Author Archives: Candace Salima

Interview with author Tristi Pinkston

Today I decided to interview Tristi Pinkston, a wonderful historical fiction author within the LDS market. Her books inform, entertain and are quick to stir up controversy – all of which make the writing worthwhile. From her website we learn that: “I’m a stay at home mom and a homeschooler (visit www.uhea.org) I spend lots of time ignoring my dirty house and hiding laundry in weird places. I specialize in moving things from one place to another, and then back again. I love Flylady’s housework routines (visit www.flylady.net) and I sometimes even do them. In my spare time, you know, … Continue reading →

The Eternal Plan of Salvation

I had a discussion with a Muslim acquaintance of mine the other day. Rather, we were going back and forth on Jesus Christ, Muhammed and modern-day prophets. If you know much about Islam you know they do not believe that Jesus Christ is God, nor do they believe there have been any prophets since Muhammed. While I find that a sad state of belief, I feel the need to share the plan of salvation as Latter-day Saints understand it. Long before the world was formed, we lived with our Father in Heaven, our Savior, Jesus Christ, and all our other … Continue reading →

Hell May Pour Forth

“Hell may pour forth its rage like the burning lava of mount Vesuvius, or of Etna, or of the most terrible of the burning mountains; and yet shall ‘Mormonism’ stand. Water, fire, truth and God are all realities. Truth is ‘Mormonism.’ God is the author of it. He is our shield. It is by Him we received our birth. It was by His voice that we were called to a dispensation of His Gospel in the beginning of the fullness of times. It was by Him we received the Book of Mormon; and it is by Him that we remain … Continue reading →

Faith the Size of a Mustard Seed

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” New Testament, Hebrews 11:1 This is the definition of faith so many of us know and understand. But there is so much more to the principle of faith. There came a point in our lives where we had reason to need, my husband and me, further understanding of this very basic tenet of our religion. Borrowing from Joseph Smith, Jr.’s Lectures on Faith, as outlined in Bruce R. McConkie’s Mormon Doctrine, we learn: “Faith is based on truth and is preceded by knowledge. Until a … Continue reading →

He Does Answer Prayers

“About one hour before my wife died, I called my children into her room and told them that their mother was dying and for them to bid her good-bye. One of the little girls, about twelve years of age, said to me: ‘Papa, I do not want my mamma to die. I have been with you in the hospital in San Francisco for six months; time and time again when mamma was in distress you [have] administered to her and she has been relieved of her pain and quietly gone to sleep. I want you to lay hands upon my … Continue reading →

A Holy People

“We must try harder to be a holy people. We live in the fulness of times. So much has been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. This places upon us a special relationship to the Lord. We are the beneficiaries, guardians, and caretakers of these responsibilities under the delegation, authority, and direction of President Hinckley, who holds all the keys. As children of the Lord we should strive every day to rise to a higher level of personal righteousness in all our actions. We need to guard constantly against all of Satan’s influences.” James E. Faust, “Standing in Holy Places”, … Continue reading →

The Godhead

One of the basic differences between the LDS Christian Faith and other Christian faiths is how we look at the Godhead. Latter-day Saints believe the Godhead to be three distinct separate personages. God the Father, God the Son and God the Testator. God the Father: Our Heavenly Father or Elohim, as modern day revelation has given us, is the father of our spirits, hence the name. In the Old Testament we find: “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.” Psalms 82:6. And again in the Doctrine & Covenants: “By these things … Continue reading →

Will Intimacy During Pregnancy Cause Miscarriage?

There was a time when women were told that intimacy during pregnancy would cause miscarriages. Now they are told that intimacy is fine and it will cause no problems with the pregnancy. Whom are you to believe? Intimacy during pregnancy is usually okay. Unless you have had problematic previous births such as, miscarriages, suffering from vaginal bleeding, cervix or placenta irregularities, intimacy is fine. During your first trimester, your interest in sex may wane due to nausea and exhaustion. During your second trimester increased blood flow throughout your body may increase your desire for intimacy but it will most likely … Continue reading →

I Had to Go Back

I had to, I went back to www.dumbthings.com. It’s odd, I seem to be drawn back to it like a moth to flame and shake my head in absolute unbelief at the stupendously insane things people do. Last night, I sat with my mother at the computer and read to her some of the little ditties on that site. She was laughing so hard and saying, “Oh no, oh no.” So, let me share some of these that she and I found so hysterical: “A woman came home to find her husband in the kitchen, shaking frantically with what looked … Continue reading →

The Power of Home

The word “home” evokes so many tender memories for me. My mother making popcorn balls for Family Home Evening. My parents sitting there smiling broadly as their children put on incredibly bad plays. My mother patiently teaching me how to read, write, and play the piano. My mother reading to us nightly, first from a book of fiction and then from the Holy Scriptures, always in that order. I recall standing at the yearly ward Spring Sing and living out my mother’s dream of a family band as we merrily sang, “. . . two humpty back camels and chimpanzees.” … Continue reading →