Gospel Story Finder

Teach them to love others by serving others. That brings the Spirit. The Prophet Joseph taught that, and he lived it. Of the many examples recorded of his loving nature, the one which most touches me occurred in Carthage Jail the night before his death. One of the men who went there with him was Dan Jones. The Prophet sensed the danger from the mob. He had reason to turn inward, to think of himself and his own peril. Instead his heart turned outward to comfort someone else.
“When all were apparently fast asleep, Joseph whispered to Dan Jones, ‘are you afraid to die?’ Dan [answered], ‘Has that time come, think you? Engaged in such a cause I do not think that death would have many terrors.’ Joseph replied, ‘You will yet see Wales, and fulfill the mission appointed you before you die.’”
Dan Jones survived to serve missions in Wales. Thousands of Welsh converts came to Zion. Some were gifted singers. They were among the first members of what became the Tabernacle Choir. When we hear the choir sing, I hope we remember Dan Jones, the faithful friend of the Prophet Joseph. Teach those you love to remember Joseph’s comfort given when he needed comfort. When we comfort others, out of our faith in the Lord, He sends the Comforter to us. And the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, gave Joseph the power to give prophetic and loving encouragement.

I caught the vision of family history by realizing I’m not so different from my ancestors. My great-grandma and I have always had a really special connection, so for a Personal Progress project, I decided to compose a family history book dedicated to her. Writing this book was such an amazing experience because it created a closer bond to my ancestors. I’m so grateful for this new perspective of family history work.
Ashley N., 16, Utah, USA

While serving as Secretary of Agriculture of the United States in the Cabinet of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, I was invited to give the keynote address at the annual convention of the World Food and Agriculture Organization at Rome, Italy. Between sixty and seventy nations were represented at the great international conference.
Following the morning session, which included the address, an impressive luncheon was given in my honor in the International Banquet Hall, which was decorated with flags of many nations.
The customary cocktail hour preceded the luncheon. I noticed as the men held glasses in their hands that there was apparently no liquor being served but only soft drinks and fruit juices. I mentioned this to my host, Dr. Sen of India, and said, “Surely many of these men are used to their liquor, which is customary during the cocktail hour.” He said, “No, Mr. Secretary, today we honor you and respect your standards.”
Following the period of fellowship, we took our places at the banquet table. Here I was even more surprised to find that there was no coffee being served but again only soft drinks and fruit juices. I said to Dr. Sen, “Surely the men attending the luncheon expect to have their usual coffee.” He smiled very graciously and said, “No. Mr. Secretary, I am the host. You are the honored guest, and at this luncheon we honor you and respect your standards.”
And so it was at a luncheon attended by distinguished leaders from many nations. No member of the Church will ever have cause to be embarrassed by real men or women because of his or her standards. Again, it is rewarding to maintain the standards of the Church.

“Being adopted means having a family that loves you,” says nine-year-old Kimberly who was adopted and sealed to our family five years ago. Often adoptive parents think they will teach and guide the adopted child, but in our family Kimberly is the one who often does the teaching.
Kim recently entered two events in a track-and-field competition. She had never raced before but wanted to give it a try. She positioned herself on the track to compete with the 20 or so other girls her age in the 100-meter race. A shot rang out to begin the race and, with hundreds of spectators looking on, Kim started running. I was waiting near the finish line with camera poised to capture her coming down the lane, when I realized that she was in last place. I expected to see a disappointed little girl, but Kim had a huge smile on her face! When I retrieved her from the group of girls, she blurted out, “Mom, that was so much fun! When’s my next race?” She then rushed off to sit with her new friends.
Feeling shocked, but extremely proud of my daughter’s positive attitude, I took my place once again at the finish line to see her race in the 50-meter dash. The starter’s gun fired again, and I caught sight of Kim’s beaming smile as she ran with all her might toward me. As I watched my beautiful daughter cross the finish line, parents around me were jumping up and down, congratulating their own daughters. I stood calmly as a warm, peaceful feeling of gratitude filled my heart. Only I knew how far Kim had come in the years since she came to our home. She was once a frail, malnourished, and withdrawn child, and now her strength and confidence couldn’t be contained. She cried out, “I came in third, Mom!”
I gently replied, “No, Kimmie, you didn’t come in third. The winners are over there receiving their awards.”
“I meant I came in third to last, and I want to race again!” I hugged her tightly, and we both giggled out loud as we walked off the dusty track. I knew that Kim was the real winner and had been blessed with gifts and talents far greater than speed and agility. How blessed I felt at that moment to be her mother. I can only hope that I will face my challenges and trials in life with a smile on my face and the same positive outlook that Kim showed me that day. I thank Heavenly Father for bringing us together and pray that I can continue to learn from her example.

I have gone back to these scriptures over and over again. They apply to so much more than just being single. We are constantly in different waiting periods in our lives—waiting on blessings or answers or major life changes. My husband and I right now have been waiting and hoping to have children. I’ve watched as sisters and friends have gotten pregnant and had children while we’ve prayed and waited for the same blessing.
This wait has been hard and often heartbreaking, but there have been many blessings and opportunities at the same time. I have been able to complete a graduate degree, grow within my career, create a home where family and friends feel loved and welcome, continue to serve in Church callings and volunteer, and seek personal revelation and direction. My husband and I are trying to use this time to become the type of people (and hopefully future parents) that God wants us to be. We can’t shorten the wait, but we can try not to waste it.
Sometimes it’s hard to keep this perspective. Like Paul wrote, sometimes we’re “full” and other times we’re “hungry.” It’s through Christ and His grace that we’re ever able to be both together, to find that careful balance between contentment and hope. Where so much of life is made up of waiting, I’m trying not to miss the blessings and lessons that can come at the same time.
Lori Fuller Sosa has worked on the Friend magazine for more than a decade and loves it. Since writing this article, she and her husband are now expecting a baby! They’re very excited and trying to make the most of this new wait.

Thenceforth, I continued to walk leisurely, convinced that only dogs would act they way I had just witnessed. I was certainly saddened, in spite of my surroundings, when at a distance before me I saw two men locked in physical combat. I intervened, and they stopped at a point when one of them pulled a long knife. My presence was properly timed to prevent the certain death of the other who was apparently without any defensive weapon except his hands. I inquired what was wrong, and they began accusing each other. As a lawyer, I advised them that whoever won the fight is not a winner in the true sense because not only would he be deprived of peace of mind but that the authorities would see to it that he went to jail to pay for his crime.
The cause of it all, I finally found out, was that one owed the other the measly sum of $10.00 which he could not pay at the moment but promised to do so in an uncertain future. The latter, obviously drunk, became fed up with promises and so decided to settle it his way on the assumption it would solve his problem. Naturally, I remarked that it is the duty of the courts to collect debts otherwise impossible of recovery and that to take somebody’s life is too high a price for such an insignificant amount.
I left these two men shaking hands in renewed friendship, as I volunteered to pay the debt in behalf of the debtor.
The course taken by these two men was surely less forgivable than that of the dogs. Dogs are not expected to exercise self-control. But many of us act like dogs if we don’t.

Some years before he was called as an Apostle himself, Elder Robert D. Hales recounted an experience that demonstrated his father’s sense of that holy calling. Elder Hales said:

Some years ago Father, then over eighty years of age, was expecting a visit from a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on a snowy winter day. Father, an artist, had painted a picture of the home of the Apostle. Rather than have the painting delivered to him, this sweet Apostle wanted to go personally to pick the painting up and thank my father for it. Knowing that Father would be concerned that everything was in readiness for the forthcoming visit, I dropped by his home. Because of the depth of the snow, snowplows had caused a snowbank in front of the walkway to the front door. Father had shoveled the walks and then labored to remove the snowbank. He returned to the house exhausted and in pain. When I arrived, he was experiencing heart pain from overexertion and stressful anxiety. My first concern was to warn him of his unwise physical efforts. Didn’t he know what the result of his labor would be?

“Robert,” he said through interrupted short breaths, “do you realize an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ is coming to my home? The walks must be clean. He should not have to come through a snowdrift.” He raised his hand, saying, “Oh, Robert, don’t ever forget or take for granted the privilege it is to know and to serve with Apostles of the Lord.”

I think it is more than coincidence that such a father would be blessed to have a son serve as an Apostle.

When I was 15 years old, I spotted two missionaries in front of a supermarket. One of them invited me to come to church. I wasn’t very interested, so I told them, “Maybe someday,” and walked away.
The next day, my aunt called and asked my mother to come to her house to hear a special message. My mother and I ran over and saw the same missionaries I had seen the day before sitting in my aunt’s house! My mother was interested by their message, and I started listening as well. However, when the missionaries asked me if I believed in a living prophet, I responded with a resolute no. One of the elders held up a picture of Thomas S. Monson and testified that President Monson was a prophet. They invited me to come to general conference the next day to decide for myself. Curious, I agreed to come.
The next day, we reached the chapel just as the opening prayer was finishing. As I walked into the room, I saw President Monson come onto the screen. He smiled and said, “My dear brothers and sisters, I greet you …”
As soon as President Monson opened his mouth, a strong feeling swept over me, confirming that he was a prophet of God. At the end of conference, I told the missionaries, “I want to be baptized.” I have since served a mission myself and have taught many others the wonderful truths of the restored gospel.
I know that God has blessed us by calling prophets again. God loves us and speaks to us through modern-day prophets.
Maicon B., São Paulo, Brazil

That Sunday was not just any Sunday. It was the day of the annual children’s sacrament meeting presentation. As a member of the bishopric I felt responsible to make sure everything went well. Leaders, teachers, and Primary children had been preparing for months. The children knew the songs and hymns and their parts, and they were excited to share them.
On Saturday, the day of our rehearsal, it rained all afternoon. Even though we gave rides to many of the children who live far from the meetinghouse, not all were able to attend. We went ahead with the rehearsal, hoping the rain would stop by the next day and more children would make it to Sunday’s presentation.
The storm continued Sunday morning. In fact, it was even windier than the day before. Suddenly I felt downhearted. The bad weather would hurt the attendance in our small ward. “Why doesn’t the Lord stop the rain?” I wondered.
Even though we picked up all the children we could in our cars, we still managed to get only about 60 percent of them. It was hard for me to be satisfied. The Primary president was worried too. We had wanted everything to go as planned, and we hadn’t planned for the unexpected.
But as the program began, with teachers taking the parts of the missing children, the Lord’s Spirit permeated the meeting. The 40 ward members who attended were especially touched by the testimonies of our little ones.
After the presentation a humble, thoughtful brother gave the closing prayer. During the prayer he said, “And Lord, we thank Thee for the rain, for we know it is much needed in many places.”
I kept pondering that phrase: “It is much needed in many places.” Then I realized the Lord knows precisely what He is doing. Our presentation had not gone exactly as we had planned, but it had succeeded in inspiring those present. And the rain that we had seen as such a trial was actually a great blessing to those in the many areas that needed it.

I remember taking a little child from his mother’s arms and carrying him to the front of a congregation of Saints, there giving him a name and a father’s blessing. How grateful I was to be worthy of the priesthood keys that qualified me for such a special privilege. I remember how important it was on his eighth birthday when I could take him into the waters of baptism and then bring him out, again exercising the keys of the priesthood, confirming him a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Four years later came another memory, for then I was serving as a member of a bishopric, and I was empowered with my priesthood keys to place my hands on his head and confer upon him the Aaronic Priesthood and ordain him to the office of a deacon in that priesthood.
So it went, on through the priesthood offices of teacher and priest. He reached the great age of nineteen, and now I found myself holding the office of a stake president. I was able to assign myself to confer the Melchizedek Priesthood upon my son and ordain him to the office of elder. Then came the thrill of setting him apart as a full-time missionary and sending him off to Japan to serve the Lord.
Shortly after he returned from a successful mission, I was called to be a General Authority. With that call came the sealing power, which was conferred on me. A few years later my son and a beautiful young lady knelt before me in the holy temple, and I sealed them together as husband and wife for time and for all eternity.
It doesn’t even stop there. The two of them were soon on their way east to New Haven, Connecticut, to attend school. One night I received a telephone call from my son. He said, “Dad, how fast can you make it to New Haven?” I asked what the problem was. He said, “No problem. I’m being called into the bishopric on Sunday, and I want you to ordain me to the office of high priest.” So I took off on the next flight to New Haven to make another unique memory.
Even after that it wasn’t over. A few years later I returned from a stake conference assignment and received another telephone call. My son said to me, “Elder Ashton has just called me to be a stake president. He knows our history. He said he would not dare put his hands on my head to set me apart to the new office. Can you drive to Provo and set me apart?” What great memories of a father-son relationship this piece of wood holds for me!

By 1968 I had a wife and a son. We moved to Guatemala City so I could find better employment. On 20 November 1975, two young American women, simply dressed, knocked on our door. They said they had a message for my family. We made an appointment for them to come back at a later time.
I remember the first discussion clearly. One of the young women said a prayer, and then the other one began to talk about Joseph Smith. In her hands was a copy of the pamphlet I had read as a boy! My search for the truth had come to an end in my own living room.
No words can express what I felt at that moment. I wanted to snatch the pamphlet out of her hands. The sisters noticed the way I was looking at it and said they would leave it with me. When they gave me that precious pamphlet, I could hardly believe it. I put it in my shirt pocket to keep it near my heart.
Two days later the missionaries returned. When they saw the pamphlet in my pocket, they asked if I had read it. I told them they didn’t realize what it meant to me. I explained I had read it as a boy and had prayed to find it again.
On Sunday our family went to church. We arrived very early, and the sisters were surprised to see us. They hadn’t really invited us, just told us where the building was.
The sisters continued to teach us. Although they didn’t speak Spanish very well, they taught by the Holy Ghost. When they taught us about repentance, I felt something I had never felt before and started to cry. Then I realized we were all crying. I was convinced I had found the true Church.
My wife, Rosa Élida, had a similar experience. It happened when the sisters invited us to be baptized. “Sister Salguero,” they asked, “do you want to follow the Savior?” She realized right then that she did.
When I asked the Lord to help me find His Church, I promised I would serve Him. From the first time I went to church, I have faithfully attended and have tried to serve diligently. I have had many wonderful Church callings, including serving twice as bishop. My wife has served in the Primary and Relief Society and in the family history program. My eldest son served a full-time mission, and now his younger brother is preparing to serve. We have two daughters who are also active in the Church.
Whenever I am asked to speak in church, I try to communicate the joy I feel as a member of the Lord’s Church. I know that God lives and that through the Prophet Joseph Smith He has restored to us His gospel, His Church, and the authority of His priesthood.

After seeing the fine article in the November issue on exploring tips, we wanted other explorers to know that we just returned from a trip into Baja California. Four years ago, when Dr. C. R. Brown was called to be our post adviser from the high council, he asked us what we wanted to do. Everyone replied, “What difference does it make?” He said, “Try me.” We did. In the next four years we decided we wanted to go to Alaska, Guatemala, down the Baja trail, and to Europe. Well—after much work and planning, two years ago we went up the AI-Can Highway to Alaska and then down to the international Scout-Explorer Conference in Idaho. Last year we went to Guatemala, explored many ruins, and met some wonderful people. This year Brother Brown was released as our adviser, and in consultation with our new adviser, Frank Nelson, we decided to go down the Baja. Dune buggies and jeeps did the job. We cooked on the hot engines as we drove—venison steaks and fish fillets—by wrapping the meat in tinfoil and laying it on the engine for a couple of hours. As for going to Europe later this year, the request was made partly in jest, but our committee is considering it, and if sufficient funds can be raised, you can be sure that we’ll do it. We hope that other Explorer troops can take inspiration from what can be done if everyone starts to get excited.
Explorers of Post 440Covina (California) Second Ward

I first discovered the Liahona when I joined the Church several years ago. In the beginning I didn’t think much of it, but as time went by it became one of the most wonderful things in my life and a key to my success. It strengthened my testimony of the restored gospel and helped me stay strong in the Church. Because of this strength, I was able to resist temptations and set a good example for a co-worker, who was eventually baptized and confirmed.
It is so wonderful to study and share the Liahona. It will help me for the rest of my life. I’m so thankful to receive the messages from the Lord’s prophet and apostles every month. The Liahona is sweeter to me than honey and more valuable than gold.
Aldemir Guanacoma Ave, Bolivia

I was really touched by the story “Please Bless Kathy” in the November 1989 issue. I had the same experience with a very good friend of mine who really hurt me. After a year of just wallowing in hate, I decided to pray about her, and though it was hard, my feelings towards her changed. I discovered that, instead of being angry towards her, I felt more sorrow, for she didn’t have the religion I have to rely upon. I also hoped that maybe I could give that to her. Thanks.
Melissa BurfordEugene, Oregon

I came to realize the truth of this promise through personal experiences I have had through keeping the Sabbath Day holy. To illustrate the importance of diligence versus casual observance in keeping the commandments, let me share with you my personal experience with the Sabbath Day.

Following my graduation from BYU Hawaii in 1991, and after a one-year period of full-time work experience at the Polynesian Cultural Center, I decided to pursue a Masters degree in Business Administration. I applied and was accepted into the Business School at the University of Hawaii Manoa. I commenced my master's studies in September 1992. The MBA program at Manoa is tailored for those with full-time employment. Classes were held in the evenings Mondays through Thursdays from 6:00 pm until 8:30 pm. When I started this two-and-a-half year program, I decided that I would try to continue to work full-time as a sales manager for the PCC while studying as a full-time student. I had classes every evening Monday through Thursday. After class, I would study at home, study all evening on Friday after work, and I studied most of Saturday and on Sundays after I completed church meetings. My schedule was extremely demanding. I can remember feeling tremendous pressure and struggling to keep all of my commitments at work, school, church, and to my wife. I had very little time for anything else and my only "personal" time was watching sports on Sunday after church and before studying. At that time, you could clearly classify my observance of the Law of the Sabbath as casual and not diligent. While growing up, television had been a part of my Sundays. I learned to really keep the Sabbath Day holy while serving a full-time mission, but soon after my return I found television once again entering into my Sabbath Day patterns. You see, I loved to watch sports and especially football. I thought of it as a way to let go of steam; a method of relaxation, and hey, there a plenty of Mormons in the NFL right? Surely God is a fan too? So for this first semester in the master's program at Manoa, when I wasn't sleeping or eating, I was either at work, in class, studying, in church, or watching sports on Sunday. Well, I struggled tremendously in my classes that first semester, and my grades were not what I wanted them to be. I knew that something had to change. It just was not working. So after counseling with my wife I decided to approach my boss at work and ask if I could change from full-time hours to part-time hours at least until I completed my studies at the University of Hawaii. I thought that by reducing my work load I would have the additional hours of study needed to bring up my grades to where I wanted them to be. So with that mindset I approached my boss with my request. He told me he was willing to accommodate my schedule by changing my status from full-time to part-time, but before so doing wanted me to make another try at one more semester as a full-time employee and full-time student. "Just give it one more shot," was his challenge." If it does not work, then we will make the change to part-time status." It was not the answer I had hoped for but I promised to try to make it work for at lease another semester. One Sunday, shortly thereafter, things changed forever. My first semester had just ended, and I was relishing the freedom from classes and studying that came with Christmas break. Yet I knew that a new year and a new semester was just around the corner. I was not looking forward to another round of full-time work and full-time school. Well that Sunday after church, I enjoyed some exciting football games on television. After the games ended, I made my way from our bedroom to the living room of our apartment to find my wife behind one of her softback Japanese mystery novels. This is what she likes to do when I watch football. I don't know what took a hold of me, but suddenly I found myself in a "preaching" mood and I quipped, "You know, you really should not be reading books like that on Sunday." There was a pause, and then my wife peered up at me from the pages of her book to reply, "Well, you know, you really should not watch football on Sundays." When she said those words something happened to me. I was stunned. It felt as if she had take a wooden board and wacked me over the head with it. How dare I tell her what to do on Sundays when I was not even doing what I was suppose to do. Something stirred within me. I pondered on what I was doing. I then said something that even surprised me. I told my sweetheart, "Alright. I will give up watching football on Sundays if you give up those books on Sundays." Apparently, this also surprised my wife, and her first response was something like, "yeah right!" But, to this I stated, "No, I mean it; I will give it up." She could tell I was serious and responded, "Well, then, if you give up football on Sundays, I will give up these books on Sundays too." And so it began. It was not easy for me, but with my wife's help we made the effort to fill Sundays with activities that uplifted and inspired; that showed respect for the Lord, and that directed our thoughts toward Him. As winter break came to an end I realized that if I was really going to make an effort to keep the Sabbath Day holy, I would also need to give up studying on Sundays, and I decided that was what I would do. With that determination, I would have fewer study hours and I knew that I would now have to certainly switch to part-time work. I had struggled tremendously during my first semester and that was with multiple hours of study on Sunday. So, to my boss I went, I explained to him my commitment to keep the Sabbath Day holy and once again pleaded with him to allow me to change to part-time. My courses would become increasingly more challenging, I explained, and I needed the extra hours each week for study. Part-time employment seemed to be the only answer. But, to my surprise I received the same counsel. "No. I want you to try full-time employment and full-time student status a little longer." I knew it would not work. It could not work. It was impossible. But, once again, I obliged. 1993 began the same way 1992 had ended; a full course load at school and full-time hours at work. The only difference was that I was now keeping the Sabbath Day holy and doing so by eliminating Sunday study. I braced myself for the worse. But here is where the miracle occurred. Brothers and Sisters, I never did change to part-time employment. I continued with full-time course loads, and I did so without studying on Sundays. I kept the Sabbath Day holy. My wife and I strived to fulfill that commandment. AND, I do not share the following to brag. That is not my intent whatsoever. I only share this to show the blessings that come from God when we are faithful in the keeping of commandments. I want to show that when we do our part, we have promise. God will always come through. You see, from that semester forward until I graduated with my master's degree two years later in December of 1994, somehow, someway, I scored straight A's in every single class. How is that possible? I had much fewer hours of studying per week, and yet I found myself better able to comprehend the course study, better able to absorb class lectures, better able to study, retain, and retrieve what I had learned. My pen flowed when I wrote papers. My mind functioned clearly when I took exams. I knew it was because of the blessings of the Lord, because the Spirit confirmed to me that this blessing came not only because of diligent study, but more importantly because of faithful obedience in keeping the Sabbath Day holy. What a powerful experience. I truly came to know for myself the truth in the promise in D&C 59.

"Verily I say, that inasmuch as ye do this, the fulness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth;
"Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards;" (D&C 59:16-17).

This is not all. More important than success in school, I found a powerful change in my spirituality. Sundays became much sweeter to me. Where I had once loathed Sundays, knowing that I HAD to go to church, and knowing that I HAD to do this and do that, now, I looked forward to the Sabbath Day. I found myself much more spiritually edified, and I found myself much more refreshed and ready for a new week when Monday rolled around. I was reenergized and refreshed both spiritually and physically through obedience of an ancient but sacred law of God. Is this not in part what the Lord meant when He said in Matthew 10:39, "He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it."

To this day, I find that even when Sundays are very busy for me because of my current calling, as long as I keep the Sabbath Day holy, I find myself refreshed and ready for a new week when Mondays come. This is truly a blessing derived by keeping the Sabbath Day holy. Brothers and Sisters, this was a pivotal point in my life. Things changed dramatically for me. My priorities became more in line with what is required for me to return to my Heavenly Father. It has brought great blessings upon my family. Keeping this commandment has provided spiritual strength and spiritual protection. When I think back to that Sunday in late 1992, I can only but thank the Lord for that spiritual two-by-four over the head; and I thank the Lord for a wonderful sweetheart who was inspired enough to say what she did to wake me from my deep spiritual slumber.

I lived in South Africa for a little more than two years. One of the things I learned is the necessity of having a way to help me reach all my daily destinations. I found GPS to be vital. It’s an electronic map that allows me to move around to fulfil my duties, whether they are family related, professional obligations, or my ecclesiastical responsibilities.
Whenever I paid attention to this electronic map, I would reach my destinations on time and quickly return home to my family. But, when I missed a roundabout or a crossroads, the GPS would take me down very long roads and I would sometimes be delayed in getting to my destination—or get completely lost on the way to another unknown destination.

Early one pleasant Indian summer morning, Signe and Anna Walstad set out for school. They wore sunbonnets, plain gingham dresses, and no shoes. Everyone went barefoot to school in nice weather, except Teacher.
Usually Signe and Anna would swing their lunch pails as they covered the dusty two miles between their homestead and the schoolhouse. But today there was no racing down the slope or jumping over buffalo wallows or banging of pails, for today each pail held a big red apple for the girls to eat at noon.
“Your father had a little money left after buying the fencing—just enough to get each of you an apple,” Mama had explained as she carefully set an apple next to the bread and butter in each girl’s pail.
Signe’s mouth watered just thinking of the apple’s sweet crispness. She was tempted to eat hers right away, but as she stopped to open her pail, Anna gave her a cross look of disapproval. Anna was always disapproving of the things Signe wanted to do. Sighing just a little sigh, Signe put the cover back on her pail and contented herself by imagining how good the apple would taste at noon. She would eat it one small bite at a time, she decided, to make it last longer. Not one drop of juice would escape to dribble down her chin.
“Let’s play jackrabbits and prairie dogs,” Anna suggested, breaking into Signe’s pleasant daydream. “You take prairie dogs, and I’ll count jackrabbits.”
“All right,” Signe agreed. They often played this game to pass the time as they walked to and from school. Signe stared across the prairie, hoping to spot a prairie dog first. I hope that I beat her, Signe thought. I get tired of her always being better than I am at everything. Then Signe pointed excitedly. “Over there, Anna! That’s two for me.”
“Where?” Anna questioned the younger girl. “I don’t see anything.”
“They just disappeared down their hole.”
“I don’t believe you,” challenged Anna, tossing her golden curls.
“Come on, then, and I’ll show you.” Signe ran over to where she’d seen the two rodents disappear. “I’ll find the burrow.”
Anna followed reluctantly. “There are prairie dog holes everywhere. It doesn’t count unless I see the prairie dogs too.”
“Here it is. Right where I told you.” Signe turned triumphantly, but Anna had stopped in her tracks and was staring wide-eyed at the ground.
“What’s the matter—” Signe began. Then she spied the rattlesnake in the grass between them. The snake was coiled with its tail rattling a warning. Its head was raised toward Anna, who was paralyzed with fear.
Signe’s thoughts raced. It wasn’t a very big snake, but even the bite of a small rattler could be fatal. She had to act fast before the snake struck Anna.
Signe looked around for a weapon. An old fence post or board would do, but there wasn’t anything she could use. Her hand clutched her lunch pail tightly. Her pail! With all her strength, Signe brought the pail down hard on the snake’s head. The snake writhed in surprise, then turned toward Signe. It tried to bite her hand, but the pail acted as a shield. Signe hit the rattler again and again until it lay limp and harmless in the prairie grass.
“You killed it,” Anna said, daring to breathe again.
Signe couldn’t speak. She felt cold and weak. She could hardly believe that she’d killed a rattlesnake. She’d always been deathly afraid of snakes. Then she remembered her apple. She opened her pail, and her apple, now soft and bruised, rolled out into the prairie dust. Signe thought about how she had longed to eat the apple. It didn’t seem to matter now. All that mattered was that she and Anna were safe. She picked up the apple, wiped off the one place that was still firm, took a bite, and then tossed it toward the prairie dog burrows. They probably never get fresh fruit, either, she thought.
The girls didn’t speak as they continued on to school. Signe heard the meadowlarks greet the morning. A jackrabbit raced across the road ahead, but Anna didn’t bother counting it. Everything looked the same as before, but Signe felt different. She glanced at her sister and wondered if Anna felt different too.
Suddenly Anna stopped. She reached into her pail and brought out her unbruised apple. Carefully she polished it on the sleeve of her dress, then handed it to her younger sister. “Here,” she said. “You deserve this.”
Signe smiled as her fingers rubbed the smooth red skin of the apple. She took a bite of the juicy red apple, then, laughing, held it out to Anna. “How about sharing?”
Anna smiled, took a bite of the apple, and laughed as some of the sweet juice dribbled down her chin.

To pay my way through school and help my father support the family, I got two part-time jobs when I was 14 years old. To get to my morning job on time, I got on the bus at 6:30 A.M. In the mornings, I worked as an office boy, running errands up and down the stairs to offices in a 15-story building. In the afternoons, I made deliveries all over the city. As soon as my afternoon job was over, I went straight to school. My classes were from 7:00 to 11:00 at night. I didn’t get home until around midnight. I studied on the bus and on Saturdays. I had to give up many other activities. Later I also worked hard to attend the university.
Because I was willing to work hard, I did very well in school and later I had very good jobs. I was the director of a big company for the whole country of Brazil. I could do these things because of the sacrifices I made as a boy.

Vitaly Yemtsov served in the Soviet army on the East German side of the Berlin Wall in 1988. “I had a normal childhood,” Brother Yemtsov says, “but when I lived in Germany, I saw how families suffered under a foreign government. I felt bad for them. Soldiers often treated them harshly. After that experience, I wanted to have a better family life than those I saw, better even than the family in which I grew up.”
After his service in the army, Vitaly Yemtsov and a childhood friend became dissatisfied with the spiritual emptiness they felt and dedicated themselves to finding the truth. Both quickly accepted the restored gospel just months after the Church was introduced in Kharkov. “When I met the missionaries, I finally found spiritual food, especially for the family,” he says. “I found what is lacking all around us.”
However, faith does not free Brother Yemtsov and his wife, Lyudmila, from the family-threatening pressures and challenges of life. Within 18 months, both left well-paying jobs that required too much sacrifice of family time. Both found new jobs offering comparable salaries. Even so, everyday life often makes it difficult to focus on the family. Brother Yemtsov works nine hours a day, six days a week painting and repairing cars. Sister Yemtsova until recently worked as a warehouse manager. She now works at a care center for the elderly. In addition, Vitaly serves as branch president and as an institute teacher, and Lyudmila is district Young Women president.
Like others in their country, the Yemtsovs continually face challenges stemming from influences that subtly work against the family. Brother Yemtsov often feels isolated at work as the only employee who neither smokes nor drinks. “Everyone was surprised when I told them that I don’t do any of that,” he says. “Some considered me crazy in the beginning. Most respect me for it though.”
Alcoholism is a serious problem in Ukraine; some people do not know anyone who does not drink. Smoking is almost as widespread, especially among youth. Pornographic images are visible on advertisements and are for sale on almost any street corner.
“There is temptation everywhere,” says Sister Yemtsova. “Satan works diligently here. But the Spirit works diligently too. We find that it is not just how much time we spend together as a family but also what we do during that time that is important. And we make it a priority to do things that strengthen our bond.” For example, they say that family prayer and scripture study have become crucial, daily reminders of the importance of family happiness.
“The Lord said, ‘Stand ye in holy places,’” says Brother Yemtsov (D&C 87:8). “We try to make our home our own holy place so time spent together here will bring us closer.”

Even though she was 90 years old, Aletha Gilbert of the Lakeview Ward, Bountiful Utah Central Stake, loved to invite her family over for family home evening. Before her death in 2002, Aletha wrote of these special home evenings: “I make sure I have a supply of pens or pencils, writing paper, and envelopes. Sometimes I address the envelopes in advance. We each write a message to missionaries in the family and ward. What fun! Everyone likes this idea—the one who sends it and the one who receives it.”