Micaela Jones

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends," ~ John 15:13 (New Testament, KJV) September 10th, 2025 will always be remembered because it is the day America lost one of its greatest voices. Charlie Kirk was speaking publicly when he was shot in the neck by Tyler Robinson, a former Latter-day Saint from the Church of Jesus Christ who turned against his family, his values, and his faith. It was truly a horrific day at UVU when that happened there. I can't understand how anyone grew up a Christian and then turned against their beliefs by turning into a ruthless killer, therefore bringing tragic results. What's worse about it is that he murdered an innocent man, leaving his wife and children without a husband and father. And the shooter expressed no remorse over it. I hadn't followed Charlie Kirk, but I've seen a few videos of him speaking on Facebook and other social media platforms. Even though he came across as firm and bru...

I’m very grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is true today as it always has been from the very beginning and it always will in the years to come, especially the eternities. One of the greatest blessings for me about the Gospel is the Atonement because it is the greatest gift that our Savior has given us. Not only are we redeemed of our sins, but we can also be resurrected and live with God and Jesus Christ again after we die. And all the wrong things that happened to us would be amended for, too. A week ago last Saturday, I went through a recent heartbreak with a friend who abruptly ended our friendship because of our differences in beliefs and his personal challenges that made him feel we couldn’t be friends anymore. It was a very devastating loss for me because we’d been best friends since high school and we tried to be there for each other despite living far away or having different beliefs. Even though I had some feelings in the past that it was going to happen, I was still...

My heart is weak, but my spirit is lifted. I fear what is to come, but I walk with faith toward the future. I mourn what I've lost, but I seek hope in what I still have. I ache from my grief, but I rejoice in the comforts of peace, love and joy. My mortality on Earth is overwhelming with rocks, bumps, holes, and dead ends on the road. But, my eternity with the Father, His Son and all heavenly beings is worth the journey.

We have heroes that come with capes, shining boots & suits, super strengths & incredible powers to conquer evil and save innocent lives. We have heroes who serve & protect our communities & our country, even if it required risking their lives to save others. We even have heroes who are ordinary people yet still do great things, inspiring the next generations to follow in their footsteps and seek to use their examples to bring much more good to the world so it becomes a better place every day. But, who is our greatest hero? The world talks of the heroes that we see in the news, movies, books and comic books today. But there is one hero that the world never talks about yet we should because this is the greatest hero we've ever had. It's not the cops, the firefighters, the doctors, the military men & women, or the celebrities, or even the simple civilians who live ordinary lives. The Greatest Hero is the One who lived as a poor carpenter, but was & is prais...

For someone who's adjusted in a stage of life yet feels a new phase must begin, I dream of starting a new chapter of my life that would allow me to make more of my wishes come true. Sometimes I feel like a library book waiting to find its fitting spot in a bookshelf as long as it's the right size for it. When it finds its place, the book waits for a curious patron who'd be interested in the story that it possesses to come by and check it out in hopes of touching the reader's heart. In the end, the reader could become so enamored with the book that he or she will share its message with others and recommend it to other readers who'd be inspired as well. As I eagerly wait for a new chapter of my life to start, I must use all my strength to discipline myself in exercising patience. But for me, that can be an exhausting thing to do because I yearn for change to take place while the waiting period is very long and dull for me. Nevertheless, I seek ways to lift my spirits ...

  Long ago, a clan of warriors traveled by sea with their families in search of shelter from a dreadful war. But it wasn’t the only force behind their escape. The voyagers were also seeking a tree believed to have the power to heal all wounds and illnesses.      After many days at sea, the warriors found the land to venture through the forests for this healing tree. With the golden compass of an explorer, the men succeeded in their long quest. One warrior pulled out one of its fruits that hung above to see if this was the tree. To his great delight, his broken arm was repaired after one bite of the fruit. Soon, everyone partook of it, and their sufferings were healed.

Revenge is neither golden nor prosperous. It leads to nowhere except to the deepest depths of the darkness. The only places it leads you to are hate, sorrow, bitterness, contention and dread, all of which give nothing but pain. Forgiveness is a city of peace, renewal, joy and mercy, all of which provide true happiness. It is a landmark that stands out in the light to signal where you are so you can discover how far you've come in your journey to true healing. It never forgets or pardons the pain you've been through because of others or yourself. Rather, it takes in all of the broken pieces of your soul with compassion and care, and transforms them all into an improved molding of yourself that others need to see. Yourself included.

Blessed are you, Lord, my God, who is King of the Universe. Grant Your peace unto me as I grant peace unto You through Your works. Draw near to me as I draw near to You. My peace I give unto You as You give Your peace unto me. For You are the God of happiness, love and mercy. Blessed is my Savior, Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God, our Prince of Peace. My heart I give to Him as He, a divine figure, gave His life for me, a flawed sinner. He, who is without sin, extends His love without expecting perfection from us in return. Neither judgment nor condemnation are upon us unless we put them on ourselves. As our Redeemer, He encourages all of us to heed His promptings and commandments but rejoices as we improve ourselves through grace and mercy. As His follower, I vow to go with Him not to the ends of the earth, but to eternity, and throughout. His love fills my soul, as does His light that clears my path as I walk through the mists of darkness. My heart I give to Him. My soul I give to ...

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." ~ John 3:16 I look forward to the day Christmas comes as it marks the celebration of the most wonderful gift that God gave to the world. Jesus Christ came to Earth like any human being would through normal conception. He lived like a human. He breathed like a human. He loved like a human. He spoke like a human. He walked like a human. He hurt like a human. He was all human, but at the same time, He was all divine because He was spiritually and physically the Son of God. A man both connected to Heaven and to Earth, linked between God and mankind. Without Him, I know there'd be no bridge that can lead to redemption from our worldly sins; or eternal life with God in the heavens.

As an adult facing harder times than a youth or a child could, how do I keep my spirits up when I'm faced with loneliness, depression or isolation stemming from anything? That is an excellent question because it takes so much to answer it or to uplift ourselves during our adult years. While being an adult offers much independence & wisdom, it also comes with much responsibility and darkness, and those can be more challenging than we imagine. While you were a kid, it was easy to dream of growing up because grown-ups have cell phones, drive cars, wear adult-sized clothes or makeup, or experience interesting things our bodies go through. But when you reach adulthood, you learn the hard way that it's not exactly what you imagined. While it grants some liberation, it doesn't come free of duties, obligations or challenges we never thought possible when we were kids. We have to pay bills, buy groceries, make even the toughest decisions we never wanted to. This is why I advise ...

How do I keep light, hope, and love in my heart as I go about my days? Well... I think the answer is simple, really. I need light to see that there's still hope for the world so that I can build up love and share it with others through the light I can bring to them as I've seen it for myself. It's not easy to find because our minds are so clouded with darkness and mists that we don't know where to turn. But if we focus and hold on, even to a tiny speck of that light, we can find our way through the dark. As long as we keep it inside our hearts, we will never be led astray. We will make mistakes for sure because that's part of life. But if we learn from it and store our insights inside ourselves and use them for the better, we aren't far from the path we've walked on toward the light.

Find The Courage To Pray   Find The Courage To Empathize Find The Courage To Forgive Find The Courage To Love Find The Courage To Rejoice Find The Courage To Learn Find The Courage To Speak Find The Courage To Humble Find The Courage To Confess Find The Courage To Stand

God loves me, And I love God. Jesus loves me, And I love Jesus.

 God is good. God is merciful. God is just. God is loving. God is wise. God is tender. God is firm. God is gentle. God is protective. God is empathetic. God is humorous. If I can be all of the things that God is, I will be like God. Not be God, but be like God. Therefore, I will live up to my life as a Christian, who is a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Last November, I felt prompted to walk on the Timpanogos Temple grounds after I finished a hard day at work. Initially, I didn't know exactly why I needed to be at the temple despite being taught & advised that visiting the grounds always has the power to lift wounded or troubled hearts. Yet I had a simple but strong feeling that I needed to be there. As I got to the temple and started walking around, I began to feel an overwhelming sense of light and peace. I even started singing to myself "I'd love to see the temple" and Christmas hymns. Then... As I turned to the night sky, I saw the beautiful bright moon accompanied by a glowing star that shined so magnificently. As I glared into the clear night sky, I started thinking to myself about a Church message video that was titled "Wise Men Still Search For The Star." Though it's been a long time since I'd seen that video, I reflected on the meaning of the title. I then reflected on the Nativity stor...