Gospel Story Finder

While President Hinckley was serving as a missionary in England, he received an invitation from his mission president to meet with a publisher who had recently released a book containing false information that could damage the Church.

At first glance, we may not view this scene from President Hinckley's mission as a gospel teaching and learning experience, but that is what it was. The mission president gave a young missionary a challenging invitation. Elder Hinckley wondered why his president would invite him to talk to the publisher. Why wouldn't the mission president, who was more qualified, do it himself? But he accepted the invitation and then immediately went to his apartment to pray.

Then Elder Hinckley invited the reluctant publisher to do something about the book that contained fallacious information. The publisher relented--and not only did he relent, but he was so impressed with this young missionary that every year for the rest of his life he sent President Hinckley a Christmas card. The publisher's heart had been changed.

But so had Elder Hinckley's heart. By inviting him to do something challenging, his mission president had given him an opportunity to learn. It was an invitational call. Elder Hinckley accepted the invitation, went to the Lord, and was strengthened sufficiently to meet the challenge. He learned that he could do more than he thought possible with the help of the Lord.

He blames it on a short attention span, but it’s more likely the spirit of missionary service that doesn’t allow Brandon Fields to sit still. He’s always wanted to go on a mission, but just wanting to go wasn’t enough. He needed to prepare. When he was 16, the constant urgings of full-time missionaries and a talk he had to give on missionary service in sacrament meeting prompted this Seattle, Washington, priest to do some thinking.
Brandon thought, You know, I should probably start praying for missionary experiences, because that’s what I’m going to be doing for two years, so why not start now? He hasn’t sat still since. And his prayers for missionary experiences have definitely been answered. Between visiting the less-active families in his ward, going team teaching with the missionaries, attending school, and working, it’s a wonder this first assistant to the bishop even has time to breathe. He says he’s able to fit it all in because he just never stops moving.
Brandon’s momentum started to build when he and his best friend, Steve Wells, started to go teaching with the missionaries in their area. “We volunteered a couple of times, and it turned out we were the only priests who could go. So it was us for five months.” Now that he’s only six months away from his mission, Brandon is still helping the missionaries, but he does get a break every once in a while, since there are now a few more priests to help out. Steve is now on a full-time mission in the Philippines.
The gospel is like a favorite recipe, Brandon says, because you want to share it with everyone. “I share it because it makes me happy. And why wouldn’t you want to share what makes you happy?” His enthusiasm is contagious, says Marti Grisham, Young Men president of the Federal Way Washington Stake. “He’s got a real missionary attitude about him.”
But missionary work can sometimes be discouraging, and Brandon says he knows that. Team teaching with the missionaries helps him to overcome, or at least grow accustomed to, occasional setbacks. “It’s showing me how they get disappointed—like appointments not showing up. Just seeing that will help me be able to cope like the full-time missionaries do.” He’s learned to laugh, even when people slam doors in his face. “I’m usually pretty calm and just let stuff go.”
Though his attitude during hard times may be calm, his outlook on missionary work is pure excitement. Brandon has taught discussions with the missionaries a few times and is working hard to memorize as many discussions as he can before he goes into the Missionary Training Center. His study habits need some work, he says, but he hopes to improve with time and practice. “It makes you feel the Spirit and strengthens your testimony when you teach,” he says.
One of Brandon’s best experiences teaching the gospel happened when he was teaching with a full-time missionary. They were teaching a woman who was addicted to drugs and who was reluctant to live the lifestyle of Church members. One night she would not let Brandon and the missionary into her home to teach her, even though she had listened to discussions before and been receptive to their message. They wouldn’t give up on her; so they stood outside her house and sang hymns. Finally, she came out to listen to them. She was baptized a short time later. “I loved seeing the change she made and seeing her baptized,” Brandon says.
“We come to know Christ by following Him,” Brandon says as he teaches a part of the first new-member discussion to Armand Nicholas, 22, who has just joined the Church. Brandon had previously taught Armand the fifth missionary discussion. Brandon flips to scripture after scripture about Christ as if he were in a seminary scripture chase. “He knows his scriptures,” says Elder Mithona Seng, one of the missionaries with whom Brandon works.
After teaching Armand, Brandon and the missionaries visit a young man who had seen a documentary about the Prophet Joseph Smith and wanted to know more about the Church. Brandon helped the missionaries teach the first discussion with the aid of some study cards he had made.
You might think all this future missionary does is race from house to house sharing the gospel. But he also finds time to earn money for his mission, working as a floor supervisor at a movie theater. When movies arrive at the theater, the film is on a few small reels. Brandon “builds up” or combines the smaller reels into one big reel and adds the movie previews. Normally, he might have to watch many R-rated movies as part of his job, but, he says, “I build up the movies, and you’re supposed to watch them. But the people I work with know I don’t, so someone else comes and does it.” And when he puts on his uniform at work, the mantle of member missionary remains firmly in place. He still tries to tell the people he works with about the gospel and has given copies of the Book of Mormon to some of them.
Although he has to get outside his comfort zone, he says trying to be a good example comes more easily when you don’t worry about what others think of you. “Yes, a mission is hard, but it’s fun, because the missionaries have fun. … Just try teaching with them and pray about it. It’s not like Heavenly Father’s going to say no, because we’re supposed to go.” Brandon says he’ll keep sharing his favorite recipe—for happiness that is—the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“A most significant evidence of our conversion and of how we feel about the gospel in our own lives is our willingness to share it with others and to help missionaries find someone to teach. The likelihood of lasting conversion greatly increases when a nonmember has a friend or a relative who radiates the joy of being a member of the Church. The influence of members of the Church is very powerful. I believe that’s why President Hinckley asked us to see that everyone has a friend” (Ensign, Nov. 2000, 75–76).—Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve

To put my remarks into a context a little closer to home, let me introduce you to Snowy the sheep.

When my family and I moved to Pipiwai, New Zealand, we built a home, grew a vegetable garden and an orchard, and raised a variety of animals. We had a milk cow, chickens, goats, a turkey, an energetic and very happy dog, and six cats who lived outside and took care of the mice and rat population for us.

When my youngest daughter, Maraea, was ten, she decided to raise a Southdown lamb given to us by a family member. Southdown sheep are among the oldest domesticated breeds. They are a moderately-sized, mild-mannered sort of sheep who don’t need a lot of space, and because of this, they are a good breed for children to raise. (http://southdownsheep.org/breed_overview.php) Maraea wanted to raise the lamb for the local Calf Club competitions at her school. And so the adventures with Snowy the lamb began.

Calf Club Day in New Zealand is a big event. Calf Club competitions are held every year at rural schools and at regional levels to recognize the work of children in rearing healthy young farm animals. Children have to carefully feed, groom, and train their young animals in order to successfully compete in Calf Club events.

When Maraea started caring for Snowy, the lamb was very young, only about a month old. Lambs must be fed frequently, so Maraea had to bottle-feed her lamb often throughout the day. When she was home from school, Maraea kept the lamb by her side for much of the day. She took the lamb with her when she fed our chickens, or when she did other chores around our home. Maraea had to remain calm whenever she was with Snowy so that the lamb would not be frightened or upset.

As Maraea will tell you, sheep are not fast learners, and training them can be a very frustrating experience. In order to teach the lamb to obey basic commands, such as coming when called, Maraea had to be very patient and spend a lot of time training Snowy every day. Maraea’s persistence, however, met with success. Snowy became very attached to her and eventually followed her everywhere. The lamb even learned to enjoy riding in the car with Maraea. She liked to sit on Maraea’s lap on the back seat so that she could look out the car window.

Through Maraea’s love, care, time, and attention, Snowy the lamb developed a close bond with her. When Maraea called Snowy by name, the lamb ran to her. When I called Snowy by name, the lamb completely ignored me.

As you can see in this photo, Snowy was a very healthy, well-cared for lamb at 4-months old when Maraea and Snowy competed in Calf Club Day at Maraea’s school. They entered several events in the competition. They won a highly commended ribbon in rearing— that’s when animals are judged on their physical conditioning and appearance. They also won the second place prize in calling—when animals are judged on their response to coming when called by their owners. The second place award in calling allowed Maraea and Snowy to enter regional Calf Club events. They subsequently earned the First Place award for the regional calling competition. It was a happy achievement for both of them.

In Maraea’s experiences with her lamb, she learned to do many things that are required of a good shepherd. As she later explained, a person who cares for sheep needs to be fully invested in all ways, emotionally and otherwise, in the well-being of the sheep, because the animal requires a lot of care and direction. Sheep are grazers and dependent on their shepherd to be led to good pasture. Maraea observed that sheep also may well be the most vulnerable and defenseless of the larger domesticated farm animals. Because sheep panic when frightened, they will not be able to find safety without assistance from the shepherd. Shepherds must be willing to protect and defend their flock of sheep and even put themselves in harms’ way if needed to save their sheep from danger. In order to be fed and safe, sheep must learn to trust and follow the shepherd.

Shepherds, in turn, rely on their sheep for their livelihood and sustenance. Maraea depended on her sheep for a little pocket money each year. She appreciated the money she earned from Snowy’s thick wool when the sheep was annually sheared.

In her experiences, Maraea also learned that the close bond between the shepherd and the sheep is short-lived and will not last unless the shepherd consistently nurtures the sheep. As Maraea and Snowy grew up and spent less time with each other, Maraea found that Snowy did not respond as well, sometimes refusing to come when called.

As Maraea learned with Snowy, it takes time and effort to for lambs to recognize and follow the voice of the shepherd.

J: I did. My crisis in lateral leadership occurred as a young junior companion on my mission. I had a companion who fell in love with a Brazilian girl. He had found ways to see her by going to her house while on splits with a district leader. He ultimately told me about what was going on because we had developed a warm, mutually respectful relationship.
When he told me about his Brazilian girlfriend, I was devastated. I felt that my trust had been betrayed. But mainly I felt anxious about what to do now. I knew what I was supposed to do. Before my mission, my father counseled me that my first loyalty must be to the Lord, next to my mission president, and third to my companion. These priorities are now part of the little Missionary Handbook, which goes on to say:
“Be aware that you have a responsibility to protect your companion from physical and spiritual danger. If you do not fulfill this responsibility and your companion engages in serious misconduct, you may be subject to Church disciplinary action.”
My Dad had been a counselor in several mission presidencies. He had seen missionaries sent home because they colluded with a companion to cover up serious transgressions, such as fornication.
All this weighed heavily on me as I considered what to do—all that day and through the night. In the morning, I decided to have what people now call a “crucial conversation” with my comp.
I asked him if he really loved the girl. He did. I asked him if he wanted to marry her. He did. In the temple? Yes. In a way that could be celebrated by his parents and hers, both of whom were leaders in the Church? Yes, he said. Then don’t you think that we ought to go see the mission president and talk with him about this?
The question hung in the air for what seemed like an eternity to me. My companion was not close to the mission president. In fact, he had been a ringleader among a subculture of disobedient missionaries. But he was a better person at heart than he had been on his mission. That’s why I tried to appeal to his better angels. I think he wanted to change, though I didn’t know it at the time.
And he did change. Miraculously, he agreed to go talk to the mission president and we immediately got on a bus and went straight to the mission office.
S: I’ll bet you were relieved!
J: I was! I don’t know what I would have done if he had said “no.” Would I have been courageous enough to talk to the president alone? I do know that this crucial conversation turned my comp’s mission and life around. He did marry that girl in the temple. They raised a faithful family in the Church. They eventually moved back to Brazil for a season, where my companion served in a stake president and counselor in a mission presidency.
I consider my companion’s late-mission conversion to be one of the most important conversions I was involved in during my mission. I lifted him, but he also lifted me as I looked for the good in him. I learned how to speak Portuguese from his near-native fluency in the language. I learned how to interact with and love people from his easy, friendly, loving ways. We ascended together. He finished his mission on a higher plane than ever before.

Tom and Joan (names have been changed) had both lost their spouses. Tom’s wife had passed away from cancer, and Joan’s husband, because of addiction, had left for other relationships. Tom and Joan met at a singles conference and were looking forward to marriage.
Each of them had children, age 15 and under. Their families had been on several outings together, and both Tom and Joan could see potential problems in blending the families. They came to counseling for some ideas on how to communicate in healthy ways to navigate this new chapter of their lives.
I suggested they review the message on family councils by President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “Children desperately need parents willing to listen to them,” he taught, “and the family council can provide a time during which family members can learn to understand and love one another.”1
For their family councils, they decided on the following agenda:
Define the problem.
Brainstorm solutions.
Choose a plan.
Put it into action.
Evaluate the success of the plan the next week and renegotiate the plan if necessary.
In addition to counseling together as a family, Tom and Joan learned that when relationship stress is high, there can be a need to learn how to improve one-on-one communication as well.
Tom and Joan learned several techniques that helped them improve their communication and their relationships with their children.
The parents stood together in finding solutions to problems with the children.
If a child had difficulty completing their daily tasks, one of the parents would spend time with them, discussing the day while they worked to complete the tasks.
They spent time each week deepening their relationship with every child.
They established ahead of time that they would take time-outs when the “emotional” brain (yelling) took over from the “rational,” solution-focused brain (discussion).
Whenever there was a power struggle between parent and child, the parent, when impressed to do so, withdrew and came back later to brainstorm a new solution.
As the family did their best to approach challenging relationship issues in faithful, healthy ways—communicating about their challenges and working through them together—Tom and Joan recognized important growth in their children as well as themselves.

It happens almost every Sunday evening. Nine-year-old Xinia (ZEE-nyah) Muñoz gets out a pencil and several sheets of lined paper and starts writing letters.
She sits at the kitchen table, absorbed with her writing. Sometimes she’ll look up to ask someone how to spell a word, but during most of her letter-writing time, she is “in her own world”—or in the world of the person who is lucky enough to get her letter.
To whom is she writing? “The missionaries,” she answers with a smile. The letter she is working on in the picture here is for Elder Ed McCoy, a close friend of the family, who is serving a mission in California. He is the only member of his family who belongs to the Church, and Xinia makes sure that he gets at least one letter every week—hers!
“He used to come here for Sunday dinner,” she says. After he left for his mission, Sunday evening just didn’t seem complete without a visit with Elder McCoy—even if only through a letter.
Before long, Xinia started writing letters to the other missionaries from Belize City too. Now she writes a letter nearly every Sunday evening to all six of them. Sometimes she writes to missionaries who served in Belize and have returned to their homes. Every Monday morning, her mother mails a stack of her letters to places such as Honduras, England, Canada, and the United States.

The invitation to appear on the popular Edward R. Murrow show on CBS to present a typical Mormon home evening was a serious challenge. The eyes of the nation would be focused on this popular show. Not only the family but, to a great extent, the Church would be on trial before the people. There was some reluctance on the part of the wise mother. She did not want her daughters publicized; but with the persuasion of her sons that this would be an opportunity to do missionary work, she readily agreed. There followed prayer and fasting, but no rehearsing. It was to be an informal Mormon home evening. Questions were to be answered, as the children decided, with “a Church answer.” The Lord heard our prayers, and afterwards letters came in by the hundreds. Later, in a national magazine article, Mr. Murrow expressed his pleasure and surprise when he received more fan mail on the Mormon home evening with Secretary Benson’s family than on any other program of his years-long “Person to Person” series.

Bishop Richard C. Edgley, in his 2003 general conference address, told of an experience that illustrates the power and blessings of humility. He described a lesson in his high priests quorum meeting in which the instructor asked attendees to tell who their heroes were and why. Someone named the Savior, another spoke of Abraham Lincoln, another mentioned Joseph Smith, and still another said President Gordon B. Hinckley. When it was Brother Edgley’s turn, he chose as his heroes members of his ward who had experienced tragedies and major setbacks in their lives yet had carried on in humility. They relied on the Lord and not on their own abilities to help them through their difficult life experiences.
One example of his heroes was Ken and Jo Ann Sweatfield, who for many years cared for their comatose son with love and patience. Their son Shane had been in a terrible automobile accident just two weeks before he was to leave for his mission. For twenty years his parents tended him, never taking a vacation. During the long years of their trial, they remained humble, maintaining “a spirit of faith, optimism, and gratitude” and never questioning God’s purposes.
Bishop Edgley went on to tell about more of his heroes who did not hold high or prominent callings in the Church nor were widely known to the general membership of the Church but who were all humble and relied on the Lord to help them meet life’s challenges. They did not seek position, prominence, or fame but did the unnoticed and the unspectacular, humbly and righteously. He said, “Their humility leads to submissiveness to the Lord’s will. And . . . in spite of the difficulties and trials of life, they are able to maintain a sense of gratitude for God’s blessings and life’s goodness.” The people he described were regular people who were able to combat the prideful natural man and feelings of enmity by being submissive to God and acknowledging their dependence on the Lord. In this, we, like them, can be in harmony with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

For a long time, I wanted to focus more on my scriptures, but I felt so busy. I have both school and dance, and I felt that I didn’t have enough time or energy. Then, when I was listening to general conference, I heard a talk that asked us to renew our focus on our scriptures every day. I knew my scriptures would make me happier and bless me—I just needed to find a way to remember them even when I was busy. I knew I could do it, though, because I had faith in myself and in the promises of prophets.
I came up with the idea to make my phone’s lock screen a scripture. That way, every time I turn on my phone, I think of the scriptures. I can keep the scriptures on my mind all the time. I choose a new scripture every week, and I specifically choose it based on either a topic I’m struggling with or what we have been learning in Young Women.

Let me tell you of my struggles to learn the Law of Tithing. Growing up, I never thought much about tithing. I remember paying tithing, but how committed I was I can't remember. In 1958, I had graduated from High School and entered LDS Business College. I had enough money to pay my tuition for the first term and rent an apartment for two months. I needed to get a job or I'd have to drop out of school. I looked and looked for a job. I could not find one. Finally, after two months, I'm desperate. My money is running out. One afternoon, I come home from school and in my upstairs apartment I decide to kneel down and pour out my heart to Heavenly Father. It must have been a long prayer as my needs were great. During the prayer I make a promise, a covenant, "Father please help me, please help me to stay in school. Please help me get an education. Please help me find a job. And Father if you'll help me, I covenant, I promise that I'll pay a full and honest tithing for the rest of my life." It's a very emotional prayer. I'm praying with all my soul. The Lord hears my prayer. He makes a covenant with me. The next day I'm inspired to go to the Utah Genealogical Society and apply for a job. I interview. I get the job that day.
I am so grateful. I shed tears of gratitude. And all my life, I have kept that covenant.

When I was a child, my family spent some summers near the ocean in northern California. My father was a high school biology teacher, and during some summers he worked as a naturalist in California state parks in the redwood forests. We enjoyed living in the redwoods and going to the ocean as a family.

One of my favorite childhood memories is digging for agates, which are small translucent stones. It was like a treasure hunt. I would sit on the beach and dig a small hole in the gravel with a piece of driftwood. When I found an agate, I would hold it up to see if the sunlight shown through it. Finding an agate was fun.

As an adult, I wanted to share this happy experience with my children. One summer we went to a beach which I had visited as a child. It is called Agate Beach because many agates can be found there. I began to dig in the gravel. However, not long after we began digging, one of my children got hit by an ocean wave. The ocean in northern California is cold, and my young daughter was wet and cold. However, I wanted to continue digging for agates, and I did. After a while Nadine told me that she was taking our daughter back to the car. I understood that it was time to leave the beach.

The agates were worth little. By contrast, my daughter was very important. But I was so focused on digging for agates that it was hard for me to pull away from it and to focus on what was most important.

But she was sad because her mother could not understand the true gospel. Every day, Mary Jane knelt to pray. “Heavenly Father, I am so glad to be a member of the Church, but I want my mother to be baptized too,” she said. “Please help her to understand the message. Please let something happen to help her accept the gospel.” For three years Mary Jane prayed for her mother. She never gave up hope.
When Mary Jane was 13 years old, her mother became seriously ill with a disease that settled in her foot. It was very painful.
One day Mary Jane said to her mother, “Why don’t I ask the elders to come and give you a priesthood blessing?” Because her foot was hurting so much, Mary Jane’s mother finally agreed. The elders gave Mary Jane’s mother a blessing, and to her amazement, her foot immediately stopped hurting. Mary Jane knew her prayers had been answered.
Soon afterward her mother started going to Church meetings. It wasn’t long before she also joined the Church. Mary Jane was happier than she had ever been.

In October 2004 the Young Women and Young Men organizations in our stake had an event called “Modesty in Dress,” based on the pamphlet For the Strength of Youth. It consisted of a fashion show divided into three parts: casual wear, sportswear, and formal wear. We asked each of the young men and young women to select three changes of clothing, and we helped them choose which clothes were suitable. We invited their leaders and parents to this activity. We emphasized scriptural verses about the body being a temple (see 1 Cor. 6:19–20) and the counsel of our prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley. The activity had a positive effect; the young people in our stake are more concerned now about grooming and dressing in an appropriate way.
Teresa de Jesús Contreras de Ramírez, Mexico

I’m from Nigeria, an English-speaking country, so when I was called to serve in the Benin Cotonou Mission and realized I would be speaking French, I became nervous. How was I going to teach the gospel? As I expected, I struggled to learn French while in the missionary training center in Ghana. Many times I felt almost hopeless.
Then, in my first area, I was asked to bear my testimony to the branch in French! Everyone sat in silence as I slowly walked to the pulpit. I reached into my pocket for the short testimony I had written down. But I could not find it! Fear gripped me instantly!
When I looked out at the beautiful faces before me, my eyes filled with tears. I had so much I wanted to share, but I didn’t know how to say it. I said the only thing I could in French: “I know that God lives.”
I sat back down and during the rest of the meeting, I prayed in my heart. I told Heavenly Father that I really wanted to speak French, and that if He would help me, I would serve Him with all my heart.
Three months later a new missionary couple from the United States visited the branch. They were also asked to bear their testimonies. The sister walked to the pulpit, said a few words in French, and then stopped. Tears fell down her face. The chapel was silent. I walked up to her and asked if I could interpret for her.
“Oh, that would be wonderful, Elder,” she said. I felt the Spirit as she spoke English, and I interpreted her testimony, word for word, in French.
After the meeting the branch president’s wife said to me, “I remember how long it took you to say, ‘I know that God lives’ when you first arrived. Yes, God really lives and He has touched your tongue.”
I know that God understands every language and every problem we face. He is there to help us if we put our trust in Him, and He blesses our efforts when we try. Because He answered my prayer, I have been able to teach the gospel in French and my life has been blessed.

I will now share two stories wherein angels communicated love to mortals. At one point in his life Parley P. Pratt remained captive for months in a Missouri dungeon. He was very discouraged. After fasting and praying for a number of days, Elder Pratt experienced a powerful answer to his prayer. He wrote:

A personage . . . stood before me with a smile of compassion in every look, and pity mingled with the tenderest love and sympathy in every expression of the countenance. . . . A well known voice saluted me, which I readily recognized as that of the wife of my youth, who had for near two years been sweetly sleeping where . . . the weary are at rest.20

This personage, as an angelic messenger, delivered her message to Elder Pratt and then departed.

When I was preparing to serve a mission, my bishop called me to teach the Sunbeams. I had never before learned to love others more than myself until I had served those children in such a simple assignment. With time and patience I learned how to keep those seven children in their seats and listening to a simple lesson.
One day I invited Mike* to come to church and visit my class. Mike was my age but had stopped attending church completely by the time he was 12. We had remained friends over the years as I had served as the deacons quorum president, the teachers quorum president, and first assistant to the bishop in the priests quorum. He had been the topic of many fellowshipping discussions and was often part of my prayers. Once in a while Mike would accept my invitations to come to an activity. It always surprised me when he did, so I kept inviting him.
I don’t remember when I invited him to my Primary class, but one day he showed up. At that time, Mike had long, black hair and a beard.
“Class, I would like to introduce you to my friend Mike,” I said to begin my lesson. “He is visiting us today.”
Mike sat next to me in front. The children sat in a semicircle around us with their eyes fixed on Mike. They were much quieter than usual. I was about five or six minutes into the lesson when one little boy got up from his chair and walked across the room and stood directly in front of my friend. He paused for a moment and then climbed onto Mike’s lap. I watched the two of them as I continued with the lesson.
The boy stared into Mike’s face. Mike was quite uncomfortable but did not interrupt the lesson or turn the boy away. The other children watched the two of them for a few minutes.
Then one of the girls climbed off her seat and approached Mike. I was intently interested in seeing how Mike would react, so I did not ask the two children to return to their seats. The girl stood with her hand on Mike’s knee looking into his face.
Then it happened. The boy on Mike’s lap reached up with both hands and turned Mike’s face directly to his. I stopped my lesson to see what was about to unfold.
With the innocence of a child, he said to Mike, “Are you Jesus?”
The look on Mike’s face was total surprise. It seemed, as I glanced at the children’s faces, they all had the same question on their minds.
Mike looked at me as if to ask, Help, what do I say?
I stepped in. “No, this is not Jesus. This is His brother.”
Mike looked at me in shock.
Then without hesitation the boy on Mike’s lap reached up and wrapped his arms around Mike’s neck. “I can tell,” he said as he hugged Mike.
The rest of the children smiled and nodded in agreement as their question was answered. Mike blinked back tears in response to the love he felt from this small Sunbeam. The lesson went on, but that day the teacher who taught the most was a three-year-old child.
Mike spent more than a year getting ready to serve a full-time mission. It thrilled me to learn he left for the mission field a few months before I returned. When I think of those Sunbeams, I think of the scripture in Matthew 18:5: “And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.”

“One day two missionaries got into my taxi,” says Garry Guanilo of Peru. “They asked me if I knew that families could be eternal. That question really had an impact on me. And they spoke to me about the Prophet Joseph Smith. I went home and told my wife, María, about it. We invited the missionaries to our home. During the first lesson, they sang ‘Families Can Be Together Forever’ ” (Hymns, no. 300).
María adds, “Since our baptism, we are progressing in many ways. It’s like a staircase—we keep climbing higher and higher, and less important things are dropping out of our lives.”
Garry continues, “I want to marry my wife for eternity in the temple and to have our daughters sealed to us. We had no idea this world existed!”—Garry and María Guanilo, Peru

Dr. Heyerdahl—No, because from a scientific point of view, Ra I proved more than Ra II—much more. Ra I started as a complete drift voyage—we broke both steering oars the first day off port—and yet we ended up at our destination. There we were—landlubbers, with only one sailor aboard; one man didn’t even know the ocean was salty until he took a drink from it. And we still ended up where we were supposed to.
Also, we had shown that a papyrus boat wouldn’t sink in two weeks—we had been out fifty-five days. And we had made every mistake in the book. I knew that if we had had the knowledge of the ancients, it would have been much easier to make the trip. And the distance covered by Ra I was almost twice the distance across the Atlantic at its shortest point. So, at Ra I’s end, I had not intended to undertake a second expedition.
Dr. Heyerdahl—Even with all these mistakes and blunders, we still kept floating toward America—in fact, there was nothing we could do about it. We had got on the conveyor, and we were going to end up where I knew we would. But when we were about 600 miles off Barbados, the waves had moved our little cabin back and forth so many times that the ropes on one side had been cut off, and we started losing our papyrus. We had to swim underneath with rope and keep tying the papyrus together. This worked fine until we came near the Caribbean and collected about thirty sharks swimming around us. When my Egyptian friend nearly lost a leg, I stopped all swimming underneath and we had to satisfy ourselves by watching our papyrus boat gradually tear away and float beautifully behind us—still floating after two months at sea! It was a hard task for me. All my men wanted to continue. As leader, I knew that we would make it, that there was enough of the vessel left; but I also knew that the chances of losing one or two men were very great. I didn’t feel it was worth risking human life for a scientific experiment. It was a terrible feeling to have all my men want to go on and have to decide to quit. But we stopped then.
Dr. Heyerdahl—Well, let me say that when we built Ra I, we did what any sailor would have done. We used the best advice and the guidance of our Lake Chad builders, but we made every mistake you could possibly make. First, the stern on Ra I was built wrongly. Our Lake Chad tribesmen added a stern, as I requested, but since they weren’t accustomed to doing it, they did it so loosely that at sea the stern collapsed. Second, since we were sailing into the trade-wind belt, we knew we would get wind from the starboard side, the right-hand side, which means that with a big sail and a light boat, you will capsize with the wind unless you put all your heavy weight on the side with the wind. So, knowing this, I told the men to tie the cabin not in the center but to the side where the wind came in. We put all our heavy cargo on that side also. Well, when we sailed away, it was perfect. But soon the whole boat started to capsize the wrong way. We started to carry all the load to the opposite side. Then we discovered that a reed boat should be loaded on the opposite side, contrary to all other boats in the world, because where the wind comes the waves will splash, and the papyrus above the water level will absorb water and become heavier. After we were out two weeks, we couldn’t start changing the cabin in mid-ocean. Third, we broke the rudder oars the very first day off the coast, and the second day we broke the yardarm holding the sail. But even so, we drifted—forwards, sideways, and backwards—toward America.
Dr. Heyerdahl—Well, I studied closely the mural paintings and early Egyptian tomb wall drawings of reed boats. And I decided, just as with my experience with the Peruvian Indians, that it was best to ask the advice of people who still made them. Since I was going to leave from African Morocco, I decided to ask the Africans for help. I turned to tribesmen of Lake Chad, who still use reed boats today. These people and myself built Ra I. However, as we were to learn, these tribesmen build their boats differently from the ancient Egyptians. The Egyptians had them turned up at both ends—and pointed perfectly for ocean navigation. But on Lake Chad you don’t have big waves, and the reed boat is shaped more like an elephant tusk.

I grew up playing rugby in Ireland, and I was able to play it professionally around the world as a young adult. While I was visiting England to play rugby, I met the missionaries and was baptized. I later served a mission and then moved to Australia, where I met my wife and became a father.
When I converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ, my entire lifestyle changed in just a short time! I suddenly had a wife, a home in a different country, and a son. I didn’t grow up with a traditional family, so this was all new to me. Living the gospel brought me blessings that I never had access to before, and I was so grateful for them.
But even though I was blessed in so many areas of my life, I still felt overwhelmed.
From the outside, life was good, but I realized there were some difficulties amid the blessings. When my wife and I argued, I struggled to share my feelings. I hadn’t learned how to express them effectively. And because I grew up with a single mother, I felt somewhat lost when it came to a marriage relationship.
Circumstances changed, and I could no longer play rugby. I felt like I was not a good dad, a good husband, or a good provider. And I wanted to provide for my family so badly! I just didn’t know where to turn.
My experience of being overwhelmed progressively got worse. I began to lose hope that things would get better, and I grew more depressed. Over time, thoughts of suicide emerged. Because my suicidal thoughts and depression were left untreated, I chose to make a suicide attempt.
By a miraculous event, I survived my attempt. I realized how bad my mental health had become, and I started meeting with a counselor. This counselor helped me have a healthier perspective and learn to recognize and share how I was really feeling.
With a new focus on hope, and with professional help for my mental health, I was determined to start healing. I started to understand that even though I’m imperfect, with Heavenly Father’s help, I could keep my marriage strong, be a good dad, and provide for my family.
My ward was also supportive of me as I served in the bishopric. Being able to serve others brought another sense of purpose back into my life.
Another miraculous blessing that helped me see the light was studying my patriarchal blessing. The words reminded me of the promises Heavenly Father has made to me and helped me realize that I could provide for my family if I put the Lord first.
I’ve started praying more sincerely to invite the light of the gospel into my life. I read my scriptures every day. I always try to invite the Spirit so I can have positive thoughts and improve my relationship with my wife and son.
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
“From time to time our lives may seem to be touched by, or even wrapped in, darkness. …
“… I bear witness that our living hope is in Christ Jesus! He is the true, pure, and powerful entrance to divine enlightenment.
“I testify that with Christ, darkness cannot succeed.”
Now I talk to Heavenly Father every day. When I have a hard time, I get on my knees and let Him know that I am still trying my best. I now understand that no matter how overwhelmed I may get, I can always turn to my Savior for help.
I am never really alone. I truly am a child of God.
And so are you.
The scriptures teach us that the worth of souls is great in the eyes of God (see Doctrine and Covenants 18:10). And Heavenly Father loves each of His children so much and is aware of our struggles. Even when life is challenging, we can always have faith that He will lead us to the right people and the right resources.
I echo what President Jeffrey R. Holland, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, taught: “Whatever your concerns or difficulties, death by suicide is manifestly not the answer. … In a world that so desperately needs all the light it can get, please do not minimize the eternal light God put in your soul before this world was. Talk to someone. Ask for help. … You can bear the struggles of this mortal life because we will help you bear them. You are stronger than you think. Help is available, from others and especially from God. You are loved and valued and needed. We need you!”
At first, I didn’t realize I was struggling with my mental health, until it became so debilitating I could hardly function. Learning to talk about my feelings and focusing on my Savior and His healing power has helped me feel peace and hope in my life again.
I know focusing on Him will help you find healing too.

It was a Friday night much like any other. My closest friends and I were sitting in my apartment after watching a movie, periodically chatting quietly and then laughing loudly. A sense of genuine contentment filled the air, and I couldn’t help smiling as stories and ideas swirled through the room. Some of the people I had met only a month before; some I had known all my 25 years.
At one point one of these longtime friends and I got to sharing memories about some of our college friends from a few years earlier. As we talked, I thought of how I missed these friends, of how much fun we had had, and how close we had been. Now we had graduated and moved to places all over the world, finding ourselves in situations we never could have predicted. I sighed with momentary feelings of loss, then glanced around the room at the laughing faces surrounding me at that moment and was struck by the sudden thought: good things keep on coming.
That simple thought was actually quite profound for me, especially since I have always had a hard time facing change and am hesitant to let go of good things. I miss the past even while it is still the present, desperate to enjoy fully moments in which I consciously and determinedly live. I know when I have a good thing, and I want to hold on and never let go; this lazy and happy Friday night was one of those good moments. Usually when I realize how good things are, I instantly begin thinking of how everything is fleeting, that it will eventually be lost to time or circumstance.
But this night the internal regret didn’t come. Sitting quietly, surrounded by people I loved, I knew that even though some good things must naturally come to an end and that there would undoubtedly be many hard things in the future, the good things would keep on coming. And they always would—as long as I let them. Even as those I love moved on, voids would be filled with new and amazing people and experiences I had never even imagined.