Gospel Story Finder

Youth from five different Christian denominations joined for a day of music, faith, and unity on Easter Monday 2025.
The outdoor event took place on the 21st of April at Paofai Park, Papeete, Tahiti.
According to one of the organisers, Hina Brodien, “Despite the rain, over 800 young people participated, demonstrating a powerful collective spiritual momentum. The goal was to strengthen the faith of young people and unite them around Jesus Christ. The concert allowed them to experience a moment of communion beyond denominational boundaries.”
Brodien continued, “Through their involvement in music, workshops, and logistics, they learned to serve together in the Spirit of Christ.”
The event was part of the worldwide “Greater Love” Easter initiative begun by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and supported by members of other Christian denominations.
In Papeete, youth and young adults from the Catholic Church, Ma’ohi Protestant Church, Seventh-day Adventist Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Community of Christ participated in the day’s activities. Parents, youth leaders, and other friends came along to lend their support.
“Meeting Tents” organized by spiritual themes (prayer, blessings, praise, testimony, fellowship) welcomed small groups of youth. Each tent was hosted by a different denomination offering opportunities to learn about others’ faith.
Then an interfaith concert brought together the choirs of each church and a shared music group ("Himene Amui"), made up of youth from all denominations.
Despite the sometimes-rainy weather, participants sang and prayed fervently, revealing the strength of their faith.
Over 300 singers and musicians participated in the concert. The audience was made up of more than 1,000 guests including around 800 young people.
Around 50 volunteers mobilized logistics, communication, and security; and 13 coordinators from the five denominations brought everything together.
Young people expressed feelings of gratitude, freedom, and pride in publicly expressing their faith. Many discovered fellow believers in their school environments, breaking spiritual isolation.
The activities encouraged them to speak out, pray, testify, and sing together—creating new friendships and strengthening their Christian commitment.

“Curtis and I once had a contest to see who could make the weirdest instrument. I made something that is a cross between a banjo and a guitar—a bantar,” said Richard. “I won!”

During World War II he had served in an infantry battalion in an area where constant combat covered the earth with blood, pain, and death. His squad was commanded by a sergeant who had earned the hatred of his men through extraordinary harshness. One terrible night a mortar shell exploded not far from the sergeant, critically wounding him. The commanding officer stopped a dilapidated truck that often passed by to pick up the wounded and dying and take them behind the lines to be cared for or buried.
The squad watched the fate of their dying leader from a distance. Not one went to help him. The officer asked for a volunteer to carry the man to the truck and accompany him behind the lines. No one volunteered.
Then, after something of a pause, Brother Thamas stepped forward. “Moved by compassion,” he told us, “I decided to carry the unfortunate fellow and go with him on his trip. I took care of him the best I could during his long and painful ride.
“I returned later in search of my squad. When I reached the front, I learned that fierce bombardment had wiped out a large number of men on the awful night of my departure. Not one man from my squad had survived apart from myself. And then I understood. I thanked God for having moved me to compassion. He saved my life and gave me a chance to hear the restored gospel.”

For Christmas one year, Russell’s parents gave him a shiny black bike. When Russell was 10, his dad asked him to come work as his errand boy. He would send Russell on his bike to deliver and pick up things all over town. Russell met lots of new and interesting people. He was excited to help!
Later Russell used the money he earned from his job as an errand boy to buy his mom a present on his birthday! He wrote her a note that said, “Thanks for having me!”

The path to my better understanding of the scriptures began with a test in obedience. The Church auxiliary in which I was then working was assigned a scriptural course of study. That counsel reminded me that I had not yet read the book assigned the year before. My regret was sufficient to arouse the determination that I would read both of them—the Book of Mormon and the New Testament—the same year, one after the other.
I could not then foresee that that repentant beginning would lead me into an intense search through every page of all the standard works. For there came a moment when obedience turned to thirst and hunger. That moment came when I read this statement by Nephi early in the Book of Mormon: “Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; for … things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him.” (2 Ne. 11:4.)
I had read that scripture on other occasions, but it had never before had any special impact. However, I had since come to a better understanding of what was meant by a “type.” Was Nephi truly saying that all things given by God unto man were in some way a witness of Christ? This was the whetting of what became a large appetite. As I continued to read the Book of Mormon, I discovered many references to this special kind of witness, called a “type” or “shadow,” including King Benjamin’s “and many signs, and wonders, and types, and shadows showed he [the Lord] unto them [Israel], concerning his coming.” (Mosiah 3:15; italics added.)
Completion of the Book of Mormon propelled me into the New Testament. Here I found substantiation of the idea that there had been many typological witnesses given of Christ. The Savior himself reminded me that the sending of manna had been a similitude of his coming as the true “bread of life” sent from heaven.(See John 6.) Paul taught me that the rock which was broken open in the wilderness and from which came life-giving waters witnessed that Christ, the Stone of Israel would be broken, that through his blood we could have life.(See Ex. 17:3–6; 1 Cor. 10:4.)
Many other scriptural evidences added to my belief that the witnesses given of the Savior were far greater in number than I had ever dreamed before—and that all we have to do is look if we want to see them.
As I continued reading all these scriptures, my desire to see for myself how “all things given of God unto men are the typifying of him” grew in intensity. And I have been rewarded. The Old Testament, which before was as much a trouble as a strength to my faith, has become as powerful a witness of the Savior as any other collection of scripture. Furthermore, as I continued my search into the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price, I found additional references to these same things. Indeed, all the standard works verify the usage of types or foreshadowings or similitudes as witnessing of Christ.
While the momentum of my search carried me through all the standard works, it did not end there. It has been in rereading and cross-reading that I have been the most rewarded. The Old Testament sheds light on the New and the New Testament sheds light on the Old, and so it is with all the scriptures.

“Hopperville! That’s where the grasshoppers used to live. Dad told us a story about two grasshoppers. One was Crooked Hopper who never did things right and the other was Straight Hopper who always tried to do the right thing. Crooked Hopper repented and became a straight hopper in the end. It was one of our favorite stories.”

Late the next spring, the Sandersons boarded a steamboat and churned down the Ohio River and up the Mississippi River. They reached Nauvoo in the summer of 1843 when Henry was 14 and Nauvoo was barely four years old. Henry found young Nauvoo filled with new buildings, most of them small and made of wood, with taller brick houses here and there. Embracing the city on the west was a broad, crescent-shaped bend of the Mississippi River.
Soon after Henry’s family arrived, he hiked up the bluffs to visit the temple construction project. He walked around the 60-centimeter-high walls that workers were building skyward. He inspected the red brick store whose upper floor was the headquarters for the Church. On Main Street he found a brick post office and the Merryweather store.
The Sandersons became neighbors of Joseph Smith on Main Street, two blocks from the river. Henry’s parents moved into a log cabin next to Sidney Rigdon’s home, which stood between them and the Smiths’ new residence, the Mansion House. Henry saw workers put the final touches on the Mansion House, which the Smiths opened that September as a hotel.
Henry played with the Prophet’s sons. The oldest was Joseph Smith III, three years younger than Henry. Henry became best friends with Sidney Rigdon’s sons, Algernon and John W., who were near his age.
In Nauvoo, men and boys paid their tithing by working every 10th day on building projects. “My father and myself went regularly every 10th day to labor on the temple,” Henry said, “sometimes at the quarry and other times on the temple grounds.”
Henry, who knew and liked the Prophet, “had been to his house frequently and played with his boys and he would occasionally join us. I had been in games of ball where the Prophet was one of the players.”

As she lay in bed, Julia thought back to the twins’ baptisms. They had been asked to sing a duet for the baptismal program. Julia remembered how nervous they had looked when they first got up in front of everyone. But they’d squeezed each other’s hand for courage and sung “Love One Another” beautifully.
When Sister Jacobsen, the stake Primary president, called Julia a few weeks ago, it surprised her. “Your sisters did such a wonderful job that we wondered if you would prepare a song for us also,” Sister Jacobsen had asked.

During middle school and high school I experienced wonderful and difficult years at the same time, because during adolescence a young person wants support from her parents. It wasn’t easy to be the only member of the Church at home when my parents did things that were at odds with the Church’s teachings. But I remembered what Nephi said, “If ye shall … endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life” (2 Ne. 31:20).
Years later my younger siblings were baptized, but my parents were not. The missionaries talked to them, but they did not want to be baptized. Their decision saddened me, but I knew I had set a good example.

The final whistle sounded, and Kyle* left the mat feeling discouraged about losing the match. Team captain Colin Anderson from California, USA, put his arm around Kyle and offered him a ride to get burgers with the rest of the team.
They sat in the restaurant parking lot while Colin listened to the freshman pour out his frustrations. Kyle had done well in middle school, but he was struggling with the switch to high school competition. Colin hadn’t been very good as a freshman either, but he had kept trying. So he turned to his teammate and encouraged him: “Look, you’re just a freshman. You have time. You’ll do fine.”
Second, Colin learned that you can have a greater effect on others than you might ever suspect. “You have a great ability to shape how others see their experiences and to influence their perspective. Independent of the team and my own success, I will always remember Kyle and talking to him in the parking lot.” True leadership really can have a lasting effect.

Soon after her family moved to Florida, someone invited them to attend The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Kavira’s sister had been learning some sign language, so she interpreted for her. Kavira says learning about Jesus Christ and His gospel “saved my life.” Before that, she felt like her life had a lot of problems. “I was kind of depressed, and I was cruel and mean to other people.”
But after learning more about God, “I wanted to be a good person,” she says. “I cared about my family. I didn’t want to be mean to people. I wanted to change my life. It wasn’t an easy choice to make, but as I learned more about God, I felt different. I want to be like Him.”

This is Brother Philippe and Sister Germaine Nsondi. Brother Nsondi was serving as the patriarch of the Brazzaville Republic of Congo Stake when he passed away. He was a medical doctor who shared his talents generously with others.

After working at improving their canoeing skills, including training in water safety and physical conditioning, the Scouts of the Ottawa Ontario Stake headed for the lakes for a week of camping and exploring. Because of the training, they felt ready to have a good time.
A few cloudy skies didn’t dampen the spirits of those who stayed at the base camp. Another group made a 30-mile overnight hike starting at O’Brian Lake. When the hearty souls who made the overnight trip returned, it was time for swimming and water contests.
It was a time for getting to know each other and their leaders a little better, for joking about mosquitoes and campfire cooking, and for testing skills and abilities learned in the Scouting program. Each person returned home a little more self-assured and confident. They all agreed that they would be looking forward to next year’s trip.

Since the children needed to be excused from school to go to the temple, some of their teachers and classmates were curious about where they were going. Amanda and Laura Lee were able to explain to their classes the purpose of temples and how families can be together forever.

Youth in South Bend, Indiana, know how to put in a hard day’s work. They spent part of their youth conference planting flowers, painting buildings, and pulling weeds for two charity organizations in their area. They had a lot of work to do at the beginning of the day, but the youth came through—despite the intense heat and humidity.
“The service projects were really fun. There was a lot to do, but with everyone’s help we successfully finished it all,” says 15-year-old Kristen Woolf.
This group may be small in numbers—about 65 in all—but they know how to make a big difference.

A little fieldmouse doctor
Shook his furry head
And tweaked his whiskers anxiously
As thoughtfully he said,
“It’s sad that cars are limited
To people—yes, indeed—
And can’t be had by fieldmice
No matter what the need.
For here I am a doctor
With shoes so worn and thin
That I have trouble keeping
My little toes within.
Now if I had a car to drive,
I’d feel quite safe and grand—
But oh, alas, there are no cars
In all of Fieldmouse Land.
But still I must keep going
To make my calls, you see.
Oh, dear! I really cannot tell
What’s to become of me.”
He then picked up his little bag
And pulled his high hat down
And scurried on a little path
That led to Fieldmouse Town.
He hadn’t traveled very far
Before he met a frog
Blinking in the sunshine
On a pussy-willow log.
The froggy spoke politely
And bowed his old green head,
“How do you do, good doctor?
I just heard what you said.
And if you’d like my services,
You’re welcome as can be,
For I don’t need to walk at all;
I merely hop,” said he.
“And so my shoes are never thin;
My back is strong and wide.
Do climb aboard, dear doctor,
And we’ll be off,” he cried.
The doctor answered, “Mr. Frog,
You fill me with delight!
A doctor seated on a frog
Will be a handsome sight.
And since my job’s important,
I’ll gladly ride with you,
And we will share together
The work there is to do.”
The doctor pushed his little toes
Into each worn-out shoe
And tucked his bag beneath his arm,
And with no more ado
He climbed upon his hopping steed.
The frog went jumpety-jump.
And Doctor Fieldmouse traveled far—
Kerplunk, kerplunk, kerplunk.
He traveled far day in, day out,
And even to this day
They both go hopping on their rounds—
At least so fieldfolk say!

Brother Renzo Molly Barrios Matias, of Guatemala, learned the power of using scripture study to receive personal revelation for his own life.

“After Hurricane Mitch passed through Central America in 2001 and left everything in desolation, I had many questions,” he says. “Seeking answers, I went to a friend I greatly respect. He said, ‘Read the scriptures. You will find the best answers to your questions in them.’

“This revolutionized my life,” says Brother Matias. “After studying the scriptures for quite a long time, I began to find answers to my questions. I was able to see that my life did have meaning. It was then that I decided to serve a full-time mission.”

Soon Elder Matias was serving in the Honduras Tegucigalpa Mission, helping others discover the power of scripture study.

After our family moved a hundred miles south to Santa Barbara, Arthur performed a simple service for me that has made all the difference. My mission call in 1950 came while the Korean War was raging. As I was about to depart for the mission, a telegram came from the Missionary Department requiring that I obtain a written release from my San Luis Obispo draft board as a condition of entering the Salt Lake Mission Home. Although obtaining such a release seemed impossible, we decided to try. Mother and I drove to San Luis Obispo, without an appointment, but acting on the impulse of the Spirit. As we neared San Luis Obispo, another impression came to first visit our friend Arthur at the high school.

“I don’t know if I can help, but I’ll call the chairman at the draft board. He is a friend of mine. We serve on the Boy Scouts council together,” Arthur said. The call resulted in an invitation to come at once for an interview. As we sat across the desk from him, the chairman explained the difficulties in our request, then said, “I’m going to sign this release. I know of no better man than Arthur Godfrey. If he believes this is right, I will take his word. There is no one I respect as much as I do Arthur.” Instead of going to war I went to Montana and Wyoming to share the gospel. Those two years have made all the difference in my life. I owe them to my friend and to our Lord.

I have been waiting for the ice-cream truck to come down my street for a long time. Finally, one Sunday I heard the music right by my house. I was so excited, and I ran to get my money to buy an ice-cream bar. My mom reminded me that it was the Sabbath day and that we do not shop on Sunday. We keep it holy. I asked the ice-cream man if he could come back to my street on a Saturday, and he said, “OK.” I felt good that I kept Sunday special.
Holden C., age 6, Arkansas, USA

The church organ was broken! Christmas was only a few days away and everyone wondered what could take the place of the organ so there would be music for the Christmas Eve service.
The little Austrian village of Oberndorf lay deep in snow. The winter stars shone brightly through the cold clear night as Father Joseph Mohr plowed through the forest to visit a woodchopper’s wife who had given birth to a child. It was late when he reached the home. In the light of the fire he saw the new mother bending over her tiny infant. They reminded the young priest of Mary and her Baby who was born in a stable in Bethlehem.
Walking back to the village through the quiet white wintry beauty of the forest, words began to sing together in Father Mohr’s head: “Silent night, holy night …” Even after he arrived home, the words continued to flow through his mind. It was almost daybreak before he had put them all together and written them down and gone to bed.
Early the next morning he decided that the words should be put to music. His best friend was Franz Gruber, who taught school and played the church organ, and so he hurried to the Gruber home with his poem. Franz wrote a melody to his friend’s words to be sung by two voices accompanied by a guitar.
At the church service in snowy Oberndorf that Christmas Eve of 1818, Franz played the guitar, and he and Father Mohr sang for the first time “Silent Night,” the Christmas carol that is loved by children everywhere.