Gospel Story Finder

For example, Adam N. shares that one of his favorite activities at the camp, constructing knives, “taught me that just like our knives, our testimonies must be sharp, clear of rust, and ready to use, so that we will be prepared.” Focusing on doing your duty to God helps you prepare spiritually to serve the Lord whenever He needs you.

I know exactly how you feel. A few months ago, my boyfriend and I did something wrong. After that, it seemed as if in every fireside the speaker was talking just to me. I felt terrible. I knew I needed to tell my bishop, but I just couldn’t.

I tried to tell myself that if I just forgot about it and never did it again, the Lord would forget too. Last week I had an interview with my bishop to get my patriarchal blessing. I knew I had to tell him. I prayed before I went in. Then with a prayer in my heart, I took a deep breath and told him. Now I feel so much better! It was so hard to do. But I thank the Lord for giving me the courage to confess. Now I can complete my repentance, and I won’t have to carry that burden for the rest of my life.

Name withheld

Our love can expand from a close circle of family to encompass not only our friends but ultimately our neighbors—and even enemies. One Church member serving in the American military in post–World War II Japan told of his struggle with bitterness toward the Japanese people. After being welcomed into a shrine of worship by Japanese townspeople, however, he found that “their spirits touched mine, and I felt an amazing change in my feelings toward them. My bitterness melted. … I thought about what had happened in that shrine and the amazing transformation I felt toward the people there.”11

On one of his many travels, President McKay was encouraged by the queen of the Netherlands to drink ______. He explained the Word of Wisdom to her.

Though Church members don’t purchase or directly administer the vaccines, they canvass neighborhoods to hand out information sheets, hang street posters and banners, help at vaccination posts, and develop radio and TV spots. One young returned missionary composed a musical jingle for the campaign in Madagascar. This jingle has been translated and sung in 28 languages on dozens of radio stations in most countries where the campaign has taken place.

Most of those who work in the storehouse are recipients of commodities. There are a minimum number of full-time staff members. One example of what happens when the spirit of this program permeates the activity is that of a thirty-two-year-old man who came to the storehouse. He was unable to read or write or even to speak. He was deeply disturbed. He was accepted by the other workers with love and understanding and was trained to accomplish a simple task. He learned to become a stock boy, stocking the shelves with commodities. Because he could not read, the staff placed pictures on the boxes so that he could match pictures and properly stack the cartons on the shelves. Through their patience and love, this young man has gained the ability to keep the shelves properly stocked with the proper commodities. Part of his compensation is provided in food which he takes to his parents and other members of his family to help provide for their needs. The happiness and fulfillment shown by this handicapped person as he receives the food to take home is truly an inspiration to all others.

Thanks for the articles about how you can get along better with peers. I talked with my Young Women leaders and my bishop, and slowly but surely the problem began to resolve itself. I used to live in a military ward, and I noticed as we all faced moving time, we started pulling together and actually meaning it when we said we loved each other. Thanks again.
Veronica JonesJacksonville, North Carolina

I couldn’t believe I had actually made it. I stood at the entrance to the Sacred Grove, about to enter for the first time. I had always been taught that the Sacred Grove is where Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared after the young Joseph Smith had offered his heart in prayer to God. But I wondered: Was it really true? Did They really appear to Joseph? I had always believed it was true, but I wanted to know for sure.
I slowly walked into the grove and was struck by its beauty. The melody to “Joseph Smith’s First Prayer” (Hymns, no. 26) began playing in my mind. Sitting on a bench, I saw rays of sunshine piercing through the trees. The Holy Ghost brought a calm witness that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ had truly appeared to Joseph Smith.
I got up, looking for a place to be alone. When I found one, I knelt down and offered my gratitude to the Lord for the witness I had just received. I don’t know how long I prayed or if anybody saw me, but I do know that I was heard by the Lord.
I arose from my prayer with new life. My testimony had been strengthened, and I was filled with love for the restored gospel. I hadn’t heard a booming voice or felt a burning in my bosom, but an overwhelming peace and assurance had come over me.
I longed to stay. But I left the safety of that sanctuary with the assurance that God hears and answers prayers and that any place I kneel can become sacred to me.

Now here is something serious to contemplate. Nose bleeds can result if you strain your brain too hard. Please be careful. Before I finished my first try I thought, “I’m not a moron; I just can’t see it. I’m not omniscient, after all.”
Then the words of Mosiah 9:17 came to my mind, “Yea, in the strength of the Lord did we go forth to battle against the Lamanites; for I and my people did cry mightily to the Lord that he would deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, for we were awakened to a remembrance of the deliverance of our fathers.” Wow! Strength and deliverance. Everything I needed was in the scriptures.

Romeo and I have been friends since childhood. He became very unhappy with me when he discovered that I was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in October of 2013. He criticized me for joining the Church, and often said to me, “I just do not understand why in the world you chose to join a cult.”
I tried very hard to convince my friend that the Church is not a cult or a devilish movement as he perceived. I encouraged him to investigate the Church and invited him to meet with the full-time missionaries. But my friend forcefully insisted that under no condition could he accept the Book of Mormon as a second Bible. Under no condition could he accept the Prophet Joseph Smith as a true prophet of God. And under no condition could he become a member of the Church.
After much effort to speak with him about the restored Church and gospel of Jesus Christ, I decided not to talk to my friend anymore about the Church, the Book of Mormon and the Prophet Joseph Smith. Rather, I decided to just be a good friend to him.
Not long after, I enrolled in the PathwayConnect online program in 2019. I thought my good friend would also be interested in pursuing his education, so I introduced the PathwayConnect program to him and invited him to enroll. He enrolled and found that it was rewarding. He enjoyed his affiliation with the Church through the PathwayConnect online program as he interacted with members of the Church throughout the world. They shared gospel thoughts related to the weekly academic lessons.
One evening in December of 2020, my friend called me on the phone to inform me that he had finally made up his mind to join the Church. He explained to me how a feeling of peace, joy and belonging filled his mind and soul whenever he attended a PathwayConnect gathering and participated in group charts online.
I then asked my friend, “What about the Book of Mormon and the Prophet Joseph Smith?” To this he responded, “Because you and other members have shown me and believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God, and Joseph Smith to be a true prophet of God, I too believe!” He later invited the full-time missionaries of the Church to teach him and was baptized in early 2021.

One day, when I felt that life was cruel to me, I started what has become a tradition. I wrote an entry titled “Things I Am Thankful For.” It amazed me that day, as it still does, how varied and plentiful are my blessings, and how obscure and sometimes even humorous are my trials.

Many years ago I worked for a railroad in the central offices in Denver. I was in charge of what is called head-end traffic. That was in the days when nearly everyone rode passenger trains. One morning I received a call from my counterpart in Newark, New Jersey. He said, “Train number such-and-such has arrived, but it has no baggage car. Somewhere, 300 passengers have lost their baggage, and they are mad.”

I went immediately to work to find out where it may have gone. I found it had been properly loaded and properly trained in Oakland, California. It had been moved to our railroad in Salt Lake City, been carried to Denver, down to Pueblo, put on another line, and moved to St. Louis. There it was to be handled by another railroad which would take it to Newark, New Jersey. But some thoughtless switchman in the St. Louis yards moved a small piece of steel just 7.5 centimeters, a switch point, then pulled the lever to uncouple the car. We discovered that a baggage car that belonged in Newark, New Jersey, was in fact in New Orleans, Louisiana—2,400 kilometers from its destination. Just the 7.5-centimeter movement of the switch in the St. Louis yard by a careless employee had started it on the wrong track, and the distance from its true destination increased dramatically. That is the way it is with our lives. Instead of following a steady course, we are pulled by some mistaken idea in another direction. The movement away from our original destination may be ever so small, but, if continued, that very small movement becomes a great gap and we find ourselves far from where we intended to go.

Years later while serving as a bishop, this same friend found himself alone again in his ward meetinghouse. After turning out the lights in the chapel, he lingered for a moment as the moonlight shone through the windows onto the pulpit.
The familiar sense of peace again washed over him, and he sat down near the front of the chapel and reflected on the myriad sacred moments he had experienced in that setting—the many times he had observed the priests breaking the bread at the sacrament table, the occasions when he had felt the Holy Spirit accompanying him as he delivered a ward conference address, the baptismal services he had conducted, the beautiful choir numbers he had heard, and the numerous testimonies from ward members that had touched him so deeply. Seated alone in that dark chapel, he felt overcome by the collective impact of these experiences on his life and on the lives of his ward members, and he bowed his head in profound gratitude.

What was I thinking? Me? Run a half-marathon? No way! But there I was for the fourth week in a row, training to run a 13-mile race. Why was I pushing myself so hard to do something I had never been good at? Because I had to prove to myself that I could achieve a personal victory, symbolic of all the spiritual and temporal changes that had taken place in my life.
Before I found the gospel, I had always taken the easy road when it came to making choices. I never pushed myself. I never tried to become a better person, spiritually or physically. But things changed when I received the missionary lessons. Suddenly I was introduced to a whole new world of people striving to better themselves, working hard at self-mastery and education.
I was intrigued. My old friends were interested in parties and fun. My new friends were interested in experiencing joy by overcoming the “natural man”—a concept I didn’t quite understand. But I was awed by my new friends’ lifestyle. They worked hard in school, dressed modestly, didn’t drink or smoke, and they read scriptures every night!
At first I didn’t understand why they chose this righteous pattern of living. “Why would anyone want such a boring life?” I thought. I didn’t understand how regular scripture study and prayer could be better than watching a good movie.
Then I learned the meaning of the “natural man” when an institute teacher explained the concept in detail. From the scriptures he read, “The natural man is an enemy to God … and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord” (Mosiah 3:19).
True happiness, my teacher explained, comes only when our spirits learn to control our bodies, training them to be governed by the laws of God. When we live by the natural man’s principles, which is to do only what is easy and fun, we may feel good for the moment, but we will never find lasting peace or joy.
The words of my teacher struck me, and I decided that I should experiment. I would start working hard at being more like Christ would have me be. I would join in the marathon of righteous living, training daily by reading the scriptures and praying. Then I would decide if doing so could really bring me lasting happiness.
I began to read the scriptures. At first it was painfully boring. I didn’t understand a thing I read. But the institute teacher had planted a seed of faith in me, so I kept reading. And then, little by little, I started to understand the scriptures. Not only did I understand, but I also felt a real, lasting joy—different from the temporary joy I experienced when I watched a movie or bought a new sweater. In training for this marathon of righteous living, I realized how badly I needed to drink the “living waters,” which represent the Atonement of Christ. I found answers to my deepest problems and anxieties.
The institute teacher was right. Now that I have tasted of the true joy that comes from living the laws of God, I will never be satisfied with the easy life and fleeting, feel-good moments. I no longer see myself as living in a body that is a slave to its desires. Instead, I see myself as a spirit daughter of Heavenly Father, able to make the right choices. I’ll always remember that there is a bigger marathon to run in life. I know if I endure to the end, having faith in Christ and keeping His commandments, I can attain the prize—eternal joy.

Now, around the fire in Whitehorse after a Sunday of worship and a delicious meal with the Whitehorse Saints, we were reliving the experience one more time before starting home the next morning. As the fire died away, the chill went unnoticed in the warmth of the Spirit. A theme of priesthood and prayer threaded the testimonies.
“The last day as we were rushing to meet the train, we stopped at a rock outcropping to rest, and Brother Woolley asked me to say a prayer. As I knelt upon the earth, tears streamed down my face and an overwhelming feeling of sweet humility filled my being. I felt an overpowering desire to always be close to my Heavenly Father and live so I would please him. The words poured from my mouth and I prayed publicly for the first time in my life by the Spirit. I was prompted to ask for strength and that we might make the train on time. We did. I also asked for a special blessing upon the girls behind us. It was incredible, but they reached the station only 15 minutes to a half hour behind us. I’m so very thankful I had this camping experience and the opportunity to rely so heavily on the Lord.”

Tomorrow he’ll probably be walking Wall Street, but today, on the brisk Monday afternoon, his class discussions are finished and he walks over to one of the numerous meetings he has each week. Many students call out to him, greeting him by name. Some glance at him with a mischievous look in their eyes and call out, “Hi, LARRY!” That’s Greg’s first name, but he hates to be called that and they know it. On the first day of class this year, the student body gave him a standing ovation and shouted out, “Larry! Larry! Larry!” It’s impossible to take yourself too seriously with classmates like that.

Luz felt happy. The school year was ending, and so many exciting things were happening. Soon she would graduate from sixth grade. Next year, she’d be in secondary school!
It surprised her how much she had grown up. She was taller, and she wasn’t a little kid anymore. Those changes were exciting, but she also felt a little nervous.
She decided to talk about it with her parents.
“This is a wonderful time in your life, Luz,” Papá said. “It’s a time for you to learn, do your best, and reach goals that will help you become the person God knows you can be.”
“But life comes just one day at a time,” Mamá said. “You’ll grow and become that person with each small, good choice you make.”
That helped Luz feel better. She was glad that she didn’t have to grow up all at once.
One day at school, Luz’s friends told her they were going to have a graduation party. They were super excited. There would be dinner, music, lights, and even a dance!
But as Luz listened to her friends talk about the party, she started to feel uncomfortable. It didn’t sound like the kind of party where she’d be able to feel the Holy Ghost.
“You’re going to come, right, Luz?” one of her friends asked.
“You have to come!” another friend said. “I’ll tell my parents to talk to your parents. Then they’ll let you come.”
“Maybe.” Luz’s stomach was doing flip-flops. “I … I’ll let you know.”
Luz spent the rest of the weekend thinking about the party. She thought about it while she practiced the piano. She thought about it while she played with her baby brother. No matter what she did, it was on her mind.
Part of her just wanted to go to the party. But she still felt uneasy. The nervous feeling in her stomach wouldn’t go away.
“Are you OK, hija?” Mamá asked on Sunday afternoon. She combed her fingers through Luz’s long, dark hair.
“Well …,” Luz said.
“Are you still thinking about the party?”
“I don’t know what to do,” said Luz. “I want to go. But I know I won’t have a good feeling there.”
Mamá smiled. “I know you’ll make a good choice,” she said. “Think about it, make your choice, and tell Heavenly Father what you’ve decided. He’ll help you know if it’s right. You’ll feel it in your heart.”
Luz nodded. She took a deep breath and went to her room to pray.
“Heavenly Father,” Luz whispered. “My friends invited me to a party, but I don’t feel good about it. I’m going to tell them that I can’t come. Is this the right thing to do?”
A wave of warmth came over Luz. She didn’t feel confused anymore. She felt like she was full of light! She knew she was making the right choice.
When Luz walked out of her room, she gave Mamá a big hug.
“I decided not to go,” Luz told her.
“I’m proud of you,” said Mamá.
Papá gave Luz a hug too. “I have an idea,” he said. “Let’s have our own graduation party. We can have ice cream and celebrate as a family!”
Luz smiled. She loved ice cream! And she loved knowing that she could do the right thing, even when it was hard. With every small, good choice she made, she could grow up to be the person God knew she could become.

A year ago I went with President Kimball back to his home in Arizona. And we visited the home where he grew up as a little boy. We climbed the winding stairs up to a bare room. And there the little boy, before he was a deacon, read the Bible by lamplight. We looked out the window from that upstairs room, and we saw the barns out in back where the cows had been. He used to milk nine cows every morning and night, the old-fashioned way. And as he milked the cows he learned the Articles of Faith, he learned the hymns, and he learned the Ten Commandments. He wrote them down on a little card and put them on the ground where he could look as he milked the cows.
And as he did these things, he made decisions about things he would and would not do. He was growing up, and he knew there were a lot of things that were good and a lot that were bad. He decided that when someone offered him a cigarette, he would say no. If someone offered him tea or coffee he would say no. If they suggested that he be immoral, he would say no; to lie or to cheat, he would say no. He made those decisions when he was a little boy, before he was a deacon. He would do as his mother had taught him. He would keep the commandments.
And so as he grew older and the boys all came around and said, “Spencer, will you have a cigarette? Will you have a drink of whiskey? Will you have some coffee?” he didn’t worry about hurting their feelings. He had decided just once to say no, and after that it was easy always to say no to the bad things. And that is how he has lived his life all these years.

To respect his privacy, let’s call him Brother Brown. He was converted to the Church thirty years ago in Minnesota through the example of an LDS school-teacher whose passion for life, sensitivity to people, and later her ability to love him unconditionally prepared him for baptism. They married and had three daughters and a son. Then Sister Brown’s father died and her mother came to live with them.
One bitterly cold winter day, Brother Brown came home from work, announced that the family was going to move to a warmer climate, flew to Hawaii, found a job, and sent for his family.

Last month I had the opportunity to attend the temple wedding of a young woman I have known since she was born. As I sat in the sealing room, looking at the beautiful chandelier sparkling in the light of the temple, I remembered that day when I first held her. Her mother had her dressed in a little white dress, and I thought she was one of the most beautiful babies I had ever seen. Then this young woman walked through the door, once again dressed in white. She was radiant and happy. As she entered the room, I wished with all my heart that every young woman could envision that moment and strive to always be worthy to make and keep sacred covenants and receive the ordinances of the temple in preparation to enjoy the blessings of exaltation.
As this couple knelt at the sacred altar, they received promises beyond mortal comprehension that will bless, strengthen, and assist them on their mortal journey. It was one of those moments when the world stood still and all of heaven rejoiced. As the newly married couple looked into the large mirrors in the room, the groom was asked what he saw. He said, “All those who have gone before me.” Then the couple looked into the large mirror on the opposite wall, and the bride said with tears in her eyes, “I see all those who will follow after us.” She saw her future family—her posterity. I know that she understood again in that moment how important it is to believe in being chaste and virtuous. There is no more beautiful sight than a couple, properly prepared, kneeling together at the altar of the temple.