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Camilla and Mandi Rogers of Santa Fe, New Mexico
Mandi’s kindergarten class took a field trip to an art gallery. They saw water fountains and a large cat sculpture, and afterward attended a Cinderella play.
Mandi is in kindergarten and knows how to read and write. Sometimes her class gets to write about their day in their journals. One time her class went on a field trip to an art gallery, where they saw water fountains and a big sculpture of a cat. Afterward, they went to a Cinderella play.
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👤 Children
Children
Education
Easter Reflections
After marrying Christine and facing years without children, the couple adopted multiple children from different places, beginning with Ashley and then Joshua from Bolivia. They later adopted Megan, Daniel (also from Bolivia), Jennifer (a Guatemalan baby born in Mexico), and Natalie Joy, and eventually had two biological children, Anne and Andrew. The family rejoices in the blessings of temple sealing and feels daily reminders of God’s love for all His children.
The years since my mission have provided opportunities for the fulfillment of those missionary promises. I returned home to marry my high school sweetheart, Christine Swensen. She is a wonderful companion, and I love her dearly. As a registered nurse, she worked helping us to get through dental school. As school was drawing to a close and our sixth wedding anniversary was upon us, we were still without children. Then a door opened and an opportunity presented itself, and Ashley came into our lives. Our dear, precious Ashley.
A year later we traveled to Bolivia to bring Joshua home from an orphanage. He was two years old. I can still see that beautiful little boy walking to me with outstretched arms, saying, “Papa, Papa.”
Megan then joined us, not even twenty-four hours old when we brought her home. Then back to Bolivia for Daniel, five months old when we held him for the first time.
Several years later, while I was presiding over the Mexico Merida Mission, Jennifer joined our family—a beautiful two-week-old Guatemalan baby girl born in Mexico. She opened the hearts of our missionaries and members in southern Mexico. Natalie Joy came into our family three weeks before our mission ended. Her middle name, Joy, is an eternal reminder of the witness we received that she should be included in our family.
After sixteen years of marriage and six adoptions, Anne and Andrew naturally joined our family, to the joy and happiness of their brothers and sisters. As a family, we are forever grateful for the binding and sealing effect the temple provides for the members of Jesus Christ’s church.
With special promises made to the Lord under the stars in Bolivia at Easter time 1968, there is not a day goes by but that Chris and I embrace our children and feel of God’s love for all of His children. And now, as with Easter 1968, for me Easter season 1995 will be one never to be forgotten.
A year later we traveled to Bolivia to bring Joshua home from an orphanage. He was two years old. I can still see that beautiful little boy walking to me with outstretched arms, saying, “Papa, Papa.”
Megan then joined us, not even twenty-four hours old when we brought her home. Then back to Bolivia for Daniel, five months old when we held him for the first time.
Several years later, while I was presiding over the Mexico Merida Mission, Jennifer joined our family—a beautiful two-week-old Guatemalan baby girl born in Mexico. She opened the hearts of our missionaries and members in southern Mexico. Natalie Joy came into our family three weeks before our mission ended. Her middle name, Joy, is an eternal reminder of the witness we received that she should be included in our family.
After sixteen years of marriage and six adoptions, Anne and Andrew naturally joined our family, to the joy and happiness of their brothers and sisters. As a family, we are forever grateful for the binding and sealing effect the temple provides for the members of Jesus Christ’s church.
With special promises made to the Lord under the stars in Bolivia at Easter time 1968, there is not a day goes by but that Chris and I embrace our children and feel of God’s love for all of His children. And now, as with Easter 1968, for me Easter season 1995 will be one never to be forgotten.
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👤 Parents
👤 Children
Adoption
Children
Covenant
Diversity and Unity in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Easter
Faith
Family
Gratitude
Love
Marriage
Missionary Work
Parenting
Revelation
Sealing
Temples
Your Adventure through Mortality
A person chooses a less prestigious occupation. By doing their best and making the work interesting and challenging, they find success and fulfillment.
The same principle applies to vocational choices. I have great hope for those who pick a less prestigious occupation but who do the best they can and find ways to make their work interesting and challenging.
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👤 Young Adults
Employment
Hope
Self-Reliance
Thru Cloud and Sunshine, Lord, Abide with Me!
The speaker’s father died by suicide, bringing shock and heartbreak to the family. Over years of grieving, the speaker learned that appropriate conversations about suicide can help prevent it and has since discussed the loss with her children, witnessing the Savior’s healing.
Untreated mental or emotional illness can lead to increased isolation, misunderstandings, broken relationships, self-harm, and even suicide. I know this firsthand, as my own father died by suicide many years ago. His death was shocking and heartbreaking for my family and me. It has taken me years to work through my grief, and it was only recently that I learned talking about suicide in appropriate ways actually helps to prevent it rather than encourage it.17 I have now openly discussed my father’s death with my children and witnessed the healing that the Savior can give on both sides of the veil.18
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👤 Parents
👤 Church Members (General)
Death
Family
Grief
Jesus Christ
Mental Health
Plan of Salvation
Suicide
All That Glitters Isn’t Celestial
A frog placed in cold water that is slowly heated stays until it is cooked, illustrating how gradual changes can be dangerous. Applied to wealth-seeking, a person’s step-by-step pursuit of nicer things can grow into a spirit of selfishness.
For many, even those who have started out with good intentions, the earnest pursuit of riches too easily gives way to greed. This phenomenon is known as the Frog Principle. It is said that if a frog were dropped into a pan of boiling water it would immediately jump out to save its life. However, if that same frog were placed in a pan of cold water and the heat was gradually turned up, the frog would stay put until cooked.
When pursuing wealth for the wrong reasons, it is very easy for the Frog Principle to take over. The process of accumulating enough money to buy that “nice car,” then a better house to go with the car, then better furniture to go with the house develops. All of this requires more and more money until a person’s appetite for luxury develops into a spirit of selfishness.
When pursuing wealth for the wrong reasons, it is very easy for the Frog Principle to take over. The process of accumulating enough money to buy that “nice car,” then a better house to go with the car, then better furniture to go with the house develops. All of this requires more and more money until a person’s appetite for luxury develops into a spirit of selfishness.
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👤 Other
Pride
Sin
Stewardship
Temptation
Repentance—Turning from Wrong to Right
The author compares sin to poison: if you took poison, feeling sorry and deciding not to take more wouldn’t remove the poison already inside you. Similarly, sin harms the spirit, and repentance alone isn’t enough without the Savior’s Atonement. Like an antidote neutralizes poison, repentance combined with Christ’s Atonement removes sin’s effects.
2. Discuss with the older children what the word poison means. Tell them that it is like sin. Just as poison destroys the body, sin destroys the spirit. Explain that if you were to take poison, you might immediately realize what you had done, be sorry, tell someone, and not take any more. But that would not save you from the effects of the poison already in your body. Help the children understand that when you have sinned, or taken spiritual poison, Jesus has commanded you to repent. You must feel sorry for the sin, confess it to Heavenly Father, try to pay for what you have done, and try to not do it again. Jesus Christ suffered and paid for all our sins so that we can repent. This is called the Atonement. Just as taking an antidote (medicine that works against poison) can eliminate the bad effects of poison in our system, repentance and the Atonement together can eliminate sin from our lives. Have the children look up the scriptures, then verbally fill in the blanks in the following sentences with repent, repentance, atone, or atonement. Discuss each scripture as you fill in the blank. Give each child a copy of the activity; suggest that he/she share it with his/her family. Sentences: And he commandeth all men that they must ________________ (2 Ne. 9:23). For the ____________ satisfieth the demands of … justice (2 Ne. 9:26). For according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an ____________ made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish (Alma 34:9). We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, ____________ (A of F 1:4). Now this is the commandment: ____________, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name (3 Ne. 27:20). For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would ____________ (D&C 19:16). For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might ____________ and come unto him (D&C 18:11).
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👤 Children
Atonement of Jesus Christ
Baptism
Children
Faith
Jesus Christ
Ordinances
Repentance
Scriptures
Sin
Teaching the Gospel
“Has the Latter-day Saint culture produced a truly great composer whose works are definitely Mormon?”
In 1946, at President J. Reuben Clark Jr.’s direction, the Church commissioned Leroy Robertson to complete his Book of Mormon Oratorio. After completing it in Los Angeles in 1946–47, six years passed before its premiere in April 1953 under Maurice Abravanel in the Tabernacle, after which it received further performances.
The previous year Robertson had been commissioned by the Church through the late President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., to finish his Book of Mormon Oratorio then in process. Robertson was granted a sabbatical from Brigham Young University, and the oratorio was completed in Los Angeles in 1946–47.
After Robertson completed the Book of Mormon Oratorio, six years passed before it was first performed. Under the direction of Utah Symphony conductor Maurice Abravanel, the University of Utah Chorus joined the Utah Symphony to premier the work in April 1953 in the Tabernacle. Other performances followed in other parts of the state. Since that time, this and other Robertson works have been performed throughout the country and abroad.
After Robertson completed the Book of Mormon Oratorio, six years passed before it was first performed. Under the direction of Utah Symphony conductor Maurice Abravanel, the University of Utah Chorus joined the Utah Symphony to premier the work in April 1953 in the Tabernacle. Other performances followed in other parts of the state. Since that time, this and other Robertson works have been performed throughout the country and abroad.
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👤 General Authorities (Modern)
👤 Other
Book of Mormon
Education
Music
Conference Tidbits
While visiting a family in Idaho Falls, Spencer W. Kimball read a letter from their son serving in the South Pacific war zone. The son wrote that prayer dispelled his fear and thanked his parents for teaching him to pray.
I was in Idaho Falls and was the guest in a home of a typical Church family. There were a dedicated set of parents and many children. The oldest was in military duty in the dreaded South Pacific, and the hearts of the family followed him from place to place. They handed me his latest letter from the war zone. I read this:
“There have been times when we were so scared, we would tremble, but the fear went out of our minds with prayer and the knowledge that we were being guided by the Lord.
“Dad, I love my religion and I am proud that I had someone like you and Mother to teach me to pray. Then I also know that you are praying for me each morning and night. …”
“There have been times when we were so scared, we would tremble, but the fear went out of our minds with prayer and the knowledge that we were being guided by the Lord.
“Dad, I love my religion and I am proud that I had someone like you and Mother to teach me to pray. Then I also know that you are praying for me each morning and night. …”
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👤 General Authorities (Modern)
👤 Parents
👤 Children
Faith
Family
Parenting
Prayer
Testimony
War
Hidden Wedges
An Associated Press story told of two brothers who shared a one-room cabin near Canisteo, New York. After a quarrel, they drew a chalk line dividing the room and then did not cross it or speak to each other for 62 years. Their silence shows the destructive power of hidden wedges.
Some time ago I read the following Associated Press dispatch, which appeared in the newspaper. An elderly man disclosed at the funeral of his brother, with whom he had shared, from early manhood, a small, one-room cabin near Canisteo, New York, that following a quarrel, they had divided the room in half with a chalk line and neither had crossed the line or spoken a word to the other since that day—62 years before. What a powerful and destructive hidden wedge.
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👤 Other
Family
Forgiveness
Pride
Unity
“My Soul Delighteth in the Scriptures”
At age fourteen, Spencer W. Kimball heard Susa Gates challenge a congregation to read the Bible. Feeling personally rebuked, he rushed home, lit a coal-oil lamp, and began reading in Genesis late into the night. He continued nightly until he completed the Bible within a year, establishing a pattern that influenced his lifelong gospel insights.
Another young man, Spencer W. Kimball, was about fourteen when Susa Gates spoke at their stake conference. He recalls: “She gave a rousing talk on the reading of the scriptures; … then she stopped … to ask … us, ‘How many of you have read the Bible through?’
“… My accusing heart said to me, ‘You, Spencer Kimball, you have never read that holy book. Why?’ I looked around me … to see if I was alone in my failure to read the sacred book. Of the thousand people, there were perhaps a half dozen who proudly raised their hands. … When the meeting closed, I … rushed home … gritting my teeth and saying to myself, ‘I will. I will.’”
He went home, got a coal-oil lamp, and climbed the stairs to his attic room. “There,” he said, “I opened my Bible and began [with] Genesis … and I read well into the night with Adam and Eve … and through the flood even to Abraham.” (President Kimball Speaks Out, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1981, pp. 92–93.)
He continued to read a little each night. Although he didn’t always understand what he was reading, he had made a commitment to himself. At the end of a year, he had finished. This achievement set a pattern for his life. The sermons and the writings of President Kimball convince us that he has labored long hours to gain his profound insights into the holy scriptures.
“… My accusing heart said to me, ‘You, Spencer Kimball, you have never read that holy book. Why?’ I looked around me … to see if I was alone in my failure to read the sacred book. Of the thousand people, there were perhaps a half dozen who proudly raised their hands. … When the meeting closed, I … rushed home … gritting my teeth and saying to myself, ‘I will. I will.’”
He went home, got a coal-oil lamp, and climbed the stairs to his attic room. “There,” he said, “I opened my Bible and began [with] Genesis … and I read well into the night with Adam and Eve … and through the flood even to Abraham.” (President Kimball Speaks Out, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1981, pp. 92–93.)
He continued to read a little each night. Although he didn’t always understand what he was reading, he had made a commitment to himself. At the end of a year, he had finished. This achievement set a pattern for his life. The sermons and the writings of President Kimball convince us that he has labored long hours to gain his profound insights into the holy scriptures.
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👤 General Authorities (Modern)
👤 Youth
👤 Church Members (General)
Bible
Faith
Scriptures
Testimony
Young Men
Mike and Curt Don’t Quit
Curt twice placed second in the wheelchair division of the Boston Marathon, completing the 26-mile race in 2 hours, 34 minutes, and 15 seconds. Despite freezing temperatures, mud, and the unique circulation challenges wheelchair marathoners face, he persevered through difficult conditions.
Curt’s record is impressive, too. He placed second in the wheelchair division in April 1977 and again in 1978 at the Boston Marathon in Massachusetts. He completed the 26-mile, 385-yard race in two hours, 34 minutes, and 15 seconds. That’s right! Over 26 miles!
The Boston Marathon is the biggest and oldest race in the U.S. This is it’s 83rd year, and only the top athletes are selected to participate. This year there were 20 wheelchair competitors racing in temperatures below 40° Fahrenheit. Five of the athletes had to be hospitalized for a brief period after the race for hypothermia. Curt says, “After the first mile of soaring downhill, each wheelchair contestant was covered with mud and water from the chairs in front.” He also explains that wheelchair marathoners have more problems than regular runners because their circulation is poorer.
The Boston Marathon is the biggest and oldest race in the U.S. This is it’s 83rd year, and only the top athletes are selected to participate. This year there were 20 wheelchair competitors racing in temperatures below 40° Fahrenheit. Five of the athletes had to be hospitalized for a brief period after the race for hypothermia. Curt says, “After the first mile of soaring downhill, each wheelchair contestant was covered with mud and water from the chairs in front.” He also explains that wheelchair marathoners have more problems than regular runners because their circulation is poorer.
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👤 Other
Adversity
Courage
Disabilities
Health
Prayers about Swim Goggles
A young Latter-day Saint visiting Sigatoka, Fiji, lost her purple goggles and prayed to find them, feeling peace despite the uncertainty. Her nonbelieving brother doubted anything would happen. After searching without success and expressing gratitude for peace, her brother unexpectedly found the goggles. She remained grateful for the comfort and assurance that came through faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Once I went with my dad to Sigatoka, Fiji—a great place to swim in the ocean. My parents were divorced, so my mum wasn’t going with us. Before we left, she bought me purple goggles. Sure, they’re just goggles, but she expected me to take care of them and bring them back.
At the end of the second day in Sigatoka, I realized I didn’t have my goggles. I worried that I’d lost them in the ocean. The first thing I did was pray that I would be able to find my goggles. I felt peace and knew everything would be OK.
The only person I told was my brother. He doesn’t believe in God and often criticized my beliefs because I am the only member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in my family. He said, “Yeah, you’re not going to get them back.” I told him, “I prayed about it, and I know my prayers will be answered.”
The next day I scanned the water while we swam. When it was time to go, I still hadn’t found my goggles. I accepted I probably wouldn’t find them and thanked Heavenly Father for His comfort and peace.
Then my brother suddenly shouted. He was holding up the purple goggles!
My brother still doesn’t believe in the gospel, but I am grateful for the comfort, strength, and assurance that come when I put my faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Shreya S., Suva, Fiji
At the end of the second day in Sigatoka, I realized I didn’t have my goggles. I worried that I’d lost them in the ocean. The first thing I did was pray that I would be able to find my goggles. I felt peace and knew everything would be OK.
The only person I told was my brother. He doesn’t believe in God and often criticized my beliefs because I am the only member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in my family. He said, “Yeah, you’re not going to get them back.” I told him, “I prayed about it, and I know my prayers will be answered.”
The next day I scanned the water while we swam. When it was time to go, I still hadn’t found my goggles. I accepted I probably wouldn’t find them and thanked Heavenly Father for His comfort and peace.
Then my brother suddenly shouted. He was holding up the purple goggles!
My brother still doesn’t believe in the gospel, but I am grateful for the comfort, strength, and assurance that come when I put my faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Shreya S., Suva, Fiji
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👤 Youth
👤 Parents
👤 Other
Divorce
Faith
Family
Peace
Prayer
Friends by Mail
Three siblings describe having fun making and eating pani popo rolls. They share that the rolls were delicious.
We had fun making and eating pani popo rolls (March 2020)! They were delicious.
Allie, Micaela, and Isaac R., ages 9, 8, and 11, Missouri, USA
Allie, Micaela, and Isaac R., ages 9, 8, and 11, Missouri, USA
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👤 Children
Children
Family
Happiness
Father, We Thank Thee
The speaker recounts that a friend's young daughter died in a tragic accident, leading the father to question his beliefs. At the request of the man's mother, the speaker gave him a blessing and felt impressed to teach that faith is also a decision. The father chose to exercise faith and obedience, prayed, and regained spiritual balance.
I had an experience that influenced my feelings about the importance of choosing what is right. Several years ago, the young daughter of a friend of mine died in a tragic accident. Hopes and dreams were shattered. My friend felt unbearable sorrow. He began to question what he believed.
The mother of my friend asked if I would talk to him and give him a blessing. As I laid my hands upon his head, I felt to tell him something I had not thought about in the same way before. The impression that came to me was this: “Faith is not only a feeling; it is also a decision.” He would need to choose faith.
My friend chose the road of faith and obedience. He got on his knees. His spiritual balance returned. The ability to seek within ourselves the gift of faith is an enormous spiritual blessing.
The mother of my friend asked if I would talk to him and give him a blessing. As I laid my hands upon his head, I felt to tell him something I had not thought about in the same way before. The impression that came to me was this: “Faith is not only a feeling; it is also a decision.” He would need to choose faith.
My friend chose the road of faith and obedience. He got on his knees. His spiritual balance returned. The ability to seek within ourselves the gift of faith is an enormous spiritual blessing.
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👤 Parents
👤 Children
👤 Church Members (General)
Agency and Accountability
Death
Doubt
Faith
Grief
Holy Ghost
Obedience
Priesthood Blessing
Revelation
Missionary Rain
In a cold, rainy foreign place, the narrator struggles with language barriers, unfamiliar food, and discouraging conditions. Remembering her father's counsel that green grass requires both rain and sunshine, she gains courage and gratitude. She straightens her shoulders, offers a prayer of thanks, and responds positively when asked about the rain.
It’s gray and foggy;
The trees are bare except for a few
soggy dead leaves;
The houses are cold and dark;
I sniffle and sneeze;
I try to understand the flying foreign words;
I nod my head and smile
as though all were very plain,
but I know my eyes reveal utter confusion;
I blow my nose again;
I try to speak,
but my tongue betrays me;
I try to teach—
Not even I understand what I’m saying;
The children laugh at my accent
and ask me a million questions;
I nod and smile;
My hair is frizzy from the humidity;
I wear the same sweater and skirt every day
because none of my other clothing keeps me
warm;
There is mildew on our bedroom walls;
I have a stomachache
from heaping helpings of strange foods
whose taste is foreshadowed by stranger odor;
I nearly gag, and swallow without chewing;
When the Mamita asks me how I like it,
I nod and smile;
I see concrete and mud;
It’s winter—the rainy season;
The wind-driven rain ignores
coat, and boots, and umbrella;
There is water everywhere—in my boots, in my
pockets,
and I’m afraid the water in my eyes
is about to spill over my cheeks
and tell my yearning for home, for milk,
for English;
Though miles separate my father and me
his voice comes clearly to mind
where his teachings well embedded live;
My heart is warmed and I find courage
drawing strength from his strength:
“Remember that in order for the grass to be green,
there has to be rain as well as sunshine.”
Peering through the pour
I see that the grass really is green;
My companion asks me how I like the rain;
I straighten my shoulders,
nod and smile,
and say a little prayer of thanks
for a wise father who taught me about the rain.
The trees are bare except for a few
soggy dead leaves;
The houses are cold and dark;
I sniffle and sneeze;
I try to understand the flying foreign words;
I nod my head and smile
as though all were very plain,
but I know my eyes reveal utter confusion;
I blow my nose again;
I try to speak,
but my tongue betrays me;
I try to teach—
Not even I understand what I’m saying;
The children laugh at my accent
and ask me a million questions;
I nod and smile;
My hair is frizzy from the humidity;
I wear the same sweater and skirt every day
because none of my other clothing keeps me
warm;
There is mildew on our bedroom walls;
I have a stomachache
from heaping helpings of strange foods
whose taste is foreshadowed by stranger odor;
I nearly gag, and swallow without chewing;
When the Mamita asks me how I like it,
I nod and smile;
I see concrete and mud;
It’s winter—the rainy season;
The wind-driven rain ignores
coat, and boots, and umbrella;
There is water everywhere—in my boots, in my
pockets,
and I’m afraid the water in my eyes
is about to spill over my cheeks
and tell my yearning for home, for milk,
for English;
Though miles separate my father and me
his voice comes clearly to mind
where his teachings well embedded live;
My heart is warmed and I find courage
drawing strength from his strength:
“Remember that in order for the grass to be green,
there has to be rain as well as sunshine.”
Peering through the pour
I see that the grass really is green;
My companion asks me how I like the rain;
I straighten my shoulders,
nod and smile,
and say a little prayer of thanks
for a wise father who taught me about the rain.
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👤 Missionaries
👤 Parents
👤 Children
👤 Other
Adversity
Courage
Diversity and Unity in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Endure to the End
Faith
Family
Gratitude
Missionary Work
Prayer
Teaching the Gospel
The Priesthood: A Sure Anchor
After high school and a year of college, the author served a mission and learned from a particularly strong companion. With the country at war, he joined the United States Marine Corps, then later returned to college, married, and moved for work while serving in various priesthood callings. He became a Boston stake president and was later called as an Assistant to the Twelve and then to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
As time progressed, I graduated from high school, and then after a year in college, I was called on a mission. I enjoyed every minute of it and loved my companions. One in particular was a strength to me. I learned much from him as we fulfilled our responsibilities.
Because the country was at war, when I returned from my mission I joined the United States Marine Corps. When the war was over, I returned to college, married, and started a family. Successive professional moves took me to many places across the United States, where I learned much as I served in many priesthood callings. I finally landed in Boston, Massachusetts, where I served as a stake president. It was from there that I was called to be an Assistant to the Twelve and then, after 17 months, to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Because the country was at war, when I returned from my mission I joined the United States Marine Corps. When the war was over, I returned to college, married, and started a family. Successive professional moves took me to many places across the United States, where I learned much as I served in many priesthood callings. I finally landed in Boston, Massachusetts, where I served as a stake president. It was from there that I was called to be an Assistant to the Twelve and then, after 17 months, to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
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👤 Missionaries
👤 Church Leaders (Local)
👤 General Authorities (Modern)
Apostle
Education
Family
Friendship
Marriage
Missionary Work
Priesthood
Service
War
Thanks!
After seeing news coverage of the 2004 tsunami, 12-year-old Jessica felt sick and shaky. She asked her brother to read the Friend magazine to her, which helped her calm down that night and has supported her in other worries.
Even though I’m 12, I still love reading the Friend. If I am worried or feel unsafe, the Friend is always there. Not long after the December 2004 tsunami, my family and I were watching the news on television. There were pictures of children who lost their parents or who were lost themselves. I began to feel sick and shaky. I asked my brother to read the Friend to me. The Friend helped me stop shaking that night, and it has also helped me with other things. THANKS!Jessica C., age 12, Washington
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👤 Youth
Children
Gratitude
Mental Health
Peace
“Follow Me”
A steelworker consistently read his scriptures during lunch for over three decades, despite coworkers’ mockery. His steady devotion exemplifies following the Savior in everyday circumstances.
As I meet the wonderful members of this Church—both young and old—I am encouraged and filled with gratitude for the faithfulness of those who have heard the call of the Savior and have followed Him.
For example, a steelworker follows the Savior. Day after day, over a period of more than three decades, he pulled out his scriptures to read during lunch break as his coworkers chided him. The 70-year-old widow confined to her wheelchair—who, to everyone who visits, cheers their spirits and never fails to tell them of how fortunate she is—follows the Savior. The child who seeks through prayer to commune with the Master of the universe follows the Savior. The wealthy member who gives so generously to the Church and his fellowmen follows the Savior.
For example, a steelworker follows the Savior. Day after day, over a period of more than three decades, he pulled out his scriptures to read during lunch break as his coworkers chided him. The 70-year-old widow confined to her wheelchair—who, to everyone who visits, cheers their spirits and never fails to tell them of how fortunate she is—follows the Savior. The child who seeks through prayer to commune with the Master of the universe follows the Savior. The wealthy member who gives so generously to the Church and his fellowmen follows the Savior.
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👤 Church Members (General)
👤 Other
Charity
Children
Faith
Gratitude
Jesus Christ
Ministering
Prayer
Scriptures
What about Pop Music?
The author composed heavy rock music for an industrial film promoting heavy trucks. He felt the music itself had no moral implications in that setting. He notes that the same music used in a discotheque with strobe lights and dancers might be labeled evil by many, illustrating how environment and intent shape moral judgments.
For example, recently I wrote the music for an industrial film, the purpose of which was to sell a brand of heavy trucks. Heavy rock music was used throughout. I don’t believe the music had any moral implications. Were the same music used in a discotheque, however, with strobe lights and go-go girls, many people would call it evil music. The point is that the environment and intent can also determine the moral consequences.
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👤 Other
Agency and Accountability
Judging Others
Movies and Television
Music
Healing the Tragic Scars of Abuse
A patient recovering from massive surgery patiently trusts caregivers and follows prescribed treatment. His obedience accelerates healing, illustrating how patience and adherence to inspired guidance lead to recovery from abuse.
During prolonged recovery from massive surgery, a patient anticipates complete healing in patience, trusting in others’ care. He does not always understand the importance of the treatment prescribed, but his obedience speeds recovery. So it is with you struggling to heal the scars of abuse. Forgiveness, for example, can be hard to understand, even more difficult to give. Begin by withholding judgment. You don’t know what abusers may have suffered as victims when innocent. The way to repentance must be kept open for them. Leave the handling of aggressors to others. As you experience an easing of your own pain, full forgiveness will come more easily.
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Abuse
Adversity
Forgiveness
Judging Others
Obedience
Patience
Repentance