Gospel Story Finder

Many years ago my family and I visited Arches National Park in Utah, USA. One of the most beautiful and famous arches in the park is Delicate Arch, and we decided to climb the mountain to reach it.
We started enthusiastically, but soon the others wanted to rest. I wanted to get there sooner, so I went on alone. Without paying attention to the path I should take, I began following a man who seemed to know where he was going.
The path became harder to climb. I was sure my family could not have made it. Suddenly I saw Delicate Arch, but to my surprise, I couldn’t reach it. The path I had taken didn’t lead to the arch.
I was frustrated and turned back. I waited impatiently until I met my group again. They told me they had followed the signs showing the right way and, with care and effort, had reached Delicate Arch. Unfortunately, I had taken the wrong way. What a lesson I learned!

Sometimes that love comes in unexpected ways. Kristen was finishing a graduate degree and had recently given birth to her second child. She felt the other graduates had accomplished so much more and was reluctant to attend the graduation dinner. Her fears were confirmed when, at the dinner, the students were asked to list their professional accomplishments. Kristen recalled: “I suddenly felt embarrassed and ashamed. I had nothing to call myself, no lofty position, no impressive job title.” To make matters worse, the professor read the lists as he presented a diploma to each student. The woman ahead of Kristen had many accomplishments: she already had a PhD, was receiving a second master’s degree, and she’d even been a mayor! The woman received grand applause.
Then it was Kristen’s turn. She handed the professor her blank sheet, trying to hold back the tears. The professor had been one of her teachers and had praised her performance. He looked at her blank paper. Without missing a beat he announced, “Kristen holds the most critical role in all of society.” He was quiet for a few seconds, then declared in a powerful voice, “She is the mother of her children.” Instead of a few courteous claps, people rose to their feet. There was just one standing ovation that night; it was for the mother in the room.

At the end of my second year playing college football, we had a coach who was not a member of the Church. He didn’t understand why young men served missions, and he discouraged us from going. But a certain number of players committed to serve missions anyway. Thanks to the good examples around me, I was one of them.
Looking back, deciding to serve a mission turned out to be a wonderful blessing. It was one of the greatest decisions I’ve made in my life, and it contributed so much to the blessings and the testimony that I have now. I know that the Lord’s hand was in all of the decisions I made throughout my life that allowed me to be influenced for good.

A friend of mine once asked me this question, and I asked her where she had gotten this idea. She told me that a man had shown it to her in the Bible. I then remembered John 1:18, where he says that no man can see the Lord. With the help of seminary, I remembered other scriptures in the Bible that say men like Moses and Jacob, being full of the Holy Ghost, saw God. And so I was able to answer my friend confidently and bear my testimony.
Luis M., 17, Mato Grosso, Brazil

One day I ate too much dinner and I got a stomachache. I decided to lie in bed because it hurt so much. While I was in bed, I thought I should read some of the stories from the Friend. The Friend had tons of good stories that helped me learn some good lessons. After I finished reading, I noticed that my stomach was feeling much better. I am thankful that I always have a Friend to count on.

Bart feels the same way Trevor does about his choice to serve. “The decision to go on a mission was easy. It was just the right thing to do. And you know, when I went, I made up my mind I was not going to return to football. That was the only way I could serve well. Instead of suffering the mental anguish of going through two years of thinking ‘I’ve got to stay in shape so I can play when I get back,’ I put it all out of my mind, and in so doing I was able to concentrate on my mission.”
So out they went. Bart served in the Nevada, Las Vegas Mission from 1977–79, and Trevor served in the Mexico Torreon Mission from 1981–82. They were to learn many things in the mission field that they readily admit they would have missed had they stayed on the football field.

Since I was little, my dad always encouraged me and my siblings to study at Brigham Young University–Hawaii. However, one day during my mission in 2016, I received an impression to go to BYU–Idaho. After returning from my mission, I prepared for the English proficiency exam as part of the school application. My test results fell short, and I was not admitted to BYU–Idaho. However, as an international student from Taiwan, I was admitted to BYU–Hawaii.
During my time as a student in Hawaii, I continued to prepare to transfer to Idaho. This question always came to me: “Why wasn’t I accepted to BYU–Idaho if I received the prompting to go there?” It seemed like the answer would never come.
To my relief, after two years of schooling in Hawaii, I was accepted to BYU–Idaho in the fall of 2019. I was very excited to go. While attending BYU–Idaho, I pondered greatly about God’s purpose for me being there. The schoolwork wasn’t easy during the first couple semesters. However, I learned to strive by relying on God as I accomplished many hard trials and tasks. I learned that “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13).
The following year, I met my husband during his first week at BYU–Idaho. We became good friends, and it soon dawned on us that we loved each other and wanted to marry. Only then did I realize the most significant reason for the delay in being accepted to BYU–Idaho: meeting my husband.
I graduated from BYU–Idaho in 2023 and am studying in the Master of Music program at Michigan State University. Looking back, I notice all the blessings I’ve been given and, most importantly, what kind of person I have become. From my struggles in being an international student in two different environments, I’ve learned to respect other cultures, to become more independent, and to trust God in my trials. Sometimes we may not know God’s plan for us in the face of trials, but I know that if we trust and have faith in Him, everything will make sense in the end—and we will become better because of it.

During my mission in North Carolina, USA, we visited a man who seemed nice at first but then became adamant that the Book of Mormon was false. He also expressed other negative views about the Church. Our lesson just wasn’t a good one. We said a closing prayer and left.
For a time, I harbored some not-very-missionary-like feelings for this man, but eventually I forgot about him. At least until Christmas arrived.
For Christmas, some Church members had given us two large tubs of flavored popcorn. We opened the first one and started eating, but then we began thinking about the man we had visited.
As we glanced at our second tub, we remembered that this man lived by himself. We thought he might like some popcorn too, but we remembered how negative he had been. He was probably off visiting family anyway, and he wouldn’t want to see us even if he were home. Besides, this was our popcorn.
That first impression, however, wouldn’t go away. We pushed aside the excuses and decided to give him our second tub of popcorn.
After church that Sunday, we pulled up to his house and knocked on the door. I started having second thoughts, but then the door opened.
“Merry Christmas!” we said. The biggest grin came across his face, and he welcomed us inside.
“Brother, we have a gift for you,” we said. Then we gave him the large tub of popcorn. He smiled even bigger and asked us to sit on his couch. As we talked, I realized I’d rarely seen someone so happy before.
We learned that he didn’t have family nearby. He had planned to spend Christmas alone. The wrapped presents I saw under his small Christmas tree turned out to be only empty boxes wrapped for decoration.
“I didn’t think anyone cared about me,” he said. “I didn’t think I would get a present this year.”
As we left, I felt so much joy that I didn’t know how to contain it. I didn’t even like this man, but now I felt genuine love for him.

Lisa Fu, of the Santa Monica Stake, was also affected. “I could see the looting in the morning when I went out. I have some friends who actually did it—just for their own benefit—because everyone else was doing it. We said to those kids who were taking groceries, ‘You just stole! Don’t you know what you did?’ And they said, ‘Yes, but we don’t know if there’s going to be a store tomorrow to buy food, so we have to get what we can now.’

“And sometimes I’d get really scared to walk by certain people because of the Korean incident. (A 15-year-old black girl was shot in a dispute with a Korean store owner.) Because they don’t know if I’m Japanese or Korean or what.”

Mother took me to many of her meetings. I felt like the ward “mascot.” All the sisters in the ward took good care of me and made me feel very special. I loved Primary, too, because the teachers were so kind. As I look back on it, I think that they probably treated all the children in their classes with great love and patience, but they made me feel very loved. Because of them, my memories of Primary always stir wonderful and warm feelings within my heart.

The Trouble with Spitt The trouble with Spitt was that his creative imagination always got Kevin in trouble. The two of them were unlikely—but successful—missionaries, and Mr. Horvath probably would have died if Kevin hadn’t listened to the Holy Ghost. The author has written many favorite Friend stories.Vicki Blum8–12 years

The question and the surroundings took me back to my senior year in high school. I was also a salesclerk, selling men’s clothing part-time.
It was Christmas Eve day. Snow was falling gently, and there seemed to be more shoppers than usual. They were weaving in and out of the displays, picking up last-minute gifts.
A few days earlier, several friends had called me asking, “Could you come to a party on Christmas Eve? We’re planning to meet up the canyon. It will be beautiful. Get a date and be with us.”
I was delighted with the prospect of being with a group of friends and enthusiastically looked forward to that social event. I had asked a lovely young woman to go with me, and she seemed to be as excited as I was.
As the time approached for the store to close and for me to leave for the party, a subtle uneasiness disturbed my positive feelings.
“What’s wrong?” I asked myself. Then reality struck. I did not want to be with my friends on this special night. I wanted to be with my family as I had been for the previous 16 or 17 Christmas Eves. Even though there were still customers shuffling about, I hurried to the telephone and called my friend.
“Don, I, er … well, I don’t know how to say this, but don’t count on me this evening. I’m going to spend Christmas Eve with my family.” I think he understood.
I quickly called my date. We agreed to spend time together during the holidays but not on that particular evening.
Suddenly a burden had been lifted. I had made the right decision.

After visiting members in Japan and Korea, Elder Dallin H. Oaks said, “The Lord is mindful of His children. He knows their circumstances and concerns and is gracious in His love.” In a Face to Face event in Korea, he replied to questions from youth. He met with the minister in charge of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. And at the request of the president of Peru, Elder Oaks visited to receive the president’s thanks for the Church’s help during floods.

Almost 100 years ago, on Christmas Day, another special gift was given to an entire continent. Most were unaware of this gift. It was given quietly, with no fanfare, no posts on social media, and no press conferences. Yet, what happened on this Christmas Day would help millions of people receive Heavenly Father’s ultimate gift of His Son.
Ninety-six years ago, in December 1925, three Church leaders arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It took them 34 days to travel from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, by train and ship. At that time, there were only a few members in all of South America. But the Lord was preparing a way for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to have a bright future in South America.
Elder Melvin J. Ballard, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and two other Church leaders, Elders Rey L. Pratt and Rulon S. Wells, had been sent to Argentina on a special assignment. The prophet, President Heber J. Grant, sent them to dedicate the entire continent of South America for the preaching of the gospel.
On Christmas morning, Elder Ballard and his companions walked to a quiet willow grove in Buenos Aires. They sang hymns and read from the Book of Mormon. Then Elder Ballard offered a prayer. Under the direction of the President of the Church and through the apostolic authority he held, Elder Ballard said, “I turn the key, unlock, and open the door for the preaching of the gospel in all these South American nations.”1
Elder Ballard also asked for a blessing on the leaders of the nations in South America to be kind to the Church and allow the gospel to be preached in their countries so salvation may come to everyone.
After that Christmas morning, Elder Ballard and his companions spent the next eight months walking the streets of Buenos Aires and shared the message of the Restoration of the gospel. There were few teaching materials in Spanish at that time, but they tried their best and moved forward with faith. Their efforts resulted in only one conversion at that time.
Shortly before leaving Argentina, Elder Ballard said that the Church would grow gradually, “just as an oak grows slowly from an acorn.” But he promised that thousands would join the Church and that the day will come when the people in South America “will be a power in the Church.”2
It’s been almost 100 years since that day and Elder Ballard’s prayer has been answered—and will continue to be answered—in incredible ways.
Today the Church in South America has:
4,178,375 members
97 missions
21 temples (with 14 announced or under construction)
Elder Ballard promised that the day will come when the people in South America “will be a power in the Church.”

How important is a letter? At a testimony meeting far from home, a young man said: “The devil had me convinced that I was a forgotten soul. Why not sin a little? Then a letter from Mom, one from my bishop, and a letter from our ward’s executive secretary finally caught up with me—one, two, three. I’d prayed for reassurance, but never had I felt such a sense of being important! Three letters to prove it. All in one mail call! I thank God for those few who care.”

Looking back on his life, a man recently shared this tender story with me: “When I was growing up, my father was less active in the Church. He struggled with alcohol—and in his darkest moods could become harsh and accusing. He normally didn’t object to Mom serving in the ward. She worked in Primary for 38 years, and during much of that time she also served in Young Women. She carried a heavy load. Her marriage was difficult, and I now know that she was discouraged at times, but I didn’t know it then.
“I didn’t realize until later that the sisters in our ward were her strength. She didn’t work in the Relief Society leadership, but she always attended the meetings, and she loved her friends there. I never thought of them as the ladies of Relief Society; they were simply Mom’s sisters. They cared about her and loved her. She had all brothers and all sons. She found the sisters she wanted and needed in our ward. I know she shared her feelings with them—feelings she couldn’t express anywhere else. None of that seemed ‘Relief Society’ to me then, but I understand now that it was.”

Our massive relief effort following the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami provided $13 million in cash and relief supplies. In addition, more than 31,000 Church-sponsored volunteers gave more than 600,000 hours of service. Our humanitarian assistance to the victims of Hurricane Sandy in the eastern United States included large donations of various resources, plus almost 300,000 hours of service in cleanup efforts by about 28,000 Church members. Among many other examples last year, we provided 300,000 pounds (136,000 kg) of clothing and shoes for the refugees in the African nation of Chad. During the last quarter century we have assisted nearly 30 million people in 179 countries. Truly, the people called “Mormons” know how to give to the poor and needy.

A few weeks before leaving on my mission to Ecuador, I was ordained an elder and received all the responsibilities that come with the Melchizedek Priesthood.
Soon afterward, my mom and I were visiting some family members, and my uncle gave me a white missionary handbook, saying that I would soon be needing it. I thought he was referring to my mission—only weeks away. But that night my uncle asked me to assist in giving a blessing to my aunt, who was sick. I was surprised at the invitation but knew I now had the authority to administer to the sick—and even more, to help my aunt who was in need.
I immediately read how to give a blessing in my newly acquired handbook and was able to carry out my first priesthood blessing, feeling truly grateful in this new capacity to serve others.

1959: President McKay teaches that “every member is a missionary.”

Several years ago I, along with six other single women in my age range, had the unique and unexpected opportunity to meet with Relief Society general president Bonnie D. Parkin. We spent a little more than an hour together talking about our lives as single women in the Church.
That meeting was one of the real blessings of my life that year. As we sat around the table in Sister Parkin’s office, we spoke of the challenges and the blessings in our lives. At the end she asked us if we had a final comment we wanted to make. I raised my hand and pronounced, “The Church is the best place to be a single woman.” Given the opportunity over the course of that short hour to bear my testimony of service and loyalty to God, I had genuinely deepened my testimony of my role in the Church. I knew what my role was before, but I needed that forum to articulate it and deepen my conviction of its importance.