not reserved for those who attain higher education. And clearly there is something that is not quite connecting as consistently or as effectively with those who have not pursued higher education. It is certainly a trend to keep an eye on. 

Faith Leaves Room for Trust and Diversity

Latter-day Saints stand out in the recent survey data for their trust in others. Forty-eight percent say most people can be trusted, compared with 34% of Americans. That places Latter-day Saints among the most trusting religious groups surveyed. 

Latter-day Saints also believe that diversity strengthens American society. While 71% of U.S. adults agree that racial diversity strengthens the United States and 52% say the same about religious diversity, 76% and 65% of Latter-day Saints, respectively, believe the same. These attitudes are also found among those who were raised in the Church but have since left. 

For members of a minority faith, it is natural that there would be a connection between cherishing our own religion and appreciating a country where others can do the same, but that often comes with an insular attitude. But the high rates of generalized trust among Latter-day Saints complicate that stereotype. 

The American Church is Becoming More Diverse

Worldwide, The Church of Jesus Christ is becoming much more diverse. But Pew’s survey included only Americans. Within that group, we see that those who were born in the faith are less likely to remain in it than they were twenty years ago, while at the same time, a racially and ethnically diverse group of converts is also joining the ranks of the Church. Since the 2007 survey, the share of Hispanic Latter-day Saints in the U.S. has increased from 6% to 12%, and the share of Black Latter-day Saints has tripled from 2% to 6%. About 26% of Latter-day Saints were raised in another faith or with no faith. 

I am no social scientist. I’m a writer who read a report. I’m sure there are lots of complications surrounding questions of causation. And certainly there are real concerns here to examine and areas in which we can improve, especially in helping to reverse broader secularization patterns and engaging those without a bachelor’s degree.

But Pew’s methodology tends to be among the best in the business. And the takeaways, at least for a layperson, seem to be that for those who commit themselves to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the plan is working. Latter-day Saints are happy, trusting, community-oriented, and have good family lives. 

The post Pew’s Surprising Portrait of Latter-day Saints appeared first on Public Square Magazine.

The Church has released the first of a 6-part video series called “Dedicate.” In these videos, seven young adults from different countries tour the Salt Lake Temple renovations and testify of Christ, temples, and temple covenants. Below is the first video in the series:

In his closing remarks during the Sunday afternoon session of general conference on October 4, 2026, President Dallin H. Oaks of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints invited the world to participate in the Salt Lake Temple Celebration, either in person or virtually.

As part of his special invitation, President Oaks highlighted a new video series. “Following this session of general conference, the first episode of a dynamic video series, ‘Dedicate,’ will premiere worldwide in multiple languages,” he said. “More will come in the months ahead, including a virtual tour of the Salt Lake Temple.”

“Dedicate” follows seven young adults from Brazil, France, Ghana, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines and the United States as they explore the Salt Lake Temple, meet with Church leaders, and navigate questions of faith, purpose, and spiritual growth. Throughout the series, they share personal experiences as they deepen their understanding of temples and strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ.

Four additional “Dedicate” episodes will be released every Sunday at 8:00 a.m. MDT through November 1, with the sixth and final episode set to air in spring 2027. In addition to English, episodes are available in Cantonese, Chinese (Traditional), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

Where to Watch the Videos

The first episode is now available on the Church’s YouTube channel and in the Gospel Library app.

Learn more in the article “Get Involved In The Salt Lake Temple Celebration,” which explains the various ways you can participate in the temple celebration either in person or virtually.

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North Star’s Annual Conference, INSPIRE 2027, is the premier conference for Latter-day Saints experiencing same-sex attraction and gender dysphoria who desire to live in harmony with the teachings of Jesus Christ and the doctrine and values of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The conference is for individuals, parents, families, and church leaders.

The conference will be held April 9-10, 2027, at the Karen Gail Miller Conference Center in Sandy, Utah. It will feature keynote speakers, topical breakout sessions, panel discussions, and social events that will provide opportunities to network with other families and leaders navigating these complex topics. You will hear from real people going through real challenges, and learn how they have found success. Learn more on the 2027 North Star conference website.

Register now. Early bird tickets are $20 off through October 14, 2026.

North Star‘s mission is to be a faith-affirming resource for Latter-day Saints navigating sexual orientation and gender identity who desire to live in harmony with the teachings of Jesus Christ and the doctrine and values of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Its conferences and web resources align with Church teachings. Their conferences welcome thousands of attendees from all over the country and the world including LGBTQ Latter-day Saints, their parents, families, spouses, and Church leaders.

by Autumn Dickson

In Isaiah 50, we find a profound message of Christ’s voluntary suffering. Not only does He suffer for us, but He does so completely willingly. There is a very careful message being given. The words are meticulously chosen so that we can understand the exact nature of what Christ truly did for us.

In the beginning, Christ rebukes Israel and declares that He never sold them out. He has only ever been loyal to them. He demands that they show Him the proof that He supposedly left them. He then goes on to talk about His majesty and power. His hand is not shortened. He can redeem and deliver. He can dry up the sea and rivers. He clothes the heavens.

He is God.

After declaring how powerful He is, He declares the following.

Isaiah 50:6-7

6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

7 For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

Here, the Lord says He gives his back to the smiters. He gave His cheeks to those who pulled out the hair. He didn’t turn away from shame or spitting. This is significant placement. The Lord is literally telling us, “I am so incredibly powerful, but I gave myself over to this humiliation and torture. I gave it, and only I could give it because I am so powerful. It could not be taken from me.”

In verse 7, the Lord knows He is not alone or confused; He knows exactly what has been asked of Him. This phrase also clues us in: “I set my face like a flint.” In other words He is saying, “I’m not a victim. They attack me, but I am not a victim. I have power, and I am resolute. I insist on doing this.”

This is the very definition of voluntary suffering.

For all intents and purposes, He basically walked into the hands of the Jewish temple authorities and put the cuffs on by Himself. He whipped Himself. He put the crown of thorns on His own head. Everyone was so weak and powerless against Him that it was as if He nailed Himself to the cross.

I do not say this to excuse the guilty parties; I merely point out the fact that Christ’s suffering and death were voluntary.

Think about what that means for a moment in terms of Judas. Judas betrayed Him, but Christ wasn’t tortured and killed because of Judas. Imagine for a moment, what is truly going on in Christ’s heart. I can’t be sure because His mind is not my own, but I wonder if some of His thoughts included, “Why are you doing this Judas? I am choosing to suffer and die on behalf of the world. This is not because you actually held any power. But despite my own insistence on suffering on behalf of the children of God, it hurts that you would betray me. I loved you. You were my friend. You betrayed me.”

Judas had no true power to hurt Jesus other than the emotional damage he caused by his betrayal.

Now we’re going to change course here, and it may feel abrupt but stick with me. In Christian traditions, Isaiah 50 is a prophecy about Jesus Christ. This makes sense, and this is how we study this chapter. However, in Jewish tradition, it is believed to be a prophecy about the Israelites. The Israelites are the servants of the Lord who have access to His power but fall under oppression anyway. Because Isaiah’s words often have dual meanings, we can explore both traditions. This prophecy is about Christ, and yet, can it also be about us as a type of Christ?

There are three parts of this sacrifice that I want to talk about in relation to our following Christ’s example: willingness, love, and salvation.

The first aspect is willingness. Are we willing to suffer on behalf of another person? Are we willing to let go of our selfishness? I think there are many forms this can take. If the world looked at the relationship between the Savior and any of us individually, they would describe the relationship as toxic. Christ would be encouraged to cut us off, to not put up with that kind of disloyalty anymore.

But what if the world were a bit more patient with each other? Obviously there are appropriate times to step away from a toxic relationship. Christ would temporarily step away from Israel when they refused Him. Christ encouraged Nephi to leave his brothers. However, I think that line has been brought over too far in our modern society. The world has refused to tolerate flaws and mistakes in the name of fairness and self care. We mock and belittle instead of reaching out with love to try and reach someone who is capable of changing. I think the willingness to suffer a bit in the name of helping somebody change has greatly diminished. Sometimes that suffering comes in the form of patience when you have your own stuff to worry about. Sometimes that suffering comes in the form of continuing forgiveness while the other person figures things out. Christ was willing to suffer for us despite our not deserving it. Are we willing to follow Him and offer others the same grace even at the expense of ourselves?

The second one is love. This one is actually critical because suffering at the expense of another person is not about developing a martyr complex. Sometimes love looks like turning the other cheek, letting go of demanded progress, or continually forgiving. Sometimes love looks like pointing out things that are not right. Love can help determine how to react in any given situation, and it can also prevent and heal bitterness. When we think we’re constantly sacrificing ourselves, it can lead to resentment. I have found that love, not martyrdom, is the answer to that resentment. True love that you feel in your bones, not just acting like you love someone. Love is key.

The last one is salvation. The definition of salvation can mean different things. It can be expanded or narrowed down. Traditionally, we think of salvation as Christ offering us grace and living with Him again. I tend to expand that definition. Salvation is all of the joy that Christ offers.

Christ is the only One who earned salvation, and yet, would salvation be salvation without His family? If He had refused to suffer on our behalf, would He have gotten lonely and missed us?

When we choose to be selfless and truly loving (not just going through loving motions), we are offering others salvation and we are also offering that salvation to ourselves. Not in the sense that we can pay for our own salvation but in the sense that we find an enlightened life full of the things that Christ wants for us. This way of life, following Christ’s example, helps us receive the joy and peace that Christ has always tried to offer us.

I testify that Christ was willing to suffer. I testify that His willingness to suffer saved us and brought Him joy in the sense that He got His loved ones back. I testify that He is all-powerful, not a victim. I testify that following His example can help to save others by offering them the grace of Christ, and I also testify that following His example can bring us joy.

Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award.

The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Isaiah 50–57 – Part 1 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Trusting God with the Story You Didn’t Choose

Anna Bryner

When we face problems we cannot fix and changes to our life plans we never could have anticipated, how do we trust Christ? This theme emerged again and again in conference. 

From Sister Tamara W. Runia:

“But what if you had a beautiful story you thought your life was going to tell and instead you’ve had to surrender that story? That sting is real and that wound is wide. It will take your finest faith in Christ to keep putting together the pieces, the ones that make sense, but also the ones that don’t.” 

From Elder Kevin J. Hathaway:

“The Lord is not delayed, distracted, or derelict in His deliverance. He has not forgotten you. He does not take joy in your suffering. However, He knows that lessons learned while waiting can bring converting growth that an earlier rescue might not produce.”

From Elder Matthew J. Eyring:

“It is important to not allow our challenges to negatively impact our faith. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered for us. He knows exactly how we feel, especially in our darkest and most trying times. … Someday we will more fully realize how generous and kind the Lord has been to each of us. We will better understand and appreciate the depth of the Savior’s sacrifice and the reality that he and the Father are truly givers of good gifts.”

Finding God in the Silence

CD Cunningham

Elder Neil L. Andersen quoted from David O. McKay’s 1967 General Conference talk: “The greatest battle of life is fought within the silent chambers of your own soul.”

Elder Andersen began his remarks by talking about his early life on a dairy farm in Idaho. He would travel with the cows to the fields and wait with them there all day. He had no music, no cell phone, nothing but himself and his own thoughts—and the cows.

I have found in my own life just how easy it is to use the ever-present distractions to avoid ever listening to the “silent chamber” of my soul. 

Much of what we find on our phones these days has been specifically designed to distract and upset us. What am I doing to overcome those powers and find the silence that Elder Andersen taught is needed to build our faith in Jesus Christ?

God Knows Where You Are

Amanda Freebairn

Often, the General Conference talks that speak to me most are the ones that offer concrete invitations and challenges I can begin applying in the coming months. In that vein, I saw a thread through the talks given by President Chibota, Sister Spannaus, and Sister Runia. 

President Rosemary K. Chibota of the Primary General Presidency spoke of the importance of remembering our identity as children of God and viewing others through that same lens. She said:

“Your Heavenly Father sees you. Your Savior Jesus Christ sees you. They know your name, your circumstances, your gifts, and your divine potential. As we learn to see ourselves and one another as They do, our homes, wards, schools, and communities will become places of belonging, healing, and love.”

Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus, second counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, laid out a path for young women, but one that is really applicable to men and women of every age, for how to make life decisions and plans while trusting in God and being prepared to follow the Spirit. She said:

“The Lord knows where you are. He has your exact location and can guide you. He knows your dreams and your gifts. He knows when you feel alone and what your questions are. He knows your challenges and how to turn your weaknesses into strengths. He knows everything, and knowing everything about you does not make Him love you less.”

Sister Tamara W. Runia, first counselor in the Young Women’s General Presidency, spoke about what to do when the inevitable trials of life throw wrenches into those plans. She said:

“It is precisely because He loves us that we’re having these tempering, refining experiences. God knows, and we are here to learn, that we must become like Him so we can live with Him. And a godlike life is carved from the very things that make it hard—the gut-wrenching things that happen and the righteous desires that haven’t.”

Taking Our Discipleship Seriously

Marilia Gabriela

Across the sessions, I noticed a common invitation: to take our discipleship seriously while also remembering that God knows us individually. We are still learning. We do not always understand. We face weaknesses and difficult circumstances. But the answer is not to give up. The answer is and always will be Jesus Christ. 

He taught about how our discipleship is connected to the temple’s sacred ordinances and covenants. He taught: “For disciples of Jesus Christ, receiving priesthood ordinances and entering into sacred covenants are essential steps in the ‘quest of a lifetime’ to align our hearts, minds, and lives with God’s will.” 

I hope his message inspires all of us to do better and to remember the promises we made in the temple.

And to those who are suffering because of their spouse’s choices, Elder Bednar made it crystal clear that “unrighteousness by one person cannot hinder or thwart the flow of God’s love, strength, and blessing to another person.” Let yourself find peace in Christ, because “the power of the Lord’s infinite and eternal Atonement can overcome all things, all the time, everywhere, for every person who holds fast to their covenants with Him.”

I also loved President Dallin H. Oaks’ talk. He said: “This is the Church of Jesus Christ, so named because it is His Church with the restored fulness of His doctrine and authority in these latter days.” To me, this perspective explained why this conference felt so centered on Jesus Christ and His doctrine. Whenever we talk about the gospel, we should have Jesus’ name and life in mind. He guides His Church, and to me, listening to General Conference talks that address current issues is evidence of that.

The post The Answer Is Jesus Christ: October 2026 Conference Roundup appeared first on Public Square Magazine.

In his April 2026 General Conference address, President Henry B. Eyring taught that prayer is more than something we turn to when life falls apart. Continual prayer creates a relationship with Heavenly Father that brings peace and spiritual strength through every circumstance of life.

President Eyring pointed to the sons of Mosiah, whose spiritual strength was developed long before their moments of greatest need:

It is significant that their spiritual strength came from continued prayer rather than waiting to pray until a moment of crisis when they desperately needed divine help.

But it can be difficult to keep praying when answers seem delayed, circumstances remain unchanged, or God already knows what we need. If He knows us perfectly, why do we need to keep asking? And if the situation does not change, did the prayer accomplish anything?

President Eyring’s message offers a different way to understand prayer: prayer is not merely an emergency transaction with God. It is an ongoing relationship with Him.

Common Criticism: Why Pray If Nothing Changes?

For some, prayer can begin to feel transactional: we have a problem, we ask God for help, and then we wait to see whether He fixes it.

When the hoped-for answer comes, it can feel like prayer worked. When circumstances remain painful or confusing, we may wonder whether God heard us at all.

Fallacy at Work: Outcome Bias

Outcome Bias is the tendency to judge a decision or action primarily by the outcome it produces.

Applied to prayer, we might evaluate whether prayer “worked” according to whether we received the answer we wanted. If the illness remains, the relationship does not heal, the opportunity never comes, or the grief does not disappear, we may conclude that prayer failed.

But that assumes the only purpose of prayer is to change our circumstances.

Doctrine: God Knows, Hears, and Strengthens

Scripture presents prayer as something much deeper. Alma taught that our hearts should be “drawn out in prayer unto him continually” (Alma 34:27). The Savior likewise taught that Heavenly Father knows what we need even before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8).

Prayer, then, cannot simply be about informing God of our needs.

It is an act of turning toward Him.

President Eyring testified:

In moments of pain, loneliness, or confusion, we know that our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son are aware of our circumstances and that They yearn to bless us.

God’s awareness does not guarantee that every painful circumstance will immediately disappear. It does assure us that we do not face those circumstances unnoticed or alone.

Elder Soares’s Correction: Pray Before the Crisis

President Eyring points to the sons of Mosiah, who “had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting” and consequently had “the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation” (Alma 17:3).

Their prayers were not simply reactions to emergencies. Prayer had become part of who they were.

That distinction matters. If we think of prayer only as something to use when we desperately need divine intervention, we can miss one of its greatest purposes: continual prayer prepares us spiritually before difficulty arrives.

President Eyring’s own experience illustrates this principle. At the funeral of his wife of 61 years, he described feeling unexpected peace and “almost joy.” His loss had not been reversed. Instead, the Lord answered his prayer with an assurance from the Holy Ghost that allowed him to look forward with hope to a future reunion.

The answer did not remove the grief. God gave him peace within it.

Solution: Measure Prayer by Relationship, Not Just Results

Instead of asking only, “Did God give me what I asked for?” we can also ask:

Did prayer draw me closer to Him?

Did I receive peace?

Was I strengthened to carry something I could not remove?

Did inspiration come?

Did hope return?

The people of Alma experienced exactly this. Their captivity did not immediately end when they poured out their hearts to God. Instead, the Lord first strengthened them until “the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light” (Mosiah 24:15).

Sometimes God removes the burden. Sometimes He strengthens the person carrying it. Both can be answers to prayer.

Living Apologetics: Prayer as Relationship, Not Performance

Another misconception about prayer is that perhaps we are doing it incorrectly. We do not know what to say. Our thoughts wander. Our prayers sound repetitive. Someone else seems able to pray with beautiful language while ours feels simple.

President Eyring removes that pressure:

Opening the windows of heaven through fervent prayer does not require the use of many words or flowery language.

The people of Alma could not even pray aloud without putting themselves in danger. Instead, “they did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts” (Mosiah 24:12).

God did not require eloquence. He required their hearts.

That means prayer remains available in the hospital room, in the car, during a sleepless night, in a joyful moment, or in a season when we cannot find words at all. Continual prayer is less about always speaking and more about continually turning our hearts toward God.

Practical Apologetic Use 

• If someone says: “I’ve prayed and nothing changed, so I don’t see what prayer accomplished.”

• You can respond: “Prayer isn’t only about getting God to change our circumstances. Sometimes His answer is to change what we are able to carry within those circumstances—to give peace, strength, direction, or hope. Continual prayer builds a relationship with Him that prepares us to recognize and receive those answers.”

Ways to Apply Today

1️⃣ Pray before you need something. Offer a prayer during an ordinary or joyful moment simply to thank Heavenly Father and draw near to Him.

2️⃣ Notice answers beyond changed circumstances. When you pray about something difficult, watch for peace, strength, insight, patience, or reassurance—not only the outcome you requested.

3️⃣ Pray without worrying about the words. When you do not know what to say, simply turn your heart toward Heavenly Father. A sincere prayer does not need to be long or eloquent to reach Him.

Keep This Talk With You

President Eyring’s invitation is not simply to pray harder when life becomes difficult. It is to pray continually, no matter the circumstances of life.

There will be moments when prayer seems to bring a clear answer. There will be others when circumstances remain painfully unchanged. And there may be times when we cannot find words at all.

But none of those experiences mean God is absent.

The Savior promised His disciples, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth” (John 14:27). President Eyring’s message reminds us that this peace is not necessarily the absence of trouble. It is the presence and support of Christ within it.

Continual prayer prepares us to receive that peace. The sons of Mosiah did not wait for crisis to build their relationship with God. Their spiritual strength came because prayer had already become part of their lives.

This week, try one small step:

• Pray when everything is going well. Let gratitude, not just need, draw you toward Heavenly Father.

• Look differently for an answer. If a circumstance has not changed, ask whether God is giving you strength, peace, patience, direction, or hope within it.

• Practice a prayer of the heart. During an ordinary part of your day, quietly turn your thoughts toward Heavenly Father—even if you say nothing aloud.

Prayer does not promise a life without grief, confusion, or difficulty. It promises that in every one of those circumstances, we can continually turn toward a Father who already knows us, hears us, and yearns to bless us.

What would change in your relationship with Heavenly Father if prayer became less about asking for an outcome and more about continually turning your heart toward Him?

The Consider Conference series by FAIR offers an in-depth look at recent General Conference talks to help members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints navigate common questions, misunderstandings, and criticisms. Each post provides doctrinal insights, historical context, and practical ways to apply gospel principles in everyday conversations. Through this series, we hope to equip readers with faith-promoting resources that encourage thoughtful reflection, respectful dialogue, and a stronger foundation in gospel truths, fostering both personal conviction and meaningful discussions with others.

The post Prayers for Peace appeared first on FAIR.

An updated chart of General Authorities and General Officers is now available to download. The chart includes the new Primary general presidency, and a new member of the Presidency of the Seventy. An updated chart will also appear in the November 2026 Liahona magazine (conference edition) in dozens of language

View or download the chart in English, Spanish, Portuguese, or French.

Read more about the changes in Church leadership since the April 2026 general conference in the article “Download this updated September 2026 chart of general authorities and general officers.”

Hashtags

Many social media sites let you categorize your posts by using hashtags. Hashtags consist of a pound sign (#) followed by a key word(s). These subject tags can be searched on sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Flickr, and Tumblr to find information about a given topic.

Here are suggested hashtags you can use when posting comments about conference:

• #GeneralConference
• #HearHim, #Restoration, #FirstVision (hashtags specific to this conference)
• #‎inspiredby‬ (to share what you find inspiring)
• #next6months (to share how you want your life to change over the next 6 months)
• #last6months (to share how your life has changed since last conference)
• #TabChoir (when referencing the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square)

Use this format when mentioning the names of Church leaders:

• #PresOaks, #PresEyring, #PresChristofferson (First Presidency)
• #PresUchtdorf (President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles)
• #ElderBednar, #ElderCook, etc. (members of the Quorum of the Twelve and the Seventy)
• #BishopWaddell (Presiding Bishopric)
• #SisterChibota, #BrotherJohnson (General Officers)

See a more complete list of suggested LDS hashtags you can use when discussing the Church on social media.

The free book 101 Ways to Hasten the Work Online also has ideas about using hashtags.

And remember the words of President Dieter F. Uchtdorf from the April 2011 General Conference:

With so many social media resources and a multitude of more or less useful gadgets at our disposal, sharing the good news of the gospel is easier and the effects more far-reaching than ever before. In fact, I am almost afraid that some listening have already sent text messages like “He’s been speaking for 10 minutes and still no aviation analogy!” My dear young friends, perhaps the Lord’s encouragement to “open [your] mouths” might today include “use your hands” to blog and text message the gospel to all the world! But please remember, all at the right time and at the right place.

Direct URLs

The Church provides a number of direct URLs (also called “vanity URLs”) that you can use to quickly access general conference online.

Conference Page

• conference.ChurchofJesusChrist.org or gc.ChurchofJesusChrist.org take you directly to the main general conference site (ChurchofJesusChrist.org/general-conference)
• conferenciageneral.ChurchofJesusChrist.org takes you to the general conference page in Spanish (ChurchofJesusChrist.org/general-conference?lang=spa)
• conferênciageral.ChurchofJesusChrist.org takes you to the general conference page in Portuguese (ChurchofJesusChrist.org/general-conference?lang=por)

Conference Music

• gcmusic.ChurchofJesusChrist.org takes you to the conference music playlist (ChurchofJesusChrist.org/general-conference/music)

Conference Children’s Activities

• conferencegames.ChurchofJesusChrist.org takes you to general conference activities for children (ChurchofJesusChrist.org/general-conference/activities-for-children)

See a list of short URLs to find many other Church websites.

Related articles:

• How to Prepare for General Conference
• Invite Your Friends to Watch General Conference
• 8 Ways to Access General Conference
• Direct URLs to Access General Conference

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by Autumn Dickson

In the last post for this week, we talked about the Lord calling out idols for being useless. He challenges them to prophesy or explain past things as He does. He invites Israel to come and judge with Him. He tells them to come and see whether these manmade idols have any worth, to discern for themselves that the Lord is the only God.

He does that in Isaiah 43 again, but there is a little addition that I want to cover.

Isaiah 43:9 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.

So the Lord is telling the nations to gather together and his people to assemble and observe. He then asks the nations, “Which of you can declare the future or show us the past? Bring your witnesses.” Then He adds this:

Isaiah 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

So in the previous chapter, the Lord is like, “Israel come and judge and see if these idols are worth anything.” They are the observers, the jury. In this chapter, He is calling upon Israel as His witness to stand before the world and testify. They are no longer the jury, listening and observing and trying to discern truth. They have been called to be witnesses and share the truth.

I love the transition from jury to witness. I think observing the differences between jury duty and the call to be a witness can help us understand our responsibilities.

As part of the jury, you are largely silent. You’re listening and observing. You’re showing up to see, paying close attention, observing patterns, and seeking the truth, but no one is asking for your opinion immediately. The Lord asks you to be the jury first. Have you done this part? Did you show up to see? Did you come with impartiality? Did you take your role seriously or are you caught up in other responsibilities? Do we understand the gravity of what we’ve been asked to observe?

Being a part of the jury is an essential first step, but it’s not the end. You’re not just here on earth to observe. You’re here to become. I’m going to repeat that because it comes into play later. You’re here to become.

If you have fulfilled your role as jury, do you feel prepared to step into your new role as witness?

There are two definitions of “witness.”

The first definition is, “a person who sees an event.”

As a witness in a court room, it’s your job to tell the truth about what you’ve observed. Do you know what you’re talking about? Do you present yourself well? Can they feel the truthfulness of your words?

When you really think about a scenario in the courtroom, the jury is trying to discover the truth of the matter. In this case, they’re trying to determine whether God truly is the only God. When you share your testimony, they’re not just collecting information. People will be listening to your testimony, but what they are truly judging is your credibility. They are making judgment calls about who you are.

Which actually leads me to the second definition of “witness.”

The second definition (a definition I didn’t originally think of) is more interesting to me. A witness is also “evidence, proof.” A witness is not just someone who gives evidence; a witness can be the evidence. Standing as a witness means talking about our observations of Jesus Christ, but standing as a witness also means being the evidence or proof of Jesus Christ. There are a few interesting ideas surrounding this idea of being the evidence. Let’s talk about two of them.

Idea one: What does it look like to be evidence of Jesus Christ?

Honestly, I think it looks like being filled with joy. We live our lives in a certain way. We are a peculiar people, but more importantly, we feel confident in His promises and that brings joy and peace. That means on some days, I’m waking up and praying and feeling joyful for all I’ve been given. On other days, I wake up and lean on Him for comfort in the dark times. It doesn’t mean persistent, fake happiness. It means a fulfilling, hopeful, peaceful life.

It also means a life of integrity. People can trust you. You’re consistent in doing good and loving others.

And honestly, this is really where I found my own “evidence” of Christ: in becoming the evidence. I have collected plenty of spiritual experiences throughout my life. I had heard little whispers of the spirit, and I used to cling to those to try and prove my testimony. Unfortunately, I still found myself with doubts. That changed significantly when I became the evidence instead of trying to collect it. I have this relationship with Him that is very real. He has changed my life for the better.

Idea two: Becoming the witness (evidence) came from sharing my witness.

I found my relationship with Christ by sharing what I did know. I knew of Him before. I had experiences with Him. I had beliefs and misconceptions and internalizations surrounding Him. But choosing to invest time and energy into sharing what I knew about Him invited Him into my life, and now He’s my Friend. It turned me into a more active participant in our relationships and therefore, strengthened our relationship.

He is already the active party in your relationship. He is fully committed regardless of what you’re currently choosing. If you want to reap the benefits, you simply have to engage.

So stand up from being the jury and choose to be a witness. It will change you into the evidence of Christ, and it is the most satisfying experience.

I testify of Christ. I testify that my life has become evidence of who He is. Look at how He has changed me. Where I was miserable and distraught before, I am now full of gratitude and joy. Where I was uncertain and scared, I am now full of hope for the future. It is a joyous experience. It has filled my life with light and given me purpose and confidence.

Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award.

The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Isaiah 40–49 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

At least, that’s what I’ve increasingly heard from people discussing LGBTQ+ issues in a faith context. But is it actually true?

With the Salt Lake City Temple open house coming up, the temple is on the collective minds of Latter-day Saints. Within the LGBTQ+ conversation, some have asked how Latter-day Saints who have an experience under that label connect to the temple. Given that same-sex sexual behavior doesn’t meet the standards of chastity required for temple attendance, are Latter-day Saints who experience same-sex attraction being offered the same blessings as everyone else? Does everyone have the same access to temple blessings, and if not, does that need to change?

The Question of Fairness

I remember first going through the temple and experiencing mixed emotions. There was the culture shock of a religious ritual I hadn’t prepared for, paired with a profoundly spiritual witness of its veracity and importance. I looked around at the family members who attended my endowment with me and had a distinct impression that within these walls was the closest we could get to heaven. I saw the divine potential in each of my family members as they stood in the temple’s halls in pure white clothing. My understanding was relatively immature; there were certain aspects I found uncomfortable, but I knew it was something I wanted to experience more.

What the Temple Is For

The temple is a sacred place with a very specific purpose. Its purpose isn’t to reward people whose lives fit a certain mold. Instead, it brings us into covenant with God, shows us our divine potential, and points us toward Christ.

We’re required to live specific standards to be worthy to enter the temple, but those standards are more about preparing us for the highly spiritual temple experience than about a religion controlling our choices. The less we live by the commandments, the further removed we are from the Spirit. The less of the Spirit we have in our lives, the less prepared we will be for the spiritual experience the temple offers through religious ritual. Not to mention, the temple adds more responsibility to our eternal progression. If we aren’t willing or able to keep the standards required to enter the temple, how can we be expected to keep our covenants?

The temple’s belief- and conduct-based standards are the same for everyone. It’s this equal application of the standards and the promised blessings of the temple that makes it a fair system, if still painful at times in practice.

Equal Standards, Unequal Difficulty

This doesn’t mean we should dismiss the real pain of Latter-day Saints who feel like the temple isn’t for them. Whether it’s the complexity of same-sex attraction, the deep wounds of abuse, or the loneliness of single life, their pain is real, and it shouldn’t be dismissed. It’s easy for those of us who find joy in the temple to dismiss the painful realities faced by some of our brothers and sisters. We should look for those whose heads hang a little lower than ours on this topic. We can listen to their pain. And while we don’t have to validate every belief they might have, we can certainly validate the feelings those experiences bring up.

Fairness Depends on What We Believe

In mortality, we often think of fairness as an equal distribution of hardship. That tendency sometimes bleeds over into temple worthiness requirements. If a standard is more complicated for one group to abide by, we may assume it is an unfair standard. And to be fair, that claim might be true if we were only talking about the temple ceremony as a religious rite put on by a religious institution. But that’s not all it is. As the name suggests, it’s an endowment of power and knowledge that puts us in a covenant relationship with God. One of the temple ceremony’s primary functions is to remind us to keep an eternal perspective. It’s this perspective that doesn’t take away the pain but contextualizes any perceived injustices as what they are: temporary. 

It all comes back to belief as the foundation. Do we believe this is God’s church? Do we believe prophets are His spokesmen—men who have the sacred calling of speaking on His behalf, not perfectly, but in a way that will never lead us astray if we follow their counsel? Do we believe temples are God’s house, where we are endowed with power with eternal significance? 

If not, that is our right. But we may need to evaluate what we believe and why the temple is our goal. If we believe this is God’s kingdom on earth, the temple and all we receive as patrons and eventual heirs of God’s kingdom are worth any sacrifice or complexity. We believe in a God who will eventually right every wrong and rectify every injustice. As we read in Revelation, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

Costs or Blessings?

Growing up, I always imagined a wife and family. Later, I was told that being authentic meant pursuing a same-sex relationship, or at least accepting that temple marriage was not for me. But that wasn’t what I wanted, and my experiences with God kept pulling me toward the covenant path. Eventually, I met my wife, Amanda. My story is not a prescription for everyone, but it shaped how I see this question.

In my case, I was fortunate to find a life-giving, fulfilling marriage with a woman I love. 

Dean began with an important note about worthiness. 

“There’s nothing about my gayness that says ‘you can’t go to the temple’ or ‘you’re lesser when you’re in the temple.” Then he added, “My being attracted to guys has zero impact on my worthiness to attend the temple. And so if I am willing to live the commandments, then I get to have everything that any other member could have there.” 

He then repeated that idea with this line, which struck me: “There’s nothing within the temple that I can’t do.” Before I could ask him to clarify, he added, “I can do all of the ordinances of the temple. There’s actually only one ordinance that you get to do for others before you do it for yourself, and that’s the sealing. And so even though I’m not sealed to a woman—I’m not married—I can still participate in that ordinance for others.” 

This is what inspired me most about my interview with him. Even though he recognized the difficulty of not having a temple sealing for himself, he also recognized how certain blessings of the temple can extend to those who participate in proxy ordinances. In his mind, the temple is worth any sacrifice:

As good as a relationship with another man could be, I got to choose that or this. And if that’s the case, I’m choosing this … I will eventually have everything that Heavenly Father has. Because eternally, He will not let me miss out.

He concluded with this:

The temple is super important. I know that this is God’s church, and I know that’s a really important part of what we do in our eternal progression: the ordinances that we receive and then do for others in the temple, and also the peace and the love and the revelation that we can receive there.

The policies around what I can do there don’t marginalize me. So I don’t let anybody else marginalize me or marginalize myself by stepping aside.

The temple is the ideal. The city on the hill. The mountain of the Lord. When we talk about the temple or the standards required for entering its doors as unfair, we degrade its power in our lives and the lives of others. We demean its sacredness in an effort to make it more equitable. We bring it down to a terrestrial glory in an effort to fit our mortal standards in a God-shaped hole.

We all wear white in the temple for a reason. Not to say we’re all the same in a worldly sense of equity. But to remind us of our equal value before God, our inner commitment to be holy, and the equal application of blessings available to us.

Our timeline for the blessings promised in the temple may differ for each of us, but the promises aren’t different—that is, as long as we are willing to live the standards and, like Dean so wisely observed, “not marginalize ourselves.”

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