Gospel Story Finder

Unfortunately, my activity in the Church didn’t last. My marriage was difficult, and I turned to old vices to escape my pain. Hobbies began to replace church attendance.

Three years passed, and I reached rock bottom. I had to make a choice. Could I live the gospel for myself regardless of what was happening in my life? Or would I just give in to the darkness? I knew that committing to the strait and narrow path meant getting rid of negative influences in my life. Also, my desires to go back to church highlighted that my spouse and I were on different paths. With the state of our marriage at that point, we were headed toward divorce already.

I was scared. There was no guarantee that my efforts would grant me the good things I wanted in this life. But my decision came back to what I had learned years before—that I was happiest living the gospel. I decided to commit fully and put myself in God’s hands, come what may. From here on out, it was me and Him.

Once again, I started going back to church and getting my life on track. One of the happiest days of my life was when I received a temple recommend again. I found solace in the temple as my marriage continued to fracture and ultimately came to an end.

As scary as that decision felt, through that experience I learned to appreciate God’s hand in my path. Even though I had stumbled, the race wasn’t lost. I wasn’t competing with anyone else. When I relied on the Savior for my self-worth, I could stop spending all my efforts trying to change others’ perspective of me.

I found myself at church being OK sitting alone or amidst members who were in different stages of life. I made an effort not to hide and made myself available to talk with people in my ward. I was able to enjoy attending my meetings for their intended purpose.

Having that peace also helped as I got back into dating. I still didn’t get a lot of second dates, but I now knew I didn’t have to compromise my standards just because I had slipped up in the past. I was living the gospel to the best of my ability, and I was good enough to date those who were living the gospel to the best of theirs too.

I ultimately found a worthy daughter of God who I married in the temple. Her path was very different than mine, but when it came to a love of the Savior and an understanding of His Atonement, we were on the same page.

Some years ago, Constance, a student nurse, was assigned to try and help a woman who had injured her leg in an accident. The woman refused medical help because she had had a negative experience with someone at the hospital. She was afraid and had become something of a recluse. The first time Constance dropped by, the injured woman ordered her out. On the second try, she did let Constance in. By now the woman’s leg was covered with large ulcers, and some of the flesh was rotting. But still she didn’t want to be treated.
Constance made it a matter of prayer, and in a day or two the answer came. She took some foaming hydrogen peroxide with her for the next visit. As this was painless, the old woman let her use it on her leg. Then they talked about more serious treatment at the hospital. Constance assured her the hospital would make her stay as pleasant as possible. In a day or two the woman did get the courage to enter the hospital. When Constance visited her, the woman smiled as she said, “You convinced me.” Then, quite unexpectedly, she asked Constance, “What church do you belong to?” Constance told her she was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The woman said, “I knew it. I knew you were sent to me from the first day that I saw you. There was a light in your face that I had noticed in others of your faith. I had to put my trust in you.”
In three months’ time that festering leg was completely healed. Members of the ward where the old woman lived remodeled her house and fixed up her yard. The missionaries met with her, and she was baptized soon after. All of this because she noticed the light in that young student nurse’s face.

Spencer W. Kimball worked hard as a child. At haying time, he stood atop the hay wagon and tromped down the load as his older brothers, Gordon and Del, pitchforked more up to him.
Sometimes they teased him by throwing two huge forkfuls at almost the same time. The first would knock him down, and the second would bury him.
Spencer: Hey!
Gordon: You’re right. It is hay.
Spencer loved Primary, which was held on weekdays at that time. One hot Monday morning, he heard the bell that rang a half hour before Primary.
Spencer: I have to go to Primary.
His brothers thought that he was only trying to get out of work.
Gordon: You’re not going anywhere.
Spencer: If Pa were here, he’d let me go.
Del: Well, Pa is not here, and you’re not going.
They kept pitching hay up until a large pile formed. When Spencer didn’t appear to tromp the hay down, they became worried.
Gordon: What’s the matter with you up there?
Spencer didn’t answer. They looked off across the field and saw their little brother halfway to the meetinghouse, running as fast as he could.
All his life Spencer W. Kimball faithfully attended every meeting he was able to attend. As an Apostle and as President of the Church, he scheduled thousands of meetings with members, leaders, and missionaries all around the world and he announced many temples to be built. He worked from early morning to evening. Even among other hard-working General Authorities, he was known as an incredibly hard worker.
If you’d like to learn more about President Spencer W. Kimball, do the “President Spencer W. Kimball Crossword” on page 26.

A few years ago, while serving in the Presiding Bishopric, I received a letter from the First Presidency inviting me to speak in general conference. Knowing that such an opportunity might come, I had already chosen a topic that was very dear to me—something I was eager to share with the members of the Church.

So, you can imagine my surprise when I opened the letter and found that a different topic had been assigned to me.

For a brief moment, I felt a little disappointed. But that feeling quickly gave way to deep gratitude as I realized that the subject I had been given was one of the most sacred and meaningful topics I could ever address: “The Atonement of Christ, as taught in the Book of Mormon.”

The weeks that followed were filled with study and a sense of excitement. I read and re-read passages in the Book of Mormon that teach of the Savior's Atonement. I studied every talk and resource I could find on the subject. And I prayed constantly for the companionship of the Holy Ghost as I prepared my message.

Even though I thought I already understood this doctrine, something remarkable happened—my understanding deepened, and my testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and of the Book of Mormon grew in ways I had never previously experienced.

I came to understand more deeply that the central message of the Book of Mormon—its very purpose—is to restore the true and complete knowledge of the essential role of Jesus Christ in the salvation and exaltation of mankind.

In the summer when Spencer was five, his father gave to him and Alice [Spencer’s sister] a patch of planted potatoes. When Spencer had dug them with a garden fork and Alice had cleaned them, Spencer put on clean overalls, Alice a dress, and off they went with a box of potatoes in Spencer’s red wagon. The potatoes sold, Spencer and Alice returned home jubilant. Andrew [their father] listened to them count their money, then said: “That’s capital! Now what will you do with the money?” The children answered: ice cream, candy, Christmas presents. Andrew gently said: “… The Lord has been kind to us. We planted and cultivated and harvested, but the earth is the Lord’s. He sent the moisture and the sunshine. One-tenth we always give back to the Lord for His part.”

“Pa made no requirement.” Spencer remembered, “He merely explained it so convincingly that we felt it an honor and privilege to pay tithing.” (Page 32.)

The light emanating from you is reminiscent of the experiences Sister Bateman and I had in Japan and Korea during 1993–94. Shortly after our arrival in Japan, we attended a district conference in northern Honshu. Arrangements were made before the trip for a member of the district presidency, a brother we did not know, to meet us at the train station. As the bullet train sped from Tokyo to Morioka, I wondered how we would recognize the Japanese brother. The train station would be a beehive of activity. It would be easier for him to recognize us than the reverse, but there would be hundreds of people exiting the train. Stepping from the train car onto the platform, I looked into a sea of Japanese faces wondering which one was there to greet us. As we gazed along the platform, I could see an individual at the far end whose countenance radiated the light of the gospel. He was checking each car as he passed along the platform. As we moved toward him, he recognized us, and a peaceful feeling entered our souls. That experience was repeated almost weekly as we met unknown Japanese and Korean brothers and sisters in busy airport terminals and train stations from Sapporo to Fukuoka to Seoul to Pusan. The warmth of the gospel light radiating from these brothers and sisters was the identifying characteristic that brought us together.

In 2000, Lucas Bento traveled from Mozambique to Lisbon, Portugal where his brother lived, to receive medical treatment for a chronic illness. He stayed with his brother and made weekly visits to a nearby hospital. Lucas was a faithful member of a Protestant church in Mozambique and was anxious to attend services during his stay in Lisbon. When he asked his brother where he might find the local Protestant church, he was told that there was not one in the area, but that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was nearby. His brother was not a member of the Church but was familiar with the missionaries and knew that they were frequently in the neighborhood visiting people. Lucas’ brother knew that the missionaries would gladly take him to church.
Lucas began meeting with the missionaries and soon expressed an interest in becoming a member. He was particularly impressed with the commandments and teachings of the Church, such as the Word of Wisdom, the law of chastity and the importance of having a living prophet. One scripture in the Book of Mormon was important to his search for the true Church. In 3 Nephi 27:8, he read, “And how be it my church save it be called in my name?” Lucas Bento gained a testimony of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was baptized on 9 June 2002. He was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood and soon returned to his village in Mozambique where he was the only member of the Church.
Brother Bento’s branch president in Lisbon instructed him not to join another church when he returned to Mozambique, but to gather his family and teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ. Brother Bento asked the missionaries in Portugal why the Church was not in Mozambique. When he discovered that the Church was indeed in his country, he wrote the mission president in Maputo asking for directions to the Church. Missionaries were sent to visit Brother Bento in Nampula. He showed them his baptismal and Aaronic Priesthood ordination certificates, and arrangements were made to ordain Brother Bento to the Melchizedek Priesthood. He wrote again to tell the mission president that he had followed the directions of his branch president in Lisbon and had been teaching his family and friends. There were 18 people ready to be baptized.
Brother Bento continues to share the gospel with his neighbors and is now the group leader for a small congregation in the village of Luaha, Mozambique. There, close to 80 members have joined the Church as a result of Brother Bento’s missionary efforts. He loves the gospel of Jesus Christ and continues to teach his neighbors about the prophet Joseph Smith and the Restoration. Brother Bento recently traveled to the temple in Johannesburg, South Africa, to be endowed and sealed to his wife. “When I went to Lisbon,” he says, “I did not go just for my illness; it was Heavenly Father’s will. Over my year in Portugal, I went to five hospitals and was still was not cured. But I now understand that I went to Portugal to find the true Church of Jesus Christ.”

My beloved brothers and sisters, I am grateful for this opportunity that is mine to bear witness of the divinity of this great work and testify to all the world that we are led by a prophet of God. I don’t think I’ve heard any more convincing words of love than those I’ve heard when I’ve been in the temple with President Benson and his dedicated Counselors and he says, “I love you, my Brethren. I love every one of you.” From the depths of his heart, he has proclaimed to us the true significance of love for our fellowmen.
A few years ago while we were in Sydney, Australia, my wife and I received a letter from one of our grandchildren. He wrote: “Dear Grandma and Grandpa, I just turned twelve years of age, and the bishop called me into the office, and he said, ‘I have some questions to ask of you, Bruce. Bruce, you’re twelve years of age now, and so I need to know if you love the Lord.’ I told him I do. ‘Do you say bad words, Bruce?’ ‘No, bishop, I never say bad words.’ ‘Do you love your mother and dad?’ ‘Yes, bishop, I do.’ ‘Do you pay your tithing, Bruce?’ ‘Yes I do, bishop.’
“You know, Grandpa and Grandma, the bishop said that I could receive the Aaronic Priesthood because I was twelve years of age, and he asked me if I knew what the Aaronic Priesthood was. I told him that I knew a little bit and that I could be ordained a deacon. You know, the next week the bishop asked who I would like to be ordained by. I said I would like to be ordained by my dad. So my dad put his hands upon my head, and the bishop stood around and so did my uncles, and my dad conferred the Aaronic Priesthood upon me and ordained me a deacon.
“Now, Grandma and Grandpa, you’re a long way away, but I know that you’re a General Authority and some day you’ll come home. You know, I can’t wait until you come home because I know you’ll sit on the stand, and then Grandpa, I can pass the sacrament to you.”
I think that is the true meaning of love, of families.
I express my love to my devoted sweetheart and eternal companion. I’m grateful for the matriarch that she is in our family. I am grateful for each of our children; I am grateful for their families. I’m grateful to the Lord Jesus Christ for his atoning sacrifice. I’ve come to know him more assuredly as I have sat in council with your great leaders. I testify to you that they are men of God.
I like a scripture that I reflect upon frequently, and I think of it when I think of them, “For they were set to be a light unto the world, and to be the saviors of men.” (D&C 103:9.) I bear witness that those who come into the kingdom will eventually say unto them who have helped them come into the kingdom, “You were a light unto me, and I acknowledge you as literally being a savior to me.”
Another of my favorite scriptures that I would like to share with you is, “Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another.” (D&C 90:24.)
Inscribed on the granite walls of the temple here in Salt Lake City is the constellation of Ursa Major, or the Great Bear, commonly known to you as the Big Dipper. If you were to project a line through the bottom two stars opposite the handle, it would point to and bisect the North Star. The mariners and those who have been lost at sea or on land have looked to the North Star to find their bearings.
I bear witness that there is, figuratively speaking, a “North Star” leading us today—a beloved prophet of God. Look to him. He will point you to the way of truth and righteousness. Look to the Savior, for he will give you life eternal.
Again I express my love to you, President Benson, to your dedicated and devoted Counselors, to the General Authorities, and to the body of the Church for your love and sustaining influence. We have come to love you in the Pacific islands; we have come to love you in Europe, where we served; we have come to love the Saints all over the world. My lovely companion and I shall ever remember this association with grateful hearts as we continue to bear witness of the atoning sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
I bear witness that the Church has been restored, that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, as is a living prophet today, President Ezra Taft Benson, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Olá! My name is Alice, and I try to SHINE MY LIGHT by SHOWING GRATITUDE!
I live in Brazil with my parents and sister and brother. My sister, Julia, and I play the piano for sacrament meeting in our ward.
One Sunday, a man named Brother Stahlke gave us a present. He said it was a gift to thank us for the music we played on Sundays. When we opened the box, we found a special kind of flute inside! I put the flute together and started playing. I was enchanted by the sound.
Soon I started playing hymns on the flute. I wanted to do something to thank Brother Stahlke for the gift. So I practiced the hymn “How Great the Wisdom and the Love” (Hymns, no. 195). I asked my dad to take me to Brother Stahlke’s house so I could show him that his gift helped me discover a new talent.
When I played for Brother Stahlke, he was very happy and emotional. He told me that he had a dream about this hymn the night before! I felt the love of God for him and for me.
When we show gratitude, the Lord blesses us with happy feelings from the Holy Ghost.

For Chelsea Baugh, going to college was never really a question. “Education has always been important in my home,” she says. “My parents have encouraged college since we were toddlers.” So from the time she learned what college was, Chelsea worked hard to achieve her dream of attending a university.

Now a student in a four-year university undergraduate program, Chelsea is realizing that the hard work has just begun. Between classes, homework, friends, and the LDS institute of religion council (of which she is the youngest member), she is busy all the time. But Chelsea loves her college experience and is excited about the education she is receiving. “Education is important because even if you don’t get a job—if you decide to be a stay-at-home mom for example—you’re going to use your education in every aspect of your life.”

Life in college has been challenging at times. At one point, Chelsea decided to change her major, which can be a frightening choice because it will affect your entire future. “My decision involved a lot of pondering, a lot of thinking about what I wanted in life, and a lot of praying,” she says.

If you’re planning on going to college, Chelsea has some good advice: “Plan early. Start disciplining yourself in junior high school to study. Get involved in high school with athletics, clubs, friends—whatever you’re interested in. And take seminary and gain a testimony of it so that when you go to college you’ll have a desire to go to institute. That gospel learning will help you keep your life in balance.”

One day when President Cowley and I were traveling, we arrived at the home of Brother Stewart Meha, a great and wonderful Maori man. He presided over his large family as a true father and leader. President Cowley and Brother Meha spent all afternoon sitting on the porch and talking about the Church and other interesting things.

When it came time for the evening meal, Brother Meha stood on his front porch and, in the Maori language, shouted out to all of his large family, “Haere Mai Ki te Kai.” Then he said, “Haere Mai Ki Te Karakia.” These phrases meant, “Come on home for supper, Come on home for prayer.”

Soon family members came from every direction. We all assembled in his home in the big front room. The room had very little furniture in it, and everybody gathered in a large circle. Brother Meha was at the head of the circle, President Cowley was on his left, and I was next to President Cowley. On Brother Meha’s right was a little child about eight years of age. All around the rest of the circle were the other children, with some adults in between.

Brother Meha said to the little boy on his right, “You start.” I bowed my head in anticipation of the little boy’s prayer. Instead of praying, he quoted a scripture, after first reciting the chapter and verse. Then the young person next to him recited a scripture with the reference. After about four scriptures had been given, I realized that we were going around the circle, with each person quoting a different passage of scripture. One youngster started to quote one that had already been used, and he was quickly corrected.

Eventually it was my turn and then President Cowley’s. Then Brother Meha prayed.

Illustration by Katy Dockrill
Growing up, I never really doubted the truthfulness of the gospel. As I reached my teenage years, however, I questioned whether I truly had a testimony or simply accepted what my parents and friends believed. I prayed that I might know that the gospel is true.
Despite my struggles, a young woman I met at my community college told me she sensed that I understood my purpose and direction in life.
“Do you believe in God?” she asked me.
I told her I did and that my church teaches our relationship with God and the purpose of life. I also told her about the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Restoration. She listened carefully.
The next Sunday at church, I picked up pamphlets about Joseph Smith and the plan of salvation for my friend. After she read them and began reading the Book of Mormon, I took her to church.
Later she told me she had been very close to her older brother. He had been a stunt pilot who performed in local air shows. Sadly, the summer before we met, he had been killed while flying in a show. She was devastated by his death and was concerned about him because he professed to be agnostic. She had been praying to know what his state and standing were before God.
As she shared her concerns, a sudden rush of understanding came over me. It was a sensation of pure truth and light. I understood that our meeting had not happened by chance. Rather, God had heard and responded to the sincere prayer of this brokenhearted young woman.
I was humbled to know that Heavenly Father was aware of me and would consider me worthy to be a tool in His hands in answering her prayer. I understood His great wisdom in using this experience to also answer my prayer to know that the gospel is true.
After preparing, I packed my bags for the best two years of my life. Meanwhile, my friend took the missionary lessons with her sister. Both of them joined the Church and subsequently served missions. After my mission, my friend asked me to perform temple ordinances for her brother.
I know that God hears and answers sincere prayers, though sometimes in a manner or time frame we do not expect.

Answers sometimes came in the form of people who influenced our children’s lives. One time, a daughter at college was in grave spiritual and possibly physical danger. On the day following our temple visit, the bishop of her ward visited with her and then called us about the visit. He continued this each day for the next three days. A parent could have done no more than this great bishop did to comfort and guide our daughter.

I had an experience that helped me glimpse what it means to be “clasped in the arms of Jesus”—embraced in the arms of His mercy. I told you of my experience with Elder Uchtdorf in the Winter Quarters Temple. I was so personally moved and powerfully motivated by that experience, I determined to follow Elder Uchtdorf’s example and share that feeling with my missionaries. We took every group of departing missionaries, on their last day in the mission, to the Nauvoo Temple for an endowment session. As Elder Uchtdorf had done with me, I greeted each missionary as they came into the celestial room with a big hug and the words, “I love you.” I expressed my deep appreciation for their service and that they were now able to “return with honor.” I meant every word of it, but I must admit that it was easier to express those sentiments to some missionaries than others.

One elder in particular had given me more than his share of grief. In fact, most of the grays hairs I gained in the mission field came because of him. He seemed to be in trouble all of the time. On more than one occasion, I told him I was going to send him home. He would always promise me that he would try harder—which he did—for awhile—and the cycle would start all over again—disobedience, admonishment and correction, repentance, renewed determination, then slacking off (sounds like all of us, doesn’t it?). I just wanted him to be able to complete his mission honorably. He wasn’t an “all star” missionary, but he made it.

As he came through the veil of the temple into the celestial room, I greeted him with the customary hug and the almost obligatory “I love you.” Tears streamed down his face. His whole body shook with weeping. When he could speak, he whispered to me over and over again, “Thank you for extending me mercy.” It was a tender moment and I, too, shed many tears. My love for him at that moment was unbounded. Then it happened. I understood. Almost as if the veil parted, I sensed a coming day when I would embrace the Savior and with tears of gratitude and love likewise declare, “Thank you for extending me mercy.” How grateful I am for the Lord’s arms of mercy. I am grateful that He has rescued me, not only from physical death and from sins, but also from myself—my fears, my discouragement, my doubts, my feelings of inadequacy. Truly, his arms of mercy are arms of safety and security.

One of my most memorable mission experiences increased my appreciation for the scriptures. While I was serving in the Philippines, my companion and I met a wonderful, gentle soul who gradually responded to the spirit and source of the message we shared. He became hungry to learn and to read the word of God. He didn’t understand English well and asked if we could watch for a copy of the Bible in his native language, Tagalog. We found one in a bookstore in Manila and took it to him. He reverently reached out with both hands to take that Bible (Ang Biblia) from us. With much emotion he said, “I have never before held a Bible in my hands.”
Following his baptism, he continued reading both the Bible and the Book of Mormon, but oh how much more quickly he went, especially with the Book of Mormon. With the help of the Holy Ghost, he could understand much more of what he was reading. He couldn’t seem to get enough. When we visited, he showed us all the things he had written in the margins, and shared the thrill he experienced first-hand while searching and pondering God’s books. Watching others’ desire to feast rather than simply read helped deepen my own desires to search the scriptures.

The cultural celebration was held in a grand old Soviet Union-era theatre. The diversity of cultures in the temple district was well represented with not only Ukrainian songs and dances, but also interwoven into the script were musical numbers from youth groups in Belarus, Georgia, Estonia, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Romania, and Russia. President Monson's opening remarks prior to the commencement of the program fired up the youth and they danced their hearts out for him. He said that he was very much in favor of these types of activities for the youth and that they would make friends for life among their fellow performers.

Next came the Laie Hawaii Temple rededication. President Monson has a tender affinity for Hawaii and its people. He was the last apostle called by President David O. McKay and it did not go unnoticed that President McKay's imprint is still felt in the islands, especially in Laie. This was a historic renovation of the beautiful Laie temple, which had been closed for nearly two years. President Monson paid tribute to the construction team for their successful achievement. President Henry B. Eyring, who accompanied him, noted that they had achieved a balance of "enhancing the original temple without detracting from it," which is something, he indicated, was not easy to do.

In his opening remarks the evening of the cultural celebration, President Monson commented again that he was very much in favor of these types of activities, where boys and girls can come together and have some wholesome fun together. "Now," he said, "some may say they don't need these types of activities and they're fine at home. They don't want to be at home with their parents!" he said. "They want to be part of something truly fun and memorable with young people their own age."

The history of the Hawaiian Islands is intertwined with the outbreak of World War II, and President Monson particularly loved the segment depicting the growth of the Church during that era. The Cannon Center exploded into hearty cheers and applause when a young Tom Monson's picture from his Navy career flashed on the screen.

The stakes in the temple district had made an effort to involve children and youth who were perhaps physically impaired, but whose spirit brightened the hearts of all those in attendance. The hula dance segment was beautiful, as a young girl in a wheelchair, Briana Garrido, caught the attention of not only the whole arena, but also the president of the Church. As the most important part of hula dancing is done with the hands, this beautiful girl was among the best dancers there that night. Afterward, President Monson singled her out and went over and gave her a kiss, a sweet and tender scene.

The responsibility of communication is not alone on the shoulders of parents. The youth also have a responsibility to contribute love and strength to the family organization.
I recall a stage play that recently was made into a movie. It dealt with parents whose only child, a son, returned from military service. The father and son had never been close. It was a situation in which both father and son loved each other but were unable to find ways to express themselves, and therefore hostilities arose because each thought the other did not like him. It was a breakdown of communication.
But now the son was home from the army, and things were different. The father and son began to establish a whole new relationship. The high point of the play came when the boy said to his father something like this:
“Dad, I always resented you when I was younger because you never told me that you loved me, but then I realized that I had never told you that I loved you either. Well, Dad, I’m telling you now: I love you.”
For one electrifying moment the father and son embraced each other as the pent-up love and appreciation of years came flooding out. This probably would never have happened had the son not realized that he was as guilty of lack of expression as his parents.
Loren C. DunnConference ReportApril 1969, p. 22.

The first day I saw Frances, I knew I’d found the right one. The Lord brought us together later, and I asked her to go out with me. I went to her home to call on her. She introduced me, and her father said, “‘Monson’—that’s a Swedish name, isn’t it?”

I said, “Yes.”

He said, “Good.”

Then he went into another room and brought out a picture of two missionaries with their top hats and their copies of the Book of Mormon.

“Are you related to this Monson,” he said, “Elias Monson?”

I said, “Yes, he’s my grandfather’s brother. He too was a missionary in Sweden.”

Her father wept. He wept easily. He said, “He and his companion were the missionaries who taught the gospel to my mother and my father and all of my brothers and sisters and to me.” He kissed me on the cheek. And then her mother cried, and she kissed me on the other cheek. And then I looked around for Frances. She said, “I’ll go get my coat.”

Next, I'd like to share Tiffany Anderson's story with you.

Tiffany married at age 17 after learning she was expecting a baby. She attended night and summer classes to finish her senior year of high school before the baby arrived. Later, with family encouragement, Tiffany and her husband were sealed in the temple. But just six days afterward, Tiffany's father suddenly passed away. The loss was difficult, and within a short time both Tiffany and her husband became inactive. The ensuing years brought lifestyle changes, and looking back she recognizes her step-by-step downward spiral as she felt increasingly resentful and blamed others for judging her. Tiffany told herself, "They don't accept or love me, so why bother to go to church?" She now reflects, "Sure, maybe some at church were judgmental, but it was really me judging myself. The mind starts to warp things."[6]

The years flew by, her inactivity lengthened, and her family grew. As her three young children entered school, Tiffany began to experience an internal tugging to find her true identity. Her tobacco and alcohol use had become extreme, and she felt she was losing herself. She didn't want her children's memories of her to be associated with the smell of cigarette smoke or alcohol. On New Year's Day 2012, she made a resolution to quit using alcohol and tobacco. She has maintained that resolution ever since.

Soon after, although still completely inactive, she was unexpectedly invited to pray in her ward's sacrament meeting, something she had never done before. Regardless of her lifestyle choices, she didn't want to say no to the Lord. During that same sacrament meeting, Tiffany heard an announcement for a new Pathway Program fireside, and when she returned home, she announced she would be enrolling in Pathway. To her delight, her husband was supportive.

She had almost completed her Pathway application when she stopped short as she read the Honor Code statement. It had been just nine months since she'd made her New Year's promise, and she was still unsure of herself and her abilities. She deleted her application but then decided to alert the Pathway missionaries of her decision. Their immediate response to her call was "No, no, no, all we're asking is that you'll try to live the Honor Code. You'll try to begin attending church every week. That's all we're asking." Tiffany replied, "Okay, I can try. But I can't promise anything right now." Again, she was reassured, so this time she clicked "submit," and enrolled in Pathway.

Attending Pathway turned out to be difficult. Initially, she advised her husband, "There's no way those Mormons are going to suck me in. I just want a cheap education; that's it." However, she was required to attend a Book of Mormon religion class. She joked about her courses and ate a lot of Hot Tamale candies to control her anxiety as she began moving from an inactive lifestyle to discussions of the gospel during every Pathway class. One evening, during a lesson and discussion about addictions, several classmates confessed to perceived addictions of excessive chocolate, Facebook, and eating. Tiffany's anxiety mounted, and she began to feel overwhelmed by all the "prettiness," as she calls it. Finally, she stood up and said, "My name is Tiffany, and I'm addicted to alcohol and cigarettes. I've been sober for 9 months. We're talking about real-life addictions here, the ones that pull us away from the Church." She was shaking as she sat down. The class was silent until someone said, "My spouse is addicted to painkillers."[7] Discussions became open and vulnerable, and a close bond developed as the class shared problems and struggles. Tiffany had shared her story and fostered a new sense of community with her peers.

As Tiffany's anxiety began to ease, she decided to start over and investigate the Church thoroughly. She asked many questions regarding basic gospel doctrine. Often, the Pathway missionaries and institute teachers stayed after class to further explain gospel concepts. Tiffany came to love the Pathway Program, and her testimony grew. The day came when she shared her testimony in sacrament meeting and was content with its simplicity. She was confident of what she felt, and knew the truth of what she said.

As Tiffany neared completion of her Pathway courses, she was invited to speak at a BYU-Idaho conference. She worried about her ability to speak to such a large audience, but said yes. Tiffany was the final student speaker, and although she remembers other students' descriptions of long-term Church activity and the hope of a college education, her story was unique. She told the audience: "I am not like my fellow students. I am not 'the 99.' I was the lost one, and Pathway is the shepherd that came back to rescue me. This is not just an educational program. It is so much more. This program wants, needs, and welcomes those who have been lost from the Church, no matter who they are or where they came from. Pathway will not just affect me; my children will know education is important, and my family will be affected for generations."[8]

Tiffany was the first Pathway graduate to complete an online bachelor's degree with no previous college education. She is again active in the Church, attends the temple regularly, and finds joy in her service. We don't know the end of Tiffany's story, but she has a bright future ahead of her. Right now, she is spending quality time with three teenagers and waiting for the next "Pathway" the Lord will open to her.

Bishop Frías and his wife have been members since their youth. But for others, baptized later in life, Church service quickly becomes a concentrated course in leadership.
Ernesto Merchán, a member of the Church since 1988, is a counselor in the bishopric of his ward and previously served as elders quorum president. He tries very hard to keep his baptismal covenants because “the Lord told us, in the scriptures, to be a light to others.” (See Matt. 5:16.) Brother Merchán hopes that some of his relatives will see the light of the gospel.
His wife saw it, after two years of watching his growth in the Church and feeling the love Church members extended to her. Just one year after her own baptism, Carmen Merchán was called as ward Relief Society president. Her lack of experience and the poverty among members in her area are not daunting, she says, so long as she can feel the Lord’s help in her calling. If nothing else, she adds, “I can love them” as the Savior taught.
“Here in Ecuador, as in other countries, the Lord is the same,” Ernesto Merchán says. “The gospel is the same. We are one family.”