Gospel Story Finder

When we lived in Winslow, Arizona, in the 1930s, my father had a business, Carmack Engineering. It was an automobile and machine shop business. When I was about eight years old, he had me come down and sweep out his shop and clean it. This created a bond between a very hardworking father and myself, similar to that relationship enjoyed by farm boys and their fathers.

Many years ago there was a young woman, Baur Dee Sheffield, who taught in Mutual. She had no children of her own, though she and her husband dearly longed for children. Her love was expressed through devotion to her special young women as each week she taught them eternal truths and lessons of life. Then came illness, followed by death. She was but 27.

Each year, on Memorial Day, her Mutual girls made a pilgrimage of prayer to the graveside of their teacher, always leaving flowers and a little card signed “To Baur Dee, from your girls.” First there were 10 girls who went, then five, then two, and eventually just one, who continues to visit each Memorial Day, always placing on the grave a bouquet of flowers and a card, inscribed as always, “To Baur Dee, from your girls.”

One year, nearly 25 years after Baur Dee’s death, the only one of “her girls” who continued to visit the grave realized she would be away on Memorial Day and decided to visit her teacher’s grave a few days early. She had gathered flowers, tied them with a ribbon, attached a card, and was putting on her jacket to leave when her doorbell rang. She opened the door and was greeted by one of her visiting teachers, Colleen Fuller, who said she had experienced difficulty getting together with her visiting teaching partner and so had decided to come alone and unannounced in an effort to complete her visiting teaching before the end of the month. As Colleen was invited in, she noticed the jacket and flowers and apologized for obviously interrupting whatever had been planned.

“Oh, no problem,” came the response. “I’m just on my way to the cemetery to put flowers on the grave of the woman who was my Mutual teacher, who had a profound influence on me and the other girls she taught. Originally about 10 of us visited her grave each year to express our love and thanks to her, but now I represent the group.”

Colleen asked, “Could your teacher’s name have been Baur Dee?”

“Why, yes,” came the answer. “How did you know?”

With a catch in her voice, Colleen said, “Baur Dee was my aunt—my mother’s sister. Every Memorial Day since she died, my family has found on her grave a bouquet of flowers and a card inscribed from Baur Dee’s girls. They’ve always wanted to know who these girls were so they could thank them for remembering Baur Dee. Now I can let them know.”

When I was eight, my parents divorced. My dad and I had always been close. At the time, I didn’t realize how hard it would be to not have my father involved in my everyday life. And it was difficult to come to terms with the fact that my dad would not be there to baptize me or participate in many other important events.
Seven years later, there were still times when I would sit to write something about him in my journal, but the feelings of love and sorrow were so strong I couldn’t. It was awful being that completely miserable.
During the 1999 April general conference, Elder Jeffrey Holland’s talk about the importance of a father really struck me. As I listened intently to Elder Holland, my eyes filled with tears. I felt the Spirit surround and comfort me. I realized I did have a father who is always here for me, my Heavenly Father. I was embarrassed that my stubborn thoughts about living a fatherless life were blinding me to the fact that Heavenly Father was waiting to be my support and friend.
Often when we are faced with one of life’s many trials, we focus on the negative effects it has on our life, I was using my parents’ divorce as a reason to be unhappy.
I realized I was drowning in a sea of self-pity, hoping for some miraculous change to come. But I eventually realized that the only way things would change was if I changed. Hardships are what you make them become: a never-ending problem or a chance to learn and grow. As I prayed and grew closer to my Father in Heaven, I realized that I was learning and growing. What a comforting feeling it is to know that when I kneel down to say my prayers, there is always someone who is willing to listen to me and help me. Both my mortal father and my Heavenly Father live far away, but One can hear my silent pleas for guidance.

We were having a treat at the table. My little sister finished her candies first and was sad when they were all gone. I shared some of my candies with her. This made her so happy. I’m trying to follow Jesus by sharing.

The fourth reason was: It won’t tell the truth about love.
Three years ago his mother had brought home from the hospital her sixth baby, a girl named Becky. He had held her that first day she was home and touched her tiny fingers and toes. She was beautiful to him.
His mother nursed Becky, and Troy sensed that experience was good for the baby, to have the time and closeness with her mother.
Troy knew his mother and father loved each other very much, even more than they loved any of the children in the family. They kissed and hugged in front of the children and held hands sometimes in church.
That was love, he thought, not like movie “C.”

Thank you for printing the Scripture Lifeline “Triumph” (Aug. 1997). I’ve never had high self-esteem and am always comparing myself to others. Every time I do this, I feel worse about myself and think no one likes me, and I start not liking myself. But after reading this message, I think I am starting to see myself as the Lord would look at me.
Name WithheldSan Diego, California

Many other Korean Saints were dedicated to temple work. The Masan stake (now Changwon stake), for example, started regular visits to the temple in 1995. The second Friday of each month, a chartered bus picked up members in the cities of Jinhae-gu, Changwon, Jinju, Sacheon, and Geoje on its way to Seoul. The bus arrived at the temple at 2:00 or 3:00 a.m., and the members took a nap for a couple of hours before participating in initiatory ordinances at 5:00 a.m. Then they attended endowment sessions until late in the evening before returning to their homes after 10:00 p.m. The next day they attended church and visited members all day. Brother Kim Choongseok, then stake president, recalls, “They were exhausted but happy.”

Not far from this tabernacle there lived two sisters. Each had two handsome sons. Each had a loving husband. Each lived in comfort, prosperity, and good health. Then the grim reaper visited their homes. First, each lost a son; then the husband and father. Friends visited; words brought a measure of comfort; but grief continued unrelieved.
The years passed. Hearts remained broken. The two sisters sought and achieved seclusion. They shut themselves off from the world which surrounded them. Alone they remained with their remorse. Then there came to a latter-day prophet of God, who knew well these two sisters, the inspiration of the Lord which directed him to their plight. Elder Harold B. Lee left his busy office and visited the penthouse home of the lonely widows. He listened to their pleadings. He felt the sorrow of their hearts. Then he called them to the service of God and to mankind. Each looked outward into the lives of others and upward into the face of God. Peace replaced turmoil. Confidence dispelled despair. God had once again remembered the widow and, through a prophet, brought divine comfort.

Losing my mother when I was 10 was the most difficult moment of my life. My pain was deep and overwhelming. My life became confused, and I could not focus on school. Worse, my father was not around either. I was completely alone. I had no perspective and didn’t know how to move forward with my life. I was unprepared to manage the grief and pain of living without my mom. I had to learn to do everything on my own and I especially had to learn to defend myself from bad influences around me.
Today, thinking back on those times, I know I was never alone. I always had my Heavenly Father by my side. As a child, I attended an all-girls Catholic school, and the nuns were of immense help to me, teaching me how to make good choices. They taught me to love God, to believe in Him, and most of all, to trust Him.

Of course, the thing that ties the above three areas of emphasis together is family home education, including home teaching.

The father learns his duty with regard to welfare, missionary, and genealogy work from his parents and later from his priesthood quorum leaders. Perhaps he keeps a notebook with all his duties carefully categorized so that he can keep his responsibilities constantly before his attention, and so that he can easily measure his progress from day to day. He is then prepared to instruct his family in these things and in all the doctrines of the kingdom. He is prepared to exercise his priesthood. Home teachers visit the family periodically to see that all is well.

Thus instructed, the family is able to swiftly mature under the sweet, persuasive influence of the Holy Spirit. Couples grow together in righteousness, standing like Adam and Eve at the head of noble generations. This is what it means to organize your family. Later on, the organized family may expand to include the individual families of children in a larger, extended organization.

“Immediately after I wake up in the mornings, I read my scriptures and say my prayers. I always find that it’s easier to read and pray in the morning, rather than trying to squeeze it into my busy schedule. I noticed when I do so, I acquire greater strength to resist temptation and have a positive attitude.”
Catelyn E., 17, California, USA

Re-exploring the scriptures for yourself can be as rewarding as helping someone else discover them for the first time. Todd Rich, who served in the Thailand Bangkok Mission, said, “There were some aspects of faith that I just didn’t understand. I had been pondering on it quite a bit, and in my personal scripture study one day I read Alma 32 [Alma 32]. Beginning in verse 19 [Alma 32:19] was the answer. It helped me understand faith and cleared up my questions.”

In June 1991, my wife, Alla; our son, Alex; and I moved from Belarus in the former Soviet Union to Denmark. My work as an anesthesiologist made me particularly eager to improve my English, so I enrolled in an English class taught by two sister missionaries serving in the Denmark Copenhagen Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I found myself wanting to learn more than English. I had learned about Jesus Christ only after the Soviet government lifted the ban against religion during that remarkable period of Soviet history called glasnost. I was uncomfortable, however, with the rites of the predominant church and so had not pursued the matter further.
The missionaries were different. Their friendliness seemed to warm my heart, and when they taught us that “men are, that they might have joy” (2 Ne. 2:25), I was thrilled to the marrow of my bones. I could remember only two times in my life when I had felt joy—the day I married Alla and the day Alex was born. Now I could actually see joy radiating from the faces of the missionaries as they taught the gospel.
The other missionaries and the members Alla and I met reinforced our first impressions. “If such wonderful people are members of this church,” I told Alla, “then this is the true Church!”
Alla and I were baptized in August 1991. We felt that warm feeling in our hearts that accompanies receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. It had a cleansing effect upon our bodies and our souls, and we thought we couldn’t be happier. But we were wrong. It was only the beginning. At every Church meeting, the feelings we had at our baptism returned. We have become more calm, patient, and kind. We are trying to follow the perfect example of Jesus Christ, even though it is sometimes quite difficult.

Sakura O., age 8, from Japan, was baptized recently. She reads the Book of Mormon every day. She enjoys going to church, likes to pray, and loves to see the temple. She wants to follow Jesus Christ and tries hard to make good choices.

The divine impulse to serve others is illustrated in a poem written in the 19th century by the Finnish poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg. My siblings and I repeatedly heard the poem “Farmer Paavo” throughout our childhoods. In the poem, Paavo was a poor farmer who lived with his wife and children in the lake region of central Finland. Several years in a row, most of his crops were destroyed, whether through the runoff from the spring snowmelt, summer hailstorms, or an early autumn frost. Each time the meager harvest came in, the farmer’s wife lamented, “Paavo, Paavo, you unfortunate old man, God has forsaken us.” Paavo, in turn, stoically said, “Mix bark with the rye flour to make bread so the children won’t go hungry. I’ll work harder to drain the marshy fields. God is testing us, but He will provide.”

Each time the crops were destroyed, Paavo directed his wife to double the amount of bark that she mixed into the flour to ward off starvation. He also worked harder, digging trenches to drain the ground and decrease his fields’ susceptibility to a spring runoff and an early autumn frost.

After years of hardship, Paavo finally harvested a rich crop. His wife exulted, “Paavo, Paavo, these are happy times! It is time to throw away the bark, and bake bread made only with rye.” But Paavo solemnly took his wife’s hand and said, “Mix half the flour with bark, for our neighbor’s fields have frosted over.” Paavo sacrificed his and his family’s bounty to help his devastated and destitute neighbor.

I recall a priesthood meeting held in the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City when I was a holder of the Aaronic Priesthood. The President of the Church was speaking to the priesthood, and he made a statement I have never forgotten. He said, in essence, that men who commit sexual sin or other sins do not do so in the twinkling of an eye. He emphasized that our actions are preceded by our thoughts, and when we commit sin, it is because we have first thought of committing that particular sin. Then the President declared that the way to avoid sin is to keep our thinking pure. The scripture tells us that as we think in our hearts, so are we.6 We must have the mark of virtue.

It was a cold January morning, and I was 13 years old. We lived a mile across town from the school. Since there was no bus, I had to walk to school each day. I had thrown a few snowballs, run a stick along a fence several times to shake off the snow, slid on a patch of ice, and, finding it the best so far, spent some time there.
When I was about halfway to school, I realized that if I didn’t hurry, in fact, run most of the way, I would be late for school. As I hurried along, I noticed a rather small figure standing off to the side of the walk, holding onto the fence. As I got closer, I could see that it was a small, elderly lady, and she appeared quite frightened. I was about to rush past her when someone seemed to say to me, “She needs help.”
I stopped, walked back, took her gently by the arm, and asked if there was anything I could do. She shakily turned, took my hands, and said she had tried to go for a walk but had nearly fallen on the ice and was afraid to go home alone. As I walked her back to her home, nearly a block away, I thought, “Well, I will be late for sure now because she is very old and frightened, and she takes small steps.”
Then I thought, “She is someone’s mother,” and I felt warm inside. I forgot about being late for school. After I had taken her home and helped her safely up the steps to her door, she once again clasped my hands and said in a soft, sweet voice, “God bless you, my son. I pray that some young man will be there to help your mother when she needs it.”

Although these two girls speak different languages and live more than 6,000 miles (9,600 km) apart, they have something special in common: they both found ways to keep a positive attitude when natural disasters struck their hometowns. Take a look at the true stories of Honoka O. from Japan and Maggie W. from Missouri, USA. During sad and scary times, what helped them stay faithful and optimistic?
I was at school when a big earthquake happened. My first thoughts were, “This is scary!” and “I wonder if my family is OK.” I prayed in my heart that they would be safe and that peoples’ lives would be spared. Later I found out that none of my friends had been hurt. At that time, I felt that God had protected us. I know that God and Jesus live.

The unfolding of God’s work often proceeds quietly. For example, whatever the immediate economic reasons the Joseph Smith Sr. family had for moving from New England to upstate New York, they were being led—unawares—to sacred plates, buried in Cumorah’s Hill, waiting to become “another testament of Christ” for “as long as the earth shall stand” (2 Ne. 25:22).

I couldn’t believe what I had just heard—surgery. All I could think about was why me? Why now? What will I do? It was my senior year in high school. I was captain of the volleyball team, an all-region team member, and I had a scholarship to play volleyball in college. A little later I would be basketball captain and have an opportunity to play basketball in Australia for the state of Arizona.
All my hopes and dreams were swept away. Wasn’t I living righteously? I couldn’t stop thinking about why this had to happen to me. Doesn’t Heavenly Father love me?
While doing my regular seminary reading, I came across the book of Job. He was very faithful and always loved and feared the Lord. Even when Heavenly Father allowed Satan to take away Job’s riches and family, then covered him with boils and illnesses, Job still loved the Lord and never doubted.
I was in tears. I realized that Heavenly Father does love me and that this was just one little trial that would only make me a better person. I began my prayer that night thanking Him for the trials I have and for helping me come closer to Him.
There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t thank my Heavenly Father for the wonderful lesson I learned from Job that night.