9 Nov 2024

Heidi Applegarth

I considered myself a happy person. I felt joy in my life and blessed in my marriage. Yet when I spoke to others about my life in a mixed-orientation marriage, I often cried hot tears. They were tears that communicated anger and told others that I felt myself a victim and a martyr…and I did. In my mind, I was not a victim of my husband or our marriage but of those who disagreed with our choice to be together or who refused to see how happy we were.

6 Sep 2024

LANA GARFIELD

The Lord has often used mountains as a sacred place to teach and reveal to his servants sacred things.  Like Nephi, Moses and the brother of Jared. We too can be given further light and knowledge. Our temples are established on “the mountain of the Lord”. (Isaiah 2:2) I believe the temple is like being on the top of a high mountain.  We have a clearer view and perspective; nothing is obstructing our view.  We are able to see our true selves, our divine identity, our life and the Savior as they really are. 

1 March 2024

Kevin Harris

As I accepted my mother’s death, I believe that Jesus wept with me. Peace and pain can coexist during such times. That is when the love of God, through our Savior Jesus Christ, is most needed. In moments like that I picture the Savior holding me in His arms and saying “I know this is so painful for you right now. I will feel your pain with you if you let me. Then when you are ready, I will help you through it.”

13 Feb 2024

Jeffery Bennion

Why is it that sometimes we want to deny our power over our own lives, why do we sometimes resist the idea that we can choose for ourselves? There is a comforting absolution in saying, “I can’t.” I have felt it often and even succumbed to it at times. But if that surrender is not tempered with the wisdom to know the difference between the things we can and cannot change, that absolution comes at a terrible price. This denial of our ability to influence the course of our lives is always accompanied by those toxic twins, despair and blame.

10 January 2024

Spencer Thompson

I know that this path is hard and can feel overwhelming and complicated. We all are at various places in relationship to our covenants and to our Heavenly Father and Christ. But I testify that as you continue to strive to keep your covenants and follow Christ wherever you are at, He will meet you there, carry you and offer you the type of relief that only He offers.

1 Dec 2023

Brent Ebmeyer

Simple, small acts of light bring bright beams of joy into the hearts of our dear siblings in Christ. Remember, every act of kindness, no matter how small, helps the Light of Christ shine brighter in this world, penetrating the corners of darkness, and bringing hope, peace, and love.

8 Nov 2023

Alex Lindstrom

In moments that can easily turn to lust or a negative view of myself and my feelings, I can invite God into the picture and see what He thinks.

1 Oct 2023

Nickolas Coons

We come into this world “trailing clouds of glory,” and no matter what trials of life may beat us down--through all the storms, battered and bruised, our worth is never tarnished, though it may appear that way to those who can only see the surface.

6 June 2023

By Brent & Courtney Ebmeyer

Sexual orientation and gender identity are complex and unique to each individual. They encompass a wide range of experiences and often challenge existing beliefs and our religious and cultural norms. By acknowledging the complexities involved, North Star aims to provide a platform for dialogue, education, and growth, enabling individuals to better understand themselves and others within the framework of their faith and testimonies.

1 April 2023

By Alex Lindstrom

“There is a lot of uncertainty in my life. I don’t always know what my life will look like from month to month and year to year. It is sometimes tempting for me to see this as something exclusive to being gay, but I presume it’s a struggle I share with many Latter-day Saints in a variety of situations.”

4 Mar 2023

By Jenn Curtis

It took work and time to change, and it happened by working on the “small and simple things.”

20 Dec 2022

Jeff Bennion

I used to ask myself this question a lot, but I have realized that everyone has a place in the kingdom of God.

28 Sep 2020

Jeff Bennion

A list of ideas for you if you find yourself struggling with a message or a speaker you might hear during General Conference.

6 Oct 2020

Jacob Hess, Ty Mansfield, Blake Fisher, Blaine Hickman

Proposing a new conversation about a gentle, spacious, patient, agentic way to navigate questions around sexuality and identity.

24 Nov 2020

By Jacob Hess, Blake Fisher, Blaine Hickman, Ty Mansfield

PART II

In part two we address a few of the widespread confusions about what mindfulness means (and doesn’t mean) for questions around sexuality and identity.