Gospel Story Finder

Christina was such a girl. When her Primary teacher’s husband died, Christina showed great concern. As soon as she heard the sad news, she went to her teacher and told her not to worry, that she would check in on her every day to make sure that she was all right. And she did. She would often take fresh vegetables from the garden to cheer her up. She wanted her teacher to know she cared. Christina truly comforted one who needed comfort.

After 50 years, the living posterity of a French Polynesian couple has returned to the Hamilton New Zealand Temple for a glorious anniversary celebration of their parents’ lives and legacy.
In September 2023, fifty years after their first trip to New Zealand, the remaining Mou Tham children and other family members gathered in the Hamilton New Zealand Temple for this incredible anniversary.
“Our family on both sides, my father in New Caledonia and my mother in Raiatea, have unforgettable memories about those times,” Gisele shared. “Being here 50 years later, it’s a wonderful way to thank Heavenly Father for the help He gave us to make that dream come true.”
She said the family is united in gratitude to their parents for the gospel legacy they left, and their example of temple work. “We deeply felt their presence around us, as well as the presence of our beloved ones who are gone.”
“We are aware of the huge responsibility it is to pass on this legacy to our children, grandchildren, and next generations,” Gisele continued to share. “The light our parents started must stay strong. It will guide our steps on the covenant path leading to our celestial home.”
Her brother Gérard, who never returned to Raiatea after working with his father in New Caledonia, adds: “The blessing of this temple sealing 50 years ago is with me every day of my life. It helps me to stay strong in my faith and in the testimony of the true house of the Lord.”
As he attended the temple, he said he also felt his parents’ love there. “I felt their joy to see all their children in the temple so many years after their first visit. I felt Heavenly Father’s love through the Atonement of His Son, Jesus Christ.”

I felt sad when we moved from Bogotá to Barranquilla because I had to leave my family, friends, and school. But when I went to the Barranquilla Colombia Temple open house, I felt happy. I’d never been inside a temple before. I saw the baptistry, celestial room, and sealing rooms. It was cool to think that our ancestors can be sealed to us and we can see them again. I love the temple and am preparing to return again soon.
Martín G., 11, Barranquilla, Colombia

I was in the ninth grade. A year in which it seemed I was halfway to nowhere. Confidence was not part of my nature. My actions were largely controlled by my feelings of inferiority. Perhaps it was the low light of self-doubt that made the following experience such a bright and guiding star.
Third hour I sat near the back of the classroom. My feet extended as far forward as I could stretch them. By sitting in this manner I was scarcely visible from where the teacher sat at her desk in the front.
Friday was the day for current events. When the roll was called, each student had two choices—he could either answer “Prepared” or “Unprepared.” If his response was “Prepared,” he had to give a talk. If his response was “Unprepared,” he didn’t have to do anything. I quickly grasped the idea that the word unprepared was the word that would get me off the hook.
As the weeks went by, each time my name was called I responded almost with dignity, “Unprepared.” My friends also mastered this word. We all, as a group, made it easier for each of us as individuals.
Once as I was visiting with the teacher, I noticed my name in the performance roll book, and behind my name was a long series of negative signs. This worried me but not enough to make me stand up in front of my friends and give a talk. Speaking to a group seemed like the most frightening of all things.
A girl that I liked very much sat in front of me. I liked her so much that on the way to school I would think of clever things to say to her, but when in her presence, my mind would go blank and I would become almost tongue-tied.
One day when the teacher called the roll and got to my name, I replied, “Unprepared.” It was then that this girl did me a great favor. She turned around, looked back at me, and said, “Why don’t you get prepared?” I was not able to listen to any of the reports that day. I kept thinking of all sorts of wonderful things like, “What does she care, unless she cares.”
I went home, found an article in the newspaper, and read it time and again until I had finally committed it to memory. I cut the article out, folded it, placed it in my wallet, and carried it with me all week.
The next Friday I was there in my usual seat in the back. The teacher started to call the roll without looking up. Finally she got to my name; she said, “George.” And very quietly I gave a great speech—I said, “Prepared.” She stopped calling the roll and looked up at me. I poked my head up as far as I could and nodded. The girl turned around and smiled. My friends looked over at me like, “Traitor.” Then I sat waiting my turn, saying to myself, “What have I done?” I was scared. Then I made a magnificent discovery. It was all right to be afraid if I didn’t let it stop me from doing what I should.
My turn came. I went to the front and started to speak. I remembered every word, and after the last word had crossed my lips, I stood there for just a second, and a priceless thought passed my mind and found its way to my heart. I said to myself, “I like you.”
I returned to my seat and sat down. I didn’t hear any of the reports, but as my heart pounded within me, I kept feeling over and over again, “This is the only way to live.”
I have since learned that the word unprepared really does take you off the hook and lead you away from pressure. By learning to say that word you really don’t have to do anything, but you never know the joy of doing something that causes you to say to yourself, “I like myself.”

During the time of our courtship and engagement, my wife shared her patriarchal blessing with me. One phrase of it states, "I bless you with the prospect of a home surrounded with righteousness in union with one who will honor the priesthood and build with you a home where the peace of the gospel will prevail over the sins of the world." I thought to myself, "Can that possibly be me? Where and how could we build such a home?"

We met at Ricks College and dated a year and a half before I left on my mission. We married six months after my mission. We started our lives together with a $700 car, a $700 ring, and a $700 a month job in a plywood mill. We also started our lives together with a rich vision of the type of home we wanted to build together. We sat down and set goals for the number of children we wanted, the kind of people we wanted them to be and the kind of people we wanted to be.

We had read a book together about President McKay, the prophet of our youth, and Sister McKay. We set goals to treat each other like the McKays; to have a life-long love affair. Perhaps most influential, we started our lives together having lived in homes where parents loved each other and loved the Savior. We were rich! We found a little plot of land in the middle of the woods where the peace of the gospel could prevail.

With a loving and knowledgeable father to guide us (my carpenter dad, the guy up there on top of the forms), and a year of hard work on our part, aside from our other jobs and callings, we built together our physical home where we raised our children. For 20 some years, we cut, split, hauled, and burned enough firewood from the surrounding woods to heat our home through the winters. I had much time to contemplate the principle of the wood chop.

It was a cold day, and I was scared. I shook hard in my speed suit. It was my first ski race since I had been injured. The course was a long blur of blue and red gates. My coach skied by me.
“Noah, are you OK?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said, but I was actually scared out of my skin!
It was time for me to be at the start gate. Oh no! I thought as I skied down to the start gate. But then I remembered something I had learned in Primary: I can pray anytime, anywhere.
So I prayed, Heavenly Father, please help me to be safe and do well. Right then, I pushed out of the start.
What came next was natural instinct. Left, then right, gate after gate, for what felt like days until I finally crossed the finish line. Boy, I was slow! I thought. But I looked at the timer. I was 12th in my category!
“That was so good!” Mom said.
During the excitement, I silently thanked my Heavenly Father for answering my prayer.

I knew the changes my life needed.
I should be studying my scriptures deeply. I should be exercising regularly. I should participate in hobbies I once loved. These were all things that would improve my spiritual, physical, and mental health. I knew that—that’s what I was taught from a young age.
But I just couldn’t bring myself to do them.
Why? Because the changes required a major shift in my lifestyle, and I couldn’t sustain them.
I’d try and fail. Things would go well for a week or two, and then I would fall back into old habits. So, I decided to take a more gradual approach—one step at a time, “line upon line” (2 Nephi 28:30). With that in mind, I focused on truths of slow, sustainable goal setting:
Routine is vital to me, and I noticed my mornings and nights felt rushed and unproductive. I was often tired and didn’t accomplish everything I needed to. To make a change, I started with an important, foundational habit that set up a good pattern for me to continue changing.
For me, the foundational step was my bedtime. I set a goal to read scriptures at night and to go to bed earlier. Over the course of several weeks, I shifted my bedtime by one hour per week. I made a conscious effort to stick to this plan and be consistent.
My efforts weren’t perfect every night, but over time, I began to notice a significant improvement. I shifted my bedtime by several hours, and with that, I was able to get more sleep than ever before. And once I was better rested, it was easier to incorporate scripture study.
This method of changing my habits did wonders for me, so I started using it in other areas of my life. I started working on things like my temple attendance, exercise and nutrition, and hobbies. One good habit can lead to forming more good habits. Figuring out what foundational habit you want to create can help you start on the path to healthy change.
Breaking my goals down into steps made them seem smaller and more manageable. For one week, I would focus on a small aspect of my goal and discuss my progress with my husband. The following week, I would add another small aspect. If I stopped, I knew I had added too much too quickly, so I would go back to the previous step that I had already mastered.
Repentance is change, and like all change, repentance is a process. Making these small changes every week helped me experience the joy of repentance. I felt supported and empowered by Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, which improved my quality of life drastically.
My motivation for change has increased with these principles. I have implemented many small changes, but over time, the impact of small acts has been large. Becoming better and increasing motivation will be a lifelong pursuit, not a one-time event.

While this teaching process was occurring, our other friend, Bernard, walked into our lives. Bernard had first found the Church through a local Facebook ad and he accepted our first phone call invitation to attend church that coming Sunday. It was a joyous day when Bernard and Prince were able to meet on the oak benches in our chapel. Even though there is a small age gap, they clicked so well, and the rapidly growing testimony of Prince touched the heart of Bernard. Elder Hutchason and I watched Bernard quickly came to love all the messages and teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
As we taught Bernard each time, we would call him on the phone, and he would answer. Anytime we asked to meet he was so excited he would even close down his shop early to meet us at the chapel to hear another message. Anytime we extended a commitment to read from the scriptures or to pray on his own, he would willingly and faithfully do so. Elder Hutchason and I both knew that we should not procrastinate the day of his baptism.
Even through a very challenging and busy week for everyone, we were still able to have Bernard properly interviewed, baptized, and confirmed in the same week. On that perfect cool Saturday evening of September 18, 2021, I watched as my worthy, spirit-filled companion, Elder Hutchason, guided Bernard into the baptismal font. I cannot express with words how much joy I saw in that man’s smile as Elder Hutchason raised him out of the water. He knew, and so did everyone else in attendance, that his sins had been purified.
By taking this first step, he had become more like our Savior, Jesus Christ, and began a lifelong journey to now go and share his light before mankind that “they may see [his] good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Bernard was confirmed the following day in sacrament meeting. My favorite part about this is the support of the uplifted right hand from the congregation to support the newest member of their family.

Recently I felt that I was not getting much from Church meetings. The speakers and teachers were inspired, but I just did not remember much of what was said or taught; and honestly, I really struggled to focus and pay attention.

I found a solution in the Book of Mormon in some thoughts by Nephi. He commented about the plates: “Upon these I write the things of my soul. … Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard” (2 Nephi 4:15, 16). Nephi knew the importance of keeping a record, writing down his own thoughts and experiences, but he also kept notes of some of the teachings of his father, Lehi (see 1 Nephi 8), and his brother Jacob (see 2 Nephi 10).

I felt guided to take notes of some of the things that I see and hear in my Church meetings. I began to write down two or three notes from what each speaker and teacher said, things that were of interest and importance to me.

What a change taking notes made in my life! Here are a few insights I have learned:
I feel a greater influence of the Holy Ghost during the meetings, as well as during the week as I have applied the principles taught. In fact, I am recognizing the Spirit more often in my life.
It is clear to me that the bishopric is inspired, calling specific speakers and teachers to provide enriching thoughts and lead enlightening discussions.
I have new perceptions of the gospel, seeing some of the principles as others see them. There are many ideas that I had not considered before, stretching my mind and understanding. If the speaker was inspired to study a specific concept, it may be worth my time to ponder it too.
My notes have become an inspired guide during the week, along with Come, Follow Me. I review what I wrote and follow through with challenges and additional study. I now have many quotes in my personal files from prophets and Church leaders—and members of my ward.
I am more alert in my meetings, focusing on what is being taught.

Taking notes has changed this for me! Church meetings are much more interesting, now that I am more interested. Not only are my Sundays more spiritual, but the days of the week are better as I apply the truths and ideas that I have noted. This simple tool has been a great blessing to me and, I believe, may change your life too.

When my parents divorced, it was hard on my siblings and me. It took several years for me to forgive my father. I had to study the scriptures and pray with all my heart. I even talked to a counselor. Then I prayed to understand my dad. My eyes were opened, and I understood him, and it helped me heal. I was able to forgive, and I was freed from the chains that had held me down for so long. I know that the Savior’s Atonement is real. The Lord loves us and will never leave us comfortless.
Name withheld

I’m not good at basketball. Call it genes, call it natural ability, call it whatever—it always seems like everyone else on the court has it, and I don’t. This often makes me feel out of place.
This fact didn’t stop my friends from inviting me to play basketball. I would just run up and down the court, pretending I knew what I was doing. I don’t think I fooled anyone. But, to their credit, my friends did their best to include me.
During one game, I took a shot and the ball flew toward the basket. It hit the backboard, the rim, then fell through the hoop. I couldn’t believe it. Purely by luck, I made the shot!
Understanding the uniqueness of this moment, my friends congratulated me. I didn’t contribute much to that game, but I felt like I belonged, and that meant a lot.

Other Minnesota youth are busy setting a good example, too. Maggie Albaugh, a Laurel in the Anoka stake, stepped outside her comfort zone when she taught a girl in her class to pray. Katie was one of the more popular girls in her school, and Maggie didn’t know her very well. “She’d never prayed and was never into religion,” Maggie says.
The sudden death of one of their friends brought them, and their whole class, closer together. Katie stopped Maggie in the halls of their school, knowing of her LDS standards, to ask her questions about life and death. “The only advice I could give her was the simple advice to pray,” Maggie says. “I just felt that, as Mormon youth, prayer helps us through a lot of things and a lot of people don’t have the same understanding of prayer. It is a gift that was given to us to communicate with our Heavenly Father.”
So Katie prayed, and at a memorial service for their friend, she shared with her class the comfort she had received through prayer.

Finally graduation came. Then another important decision had to be made. And now the question was, should we return home or stay in America? Interestingly enough, now I wanted to stay in America and my wife wanted to return home.

She kept reminding me these words: our purpose in coming to BYU is to follow the counsel of the prophets:
Get an education
Return home
Make a mark
Serve the kingdom
Again her spiritual maturity, understanding and commitment to follow the leaders of the Church helped me make the right choice.

We returned home with the faith that the Lord would provide for our well-being and take care of us in our own country.

...

I learned through experience that at moments of decisions, many times we find ourselves like Nephi when he was asked to return home to obtain the plates, he didn't know in advance what was going to happen. But he had trust and faith in the Lord. He knew that through his obedience the Lord would be by his side. When my wife and I returned to Brazil we knew we were doing the right thing but we had no idea what great things the Lord had in store for us.

...

Sometimes I stop and think, what would have happened if we had remained in America? What would have happened if we had never returned home? What would have happened if we had trusted only in ourselves and not in the counsel of our Church leaders? We don't have an answer to these questions. We only know one thing for sure: The Lord does keep his promise to bless all his children according to their faith and obedience.

I was first introduced to FamilySearch indexing (see page 42) in one of my mom’s Relief Society meetings. I didn’t really understand what it was, but I thought it would be a terrific way to pass off a value project in my Personal Progress booklet. Luckily, my neighbor was able to help me get started.
At first, it was just about getting the 10 hours done. Little did I know that it would be so much more than that. It was so cool to see how old these records were and just have the feeling of helping people find their family history. Now, when I go to the temple, I get an even more powerful feeling than I did before. It makes me feel happy inside.
Indexing also affected my family. My father works in the Church’s Family History Department. When he saw me doing indexing, I could see a spark of excitement go through him. I learned more about his work, and we spent quality time together. Later, I taught my mom how to index and helped with workshops for ward members. After I had finished my 10-hour value project, I found myself still indexing. In about two and a half months, I was able to get over a thousand records done.

We had the opportunity to meet President and Sister Richard W. Winder. He is the first mission president in Czechoslovakia since before World War II. My sister was very curious about President and Sister Winder, the life they had left behind in Salt Lake City to fulfill their mission assignment, their unpretentious way of living in Czechoslovakia, and the love they showed for the people. She felt of their spirit, and cried.

Five days before I was due to leave Czechoslovakia for home, President Winder informed me that President Gordon B. Hinckley of the First Presidency would be visiting Czechoslovakia and holding a meeting in Brno, 160 kilometers from Prague. President Winder asked if I would attend the meeting and act as an interpreter for President Hinckley. I accepted, and with Ilona, I drove to Brno.

That meeting was a highlight of my visit. With President was Sister Hinckley, and President Hans B. Ringger, president of the Europe Area, with Sister Ringger, President and Sister Winder, and my brothers and sisters in the gospel. President Hinckley understood how nervous I was, acting as his interpreter and translating Church terminology into Czech, and he was very considerate. It was a very spiritual experience for us all. My sister didn’t take her eyes off of him, and her face shone at me from the congregation.

Since my visit, I have learned that the gospel seeds I planted have started to bear fruit. My niece, Olga, has been baptized, and she is now living with a family in London, England. She wrote to me: “When you visited with us, I heard you share your testimony of the gospel, and although I didn’t completely understand what you meant, I wanted to know more. Now, as a member of the Church, I know. I feel as though I have grown in wisdom beyond my years. Life makes sense to me, and for the first time I know what to do.”

In returning to Czechoslovakia, I found my family and friends—roots that I thought were lost. And I have come to realize that the basic desire for truth is never dead. I am sure that the gospel will spread in Czechoslovakia and that the Czech and the Slovak Saints will take their rightful place in the worldwide family of the Church.

A few months ago some old friends from my college days visited me. They had come to BYU to their daughter’s graduation, and since they were here, they took the time to look me up. We had lost contact with each other because our lives had taken different paths. I was greatly saddened to hear that their daughter’s last year here at BYU was a very difficult one. She had suffered from some health problems but also from great loneliness. There had been many opportunities for roommates, home teachers, visiting teachers, and others to simply sit and listen or to merely say hi. Yet few had taken the opportunity to do so. That simple act would have made a tremendous difference in her life. Unfortunately, others are here who are facing the same loneliness.
Contrast this experience with one my daughters had. Our granddaughter, Kayla, was born in October 2002 with an extremely serious heart defect. She needed to have open-heart surgery immediately, or she would suffocate. The first surgery was not totally successful, and so within a week a second surgery was necessary. During the second surgery the sutures around Kayla’s little aorta tore, and the doctors worked frantically to keep her from bleeding to death. Periodically a nurse would come out of the operating room to keep us notified of her situation. The news was always extremely bad.
During the surgery two of our daughters tried to continue on with their lives here at BYU. When Jill got the message that Kayla probably would not make it, she went over to the Harris Fine Arts Building to find Kim to tell her the news. As the two girls cried and hugged each other, a young man noticed them and sensed their distress. Quietly he stepped over to them and simply said; “I hope you feel better and that everything will be okay.” He then handed them a BYU Men’s Chorus CD that contains wonderful, healing music. That young man didn’t know my daughters, but he kept his eyes and his heart open, was sensitive to the Spirit, and took the initiative to act. His simple action gave them comfort and support. Fortunately, through the prayers and faith of many, and because it’s our Father’s will, today 20-month-old Kayla loves to sing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and to give her Grandpa kisses!

When I was 14, my family moved to a new neighborhood. Now, this may not seem like a terrible tragedy to you, but in my mind, at that time, it was devastating. It meant being surrounded by people I didn’t know. It meant that all the other young men in my ward would be attending a different school than I was. And in my 14-year-old mind, I thought, “How could my parents do this to me?” I felt as if my life had been ruined.
However, through our Young Men activities, I was able to build relationships with the other members of my quorum, and they became my friends. In addition, members of the bishopric and Aaronic Priesthood advisers began to take a special interest in my life. They attended my athletic events. They wrote me encouraging notes that I have kept to this day. They continued to keep in touch with me after I went to college and when I left for a mission. One of them was even at the airport when I came home. I will be forever grateful for these good brothers and their combination of love and high expectations. They pointed me heavenward, and life became bright, happy, and joyful.

My bishop has helped me by encouraging me and giving me opportunities to strengthen my talents.
Knowing that I played the piano, he asked me one day if I wanted to learn how to play the organ. I had always thought it would be fun to learn, but my bishop was the one who really encouraged me to start. He helped me get in contact with the ward organist so she could help me get started, and it’s been going really well! Every time my bishop sees me practicing, he compliments me and asks about the next time I’ll be playing in sacrament meeting.
I know my bishop sees my potential, and I’m grateful for his constant encouragement. He has helped me learn and grow in ways I would not have been able to on my own.
Aubrey B., California, USA

My sister and I have had a complicated relationship for the past 40 years. Recently, I started to pray for her welfare and happiness. I also decided to put her name down on the prayer roll of the temple for eight weeks. During this period, I felt impressed to invite her to spend some time with me during the Christmas holidays (2019). This was a difficult thing for me because we have barely spent more than an hour together during the past ten years. On the day we decided to meet, I prepared a meal, and we agreed to watch a Christmas movie together. From the moment she arrived at my home, I could tell she was different. She was happy and bubbly, and we talked like we used to four decades ago. The visit was so enjoyable that I invited her to return the following week, when we again ate a meal together and watched another Christmas movie. Later I scheduled two more visits that were just as successful and enjoyable as the first two.
A few days later, I was reviewing a journal entry from 23 years ago. In that entry, I had recorded some of the words of a priesthood blessing that I had received because I was so upset about the poor relationship that I had with my sister. As I read the terms of this blessing, I was shocked by what Heavenly Father had told me so long ago. This is what he said:
“The Lord loves you very much. You will be as Nephi of old. You will have the wisdom and strength to counsel your family. With time, you will be able to resolve your relationship with family and friends.”
These words immediately reminded me of a talk given by Henry B Eyring called, A Law of Increasing Returns. In this talk, President Eyring said:
“The simple fact is that there is a God who wants us to have faith in him. He knows that to strengthen faith, we must use it [even with our family members]. And so, he gives us the chance to use it by letting some of the spiritual rewards we want most be delayed. Instead of first effort yielding returns, with a steady decline, it’s the reverse. First efforts, and even second efforts, seem to yield little. And then the rewards begin, perhaps much later, to grow and grow.”1
That is how I felt as I thought about how my relationship with my sister has improved dramatically over the past two weeks. It is no accident that this improvement in our relationship had happened when I was praying for my sister, and I had placed her name on the temple prayer roll.

After returning from mission, I had two main goals: get married and go back to school, or vice versa. Deciding which one to prioritize was a bit easy, as my Church leaders were encouraging all returned missionaries to get married. I soon learned well enough that deciding on marriage will help me with deciding my education and career goals. I testify that as we continue exercising faith through obedience to our priesthood leaders, even when their words seem contrary to our thoughts, we will be blessed—maybe not in that moment, but it will always be in the broader picture.

Desiring to obey, I took up every good opportunity that came my way; I went on dates and worked on getting back to school. I desired to be a pilot, so I started application for a pilot school. Nearing the completion of my application, I visited the temple to express my gratitude to Heavenly Father for the opportunity placed before me. While praying, I felt a strong impression that I was pursuing this path at a wrong time. I was prompted that my desire to have a family and be home with them would not happen if I remained on my current path, because becoming a pilot meant more time away from my family than I preferred. So, I stopped processing my application, and instead started exploring careers that would give me more time with my family. I sought the Lord’s help, through prayer, in finding a university that would give me the privilege of attending the temple frequently and eventually lead me to a career that would help me be home often with my family.

Not long after, I was advised by a close friend from my mission, who was enrolled in the Pathway program, to consider Pathway as an option. It took me awhile, but after feeling impressed to, I enrolled in it. I came to realize how interesting learning could be when based upon gospel principles, so I decided to continue to the online program. While in Pathway, I met a girl whom I dated for a year, and we decided to marry. Around this time, I also decided on a career in web development, a degree I saw could give me more opportunities to be home with my future family. I informed my immediate family of my decision to marry the girl, and my father advised that we prayed to have everything come together, as everyone was excited.

Well, the excitement did not last for long, as this girl surprised me with her desire to serve a mission before our marriage. At this point, I realized that I had to decide whether to let her leave on a mission or not, as if that was my choice. We had many plans, with things heading in the right direction; thus, I could not understand why she had made that decision. I tried convincing her to stay, but to no avail. Therefore, I sought the Lord’s guidance in making a final decision. For a moment, I doubted the answer I received, because I felt justified in wanting her to stay, as I was only trying to be obedient by getting married. Instead, the Lord helped me understand that everyone has their agency, and that I should not try to take that power away, no matter what. I finally felt at peace with the answer and understood that I needed to let her go on the mission, and after some time we finally ended the relationship.

Feeling lost and not knowing how to move on with the change of plans, I sought for direction through regular temple attendance and prayer. Each time I prayed, the Lord helped me understand that He had a plan for me, and that He was going to take me to a place I had never thought of. One of my dad’s favorite scriptures, which he loves sharing with my family, says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” [1] I trusted that the Lord would guide me as I sought to choose the right.

During this time, I was again encouraged by my mission friend to try applying to BYU-Idaho. Again I prayed to know the Lord’s will, and being here today is an answer to that prayer, and with it the greater blessing of finding my eternal companion, with whom I find true happiness.