Gospel Story Finder

In 1965 I headed to Vietnam for my third tour of duty with the U.S. Air Force. We were flying combat missions just about every day, with our squadron’s F-100 Super Sabers taking small arms hits regularly. In this environment, I easily developed faithful habits of prayer, and I found strength in knowing that my family back home was praying regularly for my safe and speedy return.
Looking back, I can see clearly that these prayers helped build a protective shield around me. I felt this protection especially on the morning of March 30, 1966. About halfway through a mission, I noticed that my fire warning light had lit up. I had been hit! I was in trouble, so I headed east toward the nearest friendly airfield.
I was feeling pretty good about things until my wingman told me that I was burning badly, with flames trailing several feet behind the aircraft. A moment later, the aircraft quit responding to the control stick. It was time to bail out. I squeezed the trigger, firing the ejection seat charge. It fired much more violently than I had expected, but at least I was separated from the burning F-100.
As soon as I ejected, things quickly went from bad to worse. The jolt of the ejection put me into a rapid, head-over-heels tumble. The tumble was so violent that I couldn’t think through the remainder of my memorized emergency procedures. My only clear thought at the time was that the human body was not built to withstand such violence. I expected an arm or a leg to be torn off at any minute!
I finally calmed down enough to recall a parachute free-fall training film I had seen just before my deployment to Vietnam. An image soon became crystal clear in my mind: Spread eagle to slow down and stabilize. As I responded to the image, which I knew was an answer to the many prayers that had been offered in my behalf, I immediately stopped spinning and tumbling. I was then able to concentrate on other pressing matters—like opening my parachute! If it had opened automatically, I wouldn’t have found myself tumbling with such violence.
My mind then cleared further, as if a small TV screen had appeared before me, outlining the rest of the critical emergency procedures I needed to remember. Check chute. I didn’t have one. If no chute, pull D-ring. The D-ring is the rip cord, which I quickly pulled. Immediately the parachute popped out and filled with air to break my fall. Deploy seat kit. I pulled the lanyard to release the heavy, hard-shelled survival kit that was strapped to my seat. No luck. The kit stayed attached, hanging dangerously behind my thighs.
Later, in my debrief of the ejection, a flight surgeon told me that in every case he knew of, an undeployed seat kit had resulted in a crushed pelvis. I was thankful I was not aware of this grim statistic as I floated toward the earth.
I hadn’t realized that Vietnam was in its dry season, and the soft rice field I expected when I landed was concrete hard. I hit my head on the ground and was briefly knocked unconscious. Fortunately, I had kept my helmet on throughout the ejection.
When I recovered, I unstrapped myself from my parachute and took a quick inventory. I had no broken bones and saw no enemy troops, but I knew I had landed in hostile territory controlled by the Vietcong. Within 30 minutes an Army helicopter arrived, picked me up, and flew me to my intended destination.
When I finally came down from my adrenalin high and could focus on all that had happened, I became immediately aware of the divine intervention that had occurred in my life. I had experienced major equipment problems: neither the automatic feature on my parachute nor the survival kit release system had worked. My spinning had prevented me from thinking clearly until mind-clearing images came to me. And I had landed safely and been rescued from hostile, Vietcong-held territory. In short, it was clear that my prayers and those of my family had been answered in a remarkable fashion.

My partner and his wife, who were following the path the Lord would have them follow, moved their family out of state after the two of us had been in business together for seven years. Because of their move, my wife and I wanted to move closer to our families either back to Utah, where she was from, or to Oregon, where I was from.

To solve our dilemma, my wife and I spent the next three to four months praying, fasting, and attending the temple in order to know what the Lord would have us do. The answer was painfully, “Stay in Arizona.” The answer came in the form of a powerful spiritual experience in the temple that we will never forget. I kept the business going for the next three years.

My final suggestion is somewhat like the second, but takes it a step further. I would suggest that you not only study the words of the Lord and seek his guidance, but also that you do the work of the Lord. God has so organized his work that every worthy disciple may participate, and I don’t think that is accidental. As we fulfill callings, serve in the temple, minister as part of the relief society or priesthood quorums, do missionary work, or serve in whatever other capacity to bring our fellow men to Christ and make their lives more fulfilling, the Lord will guide our efforts, and that comes with the corresponding support of the Holy Ghost. When we are in our darker hours, it can be difficult at times to feel the influence of the Spirit. But the scriptures are replete with promises that the Lord will help us when we are on his errand. We are told, for instance, that when we teach, we do it by the Spirit of Truth. “Wherefore he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another and both are edified and rejoice together” (D&C 50:22). When I was experiencing one particularly low time, I was called to be a teacher in the Sunday School, teaching the youth church history. Some of my favorite moments were when I was teaching those lessons. I was able to rejoice with them for a moment here or a moment there. And lest you think that you don’t have the sort of calling that will let you seek the Lord’s help in that way, remember that everyone teaches in the church, and everyone does the Lord’s work. Fathers and mothers, you teach your children. I know there have been times I have been greatly thankful for the opportunity to teach my children because it meant the Lord would be there to help me and the spirit would testify of what I was teaching. And we get the help of the Lord in countless other ways as we labor in the kingdom.

The New Era always seems to arrive at the time I need it most. I’d been through a particularly tough test one day, and when I arrived back at the house, there were three issues waiting to be read. You can’t imagine the happiness I felt. I immediately sat down and read all of them. It was like water to a thirsty soul. Being 8,000 miles from home, I enjoy the New Era more than ever. It is my “mission magazine.”
Elder William R. NelsonColombia Cali Mission

One day after church, our bishop found Brother and Sister Choi at their home sprinkling water on plants and removing weeds from flowerbeds.
“Sister Choi, most of your flowers have not bloomed yet,” the bishop said. “How can you bring fully bloomed flowers every Sabbath?”
She replied, “Each Sunday morning, I look into the garden and ask the flowers, ‘Who wants to please the Lord today?’ Then I feel the flowers shouting, ‘Me, I want to go! It’s my turn.’”

My young friend whom I’ll call Lindsey needed hope. She lived in a home which was devoid of the Spirit and of love. Her friends were wild, and even most of her Young Women leaders looked on her only as a “project.” But deep inside she felt that the Lord loved her, despite her deplorable situation. She focused on always remembering Him. She chose not to participate with her friends when they did bad things. She tried to worship Heavenly Father in the privacy of her own bedroom because she wanted to feel His Spirit in her life. Something in her wanted to be good, to keep His commandments. Even with her limited knowledge and lack of outside help, she was trying to keep her baptismal covenants. She felt hope to carry on, and she felt love from Heavenly Father.

Like the Saints in Missouri, Lindsey knew that in spite of her deplorable conditions, Heavenly Father hadn’t given up on her. His love was firm. She took comfort in the “immutable covenant” of His love—that “all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good” (D&C 98:3). As with Abraham, hers was not an easy path to walk, yet she pressed forward. As she did so, she found help. One special Church leader loved and guided her. She grew closer to Heavenly Father and eventually found a young man who loved her, taught her much about the gospel, and married her.

At last many of the blessings she had longed for earlier in life were poured out upon her. She found she could have the Spirit in her own family and raise righteous children. Where once she was isolated and neglected, she now feels enveloped by love. This has come from pressing forward while waiting patiently on the Lord. Being steadfast in Christ brought hope to Lindsey as it will to each of us as we struggle with life’s challenges. The words the choir sings tonight will encourage us to come unto Him:

The Prophet was then inspired to raise money to purchase Chandler’s mummies and the accompanying papyri, even though he did not know exactly what the writings would disclose. Kirtland Saints contributed the funds for the purchase. The price was $2,400—not an inconsequential sum at the time, considering that the Kirtland Temple was under construction, but the faith of members who knew the Prophet and his works led them to help.4

The Prophet recorded: “With W W. Phelps and Oliver Cowdery as scribes, [I] commenced the translation of some of the characters or hieroglyphics, and much to our joy found that one of the rolls contained the writings of Abraham, another the writings of Joseph of Egypt, etc., a more full account of which will appear in their place, as I proceed to examine or unfold them. Truly can we say, the Lord is beginning to reveal the abundance of peace and truth.”5

Gianna Lall, 15, of the Manhattan Sixth Branch, joined the Church with her brother and mother about four years ago. She remembers the day that the missionaries knocked on their door. For five months they studied the gospel, asked many questions, and attended Church meetings. As their desire to be baptized grew, they knew that their mother faced a big hurdle. She had to give up cigarettes, coffee, and alcohol. “The first time we fasted for her, she had cooked everything we loved. We were going to have the missionaries over for dinner. That morning I didn’t think I could fast. For some reason, when I looked in the refrigerator, I didn’t have to eat the tempting food. I think that’s the only time fasting has been that easy for me. She had tried before, but this time my mother quit.”
Gianna; her brother, Roberto; and their mother, Maria, were baptized. Gianna has seen a great change take place in their home. “I have my own testimony. I know that the Lord is always there for me. I always get through whatever little problem I have. I don’t realize it, but it really does help just knowing that He’s there and is looking out for me. Knowing that, there is no problem or worry that I can’t get through.”
The gospel has made Gianna’s home a place of peace. “There’s not much tension anymore. There isn’t a bad feeling. It feels good to come home.”

As I conclude, I want to share with you two other examples of a combination of these three. One is a letter that came in Hong Kong from a family that I had never met:

Dear Elder Hanks,
In an effort to make our family Christmas more meaningful we decided together to economize and use the savings to feed the hungry children in Cambodia. Examples of what our children have done to earn money are to address envelopes for my work, sell stationery, work around the yard and house. The kids earned a penny a page for reading; they used the money they were going to spend buying presents for each other and put it into this account. They have given up a trip and goodies. We bought a smaller size Christmas tree that would sit up on top of the table rather than a full-size tree and are giving the difference. In all, the enclosed check represents on behalf of our family money that we would have spent on Christmas but did not. We know that you will put it to good use. We are grateful for our many blessings, sorry that there are so many who suffer so much. Please let us know what else we can do. Have a Merry Christmas.

And I did have and I know that they did have.

After I had the privilege of speaking with Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, I felt an even stronger desire to represent the Lord as a full-time missionary. Elder Scott rested his hands on my shoulders and said, “Be faithful to the Lord and keep His commandments, and He will inspire you!” This counsel gave me a great feeling of peace. I left my home in Mercedes, Argentina, on 24 March 1996 en route to the Argentina Resistencia Mission.
One day my companion and I did a lot of walking. All our appointments had fallen through, and this area had not had a baptism for nine months. But we were not discouraged—on the contrary, we had a great challenge before us!
As we walked, we both felt inspired to visit a lady we had met days before. When we got close to her house, we felt led to her neighbor’s home. Her neighbor very willingly listened to us, and we both felt the Spirit while we told her about God and Jesus Christ and the role of Joseph Smith.
After a while, I gave her a copy of the Book of Mormon. When I did, she explained, “My father was killed a month ago. He was a member of your Church. Although he did not go to church very regularly, he loved the gospel.” Then, as if it were nothing, she added, “He appeared to me in a dream and told me someone would give me a book. He begged me not to reject it for anything because in it I would find the right way!” Then she continued, “Now I know you are the ones from my dream.” I was astonished, but I felt very encouraged to know that there is missionary work on both sides of the veil.
As I served my mission, I thought about the sweet look on the face of Elder Richard G. Scott as he told me, “Be faithful to the Lord and keep His commandments, and He will inspire you.” That’s just how it is.

Elder Lawrence says that just as his life seemed to be winding down, with their six children grown and on their own, he and his wife were called to preside over the Russia Novosibirsk Mission in Siberia in 2001. Elder and Sister Lawrence were required to exercise complete faith as they left their home and family behind to serve in a land where the language, people, and climate were completely unfamiliar.

“It was a great test for us in just putting our trust in the Lord,” Sister Lawrence says. “Everything we worried about fell into place, and [the experience] changed our lives.”

A sign in the kitchen of the mission home provided a constant reminder to “look unto [the Savior] in every thought; doubt not, fear not” (D&C 6:36).

Elder and Sister Lawrence count their mission experience as among the greatest in their lives and feel it prepared them for their new responsibilities with Elder Lawrence’s call to the Seventy.

“We don’t know what’s ahead, but we know it will be good,” Elder Lawrence says.

Ever since my baptism, I have been able to serve in the Church. My first opportunity was as a visiting teacher. I loved being a visiting teacher and loved serving with Myrlande Jolibois. As my companion, she taught me how to care for the sisters and how to bring joy to those we were invited to teach. We walked everywhere and happily visited all our sisters. Her service prepared me to receive my first calling three months after my baptism. I was called to be the Relief Society president and continued to serve the sisters in my ward.

Christopher stared out the window as the car zipped along the highway. The family was returning from a weekend of visiting relatives. The sun had gone down, and the view of the countryside was quickly disappearing.
“Are you warm enough?” Dad asked. “Do you want me to turn up the heat?”
“I’m OK. I have my blanket and my pillow back here.”
“Did you have a good time with your cousins?”
“Yeah!” Christopher answered. “That was an awesome snowman we built yesterday. I bet it won’t melt until spring!”
“You might be right,” Dad laughed.
“It was fun going to Primary with Joey today too. I asked his class my favorite article of faith question.”
Dad adjusted the rearview mirror so that he could see Christopher in the back seat. “What’s the question?”
“Do you know which article of faith you can see at the circus?”
“Which one?”
“The thirteenth. It says we believe in being honest, true, and chased by an elephant.”
Dad chuckled. “Who taught you that?”
“Sister Egbert. She finds good ways to help us memorize the articles of faith. The thirteenth is really long, so she asked us that question to help us learn it. And now I can say the whole thing.”
“Good for you! Do you know what it means?”
“Well, she explained all the big words. Mostly it just means that we believe in being nice to people and in doing good things.”
“That’s a pretty good explanation.” Dad glanced at Mom, asleep in the seat next to him. “Why don’t you try to get some sleep, too, Son. We won’t be home for about an hour.”
Christopher rested his cheek on the pillow against the side of the car, and pulled his blanket up to his chin. He was almost asleep when the car swerved sharply.
“What happened?” Mom asked, awakened by the jolt.
“A car just cut in front of us and went off the road,” Dad said, breathing deeply. “They barely missed us.”
“We should go back and see if they’re all right,” Christopher said.
“I’m sure they’re fine,” Dad told him. “I saw them come to a safe stop.” “We’ll call the highway patrol when we get to town,” Mom added.
“But what if they’re not all right?” Christopher asked. “What if they need help? We should help them.”
Dad looked at Mom. “He’s right—we should see if we can help.” At the next opportunity he headed back in the other direction.
Christopher pressed his face against the cool window, searching for the car. “There it is!” he shouted when it came into view.
Dad carefully pulled off the road behind it. “You two stay here,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”
Christopher felt uneasy as he watched his father disappear into the darkness. But after just a few minutes, he saw Dad returning with a big smile on his face.
Mom rolled down her window. “What happened?”
“Would you believe it—it’s Brother and Sister Egbert!”
“My Primary teacher?” Christopher shouted. “Is she all right?”
“They’re both fine,” Dad continued, “just a little shaken up. One of their tires blew, and they lost control of the car.” He asked Mom, “Would you move our car up so that the lights shine on their car better?”
Mom slid into the driver’s seat and pulled the car up so that the headlights shone on the flat tire that Dad and Brother Egbert were getting ready to change. Sister Egbert came back and climbed into the seat next to Christopher.
“Thank you so much for stopping,” she said with a shiver.
Christopher handed her his blanket.
“Christopher is the one you should thank,” Mom said. “He insisted that we make sure whoever it was, was all right.”
Sister Egbert turned to Christopher. “Thank you,” she said. “You were the answer to a prayer.”
“You’re the one who taught me that we believe in being nice to people and in doing good things. We were just following the thirteenth article of faith—‘being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and doing good to all men.’ “
“I’m proud of you for learning to say that article of faith,” Sister Egbert said. “But I’m more impressed that you know how to live it.”

A few years ago, while I was sitting in sacrament meeting one Sunday, I felt particularly weighed down by my weaknesses and imperfections. I remembered a talk given by President Jeffrey R. Holland, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who spoke about the significance of the sacrament:
“How ‘sacred’ and how ‘holy’ is [the sacrament]? Do we see it as our passover, remembrance of our safety and deliverance and redemption?
“… (The sacrament) should be a powerful, reverent, reflective moment. It should encourage spiritual feelings and impressions. As such it should not be rushed. It is not something to ‘get over’ so that the real purpose of a sacrament meeting can be pursued. This is the real purpose of the meeting.”
But I wasn’t sure how to make my experience in sacrament meeting like this.
At this time in my life, I felt that I was not thinking about the sacrament the way I really wanted to. Instead of focusing on Jesus Christ, I was distracted by every thought that drifted in and out of my head as the bread and water were passed. But on this Sunday, I wanted to feel the Spirit.
I thought about how the Savior, before beginning His Atonement, introduced His Apostles to the sacrament at the Last Supper.
This introduction to the sacrament was an intimate experience shared between Him and His Apostles. Sometimes I wish I could have witnessed it firsthand. I wish I could have gotten to know the Savior like His Apostles did.
So, after the bread was blessed, I prayed to Heavenly Father. I asked for forgiveness and to be made clean through Jesus Christ. I asked Him to help me keep my thoughts on the Savior and remember what this ordinance means for my life and for my covenants.
When I concluded my prayer, I thought about Jesus Christ’s life and all the stories about His earthly ministry, from His humble birth in Bethlehem to His glorious visit to the Americas. I thought of His Atonement and what that sacrifice means for me.
I started seeing how everything about the gospel is interconnected, with Jesus Christ being the centerpiece. After this sacrament meeting, I began to stay more focused on the Savior in my daily life. This change was gradual at first, but as the weeks passed and I continued to focus on Him, I understood what the prophet Isaiah meant when he said, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18).
Partaking of the sacrament while pondering the life of the Savior can bridge the gap between us and allow us to have an intimate experience with Him each week.
I know I can feel the Savior’s healing power and perfect love because I make time to focus on Him every day. He knows me personally! And focusing on Him has truly helped me enhance my understanding of His renewing power that I can access as I participate in the sacrament ordinance.
I know now that through Christ, we truly can be white as snow.

In our own family, we have had such an experience with wonderful, watchful priesthood leaders. When I was first called to the Seventy some years ago, we were assigned to move to Solihull, England, to serve in the Area Presidency. Sister Rasband and I took our two youngest children with us on this assignment. Our daughter was a young single adult and our son a 17-year-old who liked American-style football and played it very well. We were very concerned about them. No friends, no extended family, and no American football! I wondered, would this exciting new experience prove to be a serious trial for our family?

The answer came in an early assignment I received. I had been asked to speak to the missionaries at the Missionary Training Center in Preston, England. I called President White of the center and was pleased to hear that he knew of my family situation. He suggested we include our children on our visit to Preston. Once we were there, he even invited our daughter and son to speak to the missionaries! What a thrill for them to be and feel included and share their testimonies of the Lord’s work!

When finished and after tender good-byes to those missionaries, we visited the beautiful Preston England Temple, which was close to the Missionary Training Center. As we walked near the front door, there stood President and Sister Swanney, the temple president and matron. They greeted us and welcomed us into the temple with, “Elder Rasband, how would you and your family like to perform baptisms for the dead?” What a wonderful idea! We looked at each other and gratefully accepted. After performing the ordinances and while my son and I were still in the font with tears of joy in our eyes, he put his hand on my shoulder and asked, “Dad, why haven’t we ever done this before?”

I thought of all the football games, all the movies we had attended together, all of the good times we had shared—certainly happy memories and traditions that are so important to build.

However, I realized we had an opportunity to add more meaningful spiritual experiences with our children like what we had experienced in Preston that day. Thanks to those caring and observant priesthood leaders, I knew then that our family was going to do fine in Europe. How grateful we are for the many priesthood and Young Women leaders who have always been watchful and loving to our children and yours.

One of my good friends was reading the Book of Mormon in class in her spare time one day. People began to tease her. She stood up for Heavenly Father and told them that this is her religion and they shouldn’t be saying anything about it. The kids stopped teasing her. That was a very good example for me. I recommend that you stick up for the Church. If this guy knows how you really feel, then he will stop teasing you.
Tia T., 13, Utah

The LeGault family joined the Church after they were tracted out by missionaries ten years ago. Although Nathalie was only eight years old when the missionaries came, she searched to find out for herself if the Church was true. “When I was nine years old, I knew it was true,” she says. “My relatives said the girls were joining the Church because their parents had joined. But I said no, I know it’s true. It was my decision to join. I always tell young people you have to have your own testimony, not just the testimony of your friends or family.”

During my teenage years, that decision was tested a number of times. I watched friends accept invitations to see movies and go to parties that I knew were not appropriate. Sometimes I was tempted to join them because it looked like they were having so much fun. I mentioned to my bishop this frustration about feeling left out. He helped me keep things in proper perspective by reassuring me that being a teenager only lasts a few years and that those who exercise their agency properly during those years will actually have far more freedom in the future than those who choose a different path.
I realized that I didn’t want poor teenage decisions to affect my opportunities later in life. I tried to date young women and associate with friends who felt the same way. It wasn’t always easy, but my decision to be worthy of the priesthood, enter the temple, serve a mission, and later marry in the temple have made any tough times as a teenager worth it. You will never regret staying clean and pure. If you have already made mistakes that keep you from feeling close to the Spirit, talk to your parents and your bishop. They will know what to do to help you feel whole again.

Soon after Will’s fourth birthday, his Grandpa Swaner died. Grandma Swaner was old and in very bad health, both mentally and physically. Grandpa had been caring for Grandma, so when he died, she needed someone not only to comfort her but to care for her. She needed help getting in and out of bed, chairs, or wherever she wanted to be. Several family members took turns spending the night with her.

Two nights after Grandpa’s death, it was my turn to spend the night. Will and his daddy and I were with her that afternoon and evening, and Daddy was going to take him home while I stayed the night with her.

But when Will was told to clean up his toys so that he and Daddy could go home, he said, “No. I’m going to sleep with Grandma.”

No matter how much we tried to persuade him to go home, he insisted on staying. Finally we let him put his pajamas on and get in Grandma’s bed. We thought that he would go to sleep right away, and Daddy could take him home. An hour later, I went to see him. He was still awake. He said, “I’m not asleep because I’m waiting for Grandma to come to bed. She needs me because Grandpa isn’t here.”

He was still awake when Daddy and I helped Grandma into her bed. Will snuggled up to her. During the night when I checked on them, I often found Grandma covering his shoulders with the blankets or rubbing his back while he slept.

Will knew best. Grandma was sad and needed comforting and someone to care for, and he wasn’t going to leave her alone that night. He was truly trying to be like Jesus Christ.

We don’t need to be wealthy to assist. A young man wrote about his experience with Joseph Smith: “I was at Joseph’s house … and several men were sitting on the fence. Joseph came out and spoke to us all. Pretty soon a man came up and said that a poor brother who lived out some distance from town had had his house burned down the night before. Nearly all of the men said they felt sorry for the man. Joseph put his hand in his pocket, took out five dollars and said, ‘I feel sorry for this brother to the amount of five dollars; how much do you all feel sorry?’”4