Gospel Story Finder

When the stake president put forth a challenge, the Ventura [California] First Ward priests responded. Concerned about reverence at Aaronic Priesthood and Young Women activity night, President Joseph F. Chapman suggested that each of the priests come dressed in the Explorer dress uniform.

The priests gladly accepted the idea and planned projects to raise money for the navy blazers, center-crease gray slacks, white shirts, and polished shoes. Gone were the jeans-T-shirt-sneakers look and several inches of hair from the heads of many of the priests.

Explorer Matt Tonnies feels that “there’s been a lot less goofing around” since the uniforms have been worn. “We’re also singled out because of our dress. Other Scouts look at us and say, ‘Hey, why can’t we do something like that?’”

Matt says the foremost goal of the group is to fulfill honorable missions. There is one priest who isn’t sure if he wants to go on a mission, so the challenge of the rest of the Explorers “is to see that he makes this his goal,” said Matt.

The day that President Howard W. Hunter died was a memorable one for all the Hinckley grandchildren. They were saddened that President Hunter had served such a short time. They were apprehensive because of the great responsibility their grandfather would take on. As President of the Quorum of the Twelve, their grandfather would become the next President of the Church.

Joseph and Spencer Hinckley were on a backpacking trip with their dad. “We were driving into a town,” says Joseph. “All the flags were at half-mast. As soon as he saw the flags, Dad knew exactly what had happened. He kind of took a deep breath.”

Dewdrops hung on the tips of the long grass blades. Pam smiled as she made her way across the damp lawn. She loved early mornings in the country.

Stillness hung in the air. It was spring magic. She breathed in the sweet scent of lilacs. Everything was perfect.

One long, lonely howl filled the air.

“I’m coming, Lady,” Pam called, filling a bucket with water. She stepped inside the dog run and was immediately greeted by a wet tongue and happy barks. Trying to avoid Lady’s kisses, she filled the water bowl.

Suddenly, Lady ran to the gate of the dog run and barked.

Pam turned to see her best friend, Chuck, walking across the lawn.

“Hey,” he said. “You’re up early.” He reached over the fence to pet Lady. “My family’s going to an amusement park for the day, and Mom said we each could invite a friend. Do you want to go?”

Pam’s face lit up, but her smile soon faded. “I can’t. I promised Mom I’d watch my little brothers while she and Dad paint Grandma’s house.”

“Can’t someone else watch your brothers?”

She set the bucket down. “No.”

Chuck rubbed his chin. “Maybe your mom and dad could take them over to your grandma’s. Or maybe your grandma could watch them here.”

“It’s supposed to be a surprise for Grandma’s birthday,” Pam explained. “Dad took the day off from work so they could finish painting while Grandma’s staying with my sick aunt.”

“Oh.” Chuck’s smile disappeared. “I know it’s been a few years since you went to the amusement park. I thought it was a good idea.”

A sad smile crossed Pam’s face as she thought about the deep-red candy apples she loved, but wouldn’t be eating today. “It was a good idea. Thanks for inviting me.”

As Chuck said good-bye, Pam felt sad. No one had ever invited her to an amusement park before.

It was hard keeping her brothers happy all day long. They played with the dog. They rode bikes. They drew on the sidewalk with chalk. When her brothers grew tired, she put a blanket on the grass and read them the story of Noah’s ark.

Mom came home in time to put the boys to bed. Pam had never been happier to see her mom. Her brothers were a lot of work.

Glad for some quiet, Pam pulled a lawn chair off the porch and dragged it out onto the grass so she could sit under the stars. Fireflies swirled like sparks over the grass, flower beds, and trees.

“Hey there,” Chuck called from across the street.

“Hey, yourself,” Pam called back. “Did you get sunburned?”

Chuck laughed. “Yes, I did. It was awful. The lines were long, my favorite ride broke down, and the hot dog I ate was burnt. You didn’t miss much.”

“You’re just trying to make me feel better.”

“Maybe.” Chuck stepped into the dim light from the porch. “I thought you might be hungry.” Chuck pulled two deep-red candy apples from behind his back.

Pam’s eyes lit up. “Oh my! Those look great.”

Chuck grinned. “I’ll share, if you tell me why your family is so important.”

Pam knew what Chuck wanted to talk about. He wanted to hear more about the gospel and her belief in an eternal family.

He handed her one of the mouth-watering apples and then sat in the grass to listen while he munched on his own apple.

Somehow she had to help him understand that an eternal family was even more important to her than good friends and candy apples.

Some days, Ray relied on the power of prayer to keep going. “On Saturday morning, [he] was feeling sick again,” Sister Gamble reports. “We said a prayer with Ray in the car and again he perked up almost immediately and was able to move forward with sealings.”
Referencing President Russell M. Nelson’s invitation to think celestial, the sealer said, “doing sealings is just about as close to thinking celestial as one can get in this life.”
Ray was sealed first to his parents, and then his mother was sealed to the grandparents who raised him. In total, 96 family ordinances were performed throughout the week. The group had many tender mercies and felt very close to the Spirit.
“I can’t even begin to tell you how idyllic it was for me to be introduced to the temple for the first time,” Ray said. “It was a joy unimaginable. I’m so looking forward to many more such visits… If only the same joy could be felt in absolutely every other location throughout the world and every single person could focus on the exquisite experience and peace of our Heavenly Father’s presence, there could not be any room for the hurt and devastating destruction that we learn about so constantly in our world.”

There aren’t too many high school freshmen who have been quoted on the floor of the United States House of Representatives. One who has been, however, is David Harmer of the Roseville Third Ward, Roseville California Stake. The occasion was when Representative Barry Goldwater, Jr., a member of the Committee on Public Works and Transportation, read to the members of the House a prize-winning essay David had written discussing the importance of railroads. It had won second place in the Railway Express Institute’s annual essay contest for Scouts. David was again a winner in last year’s contest, taking first place honors for which he received a $2,000 college scholarship. He will use it at BYU this fall.

Such a great lesson it was, and he taught it not by word but by example, as a true disciple of Christ should. He set the example for us in many ways. One evening, after a long tiring day, President Lee was so bothered by an ailment that it was difficult for him to go to sleep. He called upon Elder Hinckley and President Cannon to give him a blessing, which resulted in great relief. Here indeed is a man who takes the priesthood for what it truly is—a blessing from God to be put to use and not merely hidden away until Sunday morning.

I learned the basics of sewing as a young girl and expanded my knowledge through junior high and high school. But I never sewed much more than a few pillows and some pajamas. Then later, as a mother and wife, I realized I could save a bit of money by refreshing my sewing skills and also doing my own alterations on my husband’s uniforms.
I enlisted the help of a good friend who sewed; she refreshed my stored-away knowledge, let me use her sewing machine, and helped me through my first project, taking me to pick out fabric and helping me through the completed outfit.

Even though I’m 12, I still love reading the Friend. If I am worried or feel unsafe, the Friend is always there. Not long after the December 2004 tsunami, my family and I were watching the news on television. There were pictures of children who lost their parents or who were lost themselves. I began to feel sick and shaky. I asked my brother to read the Friend to me. The Friend helped me stop shaking that night, and it has also helped me with other things. THANKS!Jessica C., age 12, Washington

Because you are my friend,
I am grateful.
I wish I had a gift for you,
Like a robin’s egg of turquoise blue;
Or a damask square from an Irish loom;
Or a song to cheer your lonely room.
But I will come and talk with you,
And then perhaps today we two
Could visit with a friend we know
To share our happiness; and so
We would all be grateful.

President Lorenzo Snow died October 10, 1901, at the age of eighty-seven. Over one thousand Primary ______________ honored him by throwing flowers in the path of his funeral procession.

Recording helps you connect with God. When you record positive things, such as what you’re grateful for, spiritual experiences and impressions, and successes or accomplishments you’ve had, then you become more in tune with God. And you’ll probably notice those things more often. It’s happened for me just like it has for President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, who said that because he journaled how he’d seen the hand of God in his family’s life every day:

“More than gratitude began to grow in my heart. Testimony grew. I became ever more certain that our Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. I felt more gratitude for the softening and refining that come because of the Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ. And I grew more confident that the Holy Ghost can bring all things to our remembrance—even things we did not notice or pay attention to when they happened” (“O Remember, Remember,” Oct. 2007 general conference).

In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, I bought a potted orchid.
I didn’t have high hopes for it—I lived in a basement apartment with limited sunlight, which wasn’t ideal for me or this plant. But I put it up on my highest windowsill, a place that received light for just a few hours of the day.
To my surprise, the orchid thrived, opening big purple blooms and putting down new roots, apparently unconcerned that it was living in less-than-ideal circumstances.
It was adapting to its environment—since it received such limited sunlight, the plant had begun growing in the direction of the sun, tilting its leaves to catch as much light as possible and blossoming right up against the glass of the window. After a couple months, the orchid was comically lopsided.
But it was also healthy and happy.
I was doing the opposite of what my little flower had done—rather than adapting to my difficult circumstances and finding ways to thrive, I was withering away, insisting that the sunlight better accommodate me. I wasn’t changing myself or my outlook; I was just hoping that my circumstances would change.
Although I no longer live in that same basement apartment, I still have that potted orchid, and it serves as a good reminder—even in a time when I now feel I have more sunlight (metaphorically and literally) in my life, I still need that “change of mind and heart” on a constant basis. I’m still engaged in “a lifelong process of becoming more Christlike through the Atonement of Jesus Christ,”4 and I’m still learning how to find hope and healing, even in the darker times of my life, by reaching for the Savior’s light.

While serving in the army during World War II, I was required to take the Ishihara eye test, which makes use of different colors, designs, and numbers to diagnose color blindness in its various forms. Under this test, those affected by certain forms of color blindness are able to distinguish the solid colors without difficulty, but the shaded areas in between the solid colors present problems. Those who are color blind do not discern correctly; and, no matter how hard they try, they are not able to distinguish the differences in hue that are obvious to the normal eye.
In this Ishihara eye test I found an important message, one that has broad application in our lives.

JOHN LONGDEN (Born 1898, Oldham, England; died 1969, Salt Lake City; Assistant to the Council of the Twelve.) Emigrated with family to Utah when 10. Studied voice, violin, drama, and was known as a performer. Had sales career with life insurance and electrical firms. Became assistant LDS servicemen’s coordinator during World War II and a member of General Church Welfare Committee. Fifty-six years after first attending meetings in small corrugated metal meetinghouse in Oldham, England, returned as a General Authority to dedicate a chapel in his hometown.

I was very glad to see the article “Lovely Was the Morning” in the October New Era. I saw the film The First Vision shortly before I was baptized, during the time that I was trying to get permission for baptism. It helped to strengthen my testimony, and the article about it brings back many spiritual memories.
Ann CrowellTruro, Nova Scotia, Canada

While in Toronto, President Monson became acquainted with a prominent Canadian businessman, N. Eldon Tanner. Returning to the mission home after meeting him for the first time, Tom said to Frances, “This man is destined to be a member of the Council of the Twelve.” As we know, N. Eldon Tanner also became a member of the First Presidency, ably serving four Church Presidents during almost two decades. The first meeting of these two men takes on added interest when it is known that the vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles created on 4 October 1963, when N. Eldon Tanner was sustained as a member of the First Presidency, was filled the same day by Thomas S. Monson. A mutual admiration always existed between them.

The time had come. I was finally in college! I thought I’d be able to handle anything that life had to offer.
I had just moved into my college dorm, and the excitement of the first few days had died down. I sat on my bed, contemplating my future. I wasn’t excited or happy, like I thought I should be. I was scared and homesick, even though my family wasn’t very far away.
Just then my roommate, Liz, called over to me.
“Tam,” she said, “can we talk?”
“Sure,” I replied.
“Have you ever felt like no one is there for you? Like you know God is there and everything, but you don’t feel him comforting you?”
I couldn’t believe it. Liz was feeling the exact same way I was. We discussed it for a few minutes and then decided to look in our scriptures for some comforting passages. Liz read from the Doctrine and Covenants:
“But behold, verily, verily, I say unto you that mine eyes are upon you. I am in your midst and ye cannot see me; But the day soon cometh that ye shall see me, and know that I am; for the veil of darkness shall soon be rent” (D&C 38:7–8).
Never before had I felt the Spirit so strongly. I knew at that moment that I was not alone. I knew that the Lord was aware of me, and that he was there for me. I knew that, although I was still unsure of my future, I wouldn’t have to face it alone.

The Prophet’s brother Hyrum understood this and testified fearlessly of divine truth as it had been revealed to his brother Joseph and confirmed in his own heart. His testimony blessed the lives of many, including Parley P. Pratt. When Parley first encountered the Book of Mormon, Hyrum took him into his own home and spent the night teaching and testifying to him. He bore witness of the prophetic mantle that rested upon Joseph and of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. Shortly thereafter Hyrum set aside his own needs and went with Parley to honor his request for baptism (see Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt, ed. Parley P. Pratt Jr. [1938], 35–42).
We may never fully comprehend or be able to measure the far-reaching effects of Hyrum’s one-on-one testimony to Parley P. Pratt. In addition to Parley’s faithful posterity, his apostolic witness and missionary service drew countless souls into the kingdom of God. Interestingly, included among those who joined the Church as a direct result of his ministry in Canada were Joseph Fielding and his sisters, Mary and Mercy. After his first wife, Jerusha, died, Hyrum met and married Mary Fielding, and from their marriage came President Joseph F. Smith and countless other members and Church leaders. Now I realize that not all testimonies will return such a blessing as Hyrum’s did.

I was baptized about a year ago, and I thank the Lord for sending the missionaries to my home. Thanks to the scriptures and the teachings of the prophets published in the Liahona, I have been able to better understand this life and God’s love for me and for my family. The scriptures and gospel teachings in the Liahona have strengthened my testimony, helped me to grow, and nourished my spirit. I encourage everyone to read the Liahona; it draws us nearer to our Father and leads us down the right path.
Stephanie Acosta, Uruguay

I saw that miracle of revelation in the aftermath of the breaking of the Teton Dam in Idaho in 1976. Many of you know the story of what happened. But the example of continuing revelation that was passed through a stake president could bless all of us in the days ahead.

Thousands of people were evacuated as their homes were destroyed. Directing the relief efforts fell to a local stake president, a farmer. I was in a classroom at Ricks College just a few days after the disaster. A leader from the federal disaster agency had arrived. He and his chief assistants came to the large room where the stake president had assembled bishops and even some ministers of other local religions. I was there because many of the survivors were being cared for and housed on the campus of the college where I was the president.

As the meeting began, the representative from the federal disaster agency stood and began to say with the voice of authority what needed to be done. After he listed each of the five or six tasks he said were essential, the stake president responded quietly, “We’ve already done that.”

After a few minutes, the man from the federal disaster agency said, “I think that I will just sit down and watch for a while.” He and his deputies then listened as bishops and elders quorum presidents reported what they had done. They described what direction they had received and followed from their leaders. They talked as well about what they had been inspired to do as they carried out the instructions to find families and to help them. It was late that day. They were all too tired to show much emotion except their love of the people.

The stake president gave a few final directions to the bishops, and then he announced a time for the next report meeting, early the following morning.

The next morning the leader of the federal team arrived 20 minutes before the report and assignment meeting was scheduled to begin. I stood nearby. I heard him say quietly to the stake president, “President, what would you like me and the members of my team to do?”

What that man saw I have seen in times of distress and testing all over the world. President Packer was right. Continuing revelation comes to stake presidents to lift them above their own wisdom and capacities. And, beyond that, the Lord gives to those whom the president leads a confirming witness that his commands come from God through the Holy Ghost to an imperfect human being.