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Celisa Young

Celisa Young grew up in Meridian, Idaho and holds a BA in English. When she's not wrestling a draft or dog-earing a novel, she can probably found playing with her daughter, running with her dog, or hiking with her husband. The best days involve lots of all three.

Latter-day Saint Life

If you ever think, ‘Why am I even here?’ while at church, remember this uplifting truth

By Celisa Young

March 06, 2025 02:55 PM MST

One fast Sunday morning, I watched the organist come to the chapel with a hymnal in one hand, and a toddler screaming “I HATE CHURCH!” in the other.

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An engaged couple holds hands.

Latter-day Saint Life

A powerful reminder from one of the greatest love stories in scripture

By Celisa Young

February 13, 2025 03:16 PM MST

This love story from the Old Testament has a very encouraging message for us today.

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Latter-day Saint Life

This might be the most inspiring word in the Book of Mormon

By Celisa Young

December 10, 2024 03:40 PM MST

This word repeatedly resurfaces and is at the core of the plan of happiness itself.

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Latter-day Saint Life

How to feel happier: 4 hints from the Book of Mormon

By Celisa Young

November 18, 2024 06:41 PM MST

The Book of Mormon teaches four characteristics of happy people.

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Exterior of a single family house under construction

Latter-day Saint Life

A fresh take on the wise man, foolish man story you’ll be thinking about all week

By Celisa Young

September 27, 2024 02:23 PM MDT

Beyond the obvious sand-versus-rock analysis, this story teaches us something essential about building a testimony.

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Beautiful mid adult woman sitting on bench and resting outside in the city on autumn day.

Help for Life Challenges

This stellar insight will help you find peace over past mistakes

By Celisa Young

September 12, 2024 08:44 AM MDT

A comment in Relief Society is helping me comprehend the difference between feeling guilty and feeling contrite—and helping me live with more joy.

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Youth Sunday School class

Latter-day Saint Life

Teaching teens about moral cleanliness in a way that sticks

By Celisa Young

August 23, 2024 02:45 PM MDT

The updated ‘For the Strength of Youth’ manual provides an encouragingly clear guide for parents to follow, reminding me of how my mom taught me.

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Latter-day Saint Life

3 things you can do to help your kids be excited about marriage

By Celisa Young

August 07, 2024 04:46 PM MDT

I noticed that some of my friends are disinterested in getting married. Simple things my parents did, however, led me to feel excited about marriage.

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What does waiting on the Lord look like?

Help for Life Challenges

The true meaning of ‘waiting on the Lord’ is deeply empowering

By Celisa Young

July 18, 2024 09:30 AM MDT

“Based on His characteristically radical, transformative teachings, I highly doubt Jesus Christ expects us to sit around.”

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Close-up female hands working on the pottery wheel

Help for Life Challenges

Emptiness: an overlooked aspect of receiving personal revelation I found in ancient Chinese philosophy

By Celisa Young

July 05, 2024 11:34 AM MDT

I've always liked to keep my mental shelves fully stocked with absolutes and platitudes. Until the late Melissa Inouye showed me the power of emptiness.

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Temple Worship

The simple thing my mom did that showed me the power of temple garments

By Celisa Young

June 26, 2024 12:13 PM MDT

I’ve often wondered what kind of power comes from temple garments. Looking back, my mom’s habit of writing notes was teaching me all along.

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Smiling mother and daughter in city

Latter-day Saint Life

This unique parenting tactic works like magic for one family—and reflects an underrated Christlike attribute

By Celisa Young

June 14, 2024 02:29 PM MDT

My aunt ensures that each of her children feels seen and heard. And I’ve learned the simple secret to how she manages it all.

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Mother with her newborn child

Latter-day Saint Life

You don’t just deserve Sunday rest, your soul needs it. Here’s how to find it

By Celisa Young

May 01, 2024 07:12 AM MDT

As I rocked my fussy baby, I wondered, Is this how God feels when we refuse to take a break? Spiritual rest might be even more important than I thought.

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Help for Life Challenges

The phrase the Spirit whispered to me before my miscarriage that helped me stay hopeful

By Celisa Young

April 17, 2024 12:26 PM MDT

Facing unmet expectations helped me learn that faith is trusting that the Savior can help you. Hope is believing that He will.

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Latter-day Saint Life

What I never realized about the 2 verses when Jesus weeps (that reframed my thinking on emotion and the Spirit)

By Celisa Young

April 03, 2024 10:56 AM MDT

“I’ve often found myself reaching heavenward, eager to be quenched by spiritual sensations, only to come away thirsting for any feeling at all.”

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Woman standing on ornate tiled floor

Latter-day Saint Life

What does ‘Sunday best’ mean? This comforting, uniting explanation can deepen your worship

By Celisa Young

March 21, 2024 09:26 AM MDT

“Think anyone will notice?” my husband mused, wearing Chacos as we strode together into the church building.

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Latter-day Saint Life

The old gardening strategy that helped me see the beauty in generational unity

By Celisa Young

March 07, 2024 10:13 AM MST

Have you ever heard of Three Sisters Planting? Here’s what it has taught me about generational love, respect, and unity.

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Girl in garden spinning around in a dress

Latter-day Saint Life

Delightful advice from a four-year-old on making friends at church

By Celisa Young

October 24, 2023 06:12 AM MDT

Making new friends as an adult can seem like a daunting task, but when approached with childlike enthusiasm it can become a rewarding challenge.

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Latter-day Saint Life

An unexpected remedy for my anxiety as a missionary

By Celisa Young

October 11, 2023 06:00 AM MDT

I’ve become a firm believer in a gentle power that carried me through anxiety as a missionary in ways I’d never dreamed possible: family history.

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Neighbours talk and eat around a table at a block party

Latter-day Saint Life

6 tips to inspire participation in Church activities—without causing stress

By Celisa Young

September 20, 2023 04:05 PM MDT

In our busy lives, how do we make planning and participating in church activities a joy rather than a burden?

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Chris and Eme Martin at DC Temple Rededication August 2022

Latter-day Saint Life

A public health advocate’s mission to spread ‘peachy’ inspiration

By Celisa Young

September 11, 2023 09:08 AM MDT

Meet Emeobong (Eme) Martin whose “peachy disposition” has blossomed into a life of sweet and significant service.

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Latter-day Saint Life

How to avoid getting overwhelmed in your calling

By Celisa Young

August 31, 2023 07:00 AM MDT

Church callings give us ample opportunities to be engaged in good causes. If you’re like me, however, being “anxiously engaged” in your calling can also look a lot like feeling generally anxious about all the good causes.

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Sacrament speaker

Latter-day Saint Life

Elevate your next sacrament meeting talk with a few easy tips

By Celisa Young

August 14, 2023 11:18 AM MDT

Here are a few ways to make your sacrament meeting talk a good experience from podium to pew.

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Prayer

Latter-day Saint Life

If I can’t fast, how can I approach fast Sunday?

By Celisa Young

July 31, 2023 10:13 AM MDT

The Lord cares about our physical health and understands our unique situations—so does an inability to skip meals necessarily equate to skipping out on the blessings of fasting?

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