Gospel Story Finder

But as the excitement grew, the group’s harmony was invaded by discord. Newspapers and television spoke against the Church. Missionaries were physically abused. Rocks were thrown through the windows of the mission home and the mission office. One night the whole front of the mission office was painted with obscenities.
As the anti-Church sentiment grew, the manager of the Moscow Hotel began to worry about the possible consequences of allowing the Church to hold a Christmas program in her hotel. Less than 36 hours before the program was to begin, she notified the mission office that the members would not be able to use their reserved room after all.
Some of the members were devastated by the news, believing that the Christmas program would have to be canceled. President Warner was more trusting.
“Heavenly Father knows where we are and how much we need to have this program,” he said. “Let’s leave it in the Lord’s hands.”
The Lord heard their prayers. When the assistants to the mission president, Elder Trent Murray and Elder Hannon Ford, returned to the Moscow Hotel to get the mission’s money back, the manager explained why she was reluctant to allow them to use the reserved room on the main floor and led them to a room on the second floor.
“If you can promise that your people will come in the back door instead of the front door, go up the back stairs, and not use the lobby, you can use this other room,” she said, opening the door to a much larger ballroom. It was two and a half times larger than their reserved room, and it had a wonderful grand piano. It even had a Christmas tree and other holiday decorations.
On a cold Saturday afternoon in Sofia, missionaries met the members and investigators arriving for the program and directed them to the back door, where they entered the hotel inconspicuously. More than 400 guests crowded into the ballroom. Even the dour faces of the spotlight technicians, who were unhappy to be working on a holiday, could not spoil their festive spirit.
The 150 choir members sang beautifully, and the audience joined in for a sing-along. By the time a young couple placed their baby in the manger for the final scene, the room was filled with joy and music. Even the spotlight technicians were singing and clapping along with the others.
The Spirit was so strong that no one wanted to leave. But like every performance, the Christmas program had to conclude. The same child’s a capella solo that had opened the program—her “Silent Night”—ended it. As the audience and the participants returned home, echoes of their experience—their “Joy to the World”—reverberated in their hearts and warmed the chill in the Bulgarian air.

Koa likes to go to church with his family.
Koa hears music. He sings the sacrament hymn.
Koa sees the white cloth over the sacrament trays.
Koa thinks about Jesus. He listens to the sacrament prayers.
Koa eats the bread. He drinks the water.
Koa is reverent. He feels happy inside!
Koa and his family are walking to church. Can you help them get there?

After graduation, he took a position with a company in Idaho. Just as he was trying to learn a new job and get his family settled, he was called to be second counselor in the bishopric. His first reaction was to decline—and feel justified about it. But previous training proved stronger than any excuses he could think of, and he agreed to serve.
That decision proved to be an important one for his spiritual growth. It furthered his secular education as well, for it taught him organization and management that could also be applied in business assignments. His successful career in retailing took the Perrys to the states of Idaho, Washington, California, New York, and Massachusetts. Each time business opportunities required a move, he responded willingly to new Church callings. Along the way he taught early-morning seminary and served in two bishoprics, a high council, and two stake presidencies. He was a stake president in Boston, Massachusetts, at the time of his call as a General Authority.

The Develis’ moved from Brazil to New Zealand in 2018, a year after they married. Andressa’s English was limited to a few phrases like “good morning” and “thank you.” Fortunately, Andre had more exposure to English due to his mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, helping them settle in their new environment.
Andressa said, “I was raised by my grandparents in a small town in Brazil, and we were really poor. Public universities are reserved for the best students, and I was just an average student, so I didn’t get that opportunity.”
She found an affordable nursing course but wasn’t interested in it—she just wanted to further her education. After graduating, Andressa and Andre decided to move to New Zealand for greater opportunities.
Upon arriving, Andressa looked for ways to improve her English. She attended language classes and worked for several families tending their children, which helped her English progress significantly. “Language immersion is key!” she said.
Yearning for more professional growth, Andressa was accepted into the BYU-Pathway program in 2020, where she completed her general proficiencies in English and mathematics before earning a teaching English as a foreign language certification under the professional studies degree, which opened many opportunities for her.
“That’s what I love about BYU-Pathway. It’s a pathway to marketable skills,” she said. “It’s a flexible pathway to a bachelor’s degree, and you can work and achieve certificates along the way.”
After completing her certificate, Andressa took online courses in communications through Ensign College and completed a certificate in social media marketing. She knew she was on the right pathway when she helped with the social media efforts for Auckland’s Light the World giving machine in December 2023.
“Social media can be quite a challenging space, but I think it can be used in positive ways,” she said. “That experience helped me see how I could make a positive difference in others’ lives.”
“BYU-Pathway has blessed me with a constant drive to seek better opportunities,” Andressa said. “That’s a lesson I will carry with me the rest of my life.”

Some 30 years after the exodus from Nauvoo, the St. George Utah Temple was finished. It was the first temple in which vicarious ordinances for the dead were carried out on an organized scale.
At the dedication of the lower story of the St. George Utah Temple, on January 1, 1877—the very year that President Brigham Young died—he said:
“What do you suppose the fathers would say if they could speak from the dead? Would they not say, ‘We have lain here thousands of years, here in this prison house, waiting for this dispensation to come?’ … What would they whisper in our ears? Why, if they had the power the very thunders of heaven would be in our ears, if we could realize the importance of the work we are engaged in. All the angels in heaven are looking at this little handful of people, and stimulating them to the salvation of the human family. … When I think upon this subject, I want the tongues of seven thunders to wake up the people.”

Tomorrow on the moon I’ll build
A place for me to go.
Then I’ll bring my spaceship in
By special radio.

We can learn from Brigham Young’s example. An excerpt from a letter to his son Joseph illustrates the kind of spiritual leadership a father should give.
“Joseph,
“All the gold in California could not buy my good feelings to you and thankfulness to the Lord. … Your mother wishes me to write a few words for her. Her health is about as usual, not very well but so she works all day and then till midnight frequently. We feel proud before the Lord when we think what you are doing in the great cause and kingdom of our God. Be faithful my son. You went out as a child. We trust you will return a flaming elder of salvation. Keep yourself pure before the Lord. Your father before you has done it, and my constant prayer is that you may. With all my heart I believe you will. May God bless you forever and ever.
“Oh, how glad we will be to see you,
“Brigham Young”
(Dean Jessee, Letters of Brigham Young to his Sons, p. 16.)

I love reading the New Era. It makes me feel like I am doing the right things in my life! Just recently I read the article “Right on Track” in the June 2006 New Era. It made me realize the true meaning of family and why it’s important to support and love each other. That’s the secret of getting along. I took that advice and have tried extra hard to get along with my sister. Thank you for taking the time to publish each article! I love everything about the New Era.Samantha A., Idaho

Growing up, I had the opportunity to search for the answer in many churches. As I did, I got more and more confused. Everybody contradicted each other, and they would just gloss over my questions about the nature of God.
Years later, tired of searching, I said, “There is no answer.”
I began to do things that some modern youth do, such as partying and participating in a lot of worldly diversions. Each week I sank further and further into darkness because my decisions weren’t the best. The bad habits were also distancing me from my family, who had always supported me.
But once again the desire came to me to ask God. I prayed, “Father, I am here waiting. I have searched, and I have not found. The scriptures promise answers, but nothing is coming. Look at me. I am alone. I want to know, but I don’t know how to find You.”
At that time only—not before and not after, but just when I needed it—I felt that my chest burned as strong as if a volcano were inside of me. I couldn’t control the tears. I knew it was an answer to my question.

One Sunday evening after church, my mom was making popcorn on the stove. The phone rang, so she went to answer it, leaving the stove unattended. My sister and I were in a room next to the kitchen.
Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw my four-year-old brother, Spencer, walk around the corner into the kitchen. As I glanced in that direction, I heard an explosion. I saw the kitchen walls turn bright orange. My sister, Mallory, ran into the kitchen and saw that the popcorn had caught on fire. I ran in, thinking my brother was in there. He wasn’t, so I didn’t think any more about it then.
My mother grabbed the flaming pan and threw it into the sink. Luckily, she stopped herself before turning on the water, knowing that water would spread a grease fire. I grabbed the fire extinguisher and put out the flames before the curtains could catch fire.
After the shock of the fire wore off, I discovered that Spencer had been downstairs the entire time and hadn’t been in the kitchen. My sister also thought she had seen Spencer at the same time I did. I believe we were being prompted to look in that direction to protect ourselves.
During that week, I had been reading a book about a flash fire, which got me thinking of how I would react to a fire. Just days before the incident, I had checked our fire extinguisher. I thought I was being paranoid, but the prompting kept coming back for me to make sure it was working. I was prepared to grab it and operate it properly when I was faced with the fire. I am so thankful my Heavenly Father is always there for me and that I listened to the Holy Ghost.

I serve as a Church-service missionary with the PathwayConnect program in the Kyiv Ukraine Stake. The leaders of the program decided to train all of us who lead in-person gatherings so that we could conduct them virtually. The very next day, the government announced quarantine measures in Kyiv.
I love the opportunity to gather together for PathwayConnect. And I love the opportunity to gather together to worship and sing together at home on Sundays. I am grateful for the assurance that where two or three gather in His name, He is there. No one knows how long we will be in quarantine in Kyiv, but we know that the Savior will hear our singing.
Kateryna Serdyuk, Kyiv, Ukraine

A few months after my stepfather passed away, I told my mother about my baptism. That did not go as well. Nevertheless, when I went to the Netherlands to visit Dutch family members on my mother’s side, I shared my conversion with them. That’s when I learned of another family connection to the Church.
During my visit, my uncle approached me. “I have something to give you,” he said. Then he handed me a first edition of the Book of Mormon in Dutch, published in 1890.
“It belonged to our family long ago,” he said. “I want you to have it.”
These two family connections to the Church were very comforting to me. Today, I treasure that Book of Mormon in Dutch. It reminds me of those first missionaries who visited me. It reminds me of how important teaching the Book of Mormon was to my conversion. It reminds me of my late father’s respect for the Church and that some of my ancestors had accepted the restored gospel.

Money, or the lack of it, became a major issue. My mom worked two jobs. When my best friend wanted me to go shopping, I was too ashamed to tell her we barely had enough money for food—let alone clothes.
Seeing how bad I felt, my mom taught herself to sew and made me a few outfits. As good as her intentions were, none of the outfits turned out very well. She made me a pair of pants that were not only too short, but they were such a bright color that I felt self-conscious. As much as I didn’t want to wear them or any of my homemade clothes, I also didn’t want to hurt Mom’s feelings.
The day I wore those pants to school still stands out in my mind as one of the most humiliating experiences of my life. Mike, one of the most popular guys at school, always took time out of his busy schedule to make fun of my homemade outfits. The day I wore those pants I gave not only Mike but everyone else something to laugh about.

Katy Texas Stake
The Primary children of the Katy Texas Stake had an activity about following the prophet. They sang, learned about President Monson, and played games. They ran an obstacle course and learned about how we should choose to live the principles the prophet teaches. They signed a banner that said, “We will follow the prophet.”

Another time a man came to work on our house. My wife thanked him when he was done. “We’d like to give you a gift,” she said. She gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon.

The man became upset. He didn’t understand what we believe. He thought we didn’t believe in Jesus Christ.

Chris was brave and shared his testimony with the man. Chris said he was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He said he believed in Jesus.

Shawn’s testimony of prayer has continued to grow. When he was in the hospital, ready to have surgery to remove his appendix, he was nervous. He wanted a priesthood blessing, but his dad was out of town. Members from the ward came to give him a blessing, and afterward he felt peace.

Little Tree
Deborah Kogan Ray’s muted illustrations are perfect for this classic poem about a little tree that is taken home, decorated lovingly, and put proudly in the window for all to see. As with all cumming’s poems, there are few capital letters and almost no punctuation.e.e. cummings

Claire C., age 7, Arkansas, USA
I love to pray. Praying makes me feel safe. Before I was baptized, I prayed to know if Jesus is real, and my answer was YES! My answer helped me know getting baptized was the right choice.

For example, I know of a woman, a good woman, who found herself in a very challenging situation. She was at a luncheon with a number of members of the Church; some were active and some inactive; and also a few nonmembers were present. The subject turned to abortion and birth control, and one of the nonmembers voiced for about five minutes some very strong feelings concerning these issues. She indicated, erroneously, that she felt that there is nothing wrong with an abortion, and that there should never be any kind of restriction placed on a man or a woman concerning birth control itself. This good sister in the Church was faced with a difficult challenge of whether to talk about the weather or some other noncontroversial subject, or whether to really speak out and state the truth. This choice woman chose to do the latter. After explaining what the Lord had said concerning both of those issues, she bore her testimony as to her personal feelings. As you might expect, the luncheon concluded rather abruptly. However, afterwards one of the inactive women came over to this good sister and explained that she had never before understood the Lord’s view on those issues and had felt the truth being spoken on that day.

My mission experience at age 19 not only gave to me the opportunity to serve my fellowmen, but brought to my life a balance I am sure I could not have achieved in any other way. I gained confidence in myself and in the Lord, for I came to know that my prayers were heard and answered. I gained a stronger testimony of the gospel through experiencing the power of the priesthood and through seeing firsthand the influence of the Holy Ghost as it bore witness to those things my companions and I shared with our investigators. I learned better than ever before the meaning of charity, as the prophet Mormon speaks of it—“the pure love of Christ” (Moro. 7:47). That love seemed to penetrate my whole soul, and because of this it became easy to express the feelings that I felt so strongly.
I gained true respect and love for my parents, and my confidence in them greatly increased. It was there before but never like it came to me in the mission field and since. I learned to love my fellowmen, and I desired with all my heart, might, mind, and strength to share with them the gospel of Jesus Christ. You see, as never before I realized the gospel’s meaning and influence in my life. I formed friendships with some of the best people in the world—my mission president, my companions, and the wonderful families we taught and baptized. I became a better student, not only in the mission field, but upon my return home. Under the influence of the Holy Ghost I had things come to my mind in a miraculous way to assist me in teaching. Above all else, through the sweet and gentle Spirit of the Lord, there came in answer to my study, labors, and prayers a confirmation that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.