When we would go out to eat before, I would usually order a sweet tea, but Kevin would say, “You don’t need a sweet tea; get something else.”
One day I went to a fast food restaurant for my lunch break and ordered a sweet tea. A few minutes later, an employee said, “At the very moment you ordered a sweet tea, the machine broke.”
She said it would take about an hour to fix the machine. I only had 30 minutes for lunch. I just ordered a soda instead. At that point I laughed and said, “All right, I get it now!”
Kevin and Kendra Henderson
Kendra often ordered sweet tea, but Kevin encouraged her to choose something else. When she ordered one at a fast food restaurant, the machine broke at that moment, and she took it as a sign, choosing a soda instead.
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👤 Parents
👤 Other
Employment
Revelation
Seminary Makes Me Happy
Marie recalls her first time at seminary when leaders asked newcomers to stand. She felt she didn’t know anyone. Over time, she got to know everyone and found community among the stake youth.
Marie Krenn of the Klagenfurt Ward remembers starting seminary four years ago. “They asked everyone to stand up who was there for the first time. I thought, ‘Gee, I don’t really know anybody.’ But then I got to know everyone.” She lists the other occasions when the stake youth get together, like youth temple excursions, youth conferences, Young Women camp, and Seminary Saturdays.
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👤 Youth
👤 Church Leaders (Local)
Education
Friendship
Teaching the Gospel
Temples
Young Women
Banana Bread Missionaries
Isaac describes learning his duties as a deacon and teacher with the help of parents and leaders through home teaching visits, open houses, and ward activities. As a priest, he focuses more on missionary work, working with the Young Men president and assisting the bishop. Leaders and missionaries involve him in scripture study and missionary experiences, which motivate him to prepare for the higher priesthood and a full-time mission.
As a deacon I learned my responsibilities thanks to the support of my parents and leaders and working with the goals in the Duty to God booklet. As a teacher I learned more by going to do visits as a home teacher, participating in the open houses on the missionary days, sharing banana bread, attending Mutual, and participating in ward and stake activities.
Now as a priest I get to focus more on missionary work. Working with the Young Men president and as an assistant to the bishop, I have learned much more about my responsibilities as a priesthood holder.
Our leaders constantly invite us to come with them and the full-time missionaries so that we can become familiar with missionary work. They also exhort us to read the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon. All of these experiences motivate and prepare me to receive the higher priesthood and to serve a full-time mission.
Isaac G., 17
Now as a priest I get to focus more on missionary work. Working with the Young Men president and as an assistant to the bishop, I have learned much more about my responsibilities as a priesthood holder.
Our leaders constantly invite us to come with them and the full-time missionaries so that we can become familiar with missionary work. They also exhort us to read the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon. All of these experiences motivate and prepare me to receive the higher priesthood and to serve a full-time mission.
Isaac G., 17
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👤 Youth
👤 Parents
👤 Church Leaders (Local)
👤 Missionaries
Bishop
Book of Mormon
Ministering
Missionary Work
Priesthood
Scriptures
Young Men
Help on My Exam
As a fourth grader anxious about an exam, the narrator studied, then asked his father for a priesthood blessing after family scripture reading. He prayed at school before the test, felt calm and confident, and later learned he had passed. He then prayed in gratitude and thanked his parents.
When I was in grade four, the day of our exam came. I was nervous that I might not pass the exam. While waiting for the school bus, I reviewed what I had studied the night before.
After I had reviewed, I gathered with my family to read a passage from a scripture mastery card. The verse was about prayer and the power of priesthood blessings. While I was listening, I was prompted to ask my father to bless me so I could pass the exam. As he blessed me, I calmed down and had peace of mind.
At school, I saw my classmates studying for the exam. The bell rang, and our teacher gave us the test. Before I started it, I went to a room, knelt down, and prayed. I went back to my classroom confident I could pass the exam. When I had finished the exam and was walking out of the classroom to go home, a classmate asked me, “Jarrel, do you think you’ll pass the exam?”
I said, “Let’s just find out tomorrow when we check the papers.”
When I got home, my mother asked me, “How was the exam?”
I said, “It went fine. I answered all the questions.”
The next day, I saw my scores—I passed the exam. I was very happy and thankful. I went home, knelt down, and thanked Heavenly Father for the wisdom and guidance He had given me during the exam. I then thanked my mother for helping me in my studies and my father for giving me a blessing.
I am thankful for priesthood blessings because they have helped me and so many members of the Church.
After I had reviewed, I gathered with my family to read a passage from a scripture mastery card. The verse was about prayer and the power of priesthood blessings. While I was listening, I was prompted to ask my father to bless me so I could pass the exam. As he blessed me, I calmed down and had peace of mind.
At school, I saw my classmates studying for the exam. The bell rang, and our teacher gave us the test. Before I started it, I went to a room, knelt down, and prayed. I went back to my classroom confident I could pass the exam. When I had finished the exam and was walking out of the classroom to go home, a classmate asked me, “Jarrel, do you think you’ll pass the exam?”
I said, “Let’s just find out tomorrow when we check the papers.”
When I got home, my mother asked me, “How was the exam?”
I said, “It went fine. I answered all the questions.”
The next day, I saw my scores—I passed the exam. I was very happy and thankful. I went home, knelt down, and thanked Heavenly Father for the wisdom and guidance He had given me during the exam. I then thanked my mother for helping me in my studies and my father for giving me a blessing.
I am thankful for priesthood blessings because they have helped me and so many members of the Church.
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👤 Parents
👤 Children
👤 Church Members (General)
Children
Education
Faith
Family
Gratitude
Holy Ghost
Parenting
Peace
Prayer
Priesthood
Priesthood Blessing
Revelation
Scriptures
Testimony
Eyes to See
A woman, newly separated and attending church alone, felt fragile and hoped not to be noticed. A 16-year-old named Rozlyn saw her and offered a heartfelt hug and kind words, then continued to find her every Sunday for the rest of the year. Those consistent small acts helped the woman feel seen and strengthened her desire to attend church.
I recently learned a valuable lesson about seeing deeply from a young woman named Rozlyn.
The story was shared with me by my friend who was devastated when her husband of 20 years moved out. With her children splitting time between parents, the prospect of attending church alone seemed daunting. She recounts:
“In a church where the family is of paramount importance, sitting solo can be painful. That first Sunday I walked in praying no one would speak to me. I was barely holding it together, and tears were on the brink. I sat in my typical spot, hoping no one would notice how empty the bench seemed.
“A young woman in our ward turned and looked at me. I pretended to smile. She smiled back. I could see the concern in her face. I silently pleaded that she wouldn’t come to talk to me—I had nothing positive to say and knew I would cry. I looked back down at my lap and avoided eye contact.
“During the next hour, I noticed her looking back at me occasionally. As soon as the meeting ended, she made a beeline for me. ‘Hi, Rozlyn,’ I whispered. She wrapped me in her arms and said, ‘Sister Smith, I can tell today is a bad day for you. I’m so sorry. I love you.’ As predicted, the tears came as she hugged me again. But as I walked away, I thought to myself, ‘Maybe I can do this after all.’
“That sweet 16-year-old young woman, less than half my age, found me every Sunday for the rest of that year to give me a hug and ask, ‘How are you?’ It made such a difference in how I felt about coming to church. The truth is I started to rely on those hugs. Someone noticed me. Someone knew I was there. Someone cared.”
The story was shared with me by my friend who was devastated when her husband of 20 years moved out. With her children splitting time between parents, the prospect of attending church alone seemed daunting. She recounts:
“In a church where the family is of paramount importance, sitting solo can be painful. That first Sunday I walked in praying no one would speak to me. I was barely holding it together, and tears were on the brink. I sat in my typical spot, hoping no one would notice how empty the bench seemed.
“A young woman in our ward turned and looked at me. I pretended to smile. She smiled back. I could see the concern in her face. I silently pleaded that she wouldn’t come to talk to me—I had nothing positive to say and knew I would cry. I looked back down at my lap and avoided eye contact.
“During the next hour, I noticed her looking back at me occasionally. As soon as the meeting ended, she made a beeline for me. ‘Hi, Rozlyn,’ I whispered. She wrapped me in her arms and said, ‘Sister Smith, I can tell today is a bad day for you. I’m so sorry. I love you.’ As predicted, the tears came as she hugged me again. But as I walked away, I thought to myself, ‘Maybe I can do this after all.’
“That sweet 16-year-old young woman, less than half my age, found me every Sunday for the rest of that year to give me a hug and ask, ‘How are you?’ It made such a difference in how I felt about coming to church. The truth is I started to rely on those hugs. Someone noticed me. Someone knew I was there. Someone cared.”
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👤 Youth
👤 Church Members (General)
Adversity
Divorce
Family
Friendship
Kindness
Love
Ministering
Single-Parent Families
Young Women
The Best Eight Years of Our Life
Juanito, the contractor for the first chapel project, began as a nonmember unfamiliar with Latter-day Saints. Years later, the narrator witnessed his baptism and learned he became a bishop, highlighting the spiritual fruits of working alongside the Church.
I was in the country only two months and I already had the first chapel under construction—the Quezon City Chapel. This first project was bid November 19, 1970 during the week of Typhoon “Yoling.” But it had to be rebid due to the difficulties caused by the typhoon. Ground breaking was done January 4, 1971 and work was started by the contractor, Juanito Gutierez who was not a Church member at that time. In fact he did not know what a “Mormon” was.
But with all these construction works, the highlight of my stay in this country is seeing the baptism of two fine men who worked with me—Juanito Gutierrez, my first contractor who is now Bishop of the Marikina Ward, and Engineer Avelino V. Tanjuakio who is now Governor Elect of the Kiwanis of Luzon. I will cherish my association with many wonderful people and friends especially my efficient secretary, Miss Nilda Austria.
But with all these construction works, the highlight of my stay in this country is seeing the baptism of two fine men who worked with me—Juanito Gutierrez, my first contractor who is now Bishop of the Marikina Ward, and Engineer Avelino V. Tanjuakio who is now Governor Elect of the Kiwanis of Luzon. I will cherish my association with many wonderful people and friends especially my efficient secretary, Miss Nilda Austria.
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👤 Church Leaders (Local)
👤 Other
Baptism
Bishop
Conversion
Employment
Missionary Work
It’s Time to Keep a Journal
After the birth of the author's first nephew, they felt prompted to begin keeping a journal despite past inconsistency. Motivated by thoughts of future children, imagined ancestral journals, and scriptural record keepers, they started writing. They have kept journals steadily since then, which improved their writing and brought happiness during hard times.
When my first nephew was born, I felt inspired to start writing in a journal. I’d never been very successful at it before, but seeing this new little person made me think about the fact that someday I would have children too, and I would want them to know what I was like when I was their age. I also wanted to be able to remind myself of my everyday life when I was a teen and of the people who helped shape who I’d become. I always knew that keeping a journal was an important thing to do, but I felt impressed that it was something I needed to do now.
To stay motivated, it helped me to think about how amazing it would be to find a journal of my grandparents or my great-grandparents, to get to know them from their real thoughts and feelings.
I also thought about the Bible and the Book of Mormon. These are records the Lord commanded His people to write. Maybe the writers didn’t always feel like engraving another chapter into the plates on a particular day, but I’m glad they did. God inspired them to write a record, and they chose to listen.
I’ve been steadily keeping journals since that day. I don’t think it matters how much or how often you write, as long as you write. Writing in a journal feels like being listened to when you’re desperate to be heard. It’s turned me into a better writer, and during some harder times, it’s made me a happier person.
To stay motivated, it helped me to think about how amazing it would be to find a journal of my grandparents or my great-grandparents, to get to know them from their real thoughts and feelings.
I also thought about the Bible and the Book of Mormon. These are records the Lord commanded His people to write. Maybe the writers didn’t always feel like engraving another chapter into the plates on a particular day, but I’m glad they did. God inspired them to write a record, and they chose to listen.
I’ve been steadily keeping journals since that day. I don’t think it matters how much or how often you write, as long as you write. Writing in a journal feels like being listened to when you’re desperate to be heard. It’s turned me into a better writer, and during some harder times, it’s made me a happier person.
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👤 Church Members (General)
👤 Children
Bible
Book of Mormon
Family
Family History
Happiness
Revelation
God Is Always with You
Despite her family not attending, the author goes to church alone and walks about 30 minutes because there is no bus. Though her family worries about others’ opinions, she continues because she knows the Church is true.
My family doesn’t go to church. I go alone. Because my street doesn’t have a bus to the Church building, I walk about 30 minutes to get there. My family worries what other people will think about them, but I say that it doesn’t matter because I know it’s true.
It’s hard to attend church without her family, but Nara knows that God loves and blesses her. He even protected her from a car accident once.
It’s hard to attend church without her family, but Nara knows that God loves and blesses her. He even protected her from a car accident once.
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👤 Youth
👤 Other
Adversity
Courage
Faith
Family
Miracles
Testimony
Food Drive Fun
Micaela learned that some children go without dinner and decided to help with her stake's annual food drive. She spread the word with school flyers, trained for a one-mile race that collected food donations, gathered food from parents and friends, and completed the race. Afterward, her family helped sort the donated food for the food bank.
Hi, I’m Micaela!
Each summer, my stake has a food drive to collect food for a food bank. I was sad to learn that some kids don’t get dinner every night, I know how grumpy I feel when I’m hungry, so I wanted to help with the food drive.
Spreading the Word
A food bank gives food to people who don’t have much money. I wanted lots of people to help donate. A few weeks before the food drive, I brought flyers to my school teacher. She passed out more flyers to other teachers.
Running for a Reason
I decided to run the one-mile race that was held as part of the food drive. I practiced in my neighborhood so my body would be ready to run a whole mile.
Gathering Donations
Some races you have to pay money to enter. For this race, runners were asked to donate food instead of money! My parents and friends gave me food to donate.
Ready, Set, Serve!
It was a hot morning, but I finished the race. I ran the whole time without stopping. I even got a medal for finishing!
Sorting the Food
After the race my family and I went to the parking lot of a local grocery store to sort the donations that went to the food bank.
Each summer, my stake has a food drive to collect food for a food bank. I was sad to learn that some kids don’t get dinner every night, I know how grumpy I feel when I’m hungry, so I wanted to help with the food drive.
Spreading the Word
A food bank gives food to people who don’t have much money. I wanted lots of people to help donate. A few weeks before the food drive, I brought flyers to my school teacher. She passed out more flyers to other teachers.
Running for a Reason
I decided to run the one-mile race that was held as part of the food drive. I practiced in my neighborhood so my body would be ready to run a whole mile.
Gathering Donations
Some races you have to pay money to enter. For this race, runners were asked to donate food instead of money! My parents and friends gave me food to donate.
Ready, Set, Serve!
It was a hot morning, but I finished the race. I ran the whole time without stopping. I even got a medal for finishing!
Sorting the Food
After the race my family and I went to the parking lot of a local grocery store to sort the donations that went to the food bank.
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👤 Children
👤 Parents
👤 Friends
👤 Church Members (General)
👤 Other
Charity
Children
Family
Kindness
Service
Q&A:Questions and Answers
A chemistry student learned that classmates had the answer book and were using it to complete labs. He chose not to cheat and was mocked for it. When individual final projects came, he was far ahead because he had genuinely learned the material.
Second, cheating takes away the satisfaction of doing well in your classes. Nothing will give you more confidence in your abilities than doing well in a class by studying hard. One young chemistry student found out that someone in his chemistry lab had the answer book for all the lab experiments they would be assigned that semester. It seemed like the whole class played around in the lab and then filled in the correct answers while he did his lab work without cheating. He was made fun of, but in the end, when the class was assigned individual projects for their final grade, he was way ahead because he had actually learned the things he was supposed to have learned.
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👤 Young Adults
👤 Other
Agency and Accountability
Education
Honesty
Temptation
“I think the Church is true, but sometimes I have doubts. How can I be sure?”
While serving as a mission president, the author met an elder who wanted to go home because he lacked a testimony. He counseled the elder that deciding to stay and serve would plant the seed needed for a testimony. The principle taught was that commitment precedes spiritual confirmation.
Many years after my first mission and while I served as mission president, an elder came to me and said that he did not know the Church was true. Because of that he wanted to return home. I pleaded with him to not do so stating, “You can’t learn the Church is true if in the back of your mind you’re thinking ‘I’m going to go home.’ By such lack of faith you cast out of your heart the very seed that could bring you the answer that you seek. First of all you’ve got to say ‘I’m going to stay. Whether or not the Church is true is beside the point. I’m staying.’” In summary I told him that the seed to plant in his heart was the seed of commitment to stay and serve, and the harvest that would grow was the sweet fruit of testimony.
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👤 Missionaries
👤 Church Leaders (Local)
Doubt
Endure to the End
Faith
Missionary Work
Testimony
All in the Family
Rambo reached out to her sister Agnes, who initially found church boring and only liked talking to the missionaries. Through Rambo’s conversations and Belle’s serious commitment and sacrifices, Agnes decided to investigate the Church. Her growing respect for her sisters’ faith led to her own interest and eventual baptism.
One of the first people Rambo thought of was Agnes. “When I would go to church, at first I was pretty bored. I liked to talk to the missionaries, but I didn’t like to talk about the Church,” says Agnes, who is two years older than Rambo. “Rambo would talk to me and try to help me understand more about the gospel. Finally I decided to investigate the Church because Belle was so serious and made so many sacrifices for the Church, and I could see what the Church was beginning to mean to Rambo.”
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👤 Youth
👤 Missionaries
Conversion
Friendship
Missionary Work
Sacrifice
Teaching the Gospel
Elder Quentin L. Cook
Elder Cook recalls a bread deliveryman called into a bishopric who noticed leaders bringing briefcases to meetings. Lacking materials to carry, he filled his briefcase with sourdough bread to share, exemplifying simple, generous service.
Some of the members had little education and less money. But they had much to give. He remembers fondly “one of the great men I knew” who delivered bread for a living and was called into a bishopric. The man had seen ward leaders taking briefcases to their meetings, and so he decided to take one too. But since he had nothing to put in it yet, he filled it with sourdough bread to share. This humble man’s willingness to serve was surpassed only by love for others.
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👤 Church Leaders (Local)
👤 Church Members (General)
Adversity
Bishop
Charity
Employment
Humility
Love
Sacrifice
Service
“Come unto Me with Full Purpose of Heart, and I Shall Heal You”
The speaker met a 92-year-old World War II veteran who had survived multiple injuries, including a land-mine blast that killed his jeep’s driver. The veteran learned that survival in a minefield required following precisely in the tracks of the vehicle ahead. Any deviation could be fatal. The account illustrates the necessity of exactness in following safe guidance.
Last week I met a 92-year-old man who had been involved in many of the major campaigns of World War II. He had survived three injuries, one of which was a land-mine blast to the jeep in which he was traveling, which killed the driver. He learned that to survive in a minefield, you must follow exactly in the tracks of the vehicle moving ahead of you. Any deviation to the right or left could—and indeed did—prove fatal.
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👤 Other
Adversity
Courage
Death
War
Blessings of the Temple
In a single week, Dave suffered Bell’s palsy, a knee injury, and the deaths of two friends. Feeling low, he went to the temple and felt lifted from a dark feeling, gaining perspective on what truly matters.
“In one week,” recalls Dave Nielsen, 19, “I contracted Bell’s palsy, I blew out my knee, and two of my friends died. I was feeling really low.” Dave decided to go to the temple. “It was like taking a breather from the trials of life,” he says. “Doing temple work pulled me out of the dark feeling that had come over me. There’s a power in the temple. It helps you see what’s really important in life.”
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👤 Young Adults
Adversity
Death
Grief
Health
Mental Health
Temples
Look Up and Press On
A ward Relief Society president contacted a community worker to share local service needs with her sisters. After learning that each Relief Society unit would undertake a project, the worker marveled at the scale. He concluded that such coordinated effort would change the world.
A ward Relief Society president recently shared with me the reaction of a community worker to her request to inform the sisters of local service needs. The president calmly explained that each Relief Society unit around the Church would be undertaking a project. The worker said, “You mean 18,000 groups of Relief Society women are going to do something in their local communities? Then you’ll change the world.”
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👤 Church Leaders (Local)
👤 Other
Charity
Relief Society
Service
Unity
Women in the Church
Helping Mom
After their dog, Trooper, died, the narrator saw their mother crying. The child put an arm around her, which helped her feel better.
When our dog, Trooper, died, my mom was sad. I saw her crying. I put my arm around her. That helped her to feel better.
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👤 Parents
👤 Children
👤 Other
Children
Death
Family
Grief
Kindness
Wandsworth Stake Members Lay Wreaths
After COVID-19 disrupted Remembrance Services in 2020, conditions in 2021 allowed them to resume. On November 14, 2021, members from five wards in the Wandsworth Stake, including youth and Primary children, attended local services and laid wreaths. They felt thrilled to participate in this act of remembrance.
Regrettably, the COVID-19 pandemic hindered Remembrance Services taking place in the usual way in 2020. Happily, in 2021, conditions then permitted them to take place, which pleased many.
For the past ten years, each ward in the Wandsworth Stake, London has participated in laying a wreath during a Remembrance Service in its local area. Thus, on 14 November 2021, a few members from five wards, including youth and Primary children, attended services and laid wreaths. They were thrilled to be able to do this.
For the past ten years, each ward in the Wandsworth Stake, London has participated in laying a wreath during a Remembrance Service in its local area. Thus, on 14 November 2021, a few members from five wards, including youth and Primary children, attended services and laid wreaths. They were thrilled to be able to do this.
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👤 Church Members (General)
👤 Youth
👤 Children
Children
Service
Unity
War
Pioneer Wagons
A pioneer, Mrs. Jean Rio Griffiths Baker, described her first lesson in driving oxen. She humorously noted that the cattle went in every direction but straight. The account highlights pioneers' inexperience and the challenges they faced learning new skills.
Many of the pioneers who crossed the plains were from cities in the British Isles and Europe. Though they were familiar with carriages and buggies pulled by horses, they had never driven a covered wagon pulled by oxen. One pioneer, Mrs. Jean Rio Griffiths Baker, wrote in her diary, “I can just fancy how you would laugh, could you see us taking our first lesson in ox-driving and our cattle (oxen) taking every direction except a straight forward one.”
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👤 Pioneers
Adversity
Education
Self-Reliance
Our Actions Determine Our Character
Viktor Frankl recalled men in Nazi concentration camps who comforted others and gave away their last piece of bread. Their actions, though few, demonstrated that one freedom remains: to choose one’s attitude in any circumstances. The account illustrates acting nobly rather than reacting in bitterness.
It may seem natural to react to a situation by giving back what is given to us. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Reflecting on his horrendous wartime experiences, Viktor Frankl recalled: “We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way” (Man’s Search for Meaning, rev. ed. [1984], 86; emphasis added).
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👤 Other
Adversity
Agency and Accountability
Charity
War