Magnify LDS Living

Have you ever felt like reading and studying the scriptures is just another item to add to your to-do list instead of feeling like the spiritual highlight of your day? Well, perhaps you can find yourself an "SOS scripture." This is a verse or set of verses from the scriptures that you can turn to whenever you might need a moment of peace or strength from the Lord. Perhaps it’s one you’ve memorized or stuck to your bathroom mirror. 

 

These SOS scriptures are a perfect example of how to get a lot out of a little, and that’s what today's guest Kristen Walker Smith is doing. She has made it a personal mission of hers to make scripture study the spiritual highlight of her day, and she has been sharing that mission with others!

 

"How scripture study feels is so much more important than how it looks."

 

Top takeaways:


Having an "SOS scripture" can be helpful for us to have whenever we might need a moment of inspiration from the Lord, and it doesn't require reading an entire chapter to feel that spiritual nourishment!
Even taking one minute a day to reflect on the scriptures can bring you closer to the Lord and feel the promises of scripture study.
Opening up the scriptures is a way to receive personal revelation and learn how much God loves us.
It's worth it to make a habit of scripture study, even when we don't feel like we're getting anything out of it, because those moments of peace will surely come.

 

Small and simple challenge: as you study the scriptures, even just one verse, look for 1) the point of the passage, 2) how you can make it personal, and then 3) add power to the verse by taking action on it.

 

Links

The Power of Scripture by Elder Richard G. Scott

Find Kristen's book here!

Want more from Kristen? Listen and watch her Seek course!
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We are taught that we all have a personal light from God, so how do we best shine that light so it grows brighter and brighter? Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, "ye are the light of the world," and as we come to know our divine selves, our light grows brighter and brighter.

"The more we can see ourselves the way God see us, the more confident we will feel to be in their presence."

Light is such an important part of Emily Orton’s life that she makes sure to always carry around a headlamp in case she finds herself somewhere without light. But it also carries a deeper, more spiritual meaning. She has studied out what the Savior is telling us when he says on the Sermon on the Mount, “ye are the light” and today, we are going to discuss how our personal light grows brighter as we discover our divine self.

 

Top takeaways from this episode


By simply being our true selves and acknowledging our divine identity, our lights will shine.
By seeing others as their true selves and divine children of God, we can see more of God's light in our lives.
We've all felt our personal lights dull at times, so if we focus on making our Heavenly Parents and the Savior a central focus of our lives, that light will return.
Light grows by gathering, so if we build a community of women who can rely on each other for spiritual matters of the heart, we will build a community of light.

 

Small and simple challenge: This week, focus on asking yourself, "what could go right?" as you are facing your everyday challenges. Write it down somewhere you can see it, and then be open to the answers that come.

 

Links

Check out Emily's book Seven at Sea: Why a New York City Family Cast Off Convention for a Life-Changing Year On a Sailboat

See Emily at TOFW: Vancouver or Lancaster
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Does your world feel heavy and dark? We live in a world of commotion and noise, and sometimes we just need a reminder that there is more light than we think. We just have to turn to the Lord and see his light in the everyday moments.

 

"You are meant to feel God's love, so allow yourself to feel joy!"

 

Today’s guest, Artist Kate Lee understands how it feels to be in that darkness. She created a painting called, “Through His Light” that came from a place of recognizing that there was more light from Christ all around her. Today, Kathryn and Kate discuss God's light, and Kate shares three lessons she learned through the process of creating the painting.

 

Top takeaways from this episode:


We have to consciously look for the positives in our lives and we will start to see God's light in those moments.
Sometimes in order to see the light, we have to look back and see that there was a gradual increase of light as we reflect.
Look for ways to have "everyday light" in your life including scripture study, turning to loved ones, and prayer.
Accepting God's light takes action and accountability.

 

Small and simple challenge: Take the time to ask the question, "how can I let more of God's light into my life?" and consider what your answer is. Give yourself grace in all aspects of your life to see God's hand more fully.

 

Links

See Kate's painting, "Through His Light" here!
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God never leaves us or turns from us, so how do we bridge the emotional and spiritual gaps that we create that distance ourselves from Him? As women, we all struggle with so many types of pain: death, loneliness, infertility, marriage trouble, wandering children, our own testimonies, mental health… the list goes on. We are promised that God's love will always be there, all we have to do is turn to Him. We can also bring that love into others' lives by trying to be more like the Savior.

"If we turn to the Savior and ask for help, we can receive healing."

This episode was inspired by a beloved talk from Reyna Aburto in General Conference in October 2019 titled, “Thru Cloud and Sunshine, Lord, Abide with Me!” In it, she shared a personal story about her father’s suicide and her daughter’s mental health issues. It was a revolutionary talk that opened up the discussion around mental health. Kathryn and Reyna open that conversation up even more and discuss with her how we can better understand the principle that God never leaves us.

 

Top takeaways from this episode:


Allow your pains and struggles to refine you.
By turning to God in your moments of pain, you can receive a testimony that he never leaves you.
When you are feeling perhaps that God's love has left you, don't stop praying. He will answer your prayers in time.
As you strive to be more like Jesus Christ, know that you stand by others in their pain and trials just as God stands with you.

 

Small and simple challenge: Remember the promise you make every Sunday as you take the sacrament that you will always remember Jesus Christ. This week, try to remember Him every day, and you will know how to help others.

 

Links:

Sister Aburto's Talk, "Thru Cloud and Sunshine, Lord, Abide with Me!"
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Happy Valentine’s Day! Our focus today is about what real love and acceptance of one’s self means in pursuit of becoming more like the Savior Jesus Christ. In today’s world, self-love is often synonymous with self-absorbedness. We are told to love ourselves, but we are not really given the right tools to do so. There is a lot of self-indulgence, running away from our problems, spending money on unnecessary things. So how do we focus on loving ourselves by adding the things that bring real value into our lives?

 

"If you’re tired, go to bed. If you’re hungry, eat. If you need a break, rest. Don’t give up."

 

Aliah Hall is a licensed clinical social worker who works with individuals and couples find healing through compassion, empathy, and connection. Her clinical experience is part of why we invited her, as well as her passion for the gospel. Kathryn and Aliah discuss what it means to really love yourself and how approaching this topic with the lens that we are all divine children of God will help us cut through what the world is saying, and really focus on eternal truths. 

 

Top Takeaways from this episode:


We have always been divine. Loving ourselves and finding our true selves is how we become more like the Savior.
You take care about the things that you love, so taking care of yourself shows you love yourself.
Anything worth having takes discipline, including a love of yourself and a knowledge of your divinity.
You cannot win a battle outside of yourself if there is an internal battle you are losing within.

 

Small and Simple Challenge: Talk to yourself like you would talk to someone you love. That's it!
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Welcome to our Magnify Podcast series "Let's Talk," where Kathryn and a few of her guests discuss top-of-mind topics and share their insights together as women. This week, our discussion will be based on an article written by Sister Patricia Holland titled “One Thing Needful,” and although this article was written 36 years ago, the insights are more relevant now than ever! We can’t wait to have this conversation together! Let’s dive in! And stay tuned at the end for how YOU can join in this discussion! We need each other!

 

"You are already anointed and appointed to be an amazing daughter of God."

 

Joining Kathryn on this episode are Emeobong (Eme) Martin and Ciara Lewis. Eme started an Instagram called @PeachyPonderings, which was started when she and her friends wanted to change the dialogue surrounding General Conference, and she created an account reflecting her personal peachy ponderings on a life of discipleship in Jesus Christ. Ciara is a friend of Kathryn's who previously taught seminary with her, and now spends time with family teaching her children and sharing her testimony on her blog. Both women have studied Sister Holland’s talk to prepare for this first episode of "Let's Talk."

 

Top Takeaways:


We already are divinely defined as daughters of God! We don't have to be or do more to receive that promise.
The Lord always promises rest in our souls when we come to Him.
Rest comes when we intentionally seek Jesus in our thoughts and actions.
An abundant life comes from understanding faith in Jesus Christ and waiting on His promises.

 

Small and Simple Challenge: This week we’re inviting you to read and study Sister Patricia Holland’s talk, “One Thing Needful” from an article in an 1987 Ensign. We really want to hear from you and how you find wholeness of your soul, so hop on over to @MagnifyCommunity on Instagram to join in the conversation!

 

Links

Sister Patricia Holland's talk written in 1987: "One Thing Needful: Becoming Women of Greater Faith in Christ"
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