Gospel Story Finder

That’s the scripture Elder King shared with our daughter several years back. She had a knack for business and organization…and we thought she’d be a fantastic business major. She took the beginning Accounting class in college and did not like it at all. So, her dad asked her, “What do you have a passion for?” She said it was music-dance-theatre…but worried there was no future for her in it. Well, she tried out for that specialized BFA program, got accepted, then sang and toured with BYU-Provo’s Young Ambassadors performing group. Singing and dancing on New York City’s Broadway was not her ultimate destiny. But she graduated in that field and has found great joy teaching piano and voice lessons to many young people. A different path—but she trusted…and it worked out for her in a wonderful way.

Jesse A. Udall tells this story of President Kimball’s childhood:
“For years he had a record of perfect attendance at Sunday School and Primary. One Monday he was in the field tramping hay for his older brothers when the meetinghouse bell rang for Primary.
“‘I’ve got to go to Primary,’ he timidly suggested.
“‘You can’t go today; we need you,’ they said.
“‘Well, Father would let me go, if he were here,’ the boy countered.
“‘Father isn’t here,’ they said, ‘and you are not going.’
“The piles of hay came pouring up, literally covering Spencer, but finally he had caught up; sliding noiselessly from the back of the wagon, he was halfway to the meetinghouse before his absence was noticed, and his perfect record remained unbroken.” (“The Apostle from Arizona,” Improvement Era, October 1943, p. 591.)

As a young father and first time homeowner, I discovered there were many little chores to be done, and I wasn’t very good at some of them. One fall I had to get on the roof and winterize the swamp cooler. I was feeling sorry for myself when my little daughter excitedly asked if she could get on the roof with me. Kids love to get on the roof. Dads hate having kids on the roof because they run around, get too near the edge, create distractions, and well, just because. When you’re the Dad you get to be on the roof and kids don’t. Jenny ignored my objections and pressed me to let her on the roof. She promised that she would sit still. Well with my special “Daddy” authority I told her she could get on the roof, but it wouldn’t be pleasant. She was to sit in one spot, out of the way, and remain very, very still. She was so excited that she agreed. Once on the roof I did my Dad job and Jenny sat in the kid’s spot. She was pretty good, but whenever she even thought of leaving her assigned spot I commanded her to “Sit Down.” Eventually she grew bored with this arrangement and wanted down. I exercised my fatherly prerogative and said, “You wanted to be up here and here you will stay until I’m finished.” I’m sure her “on the roof experience” was not as pleasant as she had hoped. Finally I finished the work and started to cover the cooler with a tarp. By this time the wind had begun to blow and I couldn’t hold down all the corners and tie the loose ends. I struggled for a time and finally a little voice said, “Dad I can help.” Well among other imperfections I can be ornery and stubborn. She is just a little girl; she can’t help. I don’t have time to mess around. However, I grew increasing frustrated and eventually gave up; I finally allowed this cute little girl to help and we soon finished the task.

How embarrassed I felt. Once again the Lord in a tender mercy taught me how much we can achieve when we acknowledge our weaknesses and allow others to help and teach us. In my career I have also grown each time I admit that I don’t know everything and when I allow others to help in the work by sharing their talents. It is important that we understand it is not about us and that we give others the opportunity to contribute, to grow, and to succeed. God humbles and teaches us.

Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles tells the story of his father teaching him to set goals by sitting down with the children individually and offering help.
“I had the desire to engage in this practice with my children,” Elder Cook said. “When our son, Larry, was five years old, I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. He said he wanted to be a doctor like his Uncle Joe. …
“Several months later, I asked him again what he would like to be. This time he said he wanted to be an airline pilot. … I said, ‘Larry, last time we talked you wanted to be a doctor. What has changed your mind?’ He answered, ‘I still like the idea of being a doctor, but I have noticed that Uncle Joe works on Saturday mornings, and I wouldn’t want to miss Saturday Morning Cartoons.’
“Since that time our family has labeled a distraction from a worthwhile goal as a Saturday Morning Cartoon.
“What are some of the Saturday Morning Cartoons that distract us from attaining the joy that we desire? … If we examine the reasons we don’t do what we ought to do, we find that the list of Saturday Morning Cartoons is almost endless.”
Elder Cook’s teachings show us that we need to reflect on how we are doing, avoid distractions, and stay focused as we seek to achieve our goals.

I’m the only Latter-day Saint in the family, so it gets kind of lonesome sometimes. I never believed there was a God. I wouldn’t go to church or read the Bible, but when I met two missionaries through a friend of mine, I wanted to hear and learn more and become a part of this wonderful church. The greatest day of my life was the day of my baptism. It was so beautiful that I couldn’t understand why I had ever been scared about being baptized. It was so fantastic that I cried. I am sure that I have taken a step that I will never regret. I really do enjoy receiving the New Era. It’s a fantastic book. Every time it arrives, my mother says that it really makes her day.
Sue E. HaydenLondon, England

“Are General Authorities human?” I suppose this is a question that is in many minds and has been from the very beginning. It arises, in the very nature of things, because of the high regard in which we hold the offices that these Brethren are called to fill.
I recall an incident from early Church history, from the days of persecutions and difficulties. Heber C. Kimball, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, found himself in circumstances where he sought hospitality from a member of the Church, a widow woman. She offered him what she had—bread and milk—and provided a room with a bed for him. He went to retire. She thought: “Here’s my opportunity. I would like to find out [and this is, in effect, the same old question: Are General Authorities human?] I would like to find out what an Apostle says when he prays to the Lord.” So after the door was closed, she crept quietly up to it to listen. She heard Brother Kimball sit down on the bed. She heard each of his shoes fall to the floor. She heard him lean back on the bed and then utter these words: “Oh Lord, bless Heber; he is so tired.”
… This is a subject about which people often have incorrect concepts. Many people had this same question in their minds during the time of Joseph Smith. He said: “I was this morning introduced to a man from the east. After hearing my name, he remarked that I was nothing but a man, indicating by this expression, that he had supposed that a person to whom the Lord should see fit to reveal His will, must be something more than a man. He seemed to have forgotten the saying that fell from the lips of St. James, that [Elijah] was a man subject to like passions as we are, yet he had such power with God, that He, in answer to his prayers, shut the heavens that they gave no rain for the space of three years and six months; and again, in answer to his prayer, the heavens gave forth rain, and the earth gave forth fruit [see James 5:17–18]. Indeed, such is the darkness and ignorance of this generation, that they look upon it as incredible that a man should [speak] with his Maker.”1

When Marie married Tony, a nonmember, she was sure that he would not long resist the beauty and grace of the church that contained the full gospel of Jesus Christ. She loved the gospel, she loved him—surely the two would naturally come together. But, as the years went by, and even after six children, Tony was no closer to becoming a member of the Church.
All this time, Marie suffered the dilemma that many active Latter-day Saint members married to less-active or nonmember spouses share. She had two loves that she couldn’t bring together.
The gospel grew to be more precious as Marie became a wife and then a mother. More than anything, she wanted to share the gospel message with her husband. At times, she wanted to shake the earth with her testimony so that he, her best friend and confidant, would suddenly understand. Her existence, as well as that of her children and husband, had been enriched by the Church’s teachings and standards. Couldn’t he see that?
Although she wanted Tony to understand her regard for the Church, she recognized that using the Church as a wedge would split, rather than solidify, her marriage. She had seen it happen before when husbands and wives tried to force the Church into their relationships, only to have anger and rebellion result.
Marie determined not to have to force a choice between the Church and her husband, making the Church her husband’s enemy. If anything, the gospel was an ally, teaching her how to love, and understand, and forgive.
She felt that, aside from one’s own personal relationship with God, a good marriage relationship was the most sacred concern of a husband and wife. She decided that converting Tony to the Church ought not be her primary goal, nor should the marriage be sacrificed to that end. “After ten years of disappointment,” she says, “I decided to stop putting pressure on Tony to join the Church. Before we were married, my parents were upset about our engagement. They tried hard to discourage us, but, from the moment we married, they ceased their opposition and gave us 100 percent of their love and support. I should have followed their good example years earlier.
“So one day I said to Tony, ‘You are more important to me than anything else, regardless of whether you join the Church.’ Since then, we have been happier, and I have felt more peaceful.
“Tony treats me well; he has good values, and he is honest. But I had been feeling sorry for myself because he wasn’t a Church member. I decided to stop complaining and start being grateful. The Church doesn’t make marriage work—love, acceptance, and trust do that. The Church is a guide, not a guarantee.”

Zina Diantha Huntington Young first encountered the Book of Mormon when she was fourteen years old and living in Watertown, New York. She later wrote, “One day on my return from school I saw the Book of Mormon, that strange, new book, lying on the window sill of our sitting-room. I went up to the window, picked it up, and the sweet influence of the Holy Spirit accompanied it to such an extent that I pressed it to my bosom in a rapture of delight, murmuring as I did so, ‘This is the truth, truth, truth.’” (See Ensign, March 1984, page 37.)

Long ago a woman tearfully told me that as a college student she had made a serious mistake with her boyfriend. He had arranged for an abortion. In due time they graduated and were married and had several other children. She told me how tormented she now was to look at her family, her beautiful children, and see in her mind the place, empty now, where that one child was missing.
If this couple understands and applies the Atonement, they will know that those experiences and the pain connected with them can be erased. No pain will last forever. It is not easy, but life was never meant to be either easy or fair. Repentance and the lasting hope that forgiveness brings will always be worth the effort.

Mía was excited. It was her first time at church! The missionaries told her family about this church. They decided to come.
Mía looked around. She saw a white cloth on a table. Something was under it.
“What’s under that cloth?” Mía asked one of the missionaries.
Sister Hanson smiled. “It’s the sacrament.”
Sacrament. That was a big word. Mía had heard the missionaries telling Mommy and Daddy about it. But she wasn’t sure what it was.
Everyone sang a song. Two men lifted the white cloth. Trays of bread were under it! Mía watched them break the bread into pieces.
After the song a man said a prayer. Other men passed the bread to everyone.
“The bread helps us remember Jesus’s body,” Sister García whispered.
Mía took a piece of bread. She pictured Jesus standing in front of her.
Then there was another prayer. The men passed trays with tiny cups of water.
“The water helps us remember Jesus’s blood,” Sister García whispered. “He died for us because He loves us.”
Mía took a cup of water. She thought about how much Jesus loved her. She felt like He was giving her a big hug.
Later Sister Hanson gave Mía a little picture of Jesus. “We eat the bread and drink the water to remember Jesus and promise to follow Him.” She smiled. “What did you think of the sacrament?”
Mía looked at the picture of Jesus. She remembered the warm feeling she had. She smiled. “It was great! I love Jesus.”

A dear friend shared how she gained her precious testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. She grew up believing sin always brought great punishment, borne by us alone. She pleaded to God to understand the possibility of divine forgiveness. She prayed to understand and know how Jesus Christ can forgive those who repent, how mercy can satisfy justice.
One day her prayer was answered in a spiritually transforming experience. A desperate young man came running out of a grocery store carrying two bags of stolen food. He ran into a busy street, chased by the store manager, who caught him and began yelling and fighting. Instead of feeling judgment for the frightened young man as a thief, my friend was unexpectedly filled with great compassion for him. Without fear or concern for her own safety, she walked straight up to the two quarreling men. She found herself saying, “I will pay for the food. Please let him go. Please let me pay for the food.”
Prompted by the Holy Ghost and filled with a love she had never felt before, my friend said, “All I wanted to do was to help and save the young man.” My friend said she began to understand Jesus Christ and His Atonement—how and why with pure and perfect love Jesus Christ would willingly sacrifice to be her Savior and Redeemer, and why she wanted Him to be.

Many years ago I was visiting London with my family. We stayed at a hotel in Sloane Square. There is a statue of Sir Hans Sloane in the center of the square. As a young man in the mid 1600s, Hans Sloane became a physician and then developed a strong interest in botany. The 17th century physician used herbal remedies. Prescriptions were primarily herbal and not based on chemistry as they are today.

In 1687 Sloane accompanied the Duke of Albemarle to Jamaica as his personal physician. He catalogued the flora and fauna of Jamaica and identified about 800 new species of plants. He collected specimens of animals as well and pickled them or embalmed them. During their stay, Lord Albemarle died; it necessitated Sloane returning to London. Sloane pickled the body of Lord Albemarle so Lord Albemarle could be buried in England. Upon Sloane’s return, he wrote an extensive two volume natural history of Jamaica.[20]

In Jamaica Sloane had noticed that the people drank cocoa which he found “nauseous.” Sloane experimented with making medicines acceptable to children by mixing them with milk and honey. He mixed the cocoa with milk and sugar and found that it was delicious. Sloane became very wealthy when he sold his recipe to Cadbury Brothers who manufactured chocolate using Sloane’s recipe.[21]

What is perhaps most interesting to me is that Sloane used most of that money to collect botanical and other specimens that he had become so intrigued with as a young physician. He bought people’s collected specimens from all over the world and he put together an enormous collection. When he died, he donated it to the British nation. That was the beginning of the British Museum.

The foundation collection of the natural history part of the entire British Museum came because of the great desire for knowledge of that incredible man, Hans Sloane.

While serving as president of the Mbuji-Mayi Democratic Republic of the Congo Mission from 2016 to 2019, I had to travel on muddy and sandy roads to reach some zones to hold zone conferences and to conduct interviews with missionaries every six weeks—and to have meetings with district leaders.
In one particular case, I travelled to Ngandajika, a city located 58 miles from Mbuji-Mayi. The road connecting these two cities had a section constructed from packed clay and a section constructed from sand. It was difficult to travel the section in packed clay during the rainy season because it was always slippery.
When it rained, this road was closed and traffic could only resume four hours after the rain had stopped. This road was closed by metal barriers with a padlock so that no one could open it before this prescribed time. These barriers were called “rain barriers” and the posted notice was visible for every driver.
The reason for closing this road was to protect it from damage and to ensure it lasted for a long time—for if a vehicle drove on it before these four hours had passed, the road might deteriorate and become not only impassable but also unsafe for travellers. These four hours allowed water to completely drain off into the soil so that the road remained passable for the sake of all travellers.
During this particular trip to Ngandajika, we got caught in the rain on this road and when we arrived at the barrier, it was closed already. We had to wait, and we experienced for the first time, the impact of this rain barrier to our drive. We stopped and waited before we could continue with our journey. There was no other option.
This experience made me reflect on and better understand how gospel principles and the teachings of the prophets apply to ourselves in particular circumstances. I learnt many lessons from this event, but I am going to share with you three gospel principles I have had to apply and which allowed me to complete my assignment: patience, perseverance and diligence.
We had to wait for four hours after the end of the rain to continue our journey. I had no choice if I wanted to reach my destination and accomplish what I had planned for. I definitely had to be patient.
I was patient with myself with regard to this difficulty relating to my missionary life—given that I had to go and meet with the missionaries and fulfil my duty as a mission president. The Book of Mormon gives us an example of Alma and the sons of Mosiah:
“And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls ” (Alma 17:11).
Patience with ourselves means having the capacity to wait for four hours without getting angry or being annoyed. It was not enough for me to simply wait—all the while being angry because of this measure which put all my plans for meetings at risk. I had to stay calm in my heart and continue to express the joy of the gospel on my lips and on my face. I had to control this personal feeling, which arises sometimes and makes us think that we are unable to overcome a weakness, or which causes us to underestimate ourselves due to a displeasure, a difficulty, or a failure in life.
When came the time to open the barrier and the person who held the key was late, some travellers who also waited like us became angry with him and rose their voices to rebuke him.
I understood that we should be patient with him, and with others in general. We have to apply patience when we are faced with actions that hurt us. We must be patient when faced with the weaknesses, faults and recklessness of others. We should be patient with regard to the efforts of others in their respective responsibility as the Lord is equally patient with us all.
While picturing and reflecting on the condition of this road and the inherent difficulties to take it in the rainy season, we could be afraid and discouraged.
It is this perseverance I needed to keep going on the way to Ngandajika in spite of the poor road condition. I did it throughout my mission.
The hours wasted at the rain barrier had an impact on our program of meetings and activities. We had to know how to reorganize things within the remaining time without impairing the quality of the training or of the scheduled meetings. We had to do the essentials while reaching the initial goal.
We couldn’t waste more time and energy regretting our wait, but we needed, in an effective manner, to reorganize ourselves and focus on what is important. The great way is to rely upon the Holy Ghost and listen to the whisperings of the Spirit in order to know what to do and how to do it. It is all about receiving the revelation from God. That is why, if we are well prepared we shall not fear, and if we are worthy, the Holy Spirit shall be our constant companion.

When I was young, I was overly dependent on my older sister. For example, I was a fussy eater, and when we went to visit our grandparents, I was constantly faced with being offered food I didn’t like. When the plate was passed to me, I would turn to my sister and ask, “Collene, do I like this?”
If it was familiar and she knew that I didn’t like it, she would say, “No, you don’t like that.”
If it was something we hadn’t eaten before, she would say, “Just a minute,” and taste it, and then tell me if I liked it or not. If she said that I didn’t like it, no amount of coaxing could get me to eat it.
Just as I needed to rely on my own taste buds and stop denying myself good food just because my sister told me that I didn’t like it, we must all feast on the fruit of our own testimony and not the testimony of another person. We also need to increase our ability to receive personal revelation.
We do this when we place our faith in our Lord and Savior, repent of our sins, read and really think about the scriptures, pray, look for ways to help others, and share the gospel with others. During general conferences and at many other times, we will be taught by the Lord’s prophets, seers, and revelators. When we follow the counsel of the Brethren, we prepare ourselves to go to the temple, where we receive more power to overcome the sins of the world and to “stand in holy places” (D&C 45:32).

Each summer eleven-year-old Blazer Scouts, like Jason Stewart and David Mathews of Las Vegas, Nevada, look forward to sleeping in tents and cooking outdoors with other troop members.
One morning last summer David and Jason got up at 5:00 A.M. and met with other Scouts at the meetinghouse for the ride to the mountains. By eight o’clock boys from all over East Stake were waiting at the trailhead for the mile-and-a-half hike into camp. The hike was a skill award requirement. Before camp was over, the boys would earn the major part of five skill awards.
Stake President Kendall Jones greeted the boys and presented each one with a hiking stave. He showed how he had carved his own stave with special designs. Jason and David were anxious to do the same, but for the moment, they were grateful to have even plain staves to help them with the climb.
The boys were to hike in to the Mt. Potosi (Poe-TOE-see) Scout Camp, each carrying a fully inspected pack, sleeping bag, and canteen. Patrol leaders, like David, would also carry the troop flag.
Arriving at the camp an hour later, Jason and David gladly dropped their gear and stood at attention while the Leadership Corps (chosen from last year’s Blazers) welcomed them. After a flag-raising ceremony, each troop gave a rousing patrol yell and displayed its flag.
The real work of the camp began as the boys moved to five different stations for in-depth skill award training. David looked over Jason’s shoulder while President Gary Stewart demonstrated knot-tying techniques. The boys practiced several kinds of knots until they learned them by heart.
At the map-and-compass station, Brother Arden Sampson taught Jason how to locate his position using a compass. After instruction in map skills and pacing, the Blazer Scouts were given a compass course to follow. Those who did it successfully found a hidden treasure.
Lunchtime provided another opportunity for the Scouts to fulfill a skill award requirement. Each boy prepared lunch without using utensils. Then it was on to more skill award stations. At the lashings station, President Jones gave David pointers on how to make a square lashing.
At last it was time to play! David and Jason had been watching through the trees while Scout Troops 160 and 370 spent the day lashing together a huge tower. Now they found out what it was for. Boys ran eagerly to line up for rides down the cable strung three hundred feet across the road to the hill opposite. Once on the lashed tower, they slipped a knotted rope between their legs and jumped off. Down they rode on their own “Mt. Potosi Tramway.”
After dinner David and Jason helped clean up camp; then they set up tents. As the sun set, they headed for an amphitheater to attend a special campfire program. The Scouts sang songs, put on skits, then settled down to listen as Brother Stephen Stoney gave a Scoutmaster’s Minute. Afterward they roasted marshmallows and baked apples.
Early the next morning David grabbed his stave and canteen, wondering how he’d manage the five-mile hike over the rugged terrain. Along the way, the Leadership Corps had established rest points, where the boys reviewed the things that they had learned at the skill award stations.
Back from the hike, the boys ate their final camp meal, took down tents, and met one last time at the flagpole. A game was started, and David, sitting at the end of the line, pulled the other boys down over him in a funny sit-down race. Finally, each boy received a specialized award, watched the lowering of the flag, and prepared to leave.
Tired and dirty, the boys shouldered their packs again for the hike out. When they reached the road, they had completed the hiking skill award begun the day before. Except for a few requirements to complete in their troop meetings, the boys had earned their five skill awards. Whooping at the sight of the waiting trucks, they piled in for the ride home.

Some of you may be familiar with Sister Sherri Dew. She’s the executive vice president of Deseret Management Corporation and the CEO of Deseret Book Company. She’s a former member of the general Relief Society presidency, a best-selling author, and public speaker. In an interview, once she mentioned that not making the BYU women’s basketball team in Provo was one of her biggest regrets.

But it’s not for the reason you might expect.

Growing up, she was a star player on her high school basketball team in the small Midwest town of Ulysses, Kansas. It says she averaged 23 points and 17 rebounds a game. (Since I’m not a basketball player, I’m just going to assume that means she was good.) Well, when it was time for her to go away to college, she chose to attend Brigham Young University and try out for the school’s basketball team. In addition to preparing herself physically, she also did her homework and learned all she could about the team—when the tryouts would be, who the players were including who was leaving the team, who was returning, and who the coach was.

When the day for tryouts arrived, she showed up at the Richards Building gym. She even arrived a little early. As she peeked in at the players warming up inside, Sister Dew said that she lost all of her confidence and just couldn’t bring herself to walk through those gym doors.

But she thought maybe she could work up her courage if she paced the hallway outside of the gym. So she walked back and forth and back and forth and eventually…walked back to her dorm room three hours later without trying out. She never even entered the gym.

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

Years later, Sister Dew would share this story for the first time when she was invited to speak to the BYU Women’s basketball team. It’s a story she had never even shared with her family.

She wanted the athletes to know that they were doing something that she had wanted to do but had been too afraid to try. Elaine Michaelis, the coach from when Sister Dew was a student, said that she remembers that specific year because it’s the only time she’s had a team play one player short for the entire season. The coach said she tried to fill her roster but just couldn’t.

On hearing that news Sister Dew said “I felt as I had been kicked in the stomach when she told me that. That was supposed to be my spot on the team. You mean out of 25,000 students they couldn’t find one girl to fill that spot? The truth is, nobody can take your place.” [iv]

One Sunday I was substituting in a Primary class of particularly rambunctious five-year-olds. The lesson was about love. We began by singing the song “Jesus Said Love Everyone.”
Afterward I commented, “Jesus loves everyone, and we must do that, too.”
Robbie challenged me. “Oh, no, he doesn’t love everyone—he doesn’t love the bad people!”
“Yes, Robbie, he loves everyone.”
“He doesn’t love the robbers.”
“Even the robbers.”
Robbie thought a minute and said, “I know some people he didn’t love—he didn’t love the men who killed him!”
At that point I told Robbie about the Crucifixion.
“When Jesus hung on the cross,” Robbie interrupted me, “did they really put nails in his hands and feet?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, that must have hurt.”
“Yes, it did. Even after that happened, as Jesus hung on the cross in great pain, he said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’ (Luke 23:34.) Jesus was speaking about the men who had placed him on the cross. He asked Heavenly Father to forgive them. Yes, Robbie, Jesus even loved these people, and he forgave them.”
Robbie looked at me, furrowed his brow, and said, “I’m going to ask my dad if Jesus really did say that.”
After class was over, I was walking into sacrament meeting with my family, and I felt a tug on my dress. It was Robbie.
“Sister Wright, my dad says you’re right.”
The tenderness of this experience was that Robbie went from challenging the idea that Jesus could love everyone to a sweet trust of Christ’s unconditional love.

When our daughter was five years old, she had a battery-powered model car and loved to drive it around the house. One evening, she came to me and said, “Daddy, my car no longer drives. Could we get some gas from your car to put in it so it can drive again? Perhaps it needs gas like your car to drive.”

I later observed that the battery power was down, so I said we would get it to drive in about an hour. With so much excitement, she said, “Yes! We will take it to the gas station.” I simply connected the battery to an electric source to charge, and after an hour she was able to drive the car, powered by the charged battery. She thereafter learned that it is important to always recharge the battery by connecting it to an electric source.

As a child growing up after World War II, President Uchtdorf remembers playing in bombed-out houses and discovering guns, ammunition, and other weapons deserted in the nearby forest. Through the years, he has lived with the ever-present consequences of war and the awareness that his own country had inflicted terrible pain on others. In fact, he and his family were also victims of an oppressive dictatorship.

Later, he survived an episode while piloting an airplane when the steering control failed to function properly. Uncorrected, this condition would cause the plane to continue to roll and to crash. Numerous attempts to release the frozen steering stick failed. Repeatedly, his flight instructor issued the order to bail out. Finally the powerfully strong pilot, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, overcame the resistance and made a successful emergency landing. President Uchtdorf acknowledges the hand of the Lord in allowing him to survive such an ordeal.

Marie looked out the car window as she and her Primary class drove to the nursing home. She hoped none of the girls noticed the tears that filled her eyes.
When Sister Gibson had suggested the talent show for an activity day, it seemed like such a good idea. Every girl had gone to work planning the talent she would share. Marie had tried, but she hadn’t been able to come up with anything to do.
A couple of the girls were playing the piano. One girl was playing the violin, and one was singing. Another was reciting a poem she’d written, and Marie’s best friend, Shelley, was going to do a backflip. Andrea wasn’t performing, but she had made cookies for everybody to have after the show.
The more Marie thought about the talent show, the more she was convinced that she didn’t have any talents. She wasn’t even sure why she had come. Sister Gibson had tried to make her feel better, telling her that she hadn’t yet discovered a very special talent that Heavenly Father had given her. But that was hard for Marie to believe. She didn’t think she’d ever be good at anything.
The gathering room at the nursing home was quiet. There were old people everywhere, and that made Marie even more nervous. She didn’t know what to say to them or how to act. The other girls seemed to feel the same way too. They were huddled together, shyly looking around until Sister Gibson showed them where to sit.
Marie still felt bad as the program started. Then, just after the first piano solo, she heard someone coughing behind her. Marie turned around and saw a gray-haired woman whose body shook with each cough.
Marie stopped thinking about herself and started to worry about the woman. She quietly dug a hard candy out of her pocket and went to the woman. She put her hand on the woman’s shoulder and held out the small gift. When the wrinkled hand reached for it and the woman smiled at her, Marie felt happiness and peace.
Marie stayed by the woman for the rest of the program. She held her hand and sometimes told her about what was happening. It felt good to be doing something for someone else, and it kept her from feeling sorry for herself.
When it was time to leave, the woman hugged Marie and whispered, “Thank you for talking to me. You have a real talent for making people feel loved.”
On the way back to the church, Marie was grateful to know that she did have a talent after all. When she served others, she felt Heavenly Father’s love, and she helped others feel His love too. That was a pretty special talent to have.