Learning more about the world around us can help increase our faith in God.

For example, throughout scripture God commonly uses the concept of light as His preferred metaphor for Himself. To many this would merely be an accepted condition and they would move on to read the rest of the verse, but to me, as I study light in my physics classes at BYU, I understand the great meaning that can be drawn from this name alone. For example, light is used to not only expel darkness and bring warmth, but it is also the byproduct of electrons bumping up an energy level and thus emitting a photon.

This can be compared to God’s presence becoming more and more evident in our life as we ascend to higher spiritual levels. In addition, light is the only material that is truly constant in the universe—being the basis of all the equations and theories that we have,—just as God is the only true and unchangeable constant in the universe, the only constant upon which if we build we can never ever fall. And finally, light is the only material that is both a particle and a wave, and whose behavior varies upon whether or not we are observing it (double-slit experiment). A single photon will inexplicably behave as a wave if unobserved, but once placed under the scrutiny of the human eye it will behave as it should, or rather as a particle. Similarly, God does not always act the way we expect, seeing as we are observing a celestial and infinite subject through finite mortal eyes, as He says “for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.” (Isaiah 55:8).

This week for my religion class at BYU I was reading in the Book of Mormon from the book of the early American Prophet Jacob who lived several hundred years before the birth of Christ. In the fourth chapter he warns against those who “despise the words of plainness and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand” (Jacob 4:14). It goes on to tell how because of their pride God took away that which was easy to understand and gave them that which was difficult, for that is what they desired. And because of this they stumbled. Or in other words they fell away from the truth and became lost and confused in their own ways. Although I appreciate and love physics, and it does open my mind to many interesting insights, such as that with light, I need to slow myself down sometimes. For I have found that the most precious and wonderful concepts I gain are from the sweet and simple basic principles taught by the Savior, not the deep doctrine I sometimes aspire after. And just like a baby must begin with milk and work up to meat, so it is with me. And sometimes I need to remember to bite off only that which I can chew, and by doing so, I always gain the most.

This article was written by Rachel G., a student studying physics at Brigham Young University and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

10 All they shall speak and say unto thee: Art thou also become weak as we? Art thou become like unto us?

11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave; the noise of thy viols is not heard; the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.

12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! Art thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations!

13 For thou hast said in thy heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north;

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.

15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and shall consider thee, and shall say: Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms?

17 And made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof, and opened not the house of his prisoners?

Through Christ we can overcome everything Satan throws at us.

It’s so intriguing to me. Isaiah talks about all the things that Lucifer (the devil) is known for. What great power and potential he had. Son of the Morning! He was a mighty one before God at one point, but his pride filled him with rage. With his cunning and rage he shook kingdoms and destroyed cities. Yet, for all that, when the time comes he will be subject to justice because Jesus Christ took everything he could throw at him and overcame it. Now we know that Christ is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Master of All, the Great I AM. It doesn’t surprise us that Christ will be victorious over the adversary. What does strike me most is the reaction that we will have. Verses 16-17 we’re told that we will see Satan there, I picture him huddled dejectedly in chains, and when we see him we will say: “Really? This is the guy? The one responsible for so many terrible tragedies and so much hate and destruction? This guy right here?” We won’t believe our eyes, he will seems so impotent. To me that’s so fascinating. In our lives right now we think of the devil as if he has so much power to come and destroy our world, like some huge dragon. The truth is he only has as much power as we give him! He gets his way and causes so much devastation by spreading lies with a silken tongue. We have the choice whom we will allow to direct us, however, and if we give in to temptation than we allow Satan greater power and influence over us. But we don’t have to! Christ, our Savior, will be victorious and with Him we can completely overcome the adversary! I love to tell people this, especially those struggling with addiction or similar things because you realize the winning team is recruiting and desperately wants us on their side. Jesus is the answer, He will be the victor and wants to help us to overcome as well. All we have to do is believe that and live His teachings, and when the time comes we will look at Satan with the satisfaction that with the Lord’s help we did not fall victim to him.

I know that Christ is our Savior and we can join with Him by learning His words and living them. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, teaches plainly and completely what we must do and we can draw nearer to God through living its teachings than in any other way.

This article was written by Stuart M., a student studying pre-med at Brigham Young University and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Stuart is from Las Vegas and enjoys playing sports, studying, and listening to music.

“But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.”

The Lord wants us to come to Him so He can help us make decisions.

Nephi is reminding those who read his words of a powerful principle. If we are trying to do something “unto the Lord” it is imperative that we pray to Heavenly Father about it. This way He will be able to make our experience something that will enable us to obtain our goal of eternal life. Perhaps the strongest word employed by the prophet Nephi is anything. There should not be anything that we are doing which is not “unto the Lord,” and thus if we take the proper steps there should not be anything in our lives which is not being consecrated by the Lord for our eternal welfare. School, work, relationships, service—these are all facets of our lives where we can obtain incredible support from our Heavenly Father.

A month ago I began volunteering at the Boys & Girls Club here in Provo. Each Tuesday I spend around two hours there helping underprivileged children ages 5 to 7. We work on homework, have snack time, play outside, and do artwork. Walking the mile to the building on my first week as a volunteer I said a silent prayer to my Heavenly Father asking that I might be able to positively affect the lives of the children I was about to meet. As I was there, an image came into my mind of the beautiful painting by Carl Bloch of the Savior at the waters of Bethesda where He ministered one by one to those who were sick and afflicted. On a much smaller scale I was also ministering one by one, as I helped children who were lonely, poor, or sad. Afterward, as I walked back to my apartment I realized that this service had left me feeling closer to my Heavenly Father more than almost anything else I have done since coming to Brigham Young University. Since that time I have tried even harder to make this service a matter of prayer with Heavenly Father, and I have felt him truly consecrate my performance; my weekly visit at the Boys & Girls Club has become necessary for the welfare of my soul.

I’m thankful for the understanding I have of my Heavenly Father, an understanding that comes through my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Through reading scriptures like the one mentioned above I have realized that the Savior actually cares about every aspect of my life and if I will but pray to Him I can receive support in all of my endeavors.

This article was written by Katie S., a student and Brigham Young University and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

One of the more prominent parts of the Book of Mormon that talks of helping the poor among us is from the book of Jacob. Jacob was a prophet among the nation of the Nephites (the “father” of their nation was Nephi, who left Jerusalem in the year 600 BC, 13 years before the city was destroyed by the Babylonians) who was commanded to tell the people to repent of their ways and return to God. One of the sins that the Nephites were struggling with was pride. Many of them believe that because they had more money and riches compared to others, that they were better than the poor. Jacob tells them that this is a false assumption, and that everyone is equal to each other. He tells them that if they do seek for riches, that the riches should be used “for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and afflicted” (Jacob 2:19).

By paying tithing and fast offerings Church members help provide for the Church’s needs and for the poor and needy.

As members of the Church today we try to do this. One of the ways we do this is a “fast offering” fund. A fast offering fund is where members of the Church, or anyone who wants to participate, donate money to the cause of helping others that are going through financial struggles. By doing this, those who need the money will receive it. What is amazing is 100% of the money donated is given to the cause of those in need. Now-a-days, many charities only give a portion of the money donated to the actual cause. With our Fast Offerings, 100%, and no less, goes to those who need it. We also have what is called tithing, where members give 10% of all their income to the effort to help build our Church. It is used to build more church buildings, and things of that nature. None of the money donated ever is given to our clergymen; they do not have salaries at all. They do not get paid a penny for all the time and effort they put into helping out the Church.

My parents, after each paycheck they get, pay both tithing and fast offering. Because of this economy, everyone has had a hard time, my family included. We moved in the summer of 2007, around when the house market started to fall. Over 5 years later, we have yet to sell our old house, making it sometimes hard to pay bills for two houses. No matter how tight money got, we would always pay 10% for tithing, and what we could for fast offering. Because of this, we have ALWAYS been able to pay each monthly bill. It is because God blessed us that we have been able to get through these five years. I know that if we use our money for the right purposes, God will bless us, and help us out. I know this Church is true. I know that Jesus is the Christ. I know that if we choose to do the right, we will be blessed.

This article was written by Laura R., a student at Brigham Young University and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

When we put spiritual things first, we will find that we will still have enough time to make everything work.

As a new freshman in college, I often feel the stress of assignments and tests. Quite often, I think of skipping church activities or not fulfilling my church responsibilities to the fullest. I notice that when I skip these things, I can get the work done, but I will be easily distracted and the quality of the work will be less than satisfactory. When I do take the time to put spiritual matters first, I find myself more focused and motivated when I come back to do my work. Things usually work out for the better when I set aside a little time to put church before everything else in my life.

Jacob, a prophet in the Book of Mormon, also spoke to his people on this same matter. Jacob’s people were becoming wicked and prideful in their riches and success. They did not realize that God was the reason for their success, so they boasted of their own greatness and thought that they were better than less wealthy people. Jacob taught them a great lesson. In Jacob 2:18-19, he said, “before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. And after ye have obtained hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good.”

When we seek for the kingdom of God, we do everything we can to come closer to Jesus Christ. We follow God’s commandments, we study the life of Christ through the scriptures, we repent when we make mistakes, we give up material goods to give to others instead, and we do everything we can to become like Christ. We will be able to accomplish the things that God intends for us if we put Him first in our lives.

If we do these things, we will obtain riches. However, these riches may not always be in the form of worldly wealth. Riches can be in the form of talents that we use to bless other people’s lives. Riches can also be the heavenly reward waiting for us after this life. Riches can also be success in jobs. It is important to realize that if we truly seek for the kingdom of God and obtain hope in Christ, we will not want these riches for our own monetary gain. We will seek to bless others’ lives with the riches that we gain, no matter what form they come in. We will truly “seek them for the intent to do good.”

I have seen so many blessings in my life in direct correspondence to my obedience to the will of God. I am truly grateful for those blessings. I hope that I can follow Jacob’s teachings and bless the lives of others through the things that I gain from my Heavenly Father.

This article was written by Kristen B., a student at Brigham Young University and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We can find the kingdom of God through serving and being friends to others.

In the world that we live in, we are bombarded with material things and it’s so easy for them to become our obsessions. I finally got an iPhone at the beginning of this year, and now the iPhone 5 has just come out. It’s so easy for me to want the new version but the same thing goes with every other gadget out there, and with cars and clothes and all the new trends that come out every season. What do I do? Do I buy all new ‘everything I own’ just because what I have is out of season? Well, of course not, but sometimes with what’s in the media, on TV, in the magazines, on the internet, and so on, I can feel like I have to keep up with what’s new because that is what’s cool, but what I have to remind myself and ask myself is, what is cool to the Lord? What does the Lord want me to do? He wants me to serve my fellow men. In verse 19 it also says that if ye seek for riches for the intent to do good like clothe the naked, feed the hungry, administer to the sick and so forth then ye shall obtain riches. One word that sticks out to me in this verse is “intent.” Here I am, a student at BYU, and basically my main intention of going to school is to be able to get a good job where I can receive a good income. The next question I ask myself is why do I want a good income? Is it because I want to be rich and to be able to buy nice expensive things? Well, this is where I can apply my intentions, and my intentions are so that I can be independent and I can be able to help provide for my family and give back to society. Our intentions are so important, and although it’s great for all of us to want to be successful, we should also remember that the Lord wants us to be successful too, but in accordance with His plan. An important part of our Heavenly Father’s plan for us is service. By losing ourselves in His work we will be able to save our souls. I know that no matter what our financial circumstances may be, if we always put the Lord first we will obtain riches, and even if they’re not physical, the spiritual riches will be blessings that no money can buy.

This article was written by Maliana T, a student studying mathematics at Brigham Young University and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Maliana is from Minnesota and enjoys spending time with her husband and her four-year-old daughter.

Prayer is a time for us to learn what the Lord wants us to do as well as a time to ask Him to do things for us.

In class we discussed how maybe we should take a different approach.  Maybe instead of asking the Lord to answer our prayers and help us achieve our goals, we should ask Him to help us know what He would have us do.  This connects to the above scripture.  When we have problems, we should counsel the Lord and tell Him how to solve our problems.  We also should approach Him and ask Him what He wants us to do. Instead of asking Him to help us achieve a certain goal or result we would like to achieve, we should be asking Him what He wants us to do with our lives.  This attitude will help us achieve more and grow faster than trying to figure life out on our own.

Like the scripture states, the Lord counsels in wisdom and justice.  He is always watching out for us, and He knows exactly what we’re going through and how to help us.  God has created worlds, and has infinite knowledge.  Who better could we be dependent on?  From before the creation God had a plan for each and every one of us.  He knew exactly what challenges we would face and how to help us.

In the chapter 5 of Jacob, the Lord is talking and He says three times, “What more could I have done more for my vineyard?”  This chapter is a giant analogy comparing the people of the Lord to a vineyard.  By repeating this phrase three times, it makes it a Hebrew form of the superlative. This means that the Lord could not have done anymore to help His people.  He has done everything that He can, and the rest of it is up to us.  We are responsible for coming to Him and seeking His counsel so we can make correct choices.  The Lord always has His hands outstretched waiting for us to reach up and take His hand.  He is always there to help us, especially if we come to Him asking what He would have us do.  When the world is changing and uncertain, we have the best hand to fall back on. He will never fail us, and is the one sure place to put our trust.

This article was written by JeriAnn W., a student at Brigham Young University and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

After baptism we can receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by the power of the Priesthood.

The Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead, sometimes referred to as the Comforter, Light of Christ, Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Lord, and Still Small Voice. These are not only alternate names for the Holy Ghost, but describe the role and purpose of this Spirit. In the second book of scripture in the Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi, the ancient prophet Nephi leaves his last words with us in chapter 33. Nephi chooses to begin his farewell by humbly revealing that he is not as confident in his writing as in his speech be cause the Holy Ghost can testify or bare witness of truth.

In 2 Nephi chapter 33 verse 1 reads, “And now I, Nephi, cannot write all the things which are taught among my people; neither am I mighty in writing, like unto speaking; for when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men.” In this verse of scripture, the use of the word “unto” is key to understanding the role of the Holy Ghost. The Spirit does not force us to believe anything. We still have our agency, the ability to choose between right and wrong, but the Holy Ghost simply informs us of what is right and true, bearing witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We alone have the power to bring the teachings and doctrines of Christ into our hearts, as the Spirit brings truth “unto” our hearts.

The New Oxford American Dictionary defines “unto” as “the archaic term for to,” whereas, “into” is defined as “expressing a change of state.” The Holy Ghost has the power to bring truth to our hearts, but it is our responsibility and choice to accept truths in order to experience a “change of state.”

I know that if there is anything that we are questioning or uncertain about, if we ask of God, we will receive an answer through the power of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost has the ability to warn us of danger, alert us to opportunities, and testify of the truthfulness of Christ’s restored church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. With righteous desires and good intent, there is nothing that cannot be revealed unto us by the Spirit, that if we choose to accept has the power to change our lives forever.

This article was written by Y. Lofthouse, a student at Brigham Young University and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.