Gospel Story Finder

In Arizona, USA, President Nelson invited a crowd of 65,000 members gathered in a sports stadium “to help gather Israel on both sides of the veil.” President Nelson also wrote a guest column published in the Arizona Republic newspaper encouraging people “to look to [the Lord] and make Him the center of your life.” He participated in an interview broadcast on the state’s television stations; had several receptions with civic, education, and faith leaders; and held a question-and-answer session with young single adults.

President Gordon B. Hinckley was once asked, “What is the symbol of your religion?” He replied, “[Christ] told us what that symbol should be when He said: ‘If ye love me, keep my commandments’ (John 14:15). … Our lives must become a symbol of meaningful expression, the symbol of our declaration of our testimony of the living Christ, the Eternal Son of the living God” (Liahona, April 1995, pages 4, 7).

Elder Edward Dube was introduced to the gospel in 1981 by an employer in whose home he worked. The man gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon. He did not read it until 1983 but then was so impressed with Joseph Smith’s testimony of the visitation of Moroni that he responded to an invitation to attend a fast and testimony meeting at the meetinghouse in Kwekwe, Zimbabwe.
He felt uncomfortable at first, feeling that he was in a servant relationship to most of those in attendance.
“But as they bore their testimonies about the Book of Mormon, I felt some connection with these people,” he recalled, “and I was able to share my feelings about the Book of Mormon.”
He would later receive missionary lessons, be baptized, and eventually serve in the Zimbabwe Harare Mission.

Inviting My Friends
I invite my friends Demina and Sina to church, and sometimes they go with me. I hope they will get baptized someday.

Two of my friends were in a fight, and I ended up in the middle. My best friend feels she cannot have more than one friend at a time. She finally opened up and told me how she felt. Maybe your friend is afraid of losing you like my best friend was. Heavenly Father will help if you ask.
Sarah Miller, 14Columbia City, Indiana

Travis Ritchie, 17, of Richfield, Utah, appears to be the picture of the gifted, all-American boy. He’s in the National Honor Society, is involved in the student advisory council, is co-captain of his high school varsity basketball team, and is seminary council president. Few people realize he’s accomplished this in spite of a severe health problem.
Since age nine, Travis has had a daily routine of shots, blood glucose monitoring, insulin balancing, rest, and exercise. Travis has diabetes, which requires constant treatment.
“I’d like to live my life so I can be a good example to others who are diabetic, as well as those who are not,” he says.

The Semmler family of nearby Christy’s Beach tries to go to the temple together once a year. Catherine Semmler, 16, says that in the temple, “everything’s perfect. Everything’s peaceful, and everyone’s happy and friendly.” That can make going back to school kind of a shock. But, still, the feeling of the temple stays with you.

My patriarchal blessing promised I would find someone to marry at “the appropriate time.” Later I found out that my dad had used the same words when I was a baby and he had asked Heavenly Father to bless me with a husband “at the appropriate time.”
Though Heavenly Father didn’t answer my prayers about whom I might marry, He assured me I would marry, and He even told me when: at the right time. I didn’t need a boyfriend to help me feel secure nearly as much as I needed to remember God’s promises and His love for me.

In the spring of 1991 the First Presidency requested the Asia Area Presidency— consisting of Elders Merlin R. Lybbert, W. Eugene Hansen, and Monte J. Brough —to discreetly begin a search for a temple site in Hong Kong. They found several small and, in their view, inadequate sites with extremely high price tags. President Gordon B. Hinckley visited those sites in April of that year and encouraged the Area Presidency to keep looking.
Late in 1991 two more sites were identified. One was part of a government development project near an ocean bay known locally as Junk Bay (a “junk” is a Chinese boat). The other potential site was located in Fanling. Neither the Fanling nor the Junk Bay site was easily accessible or convenient to the people who would use the temple, so the search continued.
Unfortunately, time was running short. If Hong Kong was going to have a temple, it would best be built by July 1, 1997.
A little world history might be important here to understand the urgency of completing the temple in Hong Kong by July 1997. In 1898 Hong Kong became a British colony with the signing of a 99-year lease, expiring June 30, 1997. In December 1984, British and Chinese authorities signed a declaration confirming that the British government would hand over Hong Kong to the People’s Republic of China on July 1, 1997.
In June 1992 the Area Presidency was reorganized, with Elders Monte J. Brough, John K. Carmack, and Kwok Yuen Tai as members of the presidency.
In July President Hinckley called the Area Presidency twice to discuss the Fanling and Junk Bay sites. President Hinckley also indicated that he and Ted Simmons, managing director of the Church Physical Facilities Department, would come to Hong Kong on July 25 to choose the site for the temple.
When President Hinckley and Brother Simmons arrived, Elders Brough and Carmack took them to half a dozen potential sites, starting at Kom Tong Hall, where the area office was located. (Elder Tai was away from Hong Kong on a trip at the time.) After looking at all the sites, President Hinckley, Brother Simmons, and Elders Brough and Carmack met with four stake presidents in the Hong Kong region. President Hinckley discussed his feelings about the various sites and probed the stake presidents’ feelings. He found them supportive of any decision he would make.
The group was exhausted from the rigorous day of prayerfully reviewing the various properties. President Hinckley retired to his hotel room and requested that Elders Brough and Carmack come back the next morning to further discuss the matter. It was apparent that the Area Presidency had yet to find a solution President Hinckley could accept.
At about 6:45 a.m., President Hinckley called Elder Brough and requested that he and Elder Carmack come to his hotel room at 8:00 a.m. Brother Simmons joined them there at the appointed time, and President Hinckley then shared, on a sheet of white paper, a detailed drawing. During the night, he had envisioned a building of about eight floors above ground, with the temple on the top floors and other functions housed on the lower floors. It included replacement facilities for the Kowloon Tong chapel and the Hong Kong mission home and office, since the new building would require that these existing buildings on side-by-side lots be demolished. This concept of multiple use, President Hinckley explained, would depart from tradition in that all other temples in the Church at that time were stand-alone buildings.
President Hinckley asked Elders Brough and Carmack to express their feelings. They each responded that the concept of a multi-story, multi-use building had not even been considered previously, but they had a strong conviction that President Hinckley had received inspiration—even revelation—about what the Lord intended.
After briefly reviewing the other options, President Hinckley asked the brethren to join in prayer. He asked if it would be all right if he offered the prayer. He then discussed the whole matter with the Lord. He talked of the need for a temple in China to bless the people in that area of the world. The prayer was powerful and compelling, evidencing his love for all the people of Asia.
Those present then returned to the Kowloon Tong site, walking the area. They crossed the street to check the neighborhood and view the site from all aspects, checking particularly the access to it from the underground railway systems. Then Elders Brough and Carmack returned President Hinckley and Brother Simmons to the Kai Tak International Airport.

I enjoy sharing the gospel at school with my friends, especially with a boy who has difficulty speaking, writing, and reading. One way to share the gospel as Jesus Christ taught is by helping and serving others. Whenever the teacher gives us an assignment in the homework book, I am always willing to help this boy. I love serving others because it helps me feel my Heavenly Father’s love.

Over the years, as I have mentioned, we have had special guidance from great priesthood leaders whom we have come to love very, very much, and we appreciate them.My great tenderness goes towards President Kimball, whose hands were placed upon my head nearly six years ago to set me apart, to give me a special blessing to serve in this capacity. This great, loving, beloved servant of God is indeed a prophet. This fine gentleman, who has said, “Do it,” on one occasion, and I say this here in the Tabernacle with great joy, said to me as we talked about the youth of the Church, “Tell them, don’t do it—especially if it is something wrong.”

The Whitneys began to see a clearer picture of their eternal identity. Later that year, the Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph that Newel was to serve as the bishop in Kirtland. Newel said, “I cannot see a Bishop in myself, Brother Joseph; but if you say it’s the Lord’s will, I’ll try.”

Joseph replied, “You need not take my word alone. Go and ask Father for yourself.”

After praying, Newel heard a voice from heaven say, “Thy strength is in me.”

Congratulations on the fine article “Into the Wild Blue Yonder” in the June New Era. I feel very honored to have been mentioned and very honored that the LDS Cadet Group was presented so favorably.
I would like to thank Brother Richard Romney for the time and effort he gave to telling our story. Perhaps now more young men will learn that they do not have to decline an opportunity to serve their country in order to serve as a missionary for the Church.
My work and life have truly been blessed since I left the United States Air Force Academy. While being a “grad” has definitely proven to be an advantage, being LDS and trying hard to live in the light of the gospel has made the greatest difference.
I am working at the headquarters of the Strategic Air Command. The pressures of working at a headquarters base can be overwhelming, and my first real encounters with “people management” have been quite an experience. The pressures aren’t so great, however, when one has the strength of the true gospel and one’s life is measured against eternity rather than against tomorrow. And there is no greater instruction in “people maintenance” than the example of Jesus Christ. At times it has been tough to love my neighbor, but it seems that only when one serves in the spirit of love can he truly be a leader.
The academy years were definitely worth it. The education was absolutely first-rate. The friends I made seem to grow closer even though we’re now separated. But I fear I would have lost it all if I had not joined the Church. Only after I joined did I learn to enjoy life and find the strength to press forward and persevere.
I truly admire Brother Romney’s talent as a writer, photographer, and editor. Thank you for the wonderful article.
Lt. Michael E. DalbyLa Vista, Nebraska

I learned something else about learning on my way to upper middle age. Consider this conversation between a doctor and a patient:
Doctor: “How can I help you? What seems to be your problem?”
Patient: “It is my memory, doctor. I read something, and I can’t remember it. I can’t remember why I came into a room. I can’t remember where I put things.”
Doctor: “Well, tell me, how long has this condition been bothering you?”
Patient: “How long has what condition been bothering me?”
Now, if that amused you, you are either under 60 or you are laughing at yourselves.

In the spring of 1848, you developed an interest in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, although your father, family, and friends did not share your enthusiasm. They did everything possible to persuade you to denounce the Church. Your father even locked up your clothes to keep you from attending Sunday meetings. But your faith was steadfast. In spite of persecution you struggled on.

Dear Ebenezer, despite your father’s opposition, you were baptized in April 1848, the only convert in your family.

I have a friend named Doug whom I must tell you about. He went through school with an unexciting C+ average, and his current earning power is about in the same class—comfortable but not lavish. He has his share of aches and pains, and life has dealt him a full crop of the tougher problems that seem to accompany just about every family. Yet Doug is a man with a gift that is worth more than money can buy. He is a tremendously happy man, and there is no doubt that his happiness comes primarily from his one polished and perfected talent. Perhaps it might be called a knack rather than a gift or a talent. At any rate, it works.

Doug has the knack of absorbing real enjoyment out of the simple and ordinary happenings of each day. I suppose it could be called the knack of enjoyment—and he utilizes it in a fantastic fashion. A normal dinner at night with his wife and kids is a memorable thing for this fellow because he knows how to reap an unusual amount of enjoyment from the carefully set table, the taste of the food, and the conversation of each person, no matter how trivial. It’s as though he had been looking forward to this particular occasion for weeks. A day on the job to Doug seems a challenge, with new decisions and opportunities, while others doing the same thing may feel they’re in a repetitive rut. He can go to church and find a half-dozen worthwhile pearls in a sermon and make plans for adopting them in his own habits, while others sitting in the same service may grumble to themselves about how boring and empty the spoken word has been. When Doug’s golf game is sour, with a score that soars to 105, and his pant cuffs are filled with sand from the traps and prickly weeds from the rough, this guy can actually smile and talk about how great it was out there in the beautiful out-of-doors.

You see, Doug discovered many years ago that most people expected and anticipated a great wad of happiness to come to them when certain events or accomplishments just over the horizon of the future would materialize. Such events could be graduation, or marriage, or the birth of children, or the betterment of a job, or the acquiring of a home or a car. Anyway, Doug has always felt that life is now, and it should be enjoyed now. He taught himself how to enjoy the simple and ordinary things of each day that so often are taken very much for granted.

I once asked Doug to tell me the secret of this unusual gift that he possesses. He told me there were three things that he accentuates every day of his life. First, he tries to slow down in his path through life. He stops to listen to the laughter of children playing in the neighborhood. He takes time to notice flowers, gardens, and homes as he walks along a street. He enjoys each day and wants it to last. Secondly, he reminds himself many times each day that he is going to find happiness on that day! He always seems to be alert in the search. And third, he emphasizes how necessary it is to develop the ability to genuinely appreciate the many things in life for which we should be grateful. Appreciation!

Doug taught me that anybody can acquire his gift if they will strive diligently for it. It doesn’t take great intellectual ability, great physical strength, great heritage, great wealth, or great accomplishment. It’s open to anyone who is looking for a talent. Try it. It works.

A friend asked me several months ago why so many problems have been plaguing a number of the members of the Church recently. I hesitatingly answered, “Well, the last days are surely approaching when even the elect shall be deceived.” (See Matt. 24:24.) He looked at me momentarily and said, “Well, perhaps that might be a little of it, but I believe the real reason that so many are wandering on strange paths is because they do not follow prophetic counsel to study the scriptures and attend the classes in Church.”

I have thought of that conversation many times.

More rescue teams came and helped the wagon trains into Utah. Referring to his nightly camps Barnard said: “We would clear away the snow and pile some logs up and set them on fire. They would burn all night and helped to keep us from freezing.” Ascending Big Mountain he found snow drifted 20 feet deep in places. “We had to cut channels as much as ten feet deep,” he said. But what made this final part of the trip so difficult for the teenager was that “I had no shoes or boots on; my feet were in rags.”
On December 13 at 4 P.M. Barnard and his family stepped from Brother Newman’s wagon into the tithing yard in Salt Lake City. Barnard felt both pleased and humiliated—pleased to be safe and alive but humiliated to walk down the city’s streets dressed in ragged clothes and with flannel rags wrapped around his painful feet. No doubt he recalled then the fancy broadcloth suit and silk hat he donned 18 months before when leaving England for Zion. Utahns, he noticed, “wept like children to see our pale, emaciated, and careworn bodies, for we were quite worn out and had but little strength left.”
What had happened to Barnard’s work boots? They had succumbed to his appetite! While trapped by Wyoming snows Barnard had cut off strips from his worn-out boots and chewed the leather to ease the sharp hunger pains in his stomach—for as his biographer points out, “who can be hungrier than a 16-year-old trying to do the work of a man?”

Galina Russell, a volunteer and translator at the Ukrainian Aid Centre shared, “My father was brought up in an orphanage and I know from him how hard it was to live without parents. He often said to me, ‘I survived in the orphanage because of the kindness and donations of many people I never knew.’ Donations from your church reminded me of his words and I couldn’t hold back my tears. Your kindness will be remembered always.”

Catching Elder Don Ziegler on the phone is difficult.
“Don Ziegler here, wondering if we can burn up some calories here playing phone tag,” he says in a voice mail message. Chuckling follows. But if the Church-service missionary isn’t out burning calories while climbing the stairs of the Church Office Building, he’s busy promoting fruits and vegetables, planning health fairs, or posting the nutritional value of frozen yogurt in the cafeteria.
It’s part of the calling he and his wife, Sharon, share as Church-service missionaries.