Gospel Story Finder

I went on a fathers and sons’ campout with my ward. My friends and I hiked down a canyon. We chose the oldest boy, Hunter, to be our leader. When we came to a curve in the canyon, Hunter warned us that we shouldn’t go around the curve. He had a feeling that something bad would happen if we did. So we turned around and walked in the other direction. Later, when we were hiking with our dads and we went around that curve, Hunter’s dad almost stepped on a rattlesnake! A rattlesnake’s rattle is a warning, but the Holy Ghost can warn us about all kinds of danger. I am thankful Hunter listened to the Holy Ghost so we could all be safe.

A temple to our God was built
So all who enter there
Can be endowed and freed from guilt,
Released from Satan’s snare.
The prophets there restored the keys
To seal in joy our families
Together through eternities,
Because of Joseph’s prayer.

She paused thoughtfully, and while I waited for her response, I observed the beauties of her home and thought of her many and varied accomplishments. Her beautiful grand piano reminded me of her exceptional musical gifts and talents. She began her musical training very young and at one time was encouraged to go east and study, which she did briefly. But then she realized that she had to make some important choices.
“I faced what a lot of young women face—the choice between a career and marriage. I made the right decision. I have a wonderful husband, three beautiful children, and some music. My music alone would be a poor substitute for my family I love with all my heart.”
Speaking of that incident she said warmly, “Jeff was my first choice!”

A few months later Brigham set out on foot with his brother to preach the gospel in Canada. They traveled over 250 miles in snow “a foot and a half deep with a foot of mud under it,” and in two months they converted 45 souls. Whatever the price, Brigham was willing to pay it in order to build up the kingdom of God on the earth. “I was as destitute of language as a man could be … ,” he said, “but I was so gritty that I always tried my best.”

You’re listening to a talk from general conference on your MP3 player while you walk to school. A friend asks what you’re listening to. You tell her the truth—you’re listening to the words of a living prophet of God. “What does that mean?” your friend asks. You explain about modern prophets and apostles and then ask your friend if she would like to join you in April to hear what those leaders are saying.

It was years after I was a deacon when I learned what that means practically. For instance, as a high priest, I was assigned to visit a care center sacrament meeting. I was asked to pass the sacrament. Instead of thinking about the process or precision in the way I passed the sacrament, I instead looked in the faces of each elderly person. I saw many of them weeping. One lady grabbed my sleeve, looked up, and said aloud, “Oh, thank you, thank you.”

The Lord had blessed my service given in His name. That day I had prayed for such a miracle to come instead of praying for how well I might do my part. I prayed that the people would feel the Lord’s love through my loving service. I have learned this is the key to serving and blessing others in His name. …

When Elder D. Todd Christofferson was about 12 years old, his dad decided to run for city council. He asked Todd to help. Todd and his brothers walked around the community handing out flyers and knocking on doors. When someone opened the door, Todd and his brothers gave them a flyer and asked them to vote for their dad, Paul Christofferson.
When Todd handed people flyers, sometimes they would say, “Paul is a good and honest man. I would have no problem voting for him.”
People knew his dad was a good person, and Todd felt proud of his dad.
Todd also knew that his dad wasn’t perfect. No one is perfect. But because of his dad’s example, Todd wanted to be a good man and a good father too when he grew up.

How we preserve time for family is one of the most significant issues we face in most cultures. At a time when I was the only member of the Church in our law firm, one woman lawyer explained to me how she always felt like a juggler trying to keep three balls in the air at the same time. One ball was her law practice, one was her marriage, and one was her children. She had almost given up on time for herself. She was greatly concerned that one of the balls was always on the ground. I suggested we meet as a group and discuss our priorities. We determined that the primary reason we were working was to support our families. We agreed that making more money wasn’t nearly as important as our families, but we recognized that serving our clients to the best of our abilities was essential. The discussion then moved to what we did at work that was not necessary and was inconsistent with leaving time for family. Was there pressure to spend time in the workplace that was not essential?17 We decided that our goal would be a family-friendly environment for both women and men. Let us be at the forefront in protecting time for family.

An illustration of this occurred in a classroom. One of the questions, after a study of magnets at Olympus Junior High, was, “What begins with M and picks things up?” More than a third of the students answered, “Mother.”

It was a typical Saturday afternoon. I was super excited because after doing my chores, I was going to hang out with some of my new friends from my cheerleading squad. Being a new seventh-grade cheerleader had helped me make tons of friends at my new school.
I bounced up the sidewalk to Macy’s* house as I watched my mom drive away. “Ah, sweet freedom,” I thought. “I love being a teenager. I can finally go to the mall and movies with my friends.”
Macy opened the door, and I could see that my friend Lisa was already there. We started curling each other’s hair, laughing, and dancing and singing to music as we got ready. Macy explained that there would be several kids from school meeting us at the movie—not just girls but boys too. Even the cute boy at school I just met. I started to feel a little uneasy. I kept listening as she told me what movie they wanted to see. I got chills and knew instantly it was the Holy Ghost letting me know it was not a good movie. I asked to see the trailer for it. As I watched, I knew it was a movie I definitely didn’t want to watch.
What was I going to do? What would they say? I started thinking of plan B.
I began texting my mom privately. “What should I do, Mom?” I asked. She quickly texted back and said she didn’t feel good about the movie but she would let me decide. I knew I shouldn’t watch it; there was no doubt about that. I made up my mind. I was going to tell them I wasn’t comfortable with watching this movie. Surely they would understand, right? They were my friends. We could do something else instead.
“What? You don’t want to see the movie?” Lisa asked.
“Is it because your mom doesn’t want you to? Tell her that you saw something else.”
“What, are you too good for us?”
“Don’t be such a loser.”
My heart broke as I listened to my friends. My worst nightmares were coming true. For a moment I thought to myself, maybe I should just go. It won’t be that big of a deal. Mom said I could …
No. I knew I shouldn’t.
“Come on, guys,” I said. “My mom said she would pick us up and we could go back to my house and eat pizza and do a movie there. Or we could go get our nails done and hang out at the mall.” They weren’t interested. They wanted to go see this movie with all of our friends from school.
I texted my mom and told her I needed her to come pick me up. I was devastated. How could this happen? I thought they were my friends. I thought they wanted to hang out with me. All I wished for right then was my good friend Sandy from my Beehive class. She was a true friend. I knew she would’ve understood my decision.
I’d been so excited for this day and now it was turning out to be the worst day ever. When I saw my mom pull up, I quickly grabbed my stuff and headed out. As I walked to the car I felt a tear roll down my cheek. I’d just made one of the hardest decisions of my life, but I knew it was the right one.
I felt good knowing I had followed the promptings of the Holy Ghost. I know that I am a much stronger girl because I chose not to go.

A few days later Dr. Barnardo spoke at a meeting and told those who attended about the shameful condition of children in the city’s slum areas—children for whom no one cared.
The newspapers reported Dr. Barnardo’s words and many wealthy and important people accused him of making statements that were either untrue or greatly exaggerated. No one seemed interested in helping to change this sad situation. At a time when the doctor was most discouraged, the Earl of Shaftesbury, who was a great lover of children, came to his aid. Someone finally believed Dr. Barnardo!
The Earl organized a private dinner party and invited many of the people who had disputed Dr. Barnardo’s words. At the end of the meal the Earl arranged it so that Dr. Barnardo could take his critics by lantern light on a night tour of the lays and prove his claims.
At the very first lay visited, in Billingsgate Fish Market, were seventy-three homeless, hungry, and uncared-for boys huddled together under tarpaulins stretched over piles of fish boxes. Many more were sleeping in empty barrels. Long before the tour was over Dr. Barnardo had convinced the doubters.

Buntha and Neath are a brother and sister who live in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
When he turned eight years old, Buntha decided to be baptized. When Neath turns eight, she also will be baptized. “I want to receive the Holy Ghost,” she says.
It is important to Buntha and Neath to serve others. Buntha wants to be a missionary when he grows up. Neath can’t wait until she can be a “grandma missionary,” a senior missionary.

President Monson recalls an act of priesthood service that changed his life.
I recall the time when I was ordained a deacon. Our bishopric stressed the sacred responsibility which was ours to pass the sacrament. Emphasized were proper dress, a dignified bearing, and the importance of being clean inside and out. As we were taught the procedure in passing the sacrament, we were told how we should assist Louis McDonald, a brother in our ward who was afflicted with a palsied condition, that he might have the opportunity to partake of the sacred emblems.
How I remember being assigned to pass the sacrament to the row where Brother McDonald sat. I was fearful and hesitant as I approached this wonderful brother, and then I saw his smile and the eager expression of gratitude that showed his desire to partake. Holding the tray in my left hand, I took a small piece of bread and pressed it to his lips. The water was later served in the same way. I felt I was on holy ground. And indeed I was. The privilege to pass the sacrament to Brother McDonald made better deacons of us all.

Out of personal experience, I know the efficacy and power of prayer. When I was a young missionary in Northern England in 1922, the opposition to the Church became very intense. The opposition became so strong that the mission president asked that we discontinue all street meetings, and in some cases tracting was discontinued.

My companion and I had been invited to travel over to South Shields to speak in the sacrament meeting. In the invitation they said, “We feel sure we can fill the little chapel. Many of the people over here do not believe the falsehoods printed about us. If you’ll come, we’re sure that we’ll have a great meeting.” We accepted.

We fasted and prayed sincerely and went to the meeting. My companion had planned to talk on the first principles. I had studied much in preparation for a talk on the apostasy. There was a wonderful spirit in the meeting. My companion spoke first and gave an inspirational message. I responded and talked with a freedom I had never experienced before in my life. When I sat down, I then realized that I had not mentioned the apostasy. I had talked on the Prophet Joseph Smith and borne my witness of his divine mission and to the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. After the meeting had ended, several people came forward, some of them being nonmembers, and said, “Tonight we received a witness that the gospel is true as you elders teach it. We are now ready for baptism.”

This was an answer to our fasting and prayers, for we prayed to say only those things which would touch the hearts of the friends and investigators.

One week after the dedication of the Kirtland Temple on April 3, 1836, which was Easter Sunday and also Passover, the Lord appeared in a magnificent vision to Joseph and Oliver Cowdery. The Lord accepted the temple and declared, “This is the beginning of the blessing which shall be poured out upon the heads of my people.”
After this vision closed, Moses appeared “and committed … the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north.”

Now, as all of you know, I am somewhat old in years. I had my 96th birthday last June. I have learned from many sources that there is considerable speculation concerning my health. I wish to put the record straight. If I last a few months longer, I will have served to an older age than any previous President. I do not say this to be boastful but rather grateful. Last January I underwent major surgery. It was a miserable experience, particularly for one who had never previously been a patient in a hospital. Following this was the question as to whether I should undergo further treatment. I chose to do so. My doctors have called the results miraculous. I know that the favorable results come from your many prayers in my behalf. I am deeply grateful to you.

6 That same evening, before the baptized members could be confirmed, Joseph was arrested. He was falsely charged as being a disorderly person.
7 While Joseph was in custody, he was insulted, spit upon, and denied proper food. But the court could find no wrong with the Prophet’s behavior, and he was released to his grateful friends.

Our only way of knowing what reformed Egyptian looked like is the Anthon transcript—seven lines of characters supposed to have been copied from the Book of Mormon plates and shown to a Professor Anthon by Martin Harris. We don’t know how accurately they were copied, or even, in fact, which side of the transcript is up. Professor Anthon later described what he had seen:
“The characters were arranged in columns like the Chinese mode of writing … and all sorts of letters, more or less distorted, either through unskillfulness or from actual design, were intermingled with sundry delineations of half moons, stars, and other natural objects, and the whole ended in a rude representation of the Mexican zodiac.”
Another time he repeated the description of perpendicular columns, adding, “And the whole ended in a rude delineation of a circle, divided into various compartments, arched with various strange marks and evidently copied after the Mexican calendar (published) by Humboldt, but copied in such a way as not to reveal the source.” (B. H. Roberts, Comprehensive History of the Church, 1:100–107.)
Since Anthon is the only eyewitness to leave us a description of what he saw, we are forced to conclude that what was on the Book of Mormon plates looked a good deal like an ancient American “codex,” or book, with its perpendicular columns of glyphs.

Inside-Out Grandma: A Hanukkah Story This story is about a Jewish family getting ready for a Jewish holiday called Hanukkah. It begins with Grandma wearing her clothes inside out so that she’ll remember to buy enough oil for latkes. It ends with a recipe for latkes, a kind of potato pancake.Joan Rothenberg4–8 years

Although the Church has struggled to receive positive attention in Swedish media, one time it did was in 1984, when the young brothers in the Herrey family won the largest singing contest in Europe. Their appearance on television and in newspapers gave the Church good publicity, and many young people joined the Church at this time.