What Brings Us Together

A personal essay by Josh Smith

After a major tragedy, the power of music brought my school together in a way we would never forget.

A God of Miracles

A personal essay by Amanda Davis

We were all of different denominations, but we united our faith and my mother was healed.

This Life is a Dream

A personal essay by Clark Nielson

Recently my Grandpa told me about the last moments that he spent with his wife. Though his memory is starting to wane, he was able to recall it with vivid precision. 

Finding the Sweet Amongst the Bitter

A personal essay by Eliza Broadbent

 My big family can drive me crazy, but they help me see clearly what is important.  

 

A Good, Christian Fighting Mother

A personal essay by Hailey Nelson
 

My mother is the most loving, giving and nurturing woman you'll ever meet, and a closet Nintendo Ninja.

Hooked

A personal essay by Mandy Facer

Sometimes abuse leaves scars you can't see. 

A Temporal Death

A personal essay by Jeremy Hardman

Helping those who can't help themselves

From City to City

A personal essay by Scott Mehr

My world was turned upside down as a youth. Find out how.

A Promised Land in the West

A personal essay by Taylor Neuffer

I found my family drawing closer together each summer we spent away from suburban Chicago.

Checkmate

A personal essay by Darren Torrie

"Who's the more foolish; the fool, or the fool who follows him?" - Obi-Wan Kenobi

Goodbye for Now

A personal essay by Julia Harris

Have you ever had a best friend? Have you ever had to say Goodbye?

My Hero: A Modern-day Moroni

A personal essay by Romney Hansen

My brother is my hero.  He may be huge, but he is all heart.  Because of that, he has an ability to influence lives like he has mine.  So, who's your hero?

It's Been a Long Day

A personal essay by Ryan Wells

The closer you are to someone, the harder it is to lose them. When I found out I had lost someone close to me, it was one of the hardest moments of my life. 

The Power of Music

A personal essay by Andrew Olson

Do you think it's possible to find peace through soft AND intense music?  When I think about my first semester of college, I know this is possible.

L.A. Lost and Found

A personal essay by Elijah Broadbent

Arriving in Los Angeles was like stepping into a new world

Luau

A personal essay by Alyssa Kekauoha

My heritage and culture make me who I am.  I'm Hawaiian and Japanese.
  

To Live With Gusto

A personal essay by Savannah Kashow

Sometimes the end of a life is the true beginning of someone else's. 

Enduring Bonds

A personal essay by Justin Snow

Some say a bond is made when people are tied to an emotional experience. For us that emotional experience grew over two years

Elephant in the Front Yard

A personal essay by Ryan Parker

Sometimes there's only one person who can unload your burdens--yourself.

Accepting Insanity

A personal essay by Emily Lewis

I am a blue-eyed, flaxen hair, budding violinist. And I am insane. 

Nine Days Difference

A personal essay by Ally Jensen

Two funerals, nine days, and a lifetime of changes.

Not the Biological Mother

A personal essay by Mary Ellsworth

Read on to see how a kindergarten boy can take the world on one day at a time!

La Ultima Pieza del Rompecabezas

Ensayo personal por Viridiana Balderas

Una amigable conversión, la última pieza que cambió mi vida!

It's a Good Day to Be Good

A personal essay by Katie Roper

“If it’s time to go, remember what you’re leaving. Remember the best. 

My friends have always been the best of me.” -- Doctor Who

We sat two rows away from each other for 4 ½ months and had no idea how close we would actually become. A year later we were in the same choir class. We started talking through a mutual friend and slowly started talking every day. Soon the school year was coming to a close and the final dance of the year was just around the corner. Big, green posters littering the walls of every portion of the school telling girls to ask to the dance, “Morp is coming” signs around every corner and everyone was talking about who they were going to ask and how.

God Blessed the Broken Road

A personal essay by Keegan Brown

 On a long, dusty road in the middle of Africa, I learned a powerful and valuable lesson. 

Homemade Dreamer

A personal essay by Lizzy Sainsbury

Almost every night I go back to that place... I go back there in my dreams. I smell the cookies fresh out of the oven, I see the smiling faces, and I know--I'm home.

Part One: How it Was

It changed so much, but it still remains the same. When my parents first moved in, each room had a different color of carpet. It was the 70’s then, so the previous owners weren’t shy on their color choices either—red, orange, blue, green…all bright, shaggy, and blinding. But things eventually changed there. Tan carpet replaced the rainbow floor, and burgundy carpet was laid carefully in the master bedroom. It was a simple improvement to make the house a home.

Meeting in the Living Room of Memories

A Personal Essay by Tori Fawson

Flashback to the night my family gathered together for a different reason.

I opened my off-white bedroom door, hearing the familiar creak that would accompany it when it was two thirds of the way open. I walked down the hallway, avoiding the parts of the floor that seemed to cry in anguish when stepped on, towards my family room which had light protruding from it.

Meet Our Essayists!

Thanks for visiting Personal Mormon Essays, a showcase for brief personal essays by Latter-day Saints with short introductory videos. This video briefly introduces you to each of our authors, about five seconds apiece. We hope you will then browse our site where you will find each author introducing his/her essay through a one-minute video.