Do I need to have a beautiful garden to get into the Celestial Kingdom? Am I compromising my eternal potential if I have more weeds than pansies?
Seriously. I’m really not kidding.
There are so many gospel true-isms in gardening. The law of the Harvest. The value of hard work. You reap what you sow. Adam and [...]

Maddox Steak House feels like the entrance to another era; it’s a dark, woodsy cabin-like structure filled with friendly faces, fake plants, and the smell of meat. I order, of course, the fantastic Shrimp Steak. Have you ever heard of  Shrimp Steak?  Probably not. You see Maddox is a one-of-a-kind place and so is the [...]

It isn’t typical of me to compare myself to dead European royalty. If I have the go-ahead I much prefer a discussion of semblance to figure skaters, specifically those with large gold medals in their collection. My junior prom dress was inspired by Nancy Kerrigan’s black sheath number that she wore when she didn’t win [...]

The first time God spoke to me—I mean literally, with words—was through the mouth of a police sergeant. I don’t remember his name, but he changed my life. I was seventeen, miserable, and in a whole mess of trouble. And while I know you’re just DYING to hear all of the sordid details, I’ll just [...]

Sarah Jensen is the author of “Women Proclaiming the Gospel on Missions: An Historical Overview” in our Spring 2006 issue. She lives in Washington D.C.
Maralise says you’re a Presidential Management Fellow; I’ve been to a dot gov site, but though I can tell when the class of 2004 reunion is going to be, I can’t [...]

A couple years back I used to spend a large amount of time and emotion on internet infertility forums. Women would write in and ask questions, admit defeat and discuss radical treatments. You know how it goes, you lurk on a forum like that and the next thing you know your really concerned that Babyorbust21’s [...]

I have often wondered, when completely losing it with the kids, if I would be more patient and sympathetic had they been harder to get a hold of in the first place. Conceptually speaking, my husband and I could probably walk past each other in the hallway and I’d be pregnant. All but one of [...]

And Enter to Win $100
Segullah’s annual essay contest, the Heather Campbell Award for Excellence in Writing, is now accepting entries. Congratulations to our 2005 contest winner, Kerry Spencer, for her essay “When Life Begins.”

Click here for submission guidelines.
Deadline for our 2006 contest: December 31, 2006

Kerry Spencer is the winner of the 2005 Heather Campbell Essay Contest for her essay, When Life Begins. Kerry teaches writing at Brigham Young University. She grew up in California and now lives in Utah with her husband and two babies.

Segullah: Tell us a little about yourself. Where have you been, where are you now, [...]

When I started my infertility treatments last week my doctor asked me how badly I wanted a baby.
“On a scale from one to ten, one being that you do NOT want a baby, and ten being that if you don’t have a baby soon you WILL TAKE UP PERMANENT RESIDENCE AT THE STATE MENTAL HOSPITAL, [...]

I’m not comfortable with death. When I say that, it doesn’t sound so strange. I suppose many people aren’t comfortable with death. But somehow, as a Latter Day Saint, I think I should be. I understand the gospel. I know that death is part of the plan of salvation. And therefore, I’d like to cruise [...]

I loved doing this interview! Elona Knighton Shelley is the author of You Just Have to Love, published in our Spring 2006 issue. Her essay recounts the challenge she faced as the mother of a gay son and the things she learned about love and happiness. Here, she shares some important tips on how [...]

IN THE BEGINNING: I walked the dogs
Coming back from walking the dogs on Saturday, I ran into my neighbor Lyle. A retired man, Lyle was grateful when Christopher and I moved in next door so that he could spend his retirement watching us make mistakes thereby utilizing his natural “I told you so” personality. 

Giving and giving would be considered the same as consecrating our time, talents, energy and everything we have, wouldn’t it?  It’s something we’re supposed to do, something we’ve been commanded to do, and something the Lord has promised us blessings for doing.  In her essay Pressed Down, and Shaken Together Rebecca Walker Clarke expresses a [...]