Gospel Story Finder

Prayer plays a vital part in our religious thinking and in our daily lives. One of my convert friends told me, “Because the elders emphasized that we should pray, I did. I barely had asked the questions when this beautiful answer came. Yes, that was the start of my new life.”

5. Building a celestial marriage. The scriptures give an occasional glimpse into societies in which people “were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.” (Moses 7:18), where “there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.” (4 Ne. 1:15.)

Bill and Susan used to think they had to wait for the Church to somehow establish such a society. But their immersion in the scriptures has given them the incentive to at least begin the task of building now a family that would be comfortable in a city like the one Enoch built.

Early in this dispensation, the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith that in building the kingdom “no one can assist in this work except he shall be humble and full of love, having faith, hope, and charity, being temperate in all things, whatsoever shall be entrusted to his care.” (D&C 12:8.) Following Nephi’s injunction to liken the scriptures unto themselves, the Johnsons consider this verse as follows: “And no one can [have a happy, fulfilling marriage] except [he and she] shall be humble and full of love, having faith, hope, and charity, being temperate in all things.”

Their inventory of gospel insights continues to grow. Just as each family’s food storage program may differ, it’s very likely that Bill and Susan’s scriptural storehouse will contain counsel somewhat different from that of any other married couple. And as with food storage, the blessing of a scriptural storehouse is that “if ye are prepared ye shall not fear” (D&C 38:30)—for “there is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear.” (1 Jn. 4:18.)

“My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment” (D&C 121:7).
This verse helped me when I was at a party that turned into an environment I knew I shouldn’t be in. I politely told my friends no when they asked me to drink or smoke. This verse gave me the strength I needed to stand up for my beliefs.

This summer, while we were camping, my little brother fell into the fire and burned his hand badly. We prayed, then Mom saddled our horse and told me to ride and find my dad, who wasn’t with us yet. I had to go four miles (over 6 km) to get out of the canyon. I looked and looked but couldn’t find Dad. When I got to the locked gate that led to the main road, I got off and walked to it. I heard a voice in my head telling me to go back the other way. So I walked back to my horse and rode the other way—and found Dad! We were able to get my brother to the hospital, where he was helped.Aubrey Kofford, age 8Pingree, Idaho

To the young missionaries tracting the streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1995, the promise they had received from a member of the Area Presidency seemed odd: “If you work hard and are completely obedient, investigators will fall out of the trees to be baptized.” We found out about that promise a short time later.
My father was pruning one of the trees along the sidewalk in front of our home. As he was up in the tree pruning, he noticed two young men walking toward him on the street. As they passed under the tree, he called down to them in English.
My father didn’t really speak English, but he knew a few words, and he was curious. Who were these young men, and what were they doing in our neighborhood?
The missionaries stopped, wondering where the voice had come from. My father then climbed out of the tree to talk to them. Impressed by their message and manner, he invited them into his home.
My father’s previous experience with religion had left him troubled, but the message of the restored gospel spoke to his heart. He had lived through some tough times, and he knew he needed to change. He listened closely as the missionaries taught him, my mother, my grandmother, and me.
I was only 11 years old, but the truths they taught also resonated with me—and with my mother and grandmother. As a result, we were all baptized a few months later, in September 1995.
The seeds of faith that the missionaries planted in our hearts were soon nourished by fellowshipping from friends at church, additional gospel teaching, and good experiences with strong Church leaders. Because of the warm welcome we received, the seeds of our faith “fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold” (Luke 8:8).
The fruits of our faith that we enjoy today—nearly 25 years later—include a firm commitment to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, the blessings of the temple, and a full and happy life with a new generation of family members united for all eternity.
We will always be grateful for two faithful missionaries who put an inspired promise to the test.

When we stop to think about it, we can see that ours is a powerful heritage. One young sister wrote of this realization in a letter to Sister Parkin and said that over the last few years she has learned why women talk about the history of Relief Society: “It’s because we’re a part of something great! Those early Latter-day Saint women took something and made it great. And I’m a part of all that. It’s in my blood.”

“I drop my daughters off to school by bus every morning, so we have many opportunities to talk. On one recent occasion, we noticed a husband and wife having a disagreement. My daughters quickly turned to me and waited for me to comment. Instead I asked them how they felt about what had happened. They told me they thought a man should never talk to his wife that way. After that, we had a conversation about marriage and relationships. Our 30-minute bus trip ended up being very edifying and uplifting.”

Mario Lorenz, Guatemala

Cotton candy … farm animals … arts and crafts … Ferris wheels … and Mormon missionaries. What do they have in common? Ask someone from the Louisville Kentucky Stake and they’ll answer right away: the Kentucky State Fair! Last August the full-time missionaries in the Kentucky Louisville Mission and the members of the Louisville Stake met together at the fair to promote one of their most successful missionary efforts yet. The two groups cosponsored a booth where nonmember families could have their pictures taken free of charge, with the guarantee that the missionaries would deliver them to their homes within a few weeks. The backdrop said, “Families are Forever,” and was used as an introduction to the family home evening program and the Church’s emphasis on the importance of the eternal family unit. More than 700 photographs were taken during the 11-day fair.

I love reading the scriptures! When the new temple in Cape Verde was built, I helped with the temple open house. I wanted to be prepared to visit the temple, so I read the Book of Mormon and finished the Old Testament picture book three times.

Although Eritai continues to work on developing a sustainable hydroponics model on his home island, Marakei, his primary focus changed from hydroponics to construction with the mentorship and support of Jeff and Judy Brock.
They were serving as humanitarian missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Judy said, “Jeff loaded him up with tools and now Eritai is their go-to for all things construction.”
Her description of Eritai fits perfectly for the path his life has taken: “Eritai is now a leading local contractor and is working miracles,” she says.

Photograph courtesy of Katie-Lynn B.
While watching conference, I felt inspired to attend the temple more often. All over the world there are people who have to sacrifice so much to go, and I’m only a 10-minute drive away. I hear stories of struggles and the excitement when new temples are announced, and it makes me want to try harder to go to the temple on a regular basis. Heavenly Father has blessed me with a temple close by, and it’s an amazing blessing to be able to attend and feel the Spirit and His love for me.
Katie-Lynn B., 15, Nova Scotia, Canada

“Invite Mr. Wood* to seminary.” The thought popped into my mind as soon as I heard the announcement, and I immediately thought it was crazy. Why would I invite my music teacher to come to seminary at 5:30 in the morning?
The seminary president had just told our class that we would be having a teacher appreciation day. We were challenged to invite some of our schoolteachers to join us for a morning of seminary where we would thank them for their service. The entire week after hearing this announcement, I thought about inviting Mr. Wood. Every time I went to seminary or saw him in music class, the thought came back: “Invite Mr. Wood to seminary.” After several days of this, I couldn’t ignore the thought any longer.
One morning as all the students in music class were getting out their instruments, I put my trombone aside and approached Mr. Wood. My heart was pounding and my hands were shaking, but when I opened my mouth to extend the invitation, I felt comfort.
To my surprise, Mr. Wood said that he would come! He was curious about why I went to seminary every morning before school and wanted to learn more. After giving him all the details, I walked away full of joy.
During this experience, I didn’t feel a burning in the bosom (see D&C 9:8). But I did feel the Holy Ghost. The recurring thought to invite Mr. Wood (see D&C 128:1), the comfort I felt when I invited him (see John 14:26), and the joy I felt after I invited him (see Galatians 5:22) all came from the Spirit. But if I had been looking only for a burning in the bosom, I might not have recognized when the Holy Ghost was prompting me.

In my ward our visiting teaching was scarce and temple attendance was very low. As the visiting teaching leader and a temple worker, I prayed that this could change. I used Elder Richard G. Scott’s conference talk, “Temple Worship: The Source of Strength and Power in Times of Need” (Liahona, May 2009, 43) to speak in both sacrament meeting and in Relief Society. The ward members were touched. Visiting teaching is now almost at 100 percent, and many are attending the temple and putting into practice the steps Elder Scott outlined in his message. A thousand thanks to Elder Scott for his beautiful message and to you for the Liahona.
Ana Meza de Eulogio, Peru

When I was six years old, my parents divorced. Though I continued to live with my mom, my dad was still present in my life after the separation. I stayed at his house on weekends and for one day in the middle of the week.
Despite his efforts to be a good father, when I was seven, he betrayed my trust in a very serious way. This breach of trust marked the beginning of a growing distance between us. When he called the house, I would avoid answering the phone. When I was older, I demanded that I be able to choose when I went to stay at my dad’s house, rather than be forced to go when the custody order mandated me.
When I was in high school, visits gradually became a lot less frequent. I saw him only two or three times a month. When I went to college, the space between calls grew, until I would talk to him about once a semester. My relationship with my dad had become more of a formality than a true parent-child connection.
During my second year of college, I decided to talk to him about the incident from my childhood that I felt had damaged our relationship so many years ago. I hoped for closure, forgiveness, and a chance to start over. I e-mailed him my thoughts and waited for a reply.
Some time later I received his e-mail in reply. Before I read my father’s response, I prayed and asked Heavenly Father that His Spirit be with me as I read the e-mail. This was such an important moment in my life—I was about to see what my dad had to say and what direction our relationship would take. I was scared and felt very alone.
Indeed I was alone, sitting in my room with my computer. I needed support. I continued to pray to Heavenly Father and felt His Spirit. At last I had the courage to read.
My dad replied with a very short e-mail in which he denied any memory of what I was saying and said that it was a really bad time for him to discuss our past.
The way he dismissed something that was so important to me and didn’t seem to want any sort of reconciliation hurt me deeply. I felt deserted by my father, racked with grief over the troubled relationship we had had for more than a decade.
As I sat in my chair sobbing, I felt the Spirit around me. I had never felt my Heavenly Father’s presence so strongly. I literally felt “encircled about eternally in the arms of his love” (2 Nephi 1:15). I felt reassured and loved as I sat crying.
My relationship with my earthly father may have been lacking, but my Heavenly Father was with me. His presence is strong in my life. I know He loves me, cares for me, and will always want a relationship with me. I know that He is my Father. And He is not going anywhere.

As we got to know each other, our conversations sometimes evolved into debates, with Karen defending religion while I argued for science. Our discussions served mostly to frustrate her.
But Karen had a friend named Nese. Nese never said more than “Hi” to me in the halls at school, but she had listened closely to my conversations with Karen.
Nese never told me directly that she was a Latter-day Saint. She strolled up to my table in the library one day during study hall. “May I sit down?” she asked. At some point during the conversation, she said she was a member of the house of Israel. I assumed she meant she was Jewish.
We had classes all at the same hour, and during the remaining months of our senior year, Nese and I sorted through the many religious questions flooding my mind. She told me later she “just wanted to share her opinion with someone who wouldn’t laugh at her.” I would tell my ideas on a subject like life after death, and then she would explain her beliefs. Her confidence amazed me. It wasn’t until later that I found out she was a Latter-day Saint.
By then our talks were so enjoyable I began spending lunch hours with Nese and her Mormon friends. They were refreshing to be around. No smoking, no swearing, no improper jokes. Best of all, they never seemed to ridicule anybody—they respected each other’s feelings. It was different being with them, and I enjoyed it.

President Nelson has designated this year as “a bicentennial period commemorating 200 years since God the Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith in a vision.” President Nelson invited us to make a personal plan to prepare ourselves for this historic conference, which commemoration he said would be “a hinge point in the history of the Church, and your part is vital.”
Like me, perhaps you heard his message and asked yourself, “In what way is my part vital?” Perhaps you read and prayed about the events of the Restoration. Perhaps, more than ever before, you read the accounts of those few times when God the Father introduced His Beloved Son. Perhaps you read of the instances when the Savior spoke to the children of our Heavenly Father. I know I did all of those things and more.
I found references in my reading to the priesthood of God and the opening of dispensations. I was humbled as I realized that my preparation for this conference was a hinge point in my personal history. I felt changes in my heart. I felt new gratitude. I felt filled with joy at the prospect of being invited to participate in this celebration of the ongoing Restoration.
I imagine that others are feeling, because of careful preparation, more joyful, more optimistic, and more determined to serve in any capacity needed by the Lord.

Growing up, I had lots of fun with my older brother and my younger brother. We had water fights with water hoses and garbage can lids. We took apart roller skates and made them into scooters. And I always looked for ways to earn money. One summer, I picked vegetables from our garden and sold them around the neighborhood—until my mother found out! I was selling what she was counting on as food for our own family. When I got older, I mowed lawns and did other jobs around the neighborhood.

Amy was baptized this year. “My daddy baptized me, and he made me stay under the water for a long time to make sure I was all the way under.” When she came up, she took a big breath and said, “I’m all clean.” Later, she added, “I felt really different when I was baptized. I felt clean afterward and wanted to stay clean.” Whenever Amy has to make a hard decision, she asks herself, “What would Jesus do?” She always tries to help people and even animals who need help.

Perry Christensen sent a subscription to an inactive young man who received it with real gratitude.

Music is a beautiful part of our holiday. We always go to the special carol service that our little branch holds on Christmas. We have an artificial tree, but I hope someday we can have a real tree!—Janis Elizabeth Noble, Peterlee, Durham, England.