Cougar Questions

Phylicia Hawkins credits her father for helping her establish a belief in God and in the power of prayer. (Sydney Anderson)

LONDON - When it came time for Aurimas Šimonėlis to attend university, he wanted to study somewhere bigger and more diverse than his little Lithuanian hometown.

LIBERTY, MO. — Evan Dantzscher, a 22-year-old attending college in Kansas City, Missouri, has learned that problems and trials are a universal experience, but he’s also discovered the one way to overcome life’s difficulties is to kneel down and pray.

LIBERTY, MO — Cate Brinkerhoff is a wife and mother in Kansas City, Missouri. After 13 years of marriage, a mission in England, a degree from BYU and three kids, Cate has some advice on how young adults can survive their 20s and the difficult moments that come with them.

FLORENCE, Neb. — EmmaLee Hall, a 19-year-old from Nebraska, has felt God's love for her as she’s sought answers to her questions, including whether to serve a mission.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- While fortune cookies are not always the best source for advice about crucial life decisions, the fortune in one cookie in particular led Sarina Keane to take her first few steps on a journey that would answer many of her deepest questions. When she read “Sunday is a good day,” she knew she needed to accept the missionaries’ invitation to attend their worship services despite her hesitations.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jaylyn Turner, a college student in his early 20s, has noticed that he and many of his peers have questions about their purpose in life. At such a formative time, when many decisions are being made, many young people find themselves pursuing post-secondary degrees, and they have many goals and aspirations that they are trying to reach.

CLEVELAND, Ohio. -- Finding your purpose can be hard at any stage in life, but as a young person in your early 20s, it can be especially difficult. Navigating new experiences and making big life decisions is not an easy task, and finding yourself along the way can be even harder. So, how do you find purpose? What does it mean to find yourself and how do you do it?

LIBERTY, Mo. -- When Boden Christianson decided to enroll in medical school two years ago, he felt a confirmation from God that Kansas City, Missouri, was the place where he should go.

But God had a much more important plan in mind. As Elizabeth brushed her teeth, she heard a knock on her door, and a thought came to her mind: “Oh. That’s why I’m here.”

FLORENCE, Neb. -- There are often questions weighing on young adults' minds today that have been asked by many in times past. As Audrey Stephen, a 25-year-old from Papillion, Nebraska, has looked for answers to her questions, she’s realized that she hasn’t been the first to ask them.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Christine Truong was an atheist for most of her life; she never believed in a God and didn't want anything to do with religion. In fact, she found enjoyment in arguing with people who were Christians. She prescribed to science and reason, and believing in something as intangible as God didn't make sense to her.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — In a world where we can find answers instantly through a quick Google search, it can be difficult to exercise patience in waiting for answers to our questions. It is even more difficult to exercise faith when some answers don't seem to come at all.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Who is God? How do I know that He's there? How can I have a personal relationship with Him? Asking questions about the nature of God is not uncommon, and questions like these have been pondered for centuries.

Leer en español: El aprender a buscar y escuchar a Dios

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — Lisa Kofford moved to Kansas City completely on her own — no family, no friends — but she soon discovered a link that would make all the difference in the difficult transition.

Leer en español: Recordando que las respuestas vienen por medio de cosas pequeñas y sencillas

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Like many other college students and young adults, Riley Creer finds that there is not normally enough time in a day to complete all the things required of him. He has learned that finding and making the time for God in a busy schedule is critical for his spiritual well-being.