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A young woman prays in her bedroom.2025 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.This story appears here courtesy of TheChurchNews.com. It is not for use by other media.
By Sister Courtney Rich of the Young Women General Advisory Council
Shouldn’t I be strong enough by now? Shouldn’t I have all the answers? Do I have enough faith? Why do I still make mistakes? He must be disappointed in me.
Sometimes, at 42 years old, with many life experiences that have tested and developed my faith, I actually think these things. I have moments when I feel like I should be better at this — at discipleship.
Maybe you do too?
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Sister Courtney Rich is a member of the Young Women General Advisory Council, called to serve in 2023.2025 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.I’m grateful for the gentle reminder from the Lord: “Ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath ... nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along” (Doctrine and Covenants 78:17–18).
What a beautiful promise. The Lord isn’t just sending us on a journey — He is walking with us, guiding us step by step. He’s inviting us to trust Him, to rejoice even in uncertainty, because He is with us.
He’s not disappointed that we don’t know everything yet.
He’s not frustrated that we still have questions.
He’s not angry when we stumble on our path.
He just wants us to trust Him — and keep walking.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever asked yourself, “How do I know what the ‘right’ choice is?” If you could see me right now, I’m raising both of my hands.
Sometimes I wish Heavenly Father would simply hand me a to-do list for each decision in life — I’m really good at checking off to-do lists. But as you and I know, that’s not how it goes — and it’s not what God intends for us. He has gifted us with free will to make our own choices (Doctrine and Covenants 58:27-28).
Don’t let that scare you. Because here’s what is so cool about this concept: He trusts us to make choices (Doctrine and Covenants 62:8-9). He also gives us eternal truths and principles, as well as the gift of the Holy Ghost, to help us make decisions. We don’t have to go at it alone.
As part of His great plan for each of us, He wants us to have these opportunities to learn, grow and use our agency. If you’re wondering what the Spirit feels like or how you can better feel the Spirit in these moments of decision, I invite you to open the “For The Strength of Youth” guide to page 17 and read the section, “Walk in God’s Light.”
Recently, I witnessed how powerfully the Lord speaks to our individual needs. I texted my daughter after Sister Tamara W. Runia’s April 2025 general conference talk, asking if she had watched it.
“Yes, it’s as if the talk was written for me!” my daughter replied within seconds.
I could feel my heart flood with emotion. Tears filled my eyes. In that moment, I knew Sister Runia’s words, inspired by the Lord, were an answer to prayers — mine and my daughter’s.
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Sister Tamara W. Runia, First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, speaks during the Sunday morning session of the 195th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on April 6, 2025.2025 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.In a world where the adversary works tirelessly to keep us in darkness and isolate us from the light of Christ, truly believing that we are not our mistakes and that our worth is great in the sight of God sometimes feels increasingly harder.
My heart has felt so heavy. How do I help her to know, really know, that the Savior loves her — always, no matter what?
When I came home from the Sunday morning session of general conference, I saw a paper on the couch filled with notes from this same talk:
“My worth is constant.”
“Satan is the thief of joy.”
“Jesus is joyful because I’m trying.”
“God cares about our mistakes, but He cares more about what happens after the mistake.”
Yes — this is truth. This is truth our Savior wants each of us to know and to believe.
Remember this: You don’t have to be perfect to be progressing. The Lord knows you. He loves you. And He has promised to be with you, for you are precious in His sight.
Fear not (See Isaiah 43:1-5).
How have you seen the Lord leading you along lately?
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