Because of my books, website, and blog, I’ve had the privilege of connecting with thousands of people from all walks of life and belief systems. It’s been enlightening to see just how much we all have in common, and I’m deeply grateful for the kindness and respect I’ve encountered from people of so many different cultures.

Naturally, these connections have led to questions—particularly about my personal beliefs about God, the purpose of life, and how the principles I teach fit into that larger picture.

Here’s a short answer:

I believe we lived as a family of spirits before coming to Earth, and that God—our Heavenly Father—presented a plan to help us reach our highest potential. That plan required growth through struggle, and Earth life would serve as our school.

When we arrived (at birth), we would forget who we had been and where we came from. But we wouldn’t be left alone—His spirit would guide us. And if we sincerely desired truth, we would find it. Our loving Father in Heaven promised us that.

(I imagine that promise was a comforting consolation after the panic we must’ve felt at the idea of forgetting everything we’d already learned. I can only imagine.)

So, trusting that it would be for our good—even if we didn’t fully understand how hard it would be—we chose to come. And with that choice, certain questions were planted within us, destined to rise to the surface at some point in our journey:

"Who am I, really?"
"Why am I here?"
"What’s it all for?"
"Where am I going after I die?"

Some people spend more time pondering these questions than others, but I believe that eventually, everyone will ask them. Sometimes the answers God gives only lead to more questions—but even that is good when we’re sincerely seeking truth. (See James 1:5)

When we truly want to know, the answers will come. He promised.

Here are a few more of my basic beliefs:

• I am a child of God.

• If I want to live with Him in happiness after this life (which I do), I need to make good choices.

• If I make poor choices, I will feel deep shame in His presence—and that would separate me from Him.

• Because we all make mistakes—and because Heavenly Father knew we would—He sent His Son, Jesus Christ (our spirit brother), to live a perfect life and pay the price for our mistakes. In return, we’re invited to learn of Him and follow Him.

• Through learning, trying, failing, feeling sorrow, and recommitting to follow Jesus, we grow. We develop Christlike attributes, and through that process, we experience peace now and joy in the life to come.

I’ve found tremendous peace, comfort, and guidance in this path. I’m a Christian and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—sometimes referred to as the 'Mormon' or 'LDS' church. If you’re curious to learn more, here are some helpful resources:

Questions and Resources:

• Where did we come from?

• Who is Jesus Christ?

• What is different about my church?

• Official Website for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

• Official Newsroom of the LDS Church

So… about my books.

At the heart of everything I write, deep down, it’s never really been about the money, the house, or any material success. It’s always been about those bigger questions—and the joy that comes with the answers I’ve found.

I had already discovered a lot of those spiritual truths before the financial struggles started, which is probably why I was so cautious about diving into the topic of money. I didn’t want to lose focus or be led astray.

I knew I wasn’t supposed to obsess over money—but the truth was, our ongoing financial challenges couldn’t just be ignored. I didn’t want to chase wealth—I just wanted the stress to stop, so I could get back to what really mattered: understanding the purpose of life, practicing the principles of Christ, and returning to my Father in Heaven with honor.

I had experienced profound joy from choosing to follow Jesus… and now I found myself becoming someone I didn’t recognize—jealous, selfish, critical, discouraged. And I hated that.

So I thought, let’s just fix the money problem—then maybe I can feel like myself again. (If you’ve ever felt that kind of desperation, you understand.)

But here’s what I didn’t see at the time: the money problems weren’t a distraction from my worship—they were a divinely designed part of it. Another lesson. Another opportunity to ask new questions and receive new answers that God had been preparing me for all along.

(An answer you struggle for, sacrifice for, and seek with real intent will always be more powerful and more unforgettable than an answer handed to you too soon.)

To my surprise, the solutions I found to our financial challenges opened my eyes to additional spiritual truths. They didn’t replace what I believed—they deepened it.

I learned that yes, you can have anything. You can achieve anything. But the principles that make that possible work best when applied to things of eternal value.

Related: Human Empowerment In Perspective

So now, I try to be more thoughtful about what I ask God for. I’ve learned (the hard way) that “ask and ye shall receive” is absolutely true—but that doesn’t mean He’ll shield us from the natural consequences of our choices. If we don’t seek His guidance, life will teach us anyway.

Either way, we’ll learn what we need to. But trusting Him from the start? That’s a gentler path.

On respecting others’ beliefs

Here’s something else I believe: contention is of the devil. I don’t argue doctrine, belittle others, or try to prove my faith is better than someone else’s.

As a member of a faith that’s known persecution, I’m especially sensitive to everyone’s right to worship how, where, or what they may.

I share what I believe. I invite people to learn more. But I trust that everyone will seek answers in their own way and time. And I believe God leads each of us through life experiences that prepare our hearts to receive the truths He wants us to find.

We don’t have to travel through life so blindly. I’ve truly felt His delight when I express a sincere desire to understand more.

So I welcome questions about my faith. I do my best to answer them from where I stand today, and I’m deeply thankful that—even when people disagree—they’ve been respectful.

For example, here’s a post I wrote about a woman who was bothered by the religious tone in my success books but still approached me with kindness:
http://www.ararekindoffaith.com/on-meditation

Here’s another: A woman of a different religion left this message after reading one of my posts:

“...If you don’t want to or feel this is not the appropriate place to ask about your faith, then you can delete this post. But since you mention your church and the Spirit of God in the above post, I wanted to ask a few questions please...

In Hidden Treasures, you quote from The Book of Mormon. I have wanted to know how Mormon belief is different from Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, etc. Do we have the same statement of belief and just practice things differently? I don’t even know enough to ask the appropriate questions. Some 'Christian' friends say that Mormons are not born again believers and therefore can’t have the Spirit of God within them. I can’t believe that, especially those that are outspoken about their faith. Things they say, they couldn’t know if they weren’t.

...Since my faith touches all aspects of my life and is such a big part of my life, I figured it does for others as well and in that case, LDS doesn’t seem any different than my Baptist faith.

I just want to learn. Thanks for doing what you are doing.
—Beth”

And here’s what I replied: