Gospel Story Finder

One favorite tradition is a pioneer Christmas, where they all make the presents they give each other. “The pioneers couldn’t buy anything for Christmas because they were not near many stores and didn’t have much money, so they made all of their presents,” explained Robert. “Some Christmases we do the same thing. You really care about the presents and the people you make them for.”
Carolyn agreed. “You spend a lot of time working on presents instead of just going to the store to buy them. It takes a lot more thought and time, so they mean more.”
The 12 children have made aprons, blocks, pictures, shirts, puppets, door plaques for bedrooms, and various other creations that they’ve dreamed up.
“Giving presents is a different task when you have 12 kids rather than 2 or 3,” added Weston Edwards, Jr., 15. “You think of giving a lot and have to work hard to get all those presents out. Father has tried to show us that it’s the spirit of giving that Christmas is all about instead of the spirit of receiving. And we show our love and sincerity by working on the presents.”

President Elaine Jack reminisces about her grandmother’s talents. She made all the children’s clothes, knit their socks and mittens, milked cows, churned butter and sold it, raised chickens, ducks, and turkeys, was a counselor in the Relief Society, and gathered wheat. “As hard as all that work she did sounds, is any less required of me? I don’t have to do the same physical things Grandma Low did, but I have to be just as industrious, just as compassionate, just as frugal, just as prepared for the winter as she was. This is my heritage.”

Our five dear children play the piano, thanks to the motivation of my wife! When the teacher arrived at our home, our son Adrián would run and hide in order to skip his lesson. But one day something marvelous occurred! He began to love music so much that he continued practicing on his own.

As a boy I loved to hear a man who, with a rich baritone voice, sang the words of John Taylor:
The Seer, the Seer, Joseph, the Seer! …
I love to dwell on his memory dear;
The chosen of God and the friend of man,
He brought the priesthood back again;
He gazed on the past and the future, too, …
And opened the heavenly world to view.
(“The Seer, Joseph, the Seer,” Hymns [1948], no. 296)

When I was a young boy, I received a loving gift from my Father in Heaven that has helped me throughout my life. One summer morning I was with my parents and my two little brothers and sister at our ranch trying to round up our horses.
I remember watching my dad and my little brothers as I walked in the pasture by myself. The sky was blue, the sun was bright, the grass was green and lush, and there was a little breeze in the air. As I stood there, I looked up to the sky and the mountains. Then an overwhelming feeling came upon me that Heavenly Father had created all of this—everything I could see—and that He loved me.
At that age, I had not yet read the Book of Mormon. My understanding of the gospel was limited. And yet I felt something very real that went deep into my heart. It was a warm, gentle feeling of truth.
That experience caused me to be sensitive to spiritual things and to listen to the counsel from the Lord. Each of us has the privilege to have spiritual experiences if we seek them and pay attention to them.
For me, ever since that moment in the pasture as a boy, whenever I’ve faced difficult times or temptations, I’ve remembered what I felt at that moment—the Holy Ghost teaching me truth. That feeling has sustained me. I knew God would help me, and even when I’d struggle, I knew the Lord loved me and I could turn to Him.

Another happy day she remembered was the day she met the missionaries.

“I have been a member about three and a half years. My mother—she’s not a member—says it happened by chance. Two elders knocked on our door and my father opened it. They taught us right then. My father, my elder sister, and I later joined the Church. My mother and my two brothers, 14 and 8, didn’t join. It’s a hard thing not having the whole family in the Church. Sometimes mom wants me to stay home and do chores instead of going to meetings. My sister and I try to do our best to keep up with the housework and to help each other out so we can still go. I need to have the Church and feel the Spirit. It’s worth all my life. When I don’t get to go to a meeting, I can tell I haven’t been. It’s easier to get depressed or upset. When I do go, my life feels more complete. I feel happy. My daily chores are a breeze.”

I did all I could
To remain a walled city.
I hardened my heart
Until the still, small voice
Struck stone.
Cloaked in deaf ignorance,
What I did not know
Could not condemn me.
I averted my eyes,
Walking blind
My road to Damascus.
But the fountain
Of living water
Poured over my walls
And softened my heart
Until I heard the small voice.
And when I looked up
To see who it was that spoke,
I saw the holy light
And was drawn in.

As a young single woman in my late twenties, I had been reviewing the direction of my life and considering some major changes. An unwelcome birthday had left me feeling older than I wanted to be; and, like many single members of the Church, I felt I had failed to reach some important personal goals. It seemed that I needed some specific direction from the Lord. So, for the first time in my life, I asked my priesthood leader to give me a blessing. This good man prepared himself by fasting, and suggested that I do the same. We met early one radiant Sunday morning.
As he spoke the words of the blessing, I listened intently for answers and solutions. But in that I was disappointed; the Lord had wisely left me to find my own way. Instead, he blessed me with what I really needed: an undeniable personal witness of his love for me. The blessing spoke of God’s specific awareness of my life and my problems. As examples of his constant influence were called to my mind, the Spirit confirmed the truthfulness of each. My heart overflowed with love and gratitude, springing from some untouched place deep within me. For the first time I had really experienced God’s love, and I could respond to him not only with my loyalty, but with my own love in return.
I have often pondered the effects of that experience. How could a knowledge of God’s love for me endow my life with such permanent strength? To me, the wonder of it was that God was so near, that he was completely aware of my most secret sorrows and fears—even my troubled midnight thoughts. I was not alone! His was a love that enabled me to “let go,” and to realize that even though my goals had not been achieved exactly as I felt they should be, God’s plan, whatever it was, would be better than my own.

Eight years later, when I was deciding whether to serve a mission, I thought about what Steven had done and compared it to what the Lord was asking me to do. I began to understand my personal reasons for serving a mission. I loved the Lord, and I loved my brothers and sisters on this earth enough to share the message of our Savior’s love.

[One young man] and another Aaronic Priesthood holder were assigned to administer the sacrament to a man who was homebound and very sick. They arrived at his home not realizing that recent medical treatments prevented him from eating any food—even a piece of the sacrament bread. After blessing the bread, the young man presented the sacrament to the frail man. He took a piece of the blessed bread, waited a moment, and then held it against his lips. The young man said when he saw this faithful brother express his reverence for the sacrament, he felt as though he were watching him kiss the feet of the Savior. He could tell that he loved Him.
The significance of the sacrament was impressed upon that young man in an unforgettable way that day. You will have sacred experiences, just as this young man did.

History tells us, for example, of a great council held in A.D. 325 in Nicaea. By this time Christianity had emerged from the dank dungeons of Rome to become the state religion of the Roman Empire, but the church still had problems—chiefly the inability of Christians to agree among themselves on basic points of doctrine. To resolve differences, Emperor Constantine called together a group of Christian bishops to establish once and for all the official doctrines of the church.
Consensus did not come easily. Opinions on such basic subjects as the nature of God were diverse and deeply felt, and debate was spirited. Decisions were not made by inspiration or revelation, but by majority vote, and some disagreeing factions split off and formed new churches. Similar doctrinal councils were held later in A.D. 451, 787, and 1545, with similarly divisive results.

A true story from the Philippines.
Chim opened his sleepy eyes. It was finally the weekend!
“Time to wake up, or we’ll be late,” Mom called.
Chim wished he could sleep longer, but today was market day. He needed to help Mom buy food for the week. So he got up and quickly ate his breakfast.
Mom did a lot for Chim and his two brothers. She was very busy working, and she didn’t have much time to be at home. Chim and his brothers worked together to do most of the chores. Chim was happy to help.
When Chim and Mom got back from the market, Mom had to leave for work. While she was gone, Chim and his brothers got ready for Sunday. Chim set out the shoes, pants, and shirt he would wear to church tomorrow. His older brother, Robin, helped him iron his shirt. Then they made dinner.
Chim was cleaning up the kitchen when Mom came home. She looked really tired.
“Here you go, Mom.” Chim handed her a bowl of hot food to eat.
Mom smiled. “Thanks for your help today. This looks delicious!”
The next morning, Chim woke up early and got ready for church. He was excited to see his friends in Primary and learn about Jesus Christ.
“Mom?” he called quietly, knocking on her door. “Are you coming with us to church today?”
“I can’t,” Mom said. “I have to work this afternoon.”
“OK.” Chim felt a little sad. It had been almost a year since Mom came to church with them. “Drive safe and have a good day,” he told her.
“Ready to go?” his little brother, Mattew, asked.
“Yes!” Chim put on his shoes and ran out the door with his brothers to catch the bus.
Chim felt happy when he walked into the church building. He tried to think about Jesus Christ during the sacrament. And in Primary, he tried extra hard to listen to Sister Ortega’s lesson.
“Today we are learning about the Holy Ghost,” said Sister Ortega. “The Holy Ghost brings us messages from Heavenly Father. Kind of like a radio.”
Chim looked at the picture of a radio Sister Ortega was holding up.
“A radio works by receiving a signal and turning it into sound waves we can hear,” she explained. “You have to set it to the right channel to hear it. To hear the Holy Ghost, we need to set our hearts and minds to the right channel too. How can we do that?”
Everyone was thinking. Then Chim said, “By following Jesus Christ and keeping the commandments.”
Sister Ortega smiled. “That’s right.”
After church, Chim helped make dinner again. He felt warm inside as he helped. He knew that by serving his family, he was setting his heart to the right channel to feel the Holy Ghost.
When Mom got home, Chim gave her a big hug. Then they prayed over the food and started to eat.
“Guess what I learned at church today,” Chim said. He liked to tell Mom about Primary.
“What?” Mom asked.
“We learned about the Holy Ghost,” said Chim. “It’s like a radio. When we keep the commandments, we can turn our hearts to the right channel to hear Him.”
Mom nodded. “That’s great. So what’s an example of keeping the commandments?”
Chim smiled. “Help your mom!” He laughed. “I love you, Mom.”
Illustrations by Uran Duo

A story is told of a young university student who struggled with a challenging class, so he hired a tutor to help him. Near the end of the course, the professor announced that students could bring to the final exam one piece of paper on which they could place anything they wanted. Some students prepared by making tiny notes with information from lectures and textbooks, readable only by using a magnifying glass. But the young man arrived at the final exam with a blank sheet of paper and a stranger. When the professor questioned him, the young man replied, “You said I could bring one piece of paper with anything on it.” He then placed the paper on the floor next to his desk and said, “I’d like my tutor to stand on my piece of paper.”

And of course there is Bilbo Baggins, the small, unassuming hobbit who would have very much preferred to stay home and eat his soup. But after a knock at his door, he follows the call of the great unknown and steps out into the world, together with a wizard and a band of dwarfs, to fulfill a dangerous but vitally important mission.2

In the large ward in which I grew up, there were five quorums of deacons. Each was presided over by a presidency of three boys. My first responsibility in the Church, the first office I ever held, was counselor to the boy who presided over our deacons quorum. Our good bishop called me in and talked with me about this calling. I was tremendously impressed. I was worried and concerned. I was by nature, believe it or not, a rather shy and backward boy, and I think this call to serve as a counselor in a deacons quorum was of as much concern to me, in terms of my age and experience, as is my present responsibility in terms of my age and experience.

On shelves in our basement,
My mother has put
Jars and bottles all full of stuff:
Apples and carrots and beans and peas,
Corn and ketchup—things like these.
In my memory,
I have stored
All the summer that I could hoard:
Grass and flowers and windblown trees,
Baseball and swimming and buzzing bees.
In cold and snowy wintertime,
We’ll bring back summer days:
We’ll warm our stomachs
And warm our hearts
With what we’ve stored away.

I can remember as a young bishop receiving a desperate call from a married couple a short time before I was to catch an airplane for a business engagement. I pled with the Lord before their arrival to know how I could bless them. It was revealed to me the nature of the problem and the response I should give. That revelatory guidance allowed me to fulfill the sacred responsibilities of my calling as bishop despite very limited availability of time. Bishops all over the world also share these same kinds of experiences with me. As a stake president, I not only received important revelation but also received personal correction that was necessary to accomplish the Lord’s purposes.

Have you seen the portrait of President George Albert Smith on page 49? When President Smith dedicated the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple, he prayed for the Primary children. He said, “May Thy Holy Spirit be richly imparted to Thy young sons and daughters, that their faith may be enlarged, that they may walk righteously … before Thee” (Church News, Jan. 1, 1950).

Often I would play sports with my cousins. I was also interested in reading books. Sometimes my aunts would get after me when I was reading and tell me to go outside and have fun with the boys. But as a result of that reading habit, I learned about some of the wonderful works of literature at an early age, for which I am grateful now.

At one difficult point in my life, I couldn’t discern answers to my heartfelt prayers for a long period of time. A dear friend of mine was going through some difficulties of her own. But as we played and sang hymns and gospel songs together, we often experienced overwhelming feelings of solace and testimony. I now recognize that the Lord was fulfilling His promise. He was answering the songs of my heart, again and again. And that really did help me lift up my heart and go on.