Gospel Story Finder

Use an object lesson (see “Object Lessons,” Teaching, No Greater Call [1999], 164) to help the children understand how to recognize the Spirit. Prepare a “box with socks” by cutting two holes, about three inches (8 cm) in diameter and about six inches (15 cm) apart, in the bottom of a box. The box should be large enough to allow a child to put his or her hands in it but small enough to be held up for the Primary to see. Line the holes with the cut-off tops of two old socks. Staple these in place, being sure that the staple ends go into the box so they will not scratch anyone. Lining the holes with socks will prevent the child from seeing through the holes.
Without letting the children see the item, put a familiar item in the box, close the top, and turn the box on its side. Hold up the box or place it on a table, and ask a child to insert his or her hands through the socks and try to figure out what is inside. Open the top of the box so the Primary children can see what the item is. Use readily identifiable objects such as familiar fruits, toys, and household objects. Repeat the activity with different children and objects. Explain that we can easily identify objects that are familiar to us.
Next, give the children objects that are harder to identify. Such items might include specialized equipment such as a cooking implement or a garden tool. If the child cannot name the object, ask him or her to describe the way it feels.
Compare the box experience with recognizing the promptings of the Holy Ghost. When we are familiar with the Spirit, when we feel His peaceful influence on a regular basis, we know what it feels like and can easily recognize the Spirit. However, when we are young or have not had many experiences with the Spirit, we might not easily recognize the Spirit.

Yushin is grateful that his parents Pete and Michelle are both returned missionaries. He grew up hearing stories of the wonderful mission experiences of his parents and he developed the desire to serve a mission at an early age.

Illiam Jones lives in a place of fairy tales and myths. It’s the Isle of Man, located in the sea between England and Ireland. And, naturally, there’s a legend about how the island came to be.
“A giant from England and a giant from Ireland were having an argument,” ten-year-old Illiam explains. “They got so angry with each other that the giant from England picked up a rock and threw it at the giant from Ireland. But he couldn’t throw it far enough to reach Ireland. It landed in the middle of the ocean and became the Isle of Man.”

When Thor and Solvor Torgersen of Hosle, Norway, traveled to the United States on a business assignment in November 1993, they planned to take a short vacation before returning home. Although they were not members of the Church, one of the three places they planned to visit was Salt Lake City to hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
After their visits to the other two places, their vacation time was almost over. “But something kept telling me that we needed to go to Salt Lake City before we went home,” says Solvor.
Acting on the misunderstanding that the Tabernacle Choir rehearsed on Friday nights, the Torgersens flew to Salt Lake City on a Friday evening—their last night in the United States. As soon as they reached Salt Lake City, Thor recalls, “We quickly rented a car and drove to Temple Square. We hurried to the Tabernacle, but there was no one there.” The door was locked!
“It was late,” Thor says, “but we started knocking—actually, we started banging on the door. For some reason, we felt we had to get inside.”
Fortunately, someone was inside the Tabernacle and heard the persistent banging. A Temple Square missionary, Elder Wilmer Taylor, kindly invited the Torgersens in and showed them around the very quiet Tabernacle. He also informed them that the Choir rehearses on Thursdays, not Fridays.
“We can’t wait until next Thursday!” Solvor pleaded. “Our plane leaves for Norway tomorrow, and we have come all this way just to hear the Choir!”
Not knowing how to solve this problem, Elder Taylor suggested that the Torgersens return the next morning, and he would rearrange his schedule to take them on a tour of Temple Square.
So that crisp fall morning, Solvor and Thor heard for the first time about the temple, the pioneers, Moroni, and the Book of Mormon.
At the conclusion of the tour, they visited the Tabernacle again and heard more about the historic building. Just as they were about to leave, a Choir recording began to play. “It was as though I had been hit on the shoulders at that very moment,” Solvor recalls. “I sat down and started crying. I couldn’t stop. Thor tried to attribute my strange behavior to being overcome by beautiful music, but I didn’t tell him what really happened, because I couldn’t speak. Elder Taylor simply said, ‘That was the Spirit.’
“I didn’t know the song the Choir was singing, but two thoughts kept crossing my mind—” Solvor continues, “first, I felt a deep desire to know what the members of this church had, and second, I felt a great longing to become a member of this church.”
As Solvor and Thor left the Tabernacle, they barely had time to catch their 11:00 A.M. flight. But as they were hurrying to leave, Elder Taylor asked, “Would you like missionaries to come to your home?”
Solvor and Thor’s answer was an immediate “yes.” They left their address with the missionaries and walked away from an experience they could not yet understand.

Many months passed; this man of strong determination to duty had completed his mission and was about to return to his home:

“On the morning when I left Chatburn many were in tears, thinking they should see my face no more. When I left them, my feelings were such as I cannot describe. As I walked down the street I was followed by numbers; the doors were crowded by the inmates of the houses to bid me farewell, who could only give vent to their grief in sobs. … While contemplating this scene I was constrained to take off my hat, for I felt as if the place was holy ground. The Spirit of the Lord rested down upon me and I was constrained to bless that whole region of country. … My heart was like unto theirs, and I thought my head was a fountain of tears, for I wept for several miles after I bid them adieu” (in Life of Heber C. Kimball, p. 187).

I recently had the opportunity to visit my home town, Maputo, where I received the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a single adult in 2000. My first calling in the church after a month of being a member was Primary President. At the time, I could not comprehend why I got that calling. Besides the fact that it was to look after the children during church hours, I knew nothing about Primary and the way that was supposed to be run. I was totally unsure what I was to do in this organization. I thought that the branch presidency was mistaken on their choice.
As I think about it today, it was not a choice of the branch president. It was a calling from Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ. In my human understanding, there were many sisters in the branch that I could point out as more prepared and capable of fulfilling that calling. Sisters that were mothers and were probably more experienced in dealing with children of different ages. Despite my feelings of inadequacy, I accepted the calling and learned line upon line and precept upon precept.
It was a great and humbling journey of learning and service. I remember many Sundays when I was the only teacher for the whole Primary. On those Sundays I had to teach music, run sharing time, and teach primary lessons. The best thing was that we always had a senior missionary sister that would play piano for our sharing time. I grew to love Primary music timewhere I could teach the gospel to the children through music. Almost every Sunday, we sang the primary songs “I hope they call me on a mission” and “Follow the Prophet” from the children’s songbook at the request of the Primary children. These were our Primary favourite songs. During my service in Primary, I learned the most basic and valuable principles that helped me grow and understand the fullness of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I grew to love my Primary children. My Primary class varied from five to twenty and sometimes even more children on some Sundays. But I strived to know each child by name.
It felt overwhelming at times – trying to coordinate Sunday activities, music, lesson, assigning children for the following Sunday. But as I reflect upon the experience, it was a time that Heavenly Father helped me establish deep roots in the Gospel. I often felt loved and needed by the children. It was hectic, yet very rewarding calling.
I loved seeing them having the desire to come to Primary, and my favourite part was the big hugs that I would get from the children at the end of our time together. I often never knew how I was doing as a teacher, until I would hear from a parent or two that their child or their children speak about me at home. Thinking back, I realize that this was the most rewarding calling in the church – there were great needs and a huge opportunity for service.

The store’s double doors were opened for business on January 5, 1842, and Joseph was delighted with the response of the public. He wrote: “The store has been filled to overflowing, and I have stood behind the counter all day, dealing out goods as steady as any clerk you ever saw, to oblige those who were compelled to go without their usual Christmas and New Year’s dinners, for the want of a little sugar, molasses, raisins, & c. …
“Our assortment is tolerably good—very good, considering the different purchases made by different individuals at different times and … I rejoice that we have been enabled to do as well as we have, for the hearts of many of the poor brethren and sisters will be made glad with those comforts which are now within their reach” (History of the Church, 4:491–92).

Jeff Bohn of Danville, California, is ranked number one in his high school graduating class. He has earned distinction as being one of the few students nationally to obtain a perfect 36 out of 36 in the mathematics portion of the ACT exam.
As a junior, Jeff won the academic decathlon in his high school, receiving the highest honor, “The Mustang Award,” normally given by the principal to a senior.
As a senior, Jeff represented his high school at the interscholastic academic decathlon competition and won a gold medal for mathematics, competing against students from 26 other California schools. He has also won many debate tournaments.
Jeff enjoys sports and is involved in community service with the Danville Youth Council. He earned his Eagle badge and attends early-morning seminary. He is first assistant in his priests quorum in the Danville Second Ward, Walnut Creek California Stake.

The Prophet Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon and received the revelations laying the foundation for the restored Church. He had premonitions of his own death and hastened to confer on the Quorum of the Twelve all the priesthood keys. In the words of Wilford Woodruff: “And thus addressing the Twelve, [Joseph] exclaimed, ‘upon your shoulders the kingdom rests, and you must round up your shoulders, and bear it; for I have had to do it until now. But now the responsibility rests upon you’” (Times and Seasons, 1 Nov. 1844, 698).

In July 1996, we celebrated the 150th anniversary of the ship Brooklyn’s arrival in San Francisco. The Brooklyn carried some Mormon pioneers from New York around Cape Horn to Yerba Buena, which is now San Francisco, California. In this picture, the pioneers and crew on board are happy because after six months at sea, they have finally arrived. They have passed through the Golden Gate (behind them), the entrance to San Francisco Bay, and are stopping in the bay.
Illustrated by Jonathan Collier and Abraham Collier

The flood was bad. It washed away houses. Now some people didn’t have homes.
Cameron wanted to help. But how?
On Sunday, the Primary president said, “We’re collecting shoes for families who were in the flood.”
That night, Cameron talked to Mom and Dad. “Can we look for shoes for home evening?”
“Great idea!” Mom said.
“We’ll call it the Great Family Shoe Hunt,” Dad said.
At home evening, Dad said a prayer. “Dear Heavenly Father, we have been given so much. Help us to share.”
Then the hunt began. Cameron ran to his room. His brother and sister ran to look for shoes too. Cameron looked in his closet. He found a pair of church shoes. Then he found a pair of tennis shoes. The shoes didn’t fit anymore. But they were still good shoes.
Everyone came back to the living room. They had found five pairs of shoes to share!
“Now let’s fix them up,” Mom said.
They rubbed away spots. They polished. They put in new laces.
The shoes looked almost new!
On Sunday, Cameron’s family took the shoes to Primary.
“Thank you!” the Primary president said. “When we help others, we are following Jesus.”
She gave each child a small paper footprint. The footprint said “Following Jesus.”
Cameron smiled. He liked following Jesus.

Because of the fire, two families that were already friends became even better friends sharing the same house as brothers and sisters in the gospel. “When we learned their house had burned down, we said, ‘Why don’t you come live with us in Chico?’” says Luke B., 11. “Sometimes it’s been a little crowded, but we’ve learned a lot about sharing and being kind,” Luke says.
Grady B., 14, says, “When we have home evening together, I always try to share a scripture that has helped me understand how faith can help us get through trials. I’ve learned that there’s a lot of comfort in the scriptures.” Just as there is comfort in helping each other.

The prophet’s call led me to far-off India. One day, Sister Richards and I approached a chapel, which was a tiny house in that Indian village. Five young boys were in front of the house, playing cricket with a hollowed-out stick. I borrowed the stick from one of the boys, and he threw me the ball. The boys all laughed at my attempt to play cricket. After we had played together for a few minutes, I asked them if they could sing for me. Much to my amazement, they began to sing, “I Am a Child of God.” I bore my testimony to those boys about President Hinckley. I knew that they, too, were learning to follow the prophet.

After my husband died, the missionaries came into my life. I resisted the gospel message at first. I had become very independent. But one day they said to me, “Sister Ncube, you know, we are not looking for members. What we are after is your soul. We are pursuing you for your soul.” That went deep in my heart. I sat down and said, “I agree. I will be baptized.” For the first time in my life, I learned what true freedom was. When I was baptized my soul was set free.
I was baptized on Liberia’s Independence Day, but for me it was the day I would declare, “Now, I know the truth. I know I am free. I am free indeed.”

Eight seminary students in the Oregon City Oregon Stake achieved a master scriptorian rating. This award is available to seminary students in their final year of seminary. It is achieved by reading all four standard works during their years in seminary, locating 160 designated scriptures, and memorizing 100 of those scriptures and quoting them to a member of the stake presidency.
Those working toward the master scriptorian award met together several times during the year at the home of one of the early-morning seminary teachers to learn memorization techniques, discuss scriptural meaning, and lend support to each other.
In addition to the 8 master scriptorians, 38 students earned the scriptorian award, achieved by reading assigned portions of the Old Testament, locating 40 scriptures, and memorizing 25 of them. Twenty-five students earned the associate scriptorian award, which required memorizing 15 scriptures.
Those earning the master scriptorian award are Lisa Harwood, Lisa Boice, Stephanie Craven, Jenny Rhodes, Lorinda Mallonee, Andra Gordon, Sandy Session, and Huck Dilg.

One day during school, my friend and I were talking about religion. I began to talk about the things I believe as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was a long conversation, and I had the privilege to explain about the power of God here on the earth, the organization of the Church, and most important, the Restoration of the gospel. I would have liked for him to meet with the missionaries and be baptized, but realistically that doesn’t always happen. I’m just grateful I had the opportunity to share truth. I felt strengthened by the Spirit and saw the importance of studying so that I can always be prepared to teach the gospel.
Luis H., São Paulo, Brazil

Recently I read an article in the Improvement Era of August 1940. I quote: “A year ago last April Conference, Dr. John A. Widtsoe of the Council of the Twelve asked the mission presidents of the Church what single phase of the Gospel was most responsible in their respective missions for making new friends, new interests, new converts. President Frank Evans of the Eastern States Mission looked into the subject and concluded that genealogy, and its attendant Gospel ordinances and beliefs, was the greatest factor in his mission.”

The day before I left for my mission, youth from our area gathered for a meeting. For the closing hymn we sang “Be Still, My Soul” (Hymns, no. 124). While singing I could feel my nervousness and worries vanish, and warm feelings replace them. I could feel every word of the hymn being engraved in my heart.
Now as I serve in the Lord’s vineyard, this hymn still helps me. When discouragement comes, I think, “Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake.” When challenges seem too heavy, I remember that “thru thorny ways [the Lord] leads to a joyful end.” I know if I bear my part well, “all safe and blessed we shall meet at last” as we live forever with the Lord.

Vulgarity appears in many ways. We live in a society where profanity and vulgarity are accepted means of conduct and expression—even a way of life for some. I remember being in a business meeting some years ago with a group of men who were well educated, competent in their professions, and friendly to all—but their language was a dialogue in profanity.

Young Women in the New River Virginia Stake spent some time on the Appalachian Trail last year as part of their girls’ camp “Adventurer” experience. They discovered that their hike had many parallels with their lives. Here are some of the things they learned on the trail that will help them in life:
Carrying a useless burden, whether it be extra gear in your pack or unresolved sin on your conscience, really slows you down.
Using a map is a good idea on the trail. In life, reading scriptures and following Church leaders makes the way much easier.
Going downhill can be just as hard or even harder than going uphill, and the rewards of going uphill are much greater.
Working together makes the way easier for everyone.
Enduring the difficult times (and climbs) makes the easy times even more enjoyable! (See 2 Ne. 2:11.)
As we struggle, we learn. Ultimately, we achieve.