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Friend to Friend

As a young child attending church in a hotel ballroom, the narrator listened to an important visitor speak. He felt a strong burning in his heart and turned to see the tall man with light streaming behind him. He knew the man was a servant of God and that his words were true.
As I was growing up, there were no Church chapels in the entire state of New Jersey, and so for a time our little branch met in a hotel in a nearby town. My earliest memory of having a testimony of the gospel was when I was five or six years old and we were having a meeting in the ballroom of the hotel. An important visitor was there. I donโ€™t remember now who he was, but he was very thin and tall, and I believe he had white hair.
I had grown restless near the end of the meeting as he was speaking, and my mother had been trying to keep me quiet, but she finally let me sit backward in my chair so that my legs were dangling from it. Although I wasnโ€™t facing the speaker, I was listening to him. Suddenly I felt a burning in my heart, just like the burning described in Doctrine and Covenants 9:8: โ€œAnd if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.โ€ [D&C 9:8] I remember turning around and seeing this tall man with the light streaming in from the large windows behind him, and I knew that he was a servant of God and that what he was saying was true. The feeling I had then was as clear and sure as anything could be.
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๐Ÿ‘ค Children ๐Ÿ‘ค Other
Children Faith Holy Ghost Revelation Testimony

โ€œCharity Never Failethโ€

In a bleak season after a difficult divorce, Judy works with Dr. Susan Nelson to face her own weaknesses. When the therapist quietly weeps as Judy shares her loss, Judy realizes she can care for herself too. This empathy becomes a turning point, helping her remember she is a child of God and move forward.
A simple act of caring helped Judy* learn from a difficult experience. โ€œIt was probably the bleakest time in my life,โ€ she recalls. โ€œMy divorce had been long and bitter, and I missed being with my four children. For six months I had been working with Dr. Susan Nelson,* a therapist who helped me recognize that I was partially responsible for what had happened. For the first time, I had to confront my personal weaknesses that, until then, I had denied. It all seemed so overwhelming to me.
โ€œOne afternoon in Dr. Nelsonโ€™s office, as I was speaking of everything precious I had lost, I looked up to see tears slipping down her cheeks. It surprised me. โ€˜If a paid therapist can care so much about me,โ€™ I thought, โ€˜why canโ€™t I care that much about myself?โ€™ Tears began to roll down my face for the first time in years. It was the turning point. In her loving and caring way, Dr. Nelson reminded me that I am a child of God. I could then value myself enough to let go of the past and move on with my life.โ€
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๐Ÿ‘ค Church Members (General) ๐Ÿ‘ค Other
Adversity Agency and Accountability Divorce Family Kindness Mental Health

Martyrs Who Kept the Faith

In 1915, rebel troops invaded San Marcos, Mexico, and arrested branch president Rafael Monroy after neighbors accused him of being an enemy soldier. He and fellow Saint Vicente Morales were tortured and told they would be freed if they renounced their religion, but Rafael refused. They were taken to headquarters; Rafaelโ€™s family saw him bloodied but calm, and later gunshots signaled their execution. Jesusita, Rafaelโ€™s mother, rushed back from seeking help and found Rafael and Vicente dead.
In the summer of 1915, Rafael Monroy served as the president of a branch of around forty Saints in San Marcos, Hidalgo, Mexico. On July 17, a group of rebel troops overran the village, set up headquarters in a large house at the center of town, and demanded that Rafael, a prosperous rancher, provide them with beef.1
Hoping to appease the troops, Rafael gave them a cow to slaughter.2 After Rafael delivered the cow, some of his neighbors began talking to the rebels. One neighbor, Andres Reyes, was unhappy about the growing number of Saints in the area. Many Mexicans opposed foreign influences in their country, and Andres and others in town resented the Monroys for leaving their Catholic faith to join a church widely associated with the United States.3
Hearing this, the soldiers followed Rafael back to his house and arrested him just as he was sitting down for breakfast. They ordered him to open the family store, claiming that he and his American brother-in-law were colonels in the Carrancista army who were hiding weapons to use against the Zapatistas.
At the store, Rafael and the troops found Vicente Morales, another Church member, doing odd jobs. Believing he was also a Carrancista soldier, the troops arrested him and began ransacking the store as they searched for weapons. Rafael and Vicente pleaded their innocence, assuring the troops that they were not the enemy.
The soldiers did not believe them. โ€œIf you do not give us your weapons,โ€ they said, โ€œwe will hang you from the highest tree.โ€
The soldiers brought the two men to a tall tree and slung ropes over its strong limbs. Then they placed nooses around their necks. If Rafael and Vicente would abandon their religion and join the Zapatistas, the soldiers said, they would be freed.
โ€œMy religion is dearer to me than my life,โ€ Rafael said, โ€œand I cannot forsake it.โ€
The soldiers pulled the ropes until Rafael and Vicente dangled from their necks and passed out. The rebels then released the ropes, revived the men, and continued to torture them.4
Back at the store, the rebels kept up their search for weapons. Rafaelโ€™s mother, Jesusita, and his wife, Guadalupe, insisted there were no weapons. โ€œMy son is a peaceful man!โ€ Jesusita said. โ€œIf it werenโ€™t so, do you think that you would have found him in his home?โ€ When the soldiers again demanded to see the familyโ€™s weapons, the Monroys held out copies of the Book of Mormon and Bible.
โ€œThose arenโ€™t weapons,โ€ the rebels said.
By that afternoon, the Zapatistas had taken Rafael and Vicente to their headquarters, where they were also holding Rafaelโ€™s siblingsโ€”Jovita, Lupe, and Natalia. Lupe was shocked at Rafaelโ€™s appearance. โ€œRafa, you have blood on your neck,โ€ she told him. Rafael walked to a sink in the room and washed his face. He looked calm and did not seem angry, despite everything that had happened.
Later, Jesusita brought her children food. Before she left, Rafael handed her a letter he had written to a Zapatista captain he knew, seeking his help to prove his innocence. Jesusita took the letter and went looking for the captain. The Monroys and Vicente then blessed their meal, but before they could eat, they heard the clatter of footsteps and weapons outside the door. The soldiers called for Rafael and Vicente, and the two men exited the room. At the door, Rafael asked his sister Natalia to come out with him, but the guards pushed her back inside.
The sisters looked at one another, their hearts pounding. Silence settled over them. Then gunshots split the night.5
On the night of the Zapatistasโ€™ invasion of San Marcos, Jesusita de Monroy had been on her way to speak with a rebel leader, hopeful that he could help her free her imprisoned children, when she heard the fateful gunshots. Hurrying back to the prison, she found her son Rafael and fellow Latter-day Saint Vicente Morales dead, victims of the rebel bullets.
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๐Ÿ‘ค Church Leaders (Local) ๐Ÿ‘ค Church Members (General) ๐Ÿ‘ค Parents ๐Ÿ‘ค Other
Courage Death Faith Religious Freedom Sacrifice

Breaking Point:Teton Dam Disaster in Idaho

While away in Omaha during the flood, Brother Brent Bell had asked a neighbor to watch his fields. Returning to find severe flood damage, he quipped that he would never again ask the neighbor to irrigate. His humor reflects resilience in the face of destruction.
Other incidents of humor originated by the unbeaten Saints included Brother Bellโ€™s comment that he was in Omaha, Nebraska, when the flood hit. โ€œIโ€™d asked a neighbor to take care of the fields for me. When I got home and saw that about 10 feet of water had ripped through my farm, I told him, โ€˜Thatโ€™s the last time Iโ€™ll ever ask you to irrigate.โ€™โ€
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๐Ÿ‘ค Church Leaders (Local) ๐Ÿ‘ค Church Members (General)
Adversity Endure to the End

FYI:For Your Information

Seminary teacher Charles L. Duncan challenged the Sidney Branch to read the Book of Mormon before graduation, promising a pizza party as incentive. Most who accepted finished, including a nine-year-old, and a nonmember completed the book and was baptized soon after. The celebration featured homemade pizzas at the Duncan home.
After reading the Book of Mormon, seminary students in Sidney, Montana, went to pizzas. Twenty-one of them.
Brother Charles L. Duncan, seminary teacher, challenged the entire Sidney Branch to read the Book of Mormon before the night of seminary graduation. He promised a pizza party to everyone accepting and accomplishing his challenge.
Of those taking on the challenge, some were really speedy, finishing the book in a matter of weeks. Some procrastinators read the last 100 pages in the final two days. When the deadline passed, over 70 percent of those accepting the challenge had finished and were qualified to attend the pizza party. A total of 16,434 pages were read.
The youngest person to read the Book of Mormon during the challenge was nine-year-old Dean White. He finished it long before most of the older readers. A nonmember, David Pope, finished reading the Book of Mormon and was baptized soon after the pizza party. Brother Duncanโ€™s children, too young to read themselves, had the Book of Mormon read to them during meals.
On the night of the party, the Book of Mormon scholars descended on the Duncan home armed with pepperoni, mozzarella, olives, and mushrooms. Soon 21 pizzas were made and eaten.
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๐Ÿ‘ค Youth ๐Ÿ‘ค Children ๐Ÿ‘ค Church Leaders (Local) ๐Ÿ‘ค Church Members (General) ๐Ÿ‘ค Other
Baptism Book of Mormon Children Conversion Education Family Missionary Work Scriptures Teaching the Gospel

Young Women Strong!

At the annual Personal Progress display night with the theme โ€œYour Heroines,โ€ Maya chose to dress up like her mother. She realized her mom is one of her heroines and expressed that through her choice.
Itโ€™s not easy keeping track of all the things I want to do. I want to be a writer. Or a doctor. Or an archeologist. Every year we have a special night when we display things weโ€™ve done for our Personal Progress goals. Last year our theme was โ€œYour Heroines.โ€ I decided to dress up like my mom. I donโ€™t think she knew she was one of my heroines.
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๐Ÿ‘ค Youth ๐Ÿ‘ค Parents
Family Women in the Church Young Women

The Answer in the Garden

The author prayed to meet someone prepared for the gospel while tending a flower garden and soon met a woman searching for a church. Discovering they were neighbors, they met again, shared beliefs, and the woman accepted an invitation to home sacrament meetings. After being taught by full-time missionaries, she was baptized on August 1, 2020. Later, she testified that both she and the author had prayed, and their prayers were answered.
Photograph courtesy of the author (right, with Sister Lim on the left)
Recently some missionaries in JeonJu Korea Stake and I made a flower garden at the entrance to my apartment. One morning before I went to my garden, I asked Heavenly Father to bless me to use the garden to make a new friend who was prepared to hear the gospel. That day while I was working in the garden, a woman approached.
โ€œIโ€™m looking for the church that is above a nearby supermarket,โ€ she said. โ€œDo you know where I can find it?โ€
โ€œI donโ€™t know that church,โ€ I replied.
She went on her way but returned 30 minutes later.
โ€œIโ€™ve heard that there is a church here somewhere,โ€ she said. โ€œI moved to my apartment a few days ago, and Iโ€™m looking for a church to attend.โ€
At that moment, it struck me. She was the answer to my prayer. I learned that she had moved to the same floor of the same apartment building where my husband and I live.
The next day we met at an open area behind the garden. For more than three hours, Lim Bo Nam and I shared our lives. Acting on a strong feeling, I shared some of my beliefs as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I also told her about the sacrament meetings we were holding in our home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then I invited her to our home to join us. To my surprise, she promised to come.
We taught Sister Lim about repentance and the meaning of the emblems of the sacrament. We also shared some related Bible verses about the importance of being โ€œborn of water and of the Spiritโ€ (John 3:5). The Spirit touched her.
Sister Lim expressed gratitude to learn about the true gospel of Jesus Christ. After receiving the discussions from the full-time missionaries, she was baptized August 1, 2020.
During her first fast and testimony meeting as a member of the Church, she testified that she had prayed to make friends in her new area. On the day we met, she had also prayed about which church to attend.
I am grateful the Lord answered both of our prayers and blessed me with the opportunity to make a friend and share the gospel with her.
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๐Ÿ‘ค Missionaries ๐Ÿ‘ค Church Members (General) ๐Ÿ‘ค Other
Baptism Bible Conversion Fasting and Fast Offerings Friendship Gratitude Holy Ghost Ministering Missionary Work Prayer Revelation Sacrament Testimony

Your Four Minutes

The speaker recounts Noelle Pikus-Paceโ€™s journey in the Olympic skeleton event. After a 2006 accident and a narrow miss in 2010, she faced intense pressure at the 2014 Olympics where years of preparation came down to four one-minute runs. Her final runs were nearly perfect, and she celebrated a silver medal with her family. The story emphasizes the urgency of preparation for brief, defining moments.
For you to feel that urgency, I first share the story of Noelle Pikus-Pace, one of those Latter-day Saint athletes. In Noelleโ€™s event, the skeleton, athletes build momentum as they sprint and then plunge headfirst on a small sled. With their faces inches above the ground, they race down a winding, icy track at speeds that top 90 miles (145 km) an hour.
Remarkably, years of preparation would be considered either a success or a disappointment based on what happened in the space of four intense 60-second runs.
Noelleโ€™s previous 2006 Olympic dreams were dashed when a terrible accident left her with a broken leg. In the 2010 Olympics her dreams fell short again when just over one-tenth of a second kept her from the medal stand.2
Can you imagine the anxiety she felt as she waited to begin her first run in the 2014 Olympics? Years of preparation would culminate in only a sliver of time. Four minutes total. She spent years preparing for those four minutes and would spend a lifetime afterward reflecting on them.
Noelleโ€™s final runs were virtually flawless! We will never forget her leap into the stands to embrace her family after crossing the finish line, exclaiming, โ€œWe did it!โ€ Years of preparation had paid off. We saw her Young Women medallion around her neck as the silver medal was placed there beside it.3
It may seem unfair that Noelleโ€™s entire Olympic dreams hinged on what she did during just four brief minutes. But she knew it, and that is why she prepared so diligently. She sensed the magnitude, the urgency of her four minutes, and what they would mean for the rest of her life.
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๐Ÿ‘ค Church Members (General)
Adversity Courage Endure to the End Family Young Women

Charades!

On family night, Mary resists the temptation to eat cookies early, prepares her lesson, and joins her family for scripture-themed charades. She cleverly acts out the thirteenth article of faith using a pun on "chaste" as "chased by an elephant," helping her team win. Despite playful competition, everyone shares cookies and feels like a winner.
The warm smell of hot chocolate chip cookies wafted through the air as Mary came into the house from school. It was family night, and when Mother was in charge of treats, she always made chocolate chip cookies. As Mary burst into the kitchen, rows and rows of cooling cookies met her eyes. She reached for one, but Mother playfully swatted her hand with a dish towel.
โ€œWait till tonight,โ€ Mother said. โ€œTheyโ€™ll taste even better if you wait.โ€
Mary reluctantly turned away from the warm cookies that sagged a little between the wires of the cooling rack. She wasnโ€™t sure that she could wait!
โ€œOh, I suppose eating one now wonโ€™t hurt,โ€ Mother said with a smile. โ€œBut only one!โ€
Mary grabbed the biggest one that she could find, then ran to her room and checked the supplies for her lesson. All the flannel-board figures of Helaman and the stripling warriors were colored and cut out. After practicing telling the story one more time, she decided that she was ready.
Dad was in charge of the activity that night, and he always thought of something fun to do. Sometimes they played games or went on walks. Last time they had played baseball. She wondered what he had planned for tonight.
The boys were in charge of music and prayers, and the thought of little Scott waving his arm in a giant circle as he led โ€œJesus Wants Me for a Sunbeamโ€ made Mary smile in anticipation.
After dinner and the dishes were finished, the family gathered in the living room. Sure enough, Scottโ€™s arm was nearly worn out by the time they got to the last sunBEAM! Maryโ€™s lesson went well, even though Jacob was a little disappointed that Helaman had only twenty stripling warriors instead of two thousand.
โ€œEach one stands for one hundred,โ€ Mary explained.
When Dad got his old hat from the hall closet, everyone knew what the activity was going to be: Charades!
โ€œLetโ€™s do songs!โ€ Scott yelled.
โ€œWeโ€™ve never done fairy tales,โ€ Mother commented.
โ€œLetโ€™s do famous people,โ€ Robbie cried.
โ€œNope,โ€ Dad declared. โ€œIโ€™m in charge of the activity, so I get to choose the topic, and tonight itโ€™s scriptures.โ€
โ€œGood idea!โ€ Mother said wholeheartedly.
โ€œThat sounds hard,โ€ Robbie moaned.
โ€œThatโ€™s not all,โ€ Dad continued. โ€œAfter the team guesses the scripture or scripture story, the team captain has to find the scripture reference and read one verse of it to us. And it all has to be done within four minutes! Your mother will be one team captain, and Iโ€™ll be the other.โ€
Mary and Robbie were on Dadโ€™s team. Mom took Scott and Jacob into the kitchen to choose their scriptures. Dad and Robbie and Mary planned the hardest scripture stories that they could think of for Momโ€™s team. They decided to give Scott โ€œNoah and the arkโ€ and Jacob โ€œEnos praying in the forest.โ€ Mother got โ€œSamuel the Lamanite preaching to the Nephites.โ€
When Momโ€™s team came back into the living room, she had a smug smile on her face. โ€œWeโ€™re going to beat you at your own game!โ€ she told Dad.
Scott went first and pretended to build something, then acted like a puppy, then a kitty. Jacob quickly guessed, โ€œNoah and the ark.โ€
Robbie loved acting out โ€œDavid and Goliath,โ€ but Dad had trouble finding it in the Old Testament before the time limit was up. Neither Scott nor Jacob guessed that Mother was Samuel the Lamanite, so that gave Maryโ€™s team a good lead. Then it was her turn. When she unfolded her paper and read โ€œThe thirteenth article of faith,โ€ Motherโ€™s team was grinning happily.
โ€œYouโ€™ll never get it!โ€ Jacob chortled.
Mary knew the thirteenth article of faith by heart. Last Sunday they had been practicing it in Primary Sharing Time. Hmmm, she thought. โ€œWe believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous,and in doing good to all men โ€ฆโ€ Suddenly she had an idea. Will they guess it? she wondered.
Mary pulled her ear.
โ€œSounds like!โ€ Dad yelled.
Mary nodded. She leaned over and hung her arm down near her nose. As she lumbered across the living room, she swung her arm gently.
โ€œElephant?โ€ Dad asked.
Mary nodded happily. Then she ran around the room, glancing over her shoulder as if she were frightened.
โ€œAre you scared?โ€ Jacob asked. Mary nodded.
โ€œMary, did you read the paper carefully?โ€ Mother asked.
Mary smiled and nodded, grinning. Mother was stumped!
Mary pretended to be an elephant again, then ran around the room.
โ€œIs the elephant chasing you?โ€ Father asked. Mary nodded excitedly and pulled at her ear again.
โ€œSounds like โ€˜chased by an elephantโ€™?โ€ Dad said, more puzzled than ever.
Suddenly Robbie yelled. โ€œI know! โ€˜We believe in being honest, true, chased by an elephant, virtuous, and in doing good to all men!โ€™โ€
โ€œYes!โ€ Mary screamed. Dad grabbed his scriptures and flipped to the end of the Pearl of Great Price. He read as fast as he could. โ€œโ€˜We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paulโ€”We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.โ€™ The thirteenth article of faith. Stop!โ€
โ€œFour minutes,โ€ Mom said, pretending to be disappointed as Mary plopped happily into her seat.
โ€œGot you!โ€ Dad cried. โ€œYou thought you had us with that one, but Mary and Robbie were too smart for you!โ€
โ€œIโ€™m afraid so,โ€ Mother said with a smile.
Jacob and Dad did theirs easily. Mom and Scott guessed right away that Jacob was Enos when he first pretended to look at a watch on his wrist, then kept peeking at it while he pantomimed praying. And the whole family laughed as Dad acted like a seasick Jonah inside of a fish. The scores were close, but Maryโ€™s team won.
โ€œI thought you were going to beat us at our own game, Mom!โ€ Mary teased.
โ€œWeโ€™ll beat you yet,โ€ Mother said, winking at Jacob and Scott. โ€œIโ€™m in charge of treats, and losers get first choice!โ€
โ€œOh no!โ€ Mary, Robbie, and Dad all groaned. But there were still lots of delicious cookies on the plate by the time that it reached Mary and Robbie and Dad. And everyone felt like a winner.
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๐Ÿ‘ค Parents ๐Ÿ‘ค Children
Children Family Family Home Evening Music Parenting Prayer Scriptures Teaching the Gospel

Talents are Gifts that Assist in Conversion

Michele noticed Sister Isabel Morel faithfully attending class to support her niece and a friend and felt she might know how to play piano. The next week, Sister Morel said she did play and offered to assist with the class. Her timely offer was an answer to prayer and demonstrated conversion through selfless service and love.
I began to see changes occurring in my students as they demonstrated a belief in themselves, completing Elder Bednarโ€™s first step, offering yourself. Their regular attendance created a support system among each other which demonstrated their love for each other. I witnessed the third step, loyalty, from sister Isabel Morel who came every week to support her niece and a friend. Although sister Morel had never played piano during our class, I somehow felt that she knew how to play.
The following week, Sister Morel explained that she knew how to play the piano and she felt prompted to offer her assistance and would be interested in assisting with the class if I needed her. She was another answer to my prayers. Her willingness to act, by offering to share her talent, selflessly serve and love her niece and her friend, were all steps taken towards being more fully converted to our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ.
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๐Ÿ‘ค Church Members (General) ๐Ÿ‘ค Missionaries
Conversion Love Prayer Revelation Service

Smiles & Sego Lilies

In a windy desert cabin, Rachel hears her mother miss the flowers from their old home. Determined to cheer her, Rachel and her friend Sarah search and find a single sego lily. She gives it to her mother, who is moved to tears, and that night Rachel thanks Heavenly Father for the beautiful flower.
โ€œHush, little baby, donโ€™t say a word,โ€ Mama sang to baby Charlie. The harsh wind howled and blew red dirt through the cracks of the one-room log cabin. Rachelโ€™s whole family couldnโ€™t fall asleep that night. The clock hands pointed straight up to midnight as Papa got up to start a fire and Mama gazed at the dark sky out the window. Rachel closed her eyes tight and tried to fall asleep. Then she heard her mother whisper to her father.
โ€œLook at all this dirt. I miss the green grass and pretty flowers at our old home,โ€ she said. โ€œRemember when I used to pin flowers to my dress? I miss that.โ€
Rachel missed the flowers at their old house too. Their new cabin didnโ€™t have any flowers growing nearby. In fact, Rachel had noticed only a few little white flowers in all of southern Utah! Mama said they were called sego lilies. Maybe I can find one of those little white flowers tomorrow for Mama! she thought, just before falling asleep.
When sun shone through the window near Rachelโ€™s bed, she knew it was time to get up. She pulled on her dress and tied a ribbon in her hair. She swept the kitchen floor without being asked.
โ€œThank you for your help, Rachel,โ€ Mama said. โ€œWhat would I do without you?โ€
While she did her chores that morning, Rachel tried to think of places she could find a flower for Mama. There has to be at least one flower out here, she thought. But I may have to look everywhere to find it.
She had just finished hanging clothes on the clothesline when she saw her friend Sarah walking toward her. Rachel told Sarah about her plan. With their bonnets tied under their chins, they searched everywhere for something beautiful.
They looked under the wagon. Nothing. They searched through the sagebrush. Nothing. They looked near the edge of the stream. Still nothing.
โ€œMaybe we can find something over there.โ€ Rachel pointed to the field her father was plowing.
The girls walked toward the field. Rachel ran her eyes along the edge from one sagebrush bush to the next. Suddenly she spotted a small white flower. It had three white petals and a purple center. Rachel gasped. It was a sego lily! โ€œLook, Sarah!โ€ she said. โ€œIsnโ€™t that pretty?โ€
Rachel gently picked the little flower from the red dirt and showed it to Sarah.
โ€œItโ€™s perfect!โ€ Sarah said.
โ€œMama!โ€ Rachel shouted as they ran toward the cabin. โ€œLook what we found!โ€
Mama looked up from washing clothes, and Rachel gave her the flower. โ€œNow you have a beautiful flower to pin on your dress.โ€
โ€œOh, Rachel. It is beautiful!โ€ her mother said. As she admired the delicate sego lily, tears came to her eyes. She pulled Rachel in for a tight hug. โ€œLetโ€™s put it in some water to keep it fresh.โ€
As she finished her chores, Rachel kept glancing up at the sego lily. She felt happy every time she looked at it.
In her prayer that night, Rachel thanked Heavenly Father for creating the beautiful flower to grow in the desert. She told Him how happy she was that she found it. Then she climbed into bed. When Papa kissed her goodnight, he said, โ€œWhat a wonderful surprise, Rachel. You made your mother very happy.โ€
Then Mama smiled and kissed Rachel on the cheek. โ€œThank you for finding me a beautiful flower. It reminded me that youโ€™re the most precious gift of all.โ€
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๐Ÿ‘ค Parents ๐Ÿ‘ค Children ๐Ÿ‘ค Friends
Adversity Children Creation Family Gratitude Kindness Prayer Service

Q&A: Questions and Answers

A teen shares how her younger brother with Downโ€™s syndrome diffuses family arguments. When tensions rise, he leaves, returns with tears, gives a hug, and says he loves them and is sorry. His example teaches the family about peacemaking and reducing contention.
I found that the easiest way to make peace in my family is to follow my little Downโ€™s syndrome brotherโ€™s peacemaking example. He is lovable, huggable, and forgiving. When my family gets into an argument, he leaves the room and comes back with tears in his eyes. He gives me a big hug as he tells me that he loves me and that heโ€™s sorry. Maybe if we can just learn to say โ€œIโ€™m sorryโ€ and to be peacemakers, we wouldnโ€™t have as much contention.
Bree Craghead, 16Pleasant Grove, Utah
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๐Ÿ‘ค Youth ๐Ÿ‘ค Children
Disabilities Family Forgiveness Kindness Peace

The Search for Happiness

The speaker poses two scenarios: a youth sees a little brother trading his wagon for a popsicle, and a child wandering toward a dangerous street or stream. In both cases, the youth would immediately intervene to help. The examples illustrate why caring adults warn youth of unseen dangers.
Yes, we may seem too concerned, but let me ask you this: Suppose you saw a little brother about to trade his wagon for a popsicle on a hot summer day. Or suppose you saw a child toddling toward a busy boulevard or swift-running stream, not fully realizing the dangers that are so apparent to you because of your age and experience. Of course you would immediately offer aid in both cases. Failure to do so would be irresponsible.
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๐Ÿ‘ค Youth ๐Ÿ‘ค Children
Children Kindness Parenting Service Stewardship

Feedback

A reader hadn't planned to read an article but was attracted by its basketball illustration. After reading it, she was moved to tears and grateful for its impact.
I read the article โ€œAn Honorable Releaseโ€ (May 1996), and it really touched me. That article wasnโ€™t one I had planned on reading, but I love basketball and the drawing of the basketball player interested me. Man, was I glad I read it. Tears fell from my eyes because I was so touched. Thank you so much for that article.
Natalie StallerSouth Whitley, Indiana
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๐Ÿ‘ค Youth
Gratitude

Enemy Soldier at the Pulpit

The author's father, a German mission president serving in the army, longed to attend sacrament meeting while stationed in Denmark. Humming a hymn, he was approached by a little girl who led him to the Esbjerg branch, where he risked his life to worship and gave a Christmas message in English. A Danish branch member later wrote to the author's mother describing how the Saints learned to love the 'enemy' soldier and heard his testimony.
My father was called to preside over the East German Mission at the outbreak of World War II. At this time, he was also drafted into the German army. He directed the affairs of the mission from the battlefield through his two counselors.
One Sabbath before Christmas, he felt very lonely, stationed in Denmark away from his family, and wanted to worship God in sacrament meeting. He didnโ€™t know whether a Church branch existed in Esbjerg, but he assumed there might be one somewhere in the city. He didnโ€™t speak the language, but, dressed in his full military uniform, he hummed the tune of a favorite hymn as he walked on a city street. He hoped he would attract someoneโ€™s attention who could lead him to the Church.
Sure enough, as a little girl passed my father, she asked him in Danish, โ€œMormon?โ€ and, seeing him nod his head, she led him to the branch meetinghouse.
My father risked his life, realizing that if he were discovered by Nazi officials among enemy people in their worship services, he could face a charge of treason, punishable by death. He also took a risk by surrendering his weapon belt to the branch president at the door and by accepting an invitation to deliver a Christmas message during sacrament meeting in another enemy tongueโ€”English.
A young Danish girl who was a member of the branch wrote to my mother about the strange experience of having an enemy soldier in their midst:
Last night I visited the branch. There was a German there, your husband. Even though many Danish people hate Germans, we learned to love this man. He spoke to the congregation in English, and William Orum Peterson translated. Your husband related how only a month ago, he had lost everything he had, and the mission home had been destroyed. But he was thankful that his wife and children were safe. He then gave testimony of the truthfulness of the Church. It was wonderful to see a man in the uniform we hated speak with so much love for us. He was happy to be among the Saints.
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๐Ÿ‘ค Church Leaders (Local) ๐Ÿ‘ค Children ๐Ÿ‘ค Church Members (General)
Adversity Christmas Courage Kindness Missionary Work Racial and Cultural Prejudice Sacrament Meeting Sacrifice Testimony War

Family History Work: Our Journey of Faith and Connection

While serving as a temple ordinance worker, the narrator felt a powerful spiritual presence during an ordinance for a sister. After the ordinance, she realized the name card was one of her own family names. She felt confirmed that the deceased sister had accepted the work.
In another memorable experience, I was a temple ordinance worker when a sister came into my booth. From the first word uttered, the Spirit was so strong, and I cried throughout the whole ordinance. As she departed, I noticed that the name card was one of my own, and I knew from this experience that this dear sister beyond the veil had accepted the work I arranged on her behalf.
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Baptisms for the Dead Family History Holy Ghost Ordinances Temples Testimony

Finding Hope in Marriage Despite My Commitment Issues

Focusing on Christ, the author and her husband were sealed in the temple a few months later. Though they face challenges, keeping Christ at the center has brought more joy than she imagined. Trusting the Lord over fear has consistently improved her life.
A few months later as I focused on Christ and pressed forward with faith, my husband and I were sealed in the temple. Even though we have our challenges, we focus on Christ. Keeping Him at the center of my life and my marriage has made all the difference, and I have experienced more joy than I thought possible. My life has gotten better every time that Iโ€™ve put my trust in the Lord over my fears.
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๐Ÿ‘ค Young Adults ๐Ÿ‘ค Jesus Christ
Faith Jesus Christ Marriage Sealing Temples

In Memoriam:President Marion G. Romneyโ€”A Promise Fulfilled

At age 14, Marion led his family from Mexico to Texas after revolution forced colonists to leave. Rebel soldiers stopped and searched their wagon, took their last 20 pesos, and aimed rifles at them. The soldiers did not fire, and Marion later recounted that he lived to tell the story.
The oldest of ten children, Marion was born to George S. and Artemesia Redd Romney on September 19, 1897, in Colonia Juarez, Mexico. He attended school and worked on the family farm until revolutionary activities in northern Mexico forced the American colonists to leave their homes in 1912. His father could not accompany the family, so 14-year-old Marion was put in charge of taking them safely to Texas.
On the way, armed members of the rebel army stopped them and searched the wagon. They took the familyโ€™s 20 pesos, the only money they had. Then they โ€œdrew their guns โ€ฆ and pointed them towards the wagon. As I looked up the barrels of the rifles, they seemed very large to me, and I suppose this was one of the most exciting moments of my life. โ€ฆ They did not shoot, however, and I lived to tell the story.โ€
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Adversity Courage Family War

An Old Book of Mormon

As a young missionary in 1974 in Texas, the author and his companion taught Frank and Virginia Janaky, who were friendly but not interested in baptism. Before the missionary returned home, Frank gifted him an old Book of Mormon and had him sign the family Bible. Decades later, the author received a call from the Janakysโ€™ son Tom, who said he and his brother had been baptized and were completing their parentsโ€™ temple work, influenced by the kindness of missionaries over the years. The call reassured the author that his mission had a lasting impact.
Illustration by Allen Garns
Several years ago, I received a voice mail on my phone: โ€œIs this Dan Hobbs who lived in Idaho Falls and served a mission in Washington in 1974? This is Tom Janaky. I think you taught my mom and dad.โ€
I was surprised. I had served in Texas, USA, not Washington, but I recognized the name. I immediately thought of the book on my dresserโ€”a 1948 edition of the Book of Mormon. I opened it to a handwritten message on the cover page: โ€œMay God be with you. God bless you! Frank and Virginia Janaky, 1974.โ€ Suddenly my mind went back 35 years.
I was 21 and close to the end of my mission in Houston, Texas. My companion and I were tracting without much success when we knocked on a door that was answered by a man who warmly invited us in. He introduced himself as Frank Janaky and introduced us to his wife, Virginia. We visited with them briefly.
On subsequent visits, we taught them the gospel. They werenโ€™t interested in baptism, but they were always friendly. During one discussion, I noticed an old copy of the Book of Mormon on a bookshelf. I canโ€™t remember how it came to be in their possession, but I do remember mentioning how much I admired it.
Shortly before I returned home, my companion and I stopped by to say goodbye. Before we left, Frank signed the old Book of Mormon and gave it to me as a parting gift. He asked if I would sign his family Bible with my name and address. That was the last time I saw the Janakys, but I have always treasured their gift.
I returned the phone call that evening. Tom asked again if I had served a mission in Washington in 1974. I told him I had served in Texas and asked if his parents were Frank and Virginia.
He told me his parents had moved from Texas to Washington. He had assumed the missionaries who visited his parents were in Washington. He said he had found my name and address in the family Bible.
โ€œI am calling you to tell you that my brother and I have both been baptized, partly because of how nice the missionaries were to our parents,โ€ he said. โ€œThey were so fond of all the missionaries who contacted them through the years.โ€
Tom then informed me that they had both passed away.
โ€œBut we are now completing their temple work,โ€ he said.
With tears in my eyes, I thanked Tom for his call.
For years I felt that my mission wasnโ€™t much of a success. Sometimes I wondered if I had touched anyoneโ€™s life while serving. Tomโ€™s phone call was a tender mercy from the Lord. I am grateful for my mission and the small part I played in bringing the gospel to the Janaky family.
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Baptism Baptisms for the Dead Book of Mormon Conversion Gratitude Kindness Mercy Missionary Work Service Temples

The Book of Mormon: Read All about It

As a teenage boy attending conference in the Tabernacle with his brother, the speaker listened to President Heber J. Grant testify of the Book of Mormon. He felt a powerful sensation and, when President Grant declared it true, he knew it was true himself.
I heard President [Heber J.] Grant (1856โ€“1945) on several occasions before I met him. As teenage boys, my brother and I came to [the] Tabernacle at conference when there was room for anybody who wished to come. As boys are wont to do, we sat in the balcony at the very far end of the building. To me it was always impressive when this tall man stood to speak. Some kind of electricity passed through my boyish frame. His voice rang out in testimony of the Book of Mormon. When he said it was true, I knew it was true (from Ensign, Nov. 1993, 52).
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๐Ÿ‘ค General Authorities (Modern) ๐Ÿ‘ค Youth
Apostle Book of Mormon Conversion Faith Testimony