Faith & Life

Where Bees Gather

A market is held in my neighborhood every five days. It had been a while since my last visit, so I decided to go and get some fresh air. As I passed a grain stall, I heard a buzzing sound. Bees were flying over the grains. Curious, I asked the owner about them. He explained that the grains were organic, adding that bees do not gather around grains treated with pesticides. In the same way, God’s children come running to Zion, where God’s word and the fragrance of life are found. Surely, they would not gather in a place filled with lawlessness, which is like a foul stench. I give thanks to Father and Mother for allowing me to come…

Gu Yeon-hui from Suncheon, Korea

The Importance of Water

I have been growing a night-blooming jasmine plant for some time. One day, as I watched it shoot up, I remembered hearing that if you cut off a stem and plant it elsewhere, it will take root. Curious to see for myself, I cut off several of the taller stems and placed them in a bottle of water. Several days passed, and most of the cuttings remained healthy without wilting. One cutting, however, had noticeably drooping leaves. Thinking the hot weather might be the cause, I repeatedly misted the leaves with water, but nothing changed. Worried, I took the cutting out of the bottle and found that the end of its stem was completely dry. It was shorter than the…

Park Yul-mi from Daegu, Korea

What We Take for Granted

A small, charming museum is about a ten-minute walk from my home. On a hill in its spacious garden stand two ginkgo trees. Growing so close together that they look like a single tree, they tower majestically as though reaching for the sky. The sight of them shimmering beneath the clear autumn sky fills me with joy. Especially at sunset, when their yellow leaves flutter in the crisp breeze against the red glow of the evening sky, the scene looks like a painting. Last autumn, too, I looked forward to seeing the ginkgo trees turn a brilliant yellow. While chatting with friends at a newly opened cafe below the hill, I kept telling them how beautiful the trees would be…

Jo Ye-gang from Gunsan, Korea

Health Checkup

Some time ago, I had a health checkup. Since I had never received any concerning results before, I was not particularly worried. A few days later, however, I was startled to receive a call from the hospital. They told me that my cholesterol level was far above the normal range and warned that if I did not start taking care of my health now, I could develop a serious illness later. I looked back on my daily habits. Until then, I had preferred spicy and salty foods, fried foods, and fast food over healthier choices. I rarely exercised because I found it tiring and bothersome. Without realizing it, my unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise had been gradually harming…

Jo Pil-seon from Jeju, Korea

Walking Together

I went with my mother to the supermarket near our home. As we picked up potatoes, garlic chives, carrots, and other things we needed, our basket quickly grew heavy. While placing our purchases in the basket, the shopkeeper set aside five or six potatoes and put them in a separate bag. When my mother asked him to put them in with the rest, he replied, “There are two of you, so you should share the load. Why should one person carry everything?” As I carried the bag of potatoes home, I found myself thinking of Heavenly Mother. Walking with someone means more than simply traveling along the same path. It means sharing the hardships and difficulties along the way as…

Baek Seung-hye from Yongin, Korea

Heavenly Mother, My Strength

When a coworker unexpectedly resigned, I had to take on their responsibilities in addition to my own. I became so busy that, apart from my lunch break, I barely had time even to use the restroom. I had little peace of mind, and even after leaving work, I found myself worrying about all the tasks that would be waiting for me the next day. After about two weeks of this, I was physically drained and mentally exhausted. One day, as I made my way home from work, utterly worn out, Heavenly Mother came to mind. I wondered how Mother must feel, working tirelessly for Her countless children around the world. There were many times when I felt overwhelmed by the…

Why We Quarrel

A childcare center held a book exhibition featuring books written by its six-year-olds. Among the many books about space, dinosaurs, cars, and other topics, one child’s two-page book caught my eye. It was titled “The Snowman.” “Hey, stop teasing me! It hurts my feelings!” On a snowy day, the snowmen in Snowman Village have different hearts. Later, they all get along. As I spend my days with children, hardly ten minutes pass without some little incident. They argue because two of them want to play with the same toy, because one child accidentally damages another’s belongings, or because someone wants to join in but cannot. The reasons may differ, but perhaps the root of these quarrels is just as the…

Park Min-ji from Seoul, Korea

The Center of My Faith

I once hurt my back while lifting a heavy box. I did not think much of it at first, but the pain grew worse as the days went by. Eventually, even daily activities became difficult. The slightest movement made me cry out, “Ouch!” and my back even hurt when I laughed. Once my lower back, the center of my body, was injured, even the simplest things became difficult and painful. The same is true of our faith. When God is at the center of our faith, everything is joyful and fulfilling. We are thankful to worship God and thankful that we can pray. We enjoy preaching the gospel and studying God’s word, and we are happy to spend time with…

Kim Hye-mi from Middletown, CT, U.S.

A Formula to Remember

As we go through life, there are times when we feel weary or discouraged. At such times, I think of this formula: GOOD – GOD = 0 0 + GOD = GOOD No matter how good something may be, it means nothing if God is not with us. Even if I have nothing, however, if God is with me, I have the very best. Heavenly Father and Mother are with us even now. With You, we are always “GOOD”!

Yoon Na-hee from Busan, Korea

Fully Charged With 100% Faith

The charging port on my phone broke. Even when I plugged in the charger, the phone would not charge, and the battery kept draining whenever I used it. It was frustrating. I took it to a service center, had the faulty part replaced, and plugged in the charger again. This time, the battery charged all the way to one hundred percent. Only when I saw the number one hundred did I finally feel relieved. Heavenly Father and Mother must also be waiting for our faith to be fully charged. If there are any damaged or weakened areas in my faith, I need to identify and correct them quickly so that my faith can become one hundred percent complete. It is…

Choi Jeong-woo from Auckland, New Zealand

Powdered Medicine

After my mother was hospitalized with shingles, I brought her to stay at my home. As I prepared porridge for every meal and gave her medicine, I remembered how difficult it had been for me to swallow pills when I was young. Whenever I took medicine, I would put a pill in my mouth and try over and over to swallow it, but only the water would go down. The pill would roll around in my mouth, gradually releasing its bitter taste and making me miserable, but it simply would not go down. For me, my parents would crush the pills and mix them with water. Then, somehow, I could swallow them easily. As soon as I took the medicine,…

Goo Yeon-hee from Suncheon, Korea

Your Unseen Love

When I was little, I loved playing with my dad. I loved floating in a swim ring with him in a valley stream, riding on his shoulders, and feeling the thrill of the airplane ride he gave me as he lifted me into the air on his feet. Things changed when I became a teenager. My dad’s concern began to annoy me, and I often felt that he was interfering in my life. We disagreed on many things, and over time, we talked less and grew apart. After I became an adult and moved away from home, I rarely kept in touch with him. Perhaps concerned about how distant I had become from my dad, my mother arranged for the…

Park Ye-seul from Pohang, Korea

Prime the Pump of Happiness!

When using a hand pump, a small amount of water is first poured in to help draw up a much larger flow. This small amount of water can be used as a metaphor for a small action that produces a much greater effect. Happiness in the home also needs something to get it flowing, because it does not simply happen on its own. A small act of thoughtfulness toward a family member, a helping hand offered first, or a single warm word can be like the water used to prime a pump, causing happiness to spring forth. This month, try priming the pump of happiness. And do not forget to keep pumping so that the happiness never stops flowing! How…

A Mother’s Longing

One day, my mother sent me a photo on my phone. It was of a letter I had written when I was seven. She said she had come across it while sorting through some belongings. Dear Mom, Hi Mom! It’s me. I’m sorry for giving you so much trouble. Mom, if you need me to do something, just tell me. I’ll take care of everything for you. Stay healthy, Mom. I love you! You’re the best! Bye! My mother said she cried as she read the poorly spelled, rambling letter. She deeply missed the little boy for whom his mother had once meant everything. Does she feel that her son has drifted away from her embrace? From now on, I…

Shin Yu-dong from Darkhan, Mongolia

Comfort in a Few Words

All the Korean members who had been serving on a mission with me in Russia returned to Korea. After clearing out the home we had shared and completing the move, many thoughts crossed my mind. I suddenly felt alone and began to wonder, “Will I be able to do well on my own?” On the day the Korean member I had been living with left Russia, a local member contacted me and asked if she could come over that evening. We had dinner together and talked for hours, losing track of time. She had made a special effort to visit because she was worried that I might feel lonely. Through her unexpected thoughtfulness, I felt Mother’s love. It was as…

Bae Tae-joo from Moscow, Russia

For a Flower to Bloom

“If a flower does not bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” I thought deeply about what these words meant. If a plant seems to be growing well but does not bloom, we should not assume that the problem lies with the plant itself. Instead, we should look at whether it has the right environment. Is it getting enough sunlight? Is the soil in good condition? Is it receiving too much or too little water? Is it getting enough nutrients? Only by considering all these factors and creating the best possible conditions can we help it bloom. I realized that faith grows in much the same way. Have I studied God’s word often? Have I…

Yolna Louis from Tampa, FL, U.S.

Why We Say “I Love You”

While I was preparing for class, a child came up to me and asked, “Teacher, do you know why we say, ‘I love you’?” “Well, let me see . . .” As I was thinking about how to answer, the child replied, “Because we love them.” The moment I heard those words, I realized that this was the simplest and surest answer of all. We do not need a grand reason to say, “I love you.” I should tell my family, both physical and spiritual, that I love them—because I do.

Shim Hyun-ji from Guri, Korea

Overflowing With Thankfulness

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Col 2:6–7 As I listened to a sermon, the words “overflowing with thankfulness” touched my heart in a special way that day. I looked back on myself and wondered whether I, who had often caused God concern because of my weak faith, had ever offered Him enough thanks to fill my heart to overflowing. As I continued to reflect, tears of gratitude began to flow. God is worthy of receiving eternal thanks and praise from all the heavenly beings and countless angels. Yet, to save…

Kim Yu-ri from Uiwang, Korea

Finding the Combination

I bought a new lock for my bike. While I was trying to set the combination, the dials were stiff and would not turn easily. I applied a little more force, and suddenly, the lock clicked shut. It was now locked with a combination I did not know. I had only two choices: cut the lock off or try every possible combination from 0001 to 9999. Not wanting to spend money on another lock, I decided to endure the long process of trying each combination one by one. 0001, 0002, 0003 . . . By the time I reached 0080, I began to have second thoughts. “Am I foolishly wasting my time? Should I just give up and buy a…

Kwon Min-seong from Cheonan, Korea

Preparing Myself

The first time someone called me “mister,” it felt a little strange. Until then, people had only ever called out, “Young man!” or “Excuse me!” And now, suddenly, I was “mister.” As I grew older and began visiting the hospital for various health issues, I found myself thinking, “I really am getting old.” Then one day, a nurse addressed me as “Father”—a respectful Korean form of address for an older man. Being called that for the first time felt strange. I had clearly grown older, so why was it so difficult for me to accept being addressed that way? People around me have begun suggesting that I dye my hair. As I write this, I am wearing reading glasses for…

Oh Dae-yeop from Seoul, Korea