Gospel Story Finder

Superior Branch of the Missoula Montana Stake put on its very first road show. With only five active members in the Mutual, the youth recruited members of the branch presidency and a couple of Primary children to participate with them. With the help and confidence building of their leaders, they wrote their own script, made their costumes, and found help with providing live music. Those participating were Vince Price; Shaleen, Lane, and Deana Morgan; Rick, Buffy, and Grant Seemann.

When Walnetta’s family migrated from Fiji to Devonport on Auckland’s North Shore a few years after the Second World War, her father, Oscar P. Broederlow, and his family, were the only known members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in that area. But the missionaries set to work and soon there were enough new converts to hold meetings in the Devonport Labour Hall, arranged by Walnetta’s mother, Hilda E. Lobendahn Broederlow.
Once the Relief Society organisation was established there, the small group of sisters would meet weekly in the home of Sister Norma Roberts. Walnetta’s mum took her along so that she could provide the piano accompaniment for ‘the singing mothers’. “Primary had not yet been formed,” she recalls, “so I always look back bemused at the fact that for me, attendance at Relief Society preceded Primary!”

During a stake Relief Society conference, Buddy got into some trouble. There were many people he didn’t know, and he was snuffing like mad to sort them out. Suddenly he began howling and barking, even when Sister Moulder commanded him to be quiet. The man in charge of the microphones said that it was probably because of the high-pitched notes that dogs can hear, which were coming from the hearing aids of some older sisters.

That day, priesthood brethren helped serve dinner to hundreds of sisters by rushing up and down the aisles with wheeled carts. One server parked his cart and unloaded all the plates he could carry, leaving just one on the bottom shelf. Sniffing the food, Buddy must have thought that the last plate was for him. He was tempted, but Sister Moulder told him to “leave it,” and he did.

I think of Oliver Cowdery. Here was a man who gave up his work as a teacher to go to assist the Prophet Joseph Smith in the translation of the Book of Mormon. While so serving, a question arose concerning baptism. The answer to their prayer was the bestowal of the Aaronic Priesthood under the hands of John the Baptist.
It was Oliver Cowdery also who, in company with the Prophet Joseph Smith, experienced the laying on of hands of Peter, James, and John, the Apostles who had received the priesthood from the Lord Himself while in mortality. It was Oliver Cowdery who became a witness of the plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated. He became the second elder in the Church. He was one of the three who were asked by the Prophet to seek out the first Twelve Apostles in this dispensation. He instructed them in words that ring with power down to this day.
And yet this same Oliver Cowdery let a few trivial things get in his way. He became disaffected and sullen and critical of Joseph Smith. The spirit of apostasy gnawed at him until he left the Church.
He later came back, asking only to be accepted as a member. Of him Wilford Woodruff declared:
“I have seen Oliver Cowdery when it seemed as though the earth trembled under his feet. I never heard a man bear a stronger testimony than he did when under the influence of the Spirit. But the moment he left the kingdom of God, that moment his power fell like lightning from Heaven. He was shorn of his strength like Samson in the lap of Delilah. He lost the power and the testimony which he had enjoyed, and he never recovered it again in its fulness while in the flesh, although he died in the Church” (Stanley R. Gunn, Oliver Cowdery—Second Elder and Scribe, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1962, page 73).

Thelma Taylor was happy with her calling at her local family history center in Mesa, Arizona, USA. For 17 years she assisted, guided, and supported men and women in their quests to find their ancestors. A move to Coolidge, Arizona, in 2005, however, put 40 miles (64 km) between her and the family history center whose patrons she had faithfully served.

Nearly blind and unable to drive, the 83-year-old woman feared her inability to travel to Mesa would mean the end of her family history service. Then a thoughtful leader offered a solution to this problem in the form of a Church-service mission Sister Taylor could perform from home. Since 2006 she has served as a FamilySearch Support missionary for the Church, using her home computer to help people do their family history work.

“It has blessed me beyond my ability to count all the blessings,” she says of her experience. “I’ve grown so much in that area in family history and in my ability to serve.”

Though her eyesight is poor, Sister Taylor—who now supports six fellow missionaries—can increase the font size on her computer enough to read patrons’ e-mails and respond to their questions.

Sister Taylor didn’t learn how to operate a computer until she was 66 years old, but she says it is a beneficial, useful skill. “Your age doesn’t matter,” she said. “You’re not too old to learn how to use a computer.”

“This is an ideal situation for me because I can continue to learn and serve,” Sister Taylor said. She said her Church-service mission has helped her to feel useful at an age when her options are limited.

The work is fulfilling and contagious. “The spirit of this work gets into you and doesn’t turn you loose,” Sister Taylor said. “No matter your age, you can be of real service as a FamilySearch Support missionary.”

On Linda’s fifth birthday, her daddy brought home a swing set and put it up in the backyard. She could hardly wait for him to bolt all the parts together and hang the seats from the top pole. Swinging was Linda’s favorite playground activity, and now she could swing as often as she wanted. That was important because Linda’s mom was really sick and could not take her to the park or schoolyard much anymore. Linda had no brothers or sisters yet, and there were no neighbor children her age, so she often had to play by herself.
Mom had always been Linda’s best friend. They took walks, read stories, and visited the library together. They drew pictures and sewed clothes for Linda’s dolls. Linda helped Mom do the household chores and weed the garden. She went with her to quilting parties and the grocery store. But not lately. Now Mom spent almost all day in bed. Sometimes Linda sat quietly on her stool beside Mom’s bed while Mom told her stories. Mostly though, Linda found things to do on her own. She felt lonely and a little scared.
Dad usually fixed dinner after he got home from work. One day as Linda helped set the table, he said, “You know that your mom is really sick, Linda.”
“Yes,” she said, wondering what was coming next. Dad looked so tired and worried.
“Well,” he said, taking a deep breath, “your mom has to have an operation.” Dad went on to explain that while Mom was in the hospital, Linda would stay with Sister Beckstram during the day, and Dad would bring her home at night. Mom would be in the hospital for several days.
“Will she be all better then?” Linda asked.
Dad took another big breath. “I don’t know,” he said. “We all hope so. I will give Mom a priesthood blessing before she goes to the hospital. We can both pray for her too. I don’t know yet what Heavenly Father plans for your mom. We have to trust Him to know what’s best.”
Linda felt scared. She realized that Mom might die. It was a hard thing to think about.
That evening Linda went out to her swing set. Maybe swinging would help her feel better. Back and forth she went, pumping her legs until she was swinging as high as she could go. It didn’t help. She was still scared.
A few days later, Mom went to the hospital. She hugged Linda before she got into the car. “It will be all right,” Mom said, kissing Linda’s cheek. “We need to have faith.”
It was a very long day. By the time Dad picked Linda up that night, it seemed as if a week had passed. While Dad fixed dinner, Linda went out to her swing set. She sat, rocking a little, but didn’t really feel like swinging. As she sat there, a clear, strong thought came into her mind—“Sing Primary songs while you swing.”
Linda pushed off and started to swing. As she pumped, she sang “I Am a Child of God.” The big, heavy feeling she had carried around all day seemed to melt away. She sang “I Have a Garden” and “Teach Me to Walk in the Light.” Then she sang “I Am a Child of God” again—all the verses. It was amazing! Linda felt GOOD! The scared feeling was gone. It was as if she could feel Heavenly Father singing with her. There was comfort and peace. Linda knew that her mom would be all right. She knew it. She sang and sang and sang.
Mom had to have many more operations, and Linda often felt scared. With each operation she was afraid that this time Mom would die. But whenever she was worried, Linda remembered the secret she had learned on her swing set. She tried it again and again, and it worked every time. She soon discovered that she really didn’t have to swing; just singing the songs of the gospel gave her peace. As she got older, she learned more songs. She could sing for a long time without repeating herself. She just kept singing until the scared feeling went away.
Years later, Linda discovered a wonderful scripture in the Doctrine and Covenants: “For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads” (D&C 25:12).
“That’s exactly what happened to me,” Linda thought. “My songs were prayers, and Heavenly Father always answered them while I was still singing.” Still later, she realized that it had been the Holy Ghost who first whispered the idea of singing to her as she sat on her swing so sad and scared. What a wonderful secret He shared with her—a secret Linda has never forgotten.
“Hymns can lift our spirits, give us courage, and … bring us a spirit of peace.”Hymns, First Presidency Preface, x.

My dear brothers and sisters, because it was not appropriate for me to commence my Church service until I had concluded my judicial duties in state government, I did not speak at the April conference where I was sustained. Consequently, this semiannual conference is my first opportunity to speak to the general membership of the Church, to express acceptance of my calling to the Council of the Twelve.
I am thrilled with this calling. Having been “called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority” (A of F 1:5), I have gladly forsaken my professional activities to spend the rest of my days in the service of the Lord. I will devote my whole heart, might, mind, and strength to the great trusts placed in me, especially to the responsibilities of a special witness of the name of Jesus Christ in all the world.

Sometimes I think about the little notes that Mom puts in my school lunch box. One last week read, “Thanks for clearing the table last night. I love you.” My best friend, Matt Nielsen, read it, and at first I was kind of embarrassed, but then he said that I had a cool mom. So I showed him two other notes that I had in my coat pocket, along with the big marble I won from Larkin Gipson, the best marble player ever.

I live in Arco, Idaho, and I was recently shook up by the earthquake that hit our area. It is hard to believe that a town just 26 miles away was almost demolished. I can relate to Douglas Fowkes’s thought in the article “32 Seconds in Coalinga” in the November issue of the New Era. He said, “Nobody really expects it to happen to them,” and it’s true. I never really thought about how easily buildings and worldly possessions can be lost. Some of the thoughts that were relayed in this article really hit home. Thank you so much for the article. You have perfect timing!
Theresa JardineArco, Idaho

June 12 We went to a cabin in the mountains. We fed the birds and squirrels and ran around a lot. It got dark, and we heard strange sounds, but that was OK because Mom said Heavenly Father was close-by.

Personal revelation is the profound blessing received following baptism when we are “sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost.” I can remember a special spiritual revelation when I was 15 years old. My precious brother was seeking guidance from the Lord as to how to respond to our dear father, who did not want my brother to serve a mission. I prayed with sincere intent too and received personal revelation of the truthfulness of the gospel.

I have seen that same heart in the Saints of the Pacific. In a small village on one of these islands, an older man and his wife accepted the invitation of the missionaries to sincerely ask the Lord if the lessons they were being taught were true. In this process, they also considered the consequences of the commitments that they would need to make if the answer that they received led to their accepting the restored gospel. They fasted and prayed to know the truthfulness of the Church and the veracity of the Book of Mormon. The answer to their prayers came in the form of a sweet but ringing affirmation: “Yes! It is true!”

Having received this witness, they chose to be baptized. This was not a choice without personal cost. Their decision and baptism carried with them a high price. They lost employment, they sacrificed social standing, important friendships dissolved, and the support, love, and respect of family were withdrawn. They now walked to church each Sunday, exchanging awkward glances with friends and neighbors who were walking in the opposite direction.

In these difficult circumstances, this good brother was asked how he felt about their decision to join the Church. His simple and unwavering reply was “It is true, isn’t it? Our choice was clear.”

These two newly converted Saints truly had the heart of the widow. They, like the widow, “cast in all” that they could give, knowingly giving of their “want.” As a product of their believing hearts and enduring faith during those hard times, their burdens were lightened. They were aided and surrounded by supportive and ministering Church members, and they were personally strengthened by their service in Church callings.

After they cast in their “all,” the greatest day came when they were sealed in the temple as an eternal family. Like He did the converts under Alma’s leadership, “the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.” Such is the heart of the widow exemplified in this wonderful couple.

Given that focus, if the need arises, we might appropriately use our devices to:
Minister. A bishop might notice someone new or less active slip into the back of the chapel during sacrament meeting and, if prompted, text the ward mission leader to welcome the individual and invite them to a Gospel Principles class after the meeting.

In fleeing with Joseph from a mob, a young man reported, “sickness and fright had robbed me of my strength. Joseph had to decide whether to leave me to be captured by the mob, or endanger himself by rendering aid. Choosing the latter course, he lifted me upon his broad shoulders and bore me with occasional rest through the swamp and darkness. Several hours later we emerged upon the only road and soon reached safety. Joseph’s herculean strength permitted him to [save] my life.” (New Era, Dec. 1973, p. 19.)

One of my experiences with prayer was when I lost my wallet. It may seem unimportant, but it mattered to me. The wallet was hard to find, and after I checked everywhere, I prayed for help in finding it. I found it after a few more days of looking. Answers to meaningful prayers—even prayers over small matters—might not come quickly, but they will eventually come.
Garrett K., 14, Arizona, USA

A high percentage of the current baptisms in Spain are among South Americans drawn to Europe to find good jobs. Transplanted South Americans who have been members of the Church for many years are strong members of many urban Spanish units. One example: the Zacarías family of Madrid, originally from Perú.

Orlando and Esperanza Zacarías have three adult daughters—Rocío, Gabriela, and Alice—and a son, José, living with them, as well as a niece, Jenny Castro. The family members’ long experience in the Church before coming to Spain has been an asset as they serve in ward or stake callings.

Orlando, an accountant, came to Spain first to find work; then he sent for the rest of the family. All four young women hold jobs and at the same time study—largely European languages—to make themselves more versatile at work. The job market is very competitive.

One evening in the summer of 1837, Joseph and I drove a carriage into the little town of Painesville, Ohio, and stopped at the house of a friend for supper. We had scarcely finished our meal when a disturbance arose outside. A mob had gathered; there were angry yells and threats of murder. They demanded that our host bring Joseph and me out to them. Instead, he led us out through a back door and helped us to get away in the darkness.
Pretty soon the mob discovered we had escaped, so they dispatched riders to hurry along the road they thought we would take. Bonfires were lighted, sentinels were placed, they hunted the countryside.
Joseph and I did not take the main road, however, but walked through the woods and swamps away from the road. We were helped by the bonfires. Pretty soon I began to falter in our flight. Sickness and fright had robbed me of strength.
Joseph had to decide whether to leave me to be captured by the mob or to endanger himself by rendering aid. Choosing the latter course, he lifted me upon his own broad shoulders and bore me with occasional rests through the swamp and darkness. Several hours later we emerged upon the lonely road and soon reached safety. Joseph’s herculean strength permitted him to accomplish this task and saved my life.

For example, if some of your friends invite you to a party where you know there will be alcohol, you might be tempted to teach an in-depth lesson on the Word of Wisdom. That’s more likely to confuse people or put them off. Instead, just make it clear where you stand. Tell them you don’t drink, and use their questions as an opportunity to bear testimony of simple truths. Then tie in simple experiences with specific blessings you’ve seen.
But make sure you also listen to the Spirit. Sometimes you might be prompted to invite them to learn more or to come to a Church meeting with you. Maybe all you need to do in that moment is invite your friends to come with you to a friend’s house instead of to the party. Then, you will live up to your standards and your friends will get the chance to as well.

As a youth Brother Pace struggled with a great question—what sort of a person should he be? The insight came that he should be the kind of person who can most effectively bring others to our Heavenly Father through Christ. He describes this moment of insight as a great spiritual “breakthrough.” This book, a compilation of reflections from students in Brother Pace’s religion classes at Brigham Young University, tells the stories of youth who have caught a “glimpse of the beauty and power of the gospel.”

After a mission came service in the U.S. Marine Corps. But once, for a short time, I was separated from LDS companions. Some of the Marines I was with encouraged me to go on weekend leaves with them.

Finally, after a few weeks, they persuaded me to go with them on Saturday evening. We rode the bus into the city then boarded the streetcar. I could see the type of relationships they were starting to develop with the girls on the car. I knew this was wrong, and I moved to the rear of the car. There I found a different type of young people. I asked where they were going, and they said, “To a dance.”
I asked, “Where?”
They said, “It’s at the LDS church. Would you like to join us?”
Were they surprised to find I was a member of the Church! I got off the streetcar with them and had a delightful time with friends who shared the same values I did.