Gospel Story Finder

When I was 15 years old, I liked a girl in my class at school and wanted to date her. She was attractive, but I wondered if I should ask her out before I turned 16. I remembered Alma 37:37, which says, “Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good.” So that is what I did. I prayed and waited several days for the Lord’s answer before making a decision.
One day at church, my bishop called me in to a room and invited me to speak the next Sunday. Guess what the topic was? Do not date until you are at least 16 years old. I felt that this was the Lord’s answer to me, and it was no. How could I teach something that I did not practice?
Because I had counseled with the Lord, I was able to learn the Lord’s will for my life and also to flee from temptation. I know that if we counsel with the Lord, He will tell us His will and we will be greatly blessed.

The youth of the North Logan Third Ward, North Logan Utah Stake, completed a service project that literally changed the life of one sister in their ward.
Carol Hansen has degenerative palsy, which has confined her to a wheelchair. Every one of the 67 Young Men and Young Women in the ward participated in a fundraising effort to buy Sister Hansen a motorized scooter, which she needed because she did not have the strength to manipulate her wheelchair by herself. The scooter has fingertip controls and a hydraulic lift, providing her with a degree of independence.
The youth power raked lawns, cleaned away orchard prunings, and did general yard cleanup for neighbors and ward members. They cleared gardens; took down fences; washed windows, walls, and floors; prepared and painted house trim; catered a barbecue; and sold donated apple juice. Whatever needed to be done, they did.
The money was raised, the scooter purchased, and the presentation was made one activity night. A delighted sister now “drives” herself to church, does her visiting teaching, and is able to get around her own house. And every time the youth of the ward see her, they feel good knowing they helped.

Jamie has also had a lot of experience for someone so young. Because his father is in the military, the family has lived not only in Arizona, but in Georgia, Michigan, Utah, Texas, New Jersey, and Korea as well. That has given Jamie a chance to see the Church in a lot of settings. And last summer, when he went to visit his father in Korea, it gave him the opportunity for a particularly memorable experience.
“The mission president asked me to serve an eight-day minimission. I got to go to a zone conference, participate in discussions, watch the elders bless the sick, bear my testimony in sacrament meeting, and meet the mission president. But best of all, I got to baptize a Korean investigator! After a week like that, it was hard to leave.”
It was an experience that kindled the missionary zeal in James Young, an excitement he tries to foster in the quorum he leads.
“We’ve got to go!” he says with quiet intensity. “And we’ve got to go prepared.”

To illustrate, one of our daughters told me a story about going to a school dance. She waited until I was distracted with company, then, when I wasn’t looking, she changed and hurried off in a skirt she knew I wouldn’t like. At one point during the evening boys started paying attention to her, and she remembers vividly how it made her feel. It wasn’t the kind of attention she wanted after all. At that moment she decided to get rid of that outfit. Her experience and the consequences with clothing helped her learn an important lesson about agency and obedience, and she was able to invite more of the Light of Christ into her life.

Brenna was crying. She sat in a barber’s chair, hair pulled back, her ponytail just moments away from being cut off. The hairdresser holding the scissors was crying. Those watching the scene were also in tears.
Snip! Brenna’s long hair, which had taken years to grow out, was gone. Her ponytail would now become a gift, a donation to an organization called Locks of Love. It would be combined with other donated hair and made into wigs for children who had lost their hair because of cancer treatment or who suffer from alopecia, a permanent hair-loss condition.

Well, you may well understand, the second day I stood up to bat, I was not so confident as before. The same bowler stood opposite me and began that mind-bending warm-up. He threw a fast ball with a spin so wild that it hit the ground and bounced off, knocking me over to the left of the wicket with a force so hard I almost fell down.
The next thing I knew, everybody was yelling “Howzat?” to the umpire—the standard query for an umpire decision. Unless that is said, the umpire will remain silent the whole game. As far as I was concerned, he should have kept quiet, for I saw, unbelievably, the letters “L.B.W.” come to his lips. I was next to him in a minute to argue the decision.
It was then that I learned another important lesson about the game and the British character. It was Trevor who rushed to my side to inform me, “No player ever disputes an umpire’s decision once it’s been made.”
“You mean you can’t beef about a lousy decision?” I complained.
“Of course not,” Trevor said in a matter-of-fact voice. “That just wouldn’t be cricket.”
I had to admit he had me there. As I hobbled off the field (suspecting that the name of the game came from that grasshopperlike animal, the cricket, which is the only creature physically equipped with the muscles necessary to avoid getting hit with a L.B.W.), I vowed that never again would I make fun of something I knew nothing about.
The next day I was as cheerful as ever and persuaded the boys to play a game of rounders—from which, of course, I arose the hero. However, I was quiet about my laurels. After all, no sense in becoming a sticky wicket about it.

I became acquainted with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through my fiancé and his family. Chase was American. He was raised in the Church and served a mission, but he was not active at the time. His oldest son, however, was preparing to serve a mission, and Chase supported his decision.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, we attended sacrament meeting in the home of Chase’s parents, watching broadcasts originating from their church meetinghouse. When the talks ended, Chase’s two sons blessed and passed the bread and water.
I had many questions. My fiancé answered each one patiently. Who was Jesus? What was this feeling in my heart each time we gathered to have church meetings? It was a feeling I had never felt before. What did the bread and water represent? Why did tears come when I took the sacrament? What was this peace I was feeling?
One night I found a website in my native language that explained who Jesus is and that told about His life. The next day, I told my fiancé’s mother that I understood who Jesus is and that I believed in Him.
One Sunday the bishop came to the house because Chase’s oldest son was going to ordain his younger brother to be a priest. When the older son put his hands on his brother’s head, I could not stop crying. I felt such a big emotion in my heart, I could not stop the tears. Later, my fiancé explained that I felt the Holy Ghost and that he felt it too.
I could see that my fiancé’s love for his church was returning to him. Somehow, I knew that everything I was feeling was connected to God and to something true. I felt love like I had never felt before.

President Howard W. Hunter has great reverence for Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and all of their creations. As a young boy he especially loved animals. One day, when he was about seven years old, he saw several older boys gathered around a large irrigation ditch near his home. He saw them throw a kitten into the water. Every time the kitten managed to crawl out of the ditch, the boys would throw it back in. When the boys left, Howard took the kitten gently in his arms, carried it home, and put it by the wood-burning stove to keep it warm. He fed the kitten warm milk and lovingly nursed it back to health. His family let him keep the kitten, and it became one of his beloved pets.

After a nine-hour journey by night, we arrived in Juliaca, Peru. It was Thursday, and we still needed to get stamps in our passports and exit permits so that we could leave the country. The following day was a national holiday, and government offices would be closed for the rest of the weekend, so we arrived in line at the Bank of the Nation that morning to ensure that we would have sufficient time before all offices closed at noon.

When we finally got to the counter at 11:00 a.m., the gentleman expressed concern. “Sorry,” he said. “We don’t process these kinds of documents here. You will have to go to our office in Puno.” We were both surprised and frustrated—Puno was 45 minutes away.

After struggling to find a taxi, we made it to the office in Puno by 1:30 p.m. The doors were already closed. I knocked the iron doorknockers together as hard as I could. A very upset man opened the door and asked, “What do you want?” I said a silent, fervent prayer and looked this stranger in the eyes. “Sir,” I said, “I’m a Mormon, I’m going to get married in the temple in São Paulo, Brazil, and you can help me.” His hostile attitude changed. “I’m so sorry, sir,” he said, “but everything closed over an hour ago, and almost everyone has already left.” I responded, “Let me in and let my God help me find what I’m seeking.” He let me in.

After finding the manager, Rosa, I explained our situation. She politely responded, “Those forms are processed by three different employees, and I think everyone has left.” But all three men were still there, and she enlisted them to stay late to help me.

The first man asked me for forms I didn’t have. “You’re supposed to have gone to the Ministry of Economy, bought six forms, and brought them here for processing,” he explained. “You have to wait until Monday.”

I froze—I couldn’t believe it! Again I said a silent prayer. “Sir,” I said, “I’m Mormon, and I am going to the temple in São Paulo, Brazil, to be married. And you can help me.” He no longer seemed to be in a hurry. He looked in every drawer and finally located the longed-for forms. The next clerk quickly checked them and stamped our passports.

At the next window, as I paid the exit tax in U.S. dollars, the cashier seemed to take great pleasure in saying, “I’m sorry. See this sign?” A sign on the wall read, “Dollars not accepted.” Our plan was about to fail—there was nothing I could do.

“Take the payment,” I heard Rosa say from behind us. The cashier accepted the money and gave me the documents. We were on our way!

Illustration by Scott Greer
Ever since I was little, I was fascinated by the stories of Church leaders who served in the armed forces. Many of them have been war heroes and great examples of valor and humility in their home countries. Their experiences inspired me to participate in my country’s military.
When I was 13, I entered a school known for its strict military discipline and infantry training. My schedule was demanding. I often was so exhausted by the end of the day that my scripture study and seminary participation seemed impossible.
By my second year at school, I had made plans for my life: upon finishing school at age 18, I would go directly into officer school and graduate four years later as an officer in the Guatemalan Army. All my wishes and dreams seemed to be coming true.
One day I told my mom about my plans, and she asked, “When are you planning to serve a full-time mission?” From that day forward her question lingered in my mind every time I thought about my future.
I still had a rigorous schedule, but I started to show more interest in my spiritual training. I started attending seminary, working with the full-time missionaries, and participating in Church activities. Following the advice of my older brother who was serving a full-time mission, I also began reading the Book of Mormon.
When I was training to be a paratrooper, we had very intense training each day. We would get back to our barrack almost crawling, but I always found the strength to read the Book of Mormon. Daily reading of the scriptures strengthened my spirit and helped me continue with my training.
One evening several of my friends gathered around my bed to ask me some questions about the Book of Mormon and the Word of Wisdom. It was my opportunity to be the best kind of soldier—one who defends the truth and brings freedom through a firm and convincing testimony of the Book of Mormon.
When I was 19, I enlisted again in an army—the army of God, the most powerful army of all. I had the privilege of standing shoulder to shoulder with the valiant elders and sisters of Zion in the battalion of the Mexico Puebla Mission. Girded with the armor of God, we proclaimed the gospel and fought for liberty with courage and strength.
We are fighting against the hosts of darkness, but the victory belongs to God. I want to continue to be a brave soldier, enlisted for our King. We have powerful weapons: the Book of Mormon, the Holy Ghost, and the fulness of the gospel. We are led to victory by living prophets. If we train and prepare ourselves for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ, He will give us crowns of honor in celestial glory.

Moroni Rubio was only 16 when he earned the number one ranking among sprinters in Mexico, after breaking records in the 100- and 200-meter sprints. That same year, 2002, he took first place in the 100 meters at the Central American Junior Championships and was named athlete of the year in the state of Yucatán.
His dreams are pinned on his feet, which are expected to carry him all the way to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. But even if, for some reason, his feet don’t take him to the Olympics, they will have already accomplished a great work.
His feet have put his unique name in the spotlight, bringing him numerous missionary opportunities. Because of Moroni’s success, he’s been on television a number of times—each time with his name right there on the screen.
“I’m asked about my name a lot,” says Moroni, a priest in the Mérida México Lakín Stake. “It’s a great opportunity to talk about the gospel. And when I race, the members watching always know I’m a member too—by my name. I think it’s something they’re proud of.”
His coaches have always told him he has a beautiful stride. But for Moroni, having “beautiful feet” is just as important—remembering Isaiah’s words about missionaries: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings” (Isa. 52:7).

One Sunday, my Primary friends Rebecca and Crystal were going to another ward.
That would make me the oldest child in my Primary class. I was pleased, but two of the boys sometimes don’t respect me—maybe because I play with them too much. So I try to be a better person.
One of the two boys, Sammy,* doesn’t always pay attention in class. Sometimes he makes fun of me and makes me angry. But I decided to not get so angry. That’s how you become a better leader. Jesus Christ would not get angry if He was here. I know that Jesus is true and is our Savior. It’s hard to be a good leader, but it is good to be a leader like Jesus Christ.

A businesswoman based in Salt Lake City called a company in Virginia. After completing the business transaction, the owner asked her where she was from. On learning that it was Utah, he said, “What part of Utah?” I quote her account of what happened next:
“‘Salt Lake City,’ I responded.
“‘Salt Lake City? Well, you must be a Mormon,’ he stated matter-of-factly.
“‘Yes, I am,’ I said.
“‘I have two girls who work for me who are Mormons,’ he continued. ‘They’re the best employees I’ve ever had. Those two girls are only seniors in high school, but they keep my store cleaner than any of my other employees, and they treat my customers great. They’re really polite and pretty… you know, the “all-American” type.’
“He said, ‘Those two girls are amazing. Would you believe that they get up at 5:00 a.m. every morning and…’
“‘Go to seminary!’ I inserted.
“‘Well, I don’t know what it’s called,’ he continued. ‘But it’s some type of religious training. Then they go to school all day, and come work for me until 8:00 p.m. I don’t know how they do all of the things they do, but I’m sure impressed.’
“‘Would you believe that Mormon youth all over the world are going to early-morning seminary, five days a week?’ I asked.
“‘Well, that’s one thing I have to say for your church,’ he said. ‘You’re sure raising your children right. They’re the best.’”4

The girls staying at one house had a three-day running water fight with the boys staying at a house a few blocks away. As they were packing to leave, the girls made a sign and presented it to the opposition. It said, “To be continued at next year’s youth conference.”
But more than a water fight would be continued. They had all learned about bridging gaps, and that knowledge helps in that carnival we call life.

With regard to members helping in the teaching of investigators, let me share a couple of experiences from recent converts here on Oahu. First, here is part of the conversion experience of a young man who was recently baptized in our mission. He wrote this: "I met the missionaries in March 2006. Normally, I would hide from them until they left, but this day I was caught off guard, sitting right next to the door (and a huge window), watching TV. I didn't want to look dumb, running and hiding when they had already seen me, so I decided to talk to them. I wanted to tell them I wasn't interested, but two things stopped me. The first thing was that they continued to talk most of the time and I never had a chance to tell them I wasn't interested. The second thing that blocked me was that every time they gave me an opening to speak, they would do it by asking me a question which I felt like answering. Well, after talking, we planned to meet again a few days later and discuss what I had read in the Book of Mormon which they had given to me. Sadly, I had no intention of ever talking to them again.

"I was able to avoid them for a month or two. I thought I had finally gotten them off my back when out of nowhere, they showed up and I was caught off guard again. Since I was out of school for the summer, I had more time so I started meeting with the missionaries and having the lessons.

"The next step was to get me to church and I had no intention of going to church. My main reason for not wanting to go was the fact that I would be alone in a new place and I'm a very shy guy. I'm not sure if the missionaries could sense this, but they started bringing members of the Church with them for our lessons. I believe the first three people were all guys who were returned missionaries. I still didn't go to church, so my missionaries decided to bring out their secret weapon and brought one of the most beautiful girls I had ever seen in my life to my lesson! Without holding back, they brought two more beautiful girls to my next lesson so there was nothing stopping me now from attending church at least once."

Well, this young man did attend church and he was immediately surrounded by loving, caring ward members and he started attending church every week. He even joined the ward choir before he was ever baptized. He continues to be a faithful member today.

A second experience involves Kapili Kahaliki, a young man on this island who was caught up in a lot of bad things and was on a path that was leading to a lifetime of heartbreak. As Kapili looked around, he noticed a few other kids, who weren't part of his circle of friends. They seemed to have something he didn't have. They didn't do the bad things he did and they seemed happy. He was far from happy and decided that things needed to change in his life. He talked to some of his closest friends and convinced them that they all needed to change--and they did. Earlier this spring, five of these young men investigated the church and got baptized together. Subsequently, five more have joined the church as a result of the influence of this band of brothers in the gospel. Several of them are planning on serving missions and are a great strength to their ward family. Their story started with the example and countenance of joy on the faces of some good LDS kids.

It now continues with those five boys who have been blessed by the gospel sharing it with their family and friends so they all can have the same opportunity for "peace in this world and eternal life in the world to come." (D&C 59:23)

Several months ago I embarked on one of the longest drives I have ever made by myself. A dear friend had passed away, and I was determined to attend his funeral, even if that meant traveling alone. I confess that as I prepared to leave home, I felt some strong misgivings about the upcoming journey. Our car is not the most reliable, and I doubted my ability to effectively handle our vehicle if an emergency should arise. Although I had carefully studied a map and tried to familiarize myself with the route, I feared road conditions that I could not foresee or anticipate. I expressed my concerns to my husband, who quickly assured me that everything would be all right. But his reassurances did not assuage my fears nor make me feel better about the upcoming trip.

Sensing my unspoken discomfort, my husband asked if I would sit down for a few minutes before my departure. “Shannon,” he said, “I can’t come with you, but let’s practice the drive together.” He stood behind me, put his arms around me, and instructed me to pretend like we were in our car. My protestations that I felt very foolish were of no avail; my husband gently insisted that we practice the route together. As I held an imaginary steering wheel, he asked me to verbalize the directions and to move my hands and feet the way I would if I were really driving.

We practiced the entire trip together, rehearsing every turn, every stop, and every exit. It was comforting to feel and hear my husband, who knew the roads, give me a clear picture of what to expect. At the end of our pretend drive, my husband once again expressed confidence in my ability to complete the journey and promised me that if I had any problems, I could always call him.

During the actual drive, when doubts arose, I felt the memory of my husband’s arms around my own, guiding and comforting me. The trip started smoothly, and I was finally beginning to relax and even enjoy the ride when I discovered—to my great anxiety—that I had taken a wrong turn and had gone many miles in the wrong direction. I called my husband and frantically explained my situation. With his help I was eventually able to get back on course and arrive safely at my destination.

As a young elder, I had been in the mission field about one year, and while reading scriptures and words of the latter-day Apostles about revelation and the Holy Ghost, I had a stunning awakening. I did not have a testimony of my own, specifically of the Father and the Son. I went on my mission living on the borrowed light of my wonderful parents. Never doubting their words, I had not thought about seeking my own spiritual witness. On a February night in San Antonio, Texas, in 1962, I knew that I had to know for myself. In our small apartment I found a place where I could quietly pray out loud, pleading, “Heavenly Father, are You there? I must know for myself!”
Sometime later that night I came to know for myself for the first time in my life that God and Jesus are real. I did not hear an audible voice nor see a heavenly being. I knew in the same way you too may have come to know—which is “by the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost” (D&C 121:26) and the spirit of revelation (see D&C 8:1–3) speaking peace to my mind (see D&C 6:23) and assurances to my heart (see Alma 58:11).
From that experience I witnessed the results of Alma’s counsel to “awake and arouse [my] faculties … to [conduct] an experiment upon [His] words” (Alma 32:27). These words or seeds have grown into trees, indeed giant trees of testimony. The process continues with more experiments upon the word, resulting in additional trees of testimony, now a veritable forest based on revelation through and by the Holy Ghost.

My second story centers around Great-Uncle Grover, who lived in a house out in the country, far from the city. Uncle Grover was getting very old. We thought our sons should meet him before he died. So, one afternoon, we took a long drive to his humble house. We sat together to visit and introduce him to our sons. Not long into the conversation, our two young boys, maybe five and six years old, wanted to go outside and play.
Uncle Grover, hearing their request, bent over with his face in theirs. His face was so weathered and unfamiliar that the boys were a little scared of him. He said to them, in his gravelly voice, “Be careful—there are a lot of skunks out there.” Hearing this, Lesa and I were more than startled; we were worried that they might get sprayed by a skunk! The boys soon went outside to play as we continued to visit.
Later, when we got in the car to go home, I inquired of the boys, “Did you see a skunk?” One of them replied, “No, we didn’t see any skunks, but we did see a black kitty cat with a white stripe on its back!”

There’s a place in Taiwan where a piece of the moon dropped in the ocean. Or so it seems. Standing on a barren, wind-carved rock at Yehliu (yeh-leo) Park, surrounded by solemn gray, cratered stone, the small group of LDS Scouts looked more like refugees on an alien world than teenagers ready to practice semaphore signaling.
But they broke out their flags anyway. Two of the young men in the group scampered up outcroppings, unfurled the semaphores, and with rapid arm swinging began spelling out messages to each other. Even on rainy days, Yehliu is crowded with sightseers, and the Scouts soon had an audience cheering them on. The Scouts flashed the red-and-white flags over their heads, down by their feet, out to their sides. Hours and hours of practice paid off as the sentences made sense and the signaling drill was completed.
Business taken care of, the Scouts were now ready for some fun. Like Scouts anywhere, this group from the Taipei Stake loves songs with hand gestures. They sang several of their favorites as they walked along the rock cliffs that dip down to form the Pacific shore. Then, as they rested, they spoke about Scouting and about the Church.
“I’ve been in Scouts for about six months,” said 18-year-old Hsieh Mi-ch’un. “I have been able to make quite a few good friends, and I’ve also learned a lot. I have been taught how to tie knots and do first aid, for example, and I know how to set up a tent. These things are fun to learn for someone who has grown up in a large, crowded city like Taipei.”
Liu Tao-chih said, “I’m only 13, but I’m the second oldest Scout in our group. I joined the Scout program because I want to serve people, to do a good turn daily. The core of our Scout group consists of the young male members of the Church. We train ourselves and some of our nonmember friends to explore outdoor life, to appreciate nature, to learn about things we never had access to before. Especially in our group, we emphasize training our Aaronic Priesthood members so that they will grow strong in the Church and be strengthened for their lives.”
Once a month, the Boy Scouts join with the stake’s Young Women for some sort of outing, like a recent talent show held in the stake center. But on this particular Saturday, anyone interested in learning about semaphore signaling was invited on the trip to Yehliu. Scoutmaster Wan Chin Li and Young Women leader Chou Yu-Ch’ung came along to supervise and to teach the group about using flags to send messages.
“Our activities are separate for the most part,” Tao-Chih explained, “as they are for Scouts and Young Women in the United States. But every once in a while we share an activity where there is mutual interest. We hope the young sisters can become more active in the Church and learn the many skills to help our country and our society.”
Li Chiu-hsiueh, 17, said, “The Church makes me very happy. And I’m glad to learn the things I learn by associating with the Scouts. We learn manners and mottoes that remind us to do good for others.
“One of the wonderful things about being a young woman is to be able to live happily,” she added. “The gospel teaches us how to be happy, how to find joy each day in serving others.”
The members, from the Hsin Tien and Taipei Third wards and the San Ch’ung Branch, spent a fantastic day at the beach. They saw rock formations that looked like church bells, a beached turtle, an elephant, and a queen wearing a crown. They visited the vendor’s stalls along the sidewalk leading to the park and wondered over the dozens of varieties of shells for sale. They even talked to one of the ladies about the Church when she asked who sponsored their Scout troop. They told her how the Church has promoted Scouting in Taiwan and how proud they are to be a part of the program.
Finally the light rain that had drizzled all day long turned into a downpour. With their semaphore flags tucked under their arms, the Scouts and Young Women raced to the bus. They knew the ride home would be short. And they knew there would soon be other fun activities, thanks to Scouting and thanks to the Church.
(The relationship between Scouting and the Young Men and Young Women programs varies from one country to another.)

Years ago, one of our colleagues shared this tender experience with us. His young daughter, Kim, had just learned to count. In fact, she could count all the way from one to ten. They were so excited they called Grandma. “Hi, Grandma. Do you want to hear me count?” Then she began to count, “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.” Perhaps the Savior smiled and was pleased that Kim could count from one to ten.