Pearls & Journeys

1.For awhile, Life has had its moments. My writing mojo has been on hiatus. I think it’s time that those thousands of words doing Olympics in my head have to go somewhere.Words can be your best friends.Words can be very fickle.Words can tear & divide.Words can have passion.(TBC)

In just 90 seconds, Elder Stevenson (@StevensonGaryE) lays out exactly what being a peacemaker means. Being a peacemaker means acting as Jesus Christ would. Blessed are the peacemakers!

Want a fresh start? Jesus Christ makes it possible. Through Him, mistakes don’t define you and hope is never lost. You’re never too far gone. Meet with missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and join us at church: churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist…

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints previewed its new Temple Square Visitors’ Center to the media on April 13, 2026. This Christ-centered space is designed to help visitors understand the purpose of temples and rejoice in the life and light of Jesus Christ. This is a significant milestone ahead of the Salt Lake Temple Celebration, scheduled from April 5, 2027, through October 1, 2027.

@OaksDallinH Pres Oaks. Civilization is dying. whether you intended or not what your messages is saying is that good men should simply sit here and watch it all die in the name of “peacemaking;” is this your intention?

As I mentioned during my general conference address Sunday morning, followers of Christ should follow Him by forgoing contention and by using the language and methods of peacemakers. In our families and other personal relationships, let us avoid what is harsh and hateful. Let us seek to be holy, like our Savior.

A MIT student figured out how to compress an entire semester of lecture content into one 90-minute study session. He calls it "context stacking," and it's the most unfair thing I've seen done with NotebookLM. I asked him to walk me through it. He did. I haven't studied the same way since. Here's exactly what he does. Two days before each lecture, he uploads everything into NotebookLM. The assigned readings, the previous week's slides, 3 or 4 related papers he finds himself, and any problem sets that are still open. Most students wait for the lecture to explain the material. He walks in having already built a mental model of it. That's step one. But it's not the move that makes it unfair. The first prompt he runs across all of it: "What are the 5 core concepts this week's content is built on, and how do they connect to what I studied last week?" Not summarize. Not define. Connect. NotebookLM pulls threads across everything he uploaded simultaneously. It surfaces relationships between ideas that would take a normal student weeks of review to notice. He gets that map before the lecture even starts. Then he runs the prompt that does most of the work. "What would I need to genuinely understand about this material to be able to teach it to someone with zero background in this subject?" That question is doing something most students never force themselves to do. It exposes exactly where his understanding is solid and exactly where it's hollow. The gaps show up immediately, and he spends the rest of the 90 minutes filling only those gaps. Not reviewing what he already knows. Only fixing what he doesn't. The final prompt is the one that separates context stacking from every other study method I've heard of. "What question could a professor ask about this material that would expose a student who understood the surface but missed the underlying logic?" He's not studying for the exam he expects. He's studying for the exam designed to catch people who only think they understood it. By the time he sits in the lecture hall, the professor is not teaching him anything new. The professor is confirming what he already mapped, filling in a few details, and occasionally surprising him with something he didn't anticipate. That surprise is the only thing he writes down. Most students leave a lecture hoping the material will eventually click. He walks in with it already clicked, and uses the lecture to find out what he missed. That's not a study hack. That's a completely different relationship with learning.

The Climb You feel it. The pull… the effort… the unknown. Is it going to be uphill or downhill? Then there are intermittent cliffhangers! You’re never quite sure how it’s going to turn out. But there is a choice— a beautiful gift that influences all we do… or don’t do. Welcome to life. A hike full of incredible plot twists. Sometimes you don’t even know if you’re up for it. And then… you’re reminded of the view. So you keep going— using your wits, your patience, your inner strength, and calling on God for what you feel you cannot do alone. You continue the climb. When I was a little girl, I grew up near the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada. As a family, we hiked there often. I feel so grateful to have since travelled to many places in the world and experienced the wonder of mountains—their beauty, their majesty, their power… and the challenge of climbing them. Mountains have always meant something more to me. As I’ve reflected this Easter week, I’ve thought about how often mountains appear in the scriptures—sacred places where heaven and earth meet. Places of prayer. Of learning. Of becoming. I think of Jesus. He chose to climb. He chose the hard, uncomfortable path. He chose us. No He taught us who we are, and how to live and love. In Gethsemane, on the slopes of the Mount of Olives, He took upon Himself every sorrow and every sin. At Calvary—Golgotha, the “place of the skull”—He gave His life for us. “The heavens and the earth shook…” “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” —John 15:13 Jesus moved mountains to bring us home. And in our own climbs— when life feels steep, heavy, or uncertain— we are not alone. He lives. We have the Master Hiker with us, every step of the way. And as we follow Him, we are given the sweetest gift— joy, hope, and the promise of Easter. And sometimes… we even get to stop, sit with Him, and take in the view. Sending you all the love your heart can hold, and wishing you safe, meaningful, and treasured moments this Easter. 💛 #Easter #becauseofHim #HeLives #Jesus #JesusChrist

He died for us so that we could be redeemed. What a Good Friday indeed. There is no greater love than Christ's willing sacrifice for us! As we use Good Friday to remember Jesus Christ, how will you follow His example of love?

As Easter approaches, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is providing a variety of resources to help people draw closer to the Savior. These include Easter videos, music playlists and a Holy Week study plan in Gospel Library. And this week’s “Come, Follow Me” study guide is all about Easter. Presiding Bishop W. Christopher Waddell joined humanitarian leaders in Europe to discuss caring for those in need. He spoke in two roundtable discussions in London, England, and in Brussels, Belgium, and reflected on the Church’s commitment to caring for those in need as an expression of discipleship. Bishop Richard C. Edgley, who was the Church’s Presiding Bishop for nearly 20 years, has died at the age of 90. He was born in Preston, Idaho, and died in Centerville, Utah. Funeral arrangements are pending.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: With the start of Holy Week this Sunday, may we remember the love of the Savior Jesus Christ, who was willing to lay down His life for all of us, His friends. Learn more about the new statues of Christ at Temple Square on Newsroom. Learn more on Church Newsroom. newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/two-st…

Speed Bumps. Apologies, I didn’t post last week. Have been in suspended animation with cheeky captions. Don’t ask! Time does funny things in the healing process. Sometimes it slows right down. Sometimes it feels like your brain just… clocks off for a while. Recovery from surgery isn’t just physical—it’s mental, emotional, and, at times, completely unpredictable. Humour. For me, it’s a life raft. A little “speed bump” that makes me pause, breathe, and somehow keep moving forward. It serves as a way to acknowledge the absurdity of painful moments—such as realizing you are crying in bathroom in a shopping centre—without being entirely consumed by them. As humans we sometimes create distance allowing us as individuals to see the "weird, hard, stupid, and scary" aspects of life from a new, less threatening perspective. With my personal healing journey and watching the world out there take some wacko actions, you have to call on power you do have access to, to mentally survive. As humans, created in God’s image, we’ve been given a beautiful gift: The ability to laugh. And that laughter brings healing, connection, and lightness—even in heavy places. Shifting Perspective. Reframing the traumatising or difficult experience. Taking that breath between waves. ChutKnee and I are now 57 days in—about 8 weeks post Total Knee Replacement. Agility and strength, improving by the day. My physiotherapist and orthopaedic surgeon are encouraged. The surgeon did say most patients “hate him for about 6 months”… …but the long-term results are worth it. He is a brave incredible warrior too. I am thankful for all our brave warrior first responders! There is progress but not without intermittent pain storms - it’s like trying to predict the weather … My inner weather app is like me, mostly wrong but confident. Some days feel like progress. Other days, ChutKnee taps me on the shoulder and says, “Too far. You’re hanging out with the Iceman today.” That desire to move forward can quickly run into strong winds of frustration. You can get lost in the mist of it all and not have the foggiest idea where to go. When the thunderstorms roll in, you put on the rainbows! Wrap your soul with the coat of gratitude. Look at your gains, and cuddle your cat Zoey! I am thankful for our Zoey.. She never complains about my singing. I’m grateful for naps — they somehow make life’s problems smaller. Gratitude is my cardio now — lifting spirits daily. GOALZ - step by step - closer everyday. 5 months until the hike to Girraween - a walk to joy! So Thankful to God. Can’t go forward without him. He carries us when we can’t always carry ourselves. And thank you God for the gift of laughter. It might not get us out of the tunnel, but it will definitely light our way. #totalkneereplacement #healing #joy #humour #painstorms #iceman #gratitude

Need more hope in your life? Turn to Christ and find a fresh start this Easter season. Visit Easter.ChurchofJesusChrist.org to learn more.

Come sing, pray, and feel the Savior's #GreaterLove. Worship with us this Easter season. You're invited to a chapel near you on Palm Sunday, March 29, 2026. To find your nearest meeting place and time, visit the link below: maps.ChurchOfJesusChrist.org

President Russel M Nelson "Jesus Christ took upon Himself your sins, your pains, your heartaches, and your infirmities. You do not have to bear them alone! He will forgive you as you repent. He will bless you with what you need. He will heal your wounded soul. As you yoke yourself to Him, your burdens will feel lighter. If you will make and keep covenants to follow Jesus Christ, you will find that the painful moments of your life are temporary. Your afflictions will be ‘swallowed up in the joy of Christ’"

Find joy in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and feel His #GreaterLove this Easter season.

This week in Church News The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a video for Easter. Each member of the First Presidency shared a testimony of Jesus Christ and His love.

Here’s what’s new this past week for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Don’t miss the full stories — visit our website or follow us for the latest updates. Read the stories: newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org

Our Savior was willing to suffer the pain of His Atonement because He loves you. In fact, you are the joy that was set before Him while He suffered.