Gospel Story Finder

“Let’s go to a movie!”
“No, let’s go to the park.”
Four-year-old Noah was sitting on the floor pretending that his two cars were talking to each other when Mom peeked into his bedroom. “Noah, when Dad gets home, he and I are going to the temple.”
Noah smiled up at her. “OK. Maybe my cars will go to the temple too.”
“Good idea!” Mom said. “If you need anything while we’re gone, ask one of your big brothers. OK?”
“All right, Mom.” Mom smiled and left. Noah sat thinking for a moment. He knew that Mom and Dad had been married in the temple so their family could be together forever. But there was something he didn’t understand.
He got up and went to find Mom. He found her lying on her bed, reading a book. “Mom, you and Dad already got married in the temple. So why do you keep going back?”
Mom patted the bed, and Noah climbed up beside her. “In the temple we make special promises to Heavenly Father,” Mom said. “He promises us wonderful blessings He can only give us in the temple. But a lot of people lived and died without a chance to go to the temple. Some of them never even knew about Jesus Christ. We go to the temple to do temple work for those people so they can have the same blessings our family has.”
“You mean so they can be a family forever too?”
“Right,” Mom said.
Noah yawned. “You look tired, Noah. Do you want to rest here for a while?” Mom asked. Noah snuggled close to her and closed his eyes. He thought of a beautiful temple and imagined himself as a grown-up going inside.
When Noah woke up, Mom was gone. He stretched and smiled. “Mom and Dad must have already gone to the temple,” he thought. He slid off the bed and ran to find his brothers.
They were in the living room watching a movie. “Hi, guys!” Noah called, running in to join them.
While Mom and Dad were gone, Noah had a safe, warm feeling inside. His brothers were even extra nice to him.
When Dad and Mom walked in the front door, Noah ran to meet them. Mom picked him up and hugged him. Dad put his big arms around both of them and gave them a giant squeeze.
Mom smiled at Noah. “Remember how Dad and I got married in the temple, Noah? Well, tonight we got married for some people who couldn’t get married in the temple when they were alive. Now those moms and dads can be with their families forever if they choose the right. While I was at the temple, I felt very happy that if I do what Heavenly Father and Jesus ask me to, I can be your mom forever!”
Noah smiled. Going to the temple didn’t just help people who were dead. It made his own family happy too!

Other elders going into the field will have the happier experience my son Matthew had. He and his companion found a widow with 11 children living in humble circumstances. He wanted for them what you want—to have an eternal family. To my son, it looked impossible or at least unlikely at that moment.
I visited that little city years after my son had baptized the widow, and she invited me to meet her family at church. I had to wait a while because most of her children, with her many grandchildren, came from several different chapels in the area. One son was faithfully serving in a bishopric, many of her children have been blessed by temple covenants, and she is sealed in an eternal family. As I parted from this dear sister, she put her arms around my waist (she was very short, so she could just barely get to my waist) and said, “Please, tell Mateo to come back to Chile before I die.” She had been given, because of those faithful elders, the happy anticipation of the greatest of all the gifts of God.

His military obligation fulfilled, Hal enrolled in the Harvard Graduate School of Business, where he earned a master’s degree in 1959 and a doctorate degree in 1963, both in business administration. Though he had the intellect to succeed in a career in science, Hal found that his passion lay in teaching, lifting, and strengthening others.
While attending Harvard during the summer of 1961, Hal met Kathleen Johnson, the daughter of J. Cyril and LaPrele Lindsay Johnson, of Palo Alto, California. She was attending summer school in Boston, and Hal was smitten the first time he saw her. He felt an immediate desire to do his best when he was in her presence—a feeling that has continued throughout their lives together.
They dated that summer and continued their courtship through phone calls and letters after Kathleen returned to California. They were married in July 1962 in the Logan Utah Temple by Elder Spencer W. Kimball. That same year Hal became an assistant professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Week one: Youth of the Hartford First Ward, Hartford Connecticut Stake, interviewed residents of the Windsor Hall Rest Home for interesting information about their lives.
Week two: The youth worked together at the ward meetinghouse to compile a personal history for each individual they interviewed. Dates, photographs, and a personal thank-you note were included.
Week three: Those involved went back to the rest home, where histories and hugs were presented.
Weeks four, five, six, etc.: The youth made spontaneous return visits to the home to chat with the residents they had befriended. And the happiness sparked by the project extended months into the future.

Mamãe? I said something mean to my friend today. Now I feel terrible.
Wait, I know! I can just get baptized again! Then I will be all clean.
You don’t need to do that. You can repent right now and be forgiven. And when you take the sacrament, you can promise to do better!
Can we say a prayer together? I want to tell Heavenly Father I’m sorry. And I’ll tell my friend I’m sorry tomorrow.
Of course.
That Sunday …
I’ll try harder this week to be kind! I know Heavenly Father will help me.
Illustrations by Katie McDee

Whether gardening or playing, the Gándola children like being outside. They jump on their trampoline, ride bikes, and play in the trees. Shawn and Micah are great tree-climbers, and Danielle and Lucas like hunting for green pinecones. One day, their next-door neighbor pruned some branches that fell down in the Gándolas’ yard and formed a wall of leaves. Shawn made a hole through them to serve as a door, and he calls the leaf-wall his fort.

I grew up in a small town in southern Italy. My family were not members of the Church. One day, when I was nine, two missionaries knocked on our door.
My parents weren’t interested in what the missionaries had to say, but I was. So was my brother, Alberto. Our parents let us keep meeting with the missionaries. Later we got baptized and confirmed. I was 10 and Alberto was 11.

María Colof spoke briefly of a special experience. “When I was ill,” she said, “my brother went to call the missionaries, but they couldn’t come. But some brothers of the Church came and gave me a blessing of health. By the following day I felt completely well.”

I was at a friend’s birthday party with about 10 other girls. We had lots of fun. We sang karaoke, played games, made crafts, and opened presents. After the pizza and birthday cake we decided to watch a movie. I asked my friend what it was rated. She said PG-13. I let her know that I couldn’t watch it and suggested another movie. She said, “Come on, your mom is not going to know you watched it. I really want to see it.” The others agreed with her.
I felt uncomfortable because I didn’t want to ruin her party. But I knew that I wasn’t going to watch it. I said, “OK, you watch it, and I’ll watch another movie on the other TV.”
She thought about it and said, “Let’s just all watch your movie. It will be good too.”

Shortly thereafter I contacted another friend in Utah, Dennis Hill, with whom I had worked. I told him I was now attending his church. He said he was going to send me a book, even though I tried to convince him that I was attending only because I liked the people.
The book, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder by LeGrand Richards, came after our second visit to the little church. I set it aside to read “sometime later.”
The third Sunday we decided we were too tired to go to church. No one called to ask “Where were you?” and we were disappointed.
But Monday night the telephone rang. It was the missionaries!
“We missed you at church Sunday.”
“Yes, but you know how it is.”
“Yes, we do.” A pause. “We promised you six lessons; we would like to begin them soon.”
“Fine! How about tomorrow night and every Tuesday thereafter?”
That was the beginning of a very fine friendship. The children loved these two young men who exuded faith and happiness.
I cooperated with their attempts to use psychology on me because I felt they needed the practice; however, I had to set the limit when they invited me to offer prayer at the opening and close of these meetings. I was happy to have them or anyone else offer the prayer, but I would have felt hypocritical praying to a God whose existence I wasn’t sure of.
The next Sunday was stake conference in Jacksonville, Florida, and the speaker was to be none other than Elder LeGrand Richards. I grabbed my book and started reading. (If I’m going to listen to a speaker, I want to know as much about him as possible.) When the day came, I managed to sit way up in the balcony where I could hear and see well. This man’s keen mind impressed me; but I was even more moved by his sincerity, conviction, and faith.
The missionary lessons continued, and we began to acquire a better comprehension of what the gospel was all about. About the fourth lesson we began to realize that these missionaries were planning to finish this by inviting us to be baptized.
I won’t do that! I told my wife. “I don’t even trust myself in a thing so simple as prayer. I’m not going to do all of that.” She agreed.

The Chocolate Touch, by Patrick Skene Catling, pictures by Margot Apple. John loves candy. He would have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if he could. Find out what happens when John wanders into a mysterious candy store and buys a special kind of chocolate.

In church I learned that President Hinckley said that girls and women should wear only one earring in each ear. One day I noticed that Grandma was wearing two earrings in each ear! I told her what I had learned in Primary, and she said, “Then I had better take one earring out of each ear.” It makes me feel good to know that Grandma follows the prophet.Malone Jacoway, age 7Sandy, Utah

Other inspired instruction has been given regarding the meeting itself. During President Joseph Fielding Smith’s administration, a letter was issued on 17 December 1970, urging the Saints to hold sacrament meeting for the full one hour and thirty minutes. The time length for sacrament meeting has since been reduced, but note the counsel concerning the desired spiritual standard of our sacrament meetings:
“The object, of course, is not merely to hold a meeting of the required length but to plan each one so that it will provide the spiritual uplift and the sound doctrinal teaching which the Church members need in these critical times. With this in mind, speakers should be urged to share faith-promoting experiences, to bear testimony, to expound doctrinal subjects, and to speak in a spirit of love and brotherhood. At the same time, they should be urged to avoid stories of their travels, argumentation, criticism, and the discussion of controversial subjects which have no direct bearing on the saving principles of the gospel. In planning your Sacrament Meetings, you should also make good use of ward or branch choirs and the available musical talent to add variety and interest.”

The Twenty-One Balloons*, by William Pène du Bois. Professor Sherman is tired of teaching arithmetic, so he decides to take a year off and fly across the Pacific Ocean in a hot-air balloon. But his leisurely trip goes far off course. Follow him on his exciting adventure!

Three months passed before I was interviewed and ordained a deacon. That Sunday morning I stood in front of the sacrament table to distribute the emblems of the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. I still remember the surroundings: The dining room of a home had been transformed into a meeting hall for sacrament meetings that were attended by a few members. It was my first opportunity to magnify my priesthood calling. Nine months later I was ordained a teacher and learned how to teach and to watch over the few members of the branch.
Another four months passed, and I was ordained a priest. Now I stood on the other side of the sacrament table. The decor was the same, but I felt different. It impressed me that now I was blessing the emblems of the Atonement and memorizing “that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, … and always remember him and keep his commandments … that they may always have his Spirit to be with them” (D&C 20:77).
Two years passed after my baptism, and the day arrived for me to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and to be ordained an elder. The mission president once again laid his hands upon my head. The higher authority and power to act in the name of the Lord were given.

“You know, like the one about your scratching up Billy Snead’s face?”
She laughed and shook her head. “He was riding by me on his bike and calling me names. When he finally turned to look where he was going, it was too late—he crashed into a rosebush. I tried to help him, but he ran off screaming.”

The mouths of “woman-driver” jokesters have been sealed, for the time being at least, by 16-year-old April Clark, an LDS student from Chico, California, who was selected by a panel, including Governor Ronald Reagan, to attend the National Youth Conference on Highway Safety held in Scottsdale, Arizona.
April was first selected to represent her high school at a conference with Governor Reagan in Los Angeles last January, where youth driving was discussed. On the basis of her performance there, and in consideration of her essay on alcoholism and driving, she was chosen to attend the national conference. There April joined with other youths from across the nation in voicing opinions on the implementation of safe driving practices.
April is a member of the Chico Second Ward in the Chico California Stake and is the pianist in her high school orchestra.

Like a cross old lion with a grumpy roar,
March came whistling and screeching at our door,
Rattling the eaves and puffing with glee.
“Come on out,” he called, “and play with me.”
We stood at the windows and watched the trees
That twisted and turned in his blustery breeze.
But when March, lamblike, came frolicking by,
We ran to greet him—he tossed our kites high.

None of us had prepared for family home evening. We realized that fact on Sunday morning as we drove to church. Unfortunately, our schedules were such that we could hold home evenings only on Sunday afternoons. Five-year-old Drew immediately announced that he would make popcorn for refreshments. Stuart, our 12-year-old, groaned when we reminded him he was responsible for the lesson and game. It sounded as though the special talent assignment wouldn’t be so special either.
A meeting kept the children and me after church while my wife, Sandi, played the piano for the choir. On the way home, Stuart informed us that while we were waiting, he had checked out a family home evening manual from the meetinghouse library and was ready with the lesson. Things were starting to look up.
That afternoon, seven-year-old Curt welcomed everyone and called on Holly, our two-year-old, to say the opening prayer. Right then, Holly was breaking a house rule by trying to get into Sandi’s piano-teaching materials. We coaxed her up front, where I tried to help her with the prayer. She would say only, “Amen.” We then discovered that her diaper needed changing, so Sandi took her out.
The boys and I discussed how we were going to attend Stuart’s jazz band concert, watch Drew and Curt’s ball game, and give Sandi time to complete a project at the Church cannery—all on Wednesday night. Sandi and Holly returned in time to hear and approve our plan.
Curt then announced talent time. While Holly played a few random notes on the piano, 10-year-old Spencer played his most recent piece on the bass. Then Sandi and Stuart played a lively piano duet.
We had spent so much time on the concert that we all agreed when Sandi suggested we keep family singing to just one song. She got out a songbook and played a march. Stuart and I moved to the piano to sing over her shoulder, the three little ones marched noisily around the living room, and Spencer lay on the couch.
We enjoyed the singing so much we begged Sandi to play another song. We sang again, and Spencer joined us at the piano while the little ones expanded their march route to include the upstairs bedrooms and a few bounces on the couch. Sandi continued to play while I made sure the bounces were deleted from the parade route. We sang three more songs.
Stuart’s lesson began with a treasure hunt. We followed some paper arrows he had previously placed on the floor to two covered baskets, a smaller one on top bearing a large paper X. The kids crowded around as we opened the small basket—labeled “Hidden Treasure of Goodies”—and all enjoyed a piece of candy. Stuart then opened the large basket—labeled “Hidden Spiritual Treasure.” Inside was a copy of the Book of Mormon.
Stuart told us that the Book of Mormon had been a “hidden treasure.” He asked what that meant, and Curt and Spencer took turns telling how Joseph Smith obtained the gold plates from their hiding place in the Hill Cumorah. Sandi and I sat back and listened while the kids answered Stuart’s questions and Holly wandered off downstairs to find some other treasure. She came back with some cards from a board game. We ignored her because she wasn’t bothering anyone. The discussion went on briefly while Holly made several more trips downstairs. Drew lost interest and began to play quietly with Holly and her cards. Stuart concluded with his testimony of the Book of Mormon and challenged each of us to read it every day for a month. He gave us charts to record our reading.
Spencer commented that he and his friend Adam had been looking at the Old Testament after Primary that day and had found a passage that said, “Truth shall spring out of the earth” (Ps. 85:11). He got his Bible and read the passage, explaining that he’d learned the verse was talking about the Book of Mormon.
The discussion was now informal and spontaneous. Curt had lost interest and was playing with Holly and Drew. I pointed out that there are other biblical phrases referring to the Book of Mormon and its below-ground hiding place. We read, “And thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust” (Isa. 29:4).
Spencer commented that other churches would not interpret these passages in the same way. For this reason, he said, we need a spiritual witness that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. That inspired me to ask Stuart how he had received his testimony of the Book of Mormon. He replied that he had received it through study and prayer. After some searching, he read us the promise in Moroni 10:3–5 [Moro. 10:3–5].
Stuart’s lesson, one of our better ones, had now gone on for about 20 minutes, and the three smaller children were starting to fight over the game cards. Since Stuart hadn’t planned any games to go along with the lesson, someone suggested we play our favorite guessing game using only Book of Mormon stories.
Stuart climbed onto the piano bench and preached while dodging imaginary stones and arrows. We quickly guessed Samuel the Lamanite. I acted out Enos hunting in the forest and praying all day. Sandi dug a pit and buried her sword; we recognized the Ammonites. The smaller kids could think only of Bible stories, so we used the illustrated Book of Mormon Stories to help. We eventually had pantomimes of Ammon defending King Lamoni’s flocks and Christ appearing to the brother of Jared. This game can go on all night at our house, but we stopped after one round.
Spencer, Drew, and I popped popcorn, and Sandi mixed some punch. We talked around the table until the popcorn was gone. Everyone liked Stuart’s suggestion that we plan a time to go to the park to run and walk, so we organized a family outing while we sat around the table. Later on, at bedtime, we had family prayer.
Although our home evening wasn’t perfect, it was a good one for us. We enjoyed being together, we learned a few things, everyone participated at least part of the time, and most participated most of the time.

Many years ago I was made aware of an interesting display that had several unique scenes. The different scenes appeared underneath a large banner that read, “If Christ came tonight, to whom would He come?” If I remember the depictions correctly, they contained the following scenes:
An ill, elderly woman in bed being attended by a nurse.
A joyful young mother with a newborn baby.
A family with hungry, crying children.
A wealthy family.
A sweet but humble family with many children joyously singing together.
We know that when the Savior comes again, we will not know the day or the hour. We also know that as Christians, we care for the poor and the needy and for the widow and the orphan. Nevertheless, the banner would have been more accurate had it read, “If Christ came tonight, who would be prepared to greet Him?”
My second thought was that the scenes told us everything about the physical condition of the people but nothing about their spiritual condition and commitment to Christ.