In the Free home in Williamsville, New York, the law had been laid down. No dogs allowed. Crysti was allergic, Melanie didnât like them, and Mom and Dad didnât want the problems associated with manâs best friend. Janna Free, the dog lover in the family, had asked before but to no avail.
âI donât think so,â was always the reply whenever the question was posed.
For a while, it appeared the Free home would remain a dog-free environment.
Then things changed. Crysti moved out, Melanie left for her mission, and Mom and Dad turned into a couple of old softies.
And Jannaâthe 16-year-old with the innocent smileâdecided to give Mom and Dad the big âPleeeeeeeeeaseâ once more. And this time, the response was a little different.
âWeâll talk about it,â said Mom. And for Janna there was a glimmer of hope.
But why the change of heart? Credit Janna for that. Her well-thought-out plan to get a dog became an offer Mom and Dad couldnât refuse.
Jannaâs strategy for getting a dog was simple. She would affiliate herself with Guiding Eyes for the Blind, and raise a guiding eye dog. She patiently explained to her parents that she would keep a dog for 18 months, while socializing it and teaching it manners and commands. Then sheâd return the dog to Guiding Eyes for the Blind for the four months of specialized training all guide dogs need before being assigned to a blind person.
It was a simple plan, really. Janna, a member of the Amherst Ward, Buffalo New York Stake, would get her dog. It would be a short-term deal, and sheâd be performing a service at the same time. Who could argue? Certainly not Jannaâs mom and dad.
âIâd always wanted a dog, and when I was 16 it just worked out that I was looking for a project to do for Girl Scoutsâto earn my Gold Award,â says Janna, now 18 and a freshman at BYU. âOne day I saw a sign on a bulletin board for Guiding Eyes for the Blind.â The light went on.
âSo I took down the number and came home and started bugging my parents to let me do this project,â she continues. Janna, a firm believer in the if-at-first-you-donât-succeed adage, tried again.
Letâs just say that Janna Free can be pretty persuasive. âOh, yes, she was,â says Jannaâs mom, Maureen, remembering the process. âShe went and got all sorts of literature on dogs. She showed us all the things she knew she was going to have to do. She was pretty convincing.â
Guiding Eyes for the Blind, a nonprofit organization in Yorktown Heights, New York, which has placed more than 4,000 guide dogs with blind people since it began in 1956, evaluated Jannaâs application, and two weeks later approved her to receive a dog.
âI was a little nervous because I had never had a dog before. I wasnât sure how [Guiding Eyes] would feel about giving one of their dogs to a first-time raiser, especially one so young,â Janna says.
Apparently that wasnât a problem, because in May of 1994, Phineas, a 14-week-old black labrador retriever, was delivered to the Freesâ front door. And Jannaâs year-and-a-half odyssey with her puppy began.
âThere was a lot of adjustment because I took sole responsibility for Phineas. I had to walk him twice a day. I had to schedule my time so that I would be home. I didnât want to dump him on my parents,â Janna recalls.
âYouâre doing what?â was a common question among Jannaâs friends. âThey couldnât believe Iâd take a dog knowing Iâd have to give him up in the end. That was generally the first reaction theyâd give. But I knew when I took him on that I wasnât going to be able to keep him. But I also knew he could do something better than just sit around as a house pet. I was excited to be a part of that.
âMy greatest fear,â she continues, âwas that he would never make it.â
Unfortunately, not all dogs graduate to become guiding eye dogs. Some donât have the temperament. Some donât respond to the training. Some just arenât cut out for the task.
It was Jannaâs job as a puppy raiser to take Phineas into new situations that would acclimate him to things he would face as a guiding eye dog. If Janna had to run to the store, Phineas went with her. She made arrangements with local shopkeepers to allow her to take him inside their stores. She was also impressed at how the public awareness about guide dogs increased as she took Phineas around.
Janna also noticed how her experiences with Phineas made her feel. âIâve always wanted to keep busy. Iâve never been one to just sit around, and this felt like the perfect opportunity for me to do something for someone. There was always that sense of, Yes, Iâm doing this for someone. Iâm doing this for a blind person,â she says.
Although Jannaâs work with Phineas made her more aware of the disabilities of people around her, she also noticed her own attitude change when she realized how blessed she was. When sheâd stop and think that somewhere a blind person needed Phineas to have a full and active life, she was humbled.
âThe best thing for me was what Iâve learned about service. Iâve gained a testimony of the idea that when you lose your life you find it. There are times when I get kind of bogged down when things go wrong. But my problems become so minuscule in comparison to the people Iâm helping. I donât have to go through life blind. It really gives me a renewed appreciation of how blessed I am,â she says.
All along, Janna knew her time with Phineas was short. And when the day came in August of 1995 for Phineas to leave, it was no easy thing.
âI cried. I tried not to but I cried,â she says. âPhineas knew something was going on. I was sobbing. But he just got in the car and went away.â
Last January, Janna traveled to Yorktown Heights for Phineasâs graduation from Guiding Eyes for the Blind. It was there that Janna met Joyce, the blind woman who became Phineasâs new owner. They talked, and Joyce filled Janna in on what Phineas had been up to.
Never was anybody more happy to have dog slobber on her face than Janna. âI was nervous to see whether heâd remember me. I petted him for a long time and got kisses all over my face. I was really excited,â she adds. âThat was a major emotion for me. I felt grateful that he had made it all the way. It was really kind of a culminating experience to go see the graduation. I was just really proud of him.â
These days, there are few visual reminders of Phineasâs 18-month stay in the Free home. But Phineasâs impact on Janna is not forgotten. And vice versa.
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Puppy Love
Summary: Teenager Janna Free persuades her parents to let her raise a guide dog as a service project, despite a longstanding no-dog rule at home. She receives and trains Phineas for 18 months, balancing responsibilities and learning humility and gratitude through service. After an emotional farewell when he returns for specialized training, Janna later attends his graduation and meets Joyce, the blind woman he now serves. The experience deepens Jannaâs testimony about losing oneself in service.
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đ€ Youth
đ€ Parents
đ€ Friends
đ€ Other
Disabilities
Family
Gratitude
Sacrifice
Service
Young Women
A Boyâs Testimony
Summary: As a young man with a strong testimony, Uncle Bob bore witness of the Restoration to the narratorâs mother, who became upset and forbade further discussion. He promised never to mention it again in her home but also promised that one day she would ask him to baptize her, a promise he kept for 40 years. In 1971, the mother called Uncle Bob and asked him to baptize her, and he did.
The rest of Dadâs family had been converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after Dad was grown and had left home. Uncle Bob was the youngest member of Dadâs family, and he had a special testimony of the Church.
One day Uncle Bob stacked an armload of wood and turned to my mother. The spirit was strong in his heart as he began to explain the things he had been learning in church and through study of the scriptures and personal prayer. He told her many things about the gospel of Jesus Christ and about Joseph Smith praying to know which church was true and discovering that not one of the churches in his day had the fullness of the gospel. Uncle Bob told her how Joseph Smith had been privileged to see God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and to know for himself that They had bodies of flesh and bone, just as he had. Uncle Bobâs eyes never wavered from my motherâs face as he bore his strong testimony.
Mother didnât believe a boy so young as Uncle Bob could know these things. She became angry at the words she was hearing and told Uncle Bob, âYou may come back to my house anytime, but never mention these things here again.â
Uncle Bob loved my parents and wanted to come as often as he could. He agreed. âAunt Ruth, I will never mention these things again in your home, I promise. I also promise you that someday you will ask me to baptize you.â
Now, this was many years ago, when young people did not speak their minds. They were expected to show respect to those who were older than they. It took a lot of courage for Uncle Bob to speak to my mother this way.
We spent many happy times with Uncle Bob. He stayed with us occasionally while our parents went to Wyoming to visit my motherâs family. He never broke his promise to my mother by again speaking of the great truths of the gospel or bearing his testimony, not even when both of our parents were away.
One year Dad was farming the Phillipi place in Mackay, Idaho. Uncle Bob came to stay for two weeks. My other sister, Jeannie, made spice cake every day. We whipped a half-gallon canful of pure cream for the topping. The smells seemed to curl around the corners of the room and out to the fields where Jack and Uncle Bob worked. It made your mouth water, it was such a tangy odor. But not even then, with a stove full of wood and a stomach full of sweet spice cake did Uncle Bob break his vow to my mother.
The years kept going by, one by one. Uncle Bob grew up, married, and had six sons and one daughter. He always stayed close to the Church. He knew that it was true. He held many callings over the years. Wherever he was needed, he served, becoming in later years a stake patriarch and a temple worker in the Portland Temple.
In 1971 Uncle Bob was fifty years old. My mother was sixty-four that year, and she was living in Powell, Wyoming. She telephoned Uncle Bob.
Itâs curiousâafter all those years, she still remembered! Mother said, âWill you come, Bob. Will you come and baptize me?â On April 15, 1971, forty years after my uncle had made his promise to her, he baptized my mother a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
One day Uncle Bob stacked an armload of wood and turned to my mother. The spirit was strong in his heart as he began to explain the things he had been learning in church and through study of the scriptures and personal prayer. He told her many things about the gospel of Jesus Christ and about Joseph Smith praying to know which church was true and discovering that not one of the churches in his day had the fullness of the gospel. Uncle Bob told her how Joseph Smith had been privileged to see God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and to know for himself that They had bodies of flesh and bone, just as he had. Uncle Bobâs eyes never wavered from my motherâs face as he bore his strong testimony.
Mother didnât believe a boy so young as Uncle Bob could know these things. She became angry at the words she was hearing and told Uncle Bob, âYou may come back to my house anytime, but never mention these things here again.â
Uncle Bob loved my parents and wanted to come as often as he could. He agreed. âAunt Ruth, I will never mention these things again in your home, I promise. I also promise you that someday you will ask me to baptize you.â
Now, this was many years ago, when young people did not speak their minds. They were expected to show respect to those who were older than they. It took a lot of courage for Uncle Bob to speak to my mother this way.
We spent many happy times with Uncle Bob. He stayed with us occasionally while our parents went to Wyoming to visit my motherâs family. He never broke his promise to my mother by again speaking of the great truths of the gospel or bearing his testimony, not even when both of our parents were away.
One year Dad was farming the Phillipi place in Mackay, Idaho. Uncle Bob came to stay for two weeks. My other sister, Jeannie, made spice cake every day. We whipped a half-gallon canful of pure cream for the topping. The smells seemed to curl around the corners of the room and out to the fields where Jack and Uncle Bob worked. It made your mouth water, it was such a tangy odor. But not even then, with a stove full of wood and a stomach full of sweet spice cake did Uncle Bob break his vow to my mother.
The years kept going by, one by one. Uncle Bob grew up, married, and had six sons and one daughter. He always stayed close to the Church. He knew that it was true. He held many callings over the years. Wherever he was needed, he served, becoming in later years a stake patriarch and a temple worker in the Portland Temple.
In 1971 Uncle Bob was fifty years old. My mother was sixty-four that year, and she was living in Powell, Wyoming. She telephoned Uncle Bob.
Itâs curiousâafter all those years, she still remembered! Mother said, âWill you come, Bob. Will you come and baptize me?â On April 15, 1971, forty years after my uncle had made his promise to her, he baptized my mother a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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đ€ Parents
đ€ Church Members (General)
đ€ Church Leaders (Local)
Baptism
Conversion
Courage
Faith
Family
Joseph Smith
Patience
Prayer
Priesthood
Temples
Testimony
The Restoration
Help by the Handful
Summary: The Layton Utah Kays Creek Stake organized a two-day youth conference focused on serving local homeowners selected through fasting and prayer. Despite extreme heat, more youth than expected arrived, enabling them to complete projects on over 24 homes instead of the planned 16. Teens worked on landscaping, painting, roofing, and building ramps, and many reported spiritual growth and joy from serving. Homeowners expressed deep gratitude, and the event concluded with a fireside where a homeowner spoke, leaving the youth beaming.
Imagine strolling down the streets of your neighborhood, only something looks different. Looking around, you may ask yourself, âWasnât that house white before? When did they find time to plant all these flowers?â
Many of the homes, which only two days before looked old and worn down, are now spruced up and polished. Is it a miracle? According to teens in northern Utah, itâs all in a dayâsâwell, make that two-daysââwork.
The Layton Utah Kays Creek Stake hosted a fun, service-filled youth conference. For two days teens and leaders alike sacrificed their time and energy to fix up several homes in a nearby city.
And they werenât just any homes. Through fasting and prayer co-chair Neil Wall and his committee carefully selected those people (some members of the Church and some not) they thought could really use the helpâmostly single mothers, the elderly, and the disabled.
And then, with 16 homes in mind, donated supplies, and multiple prayers of faith, the youth set out to offer service in life-sized proportions.
These teens quickly learned that this degree of service (it was approximately 100 degrees both days) was not for the faint of heart.
But despite the heat, what was initially a good-sized service project grew even bigger when more handsâattached to energetic teensâshowed up than expected. On Friday afternoon approximately 240 teens participated, but by Saturday Brother Wall estimated there were closer to 270.
âWe really thought we would lose some because it was hard work and it was very hot and the days were long,â he says. âWe thought, âOn Saturday we wonât get as many.â And we ended up with more. It really surprised us.â
And many hands made light work. With handfuls of help, the stake restored more than 24 homesânot just the original 16. They finished all their contingency projects and then some.
âI know without a doubt they will never forget it,â Brother Wall says. âThey admit, it was hard, it was hot, and it wasnât fun in one way because it was work, but it was rewarding. They could sense that they were doing something good.â
And these Utah teens proved themselves quite handy. Working under the direction of volunteer contractors, teens spent the bulk of their time doing all kinds of odd jobs: mowing lawns, hauling away garbage, painting, pouring cement for ramps for the disabled, roofing, and so on. At one house they planted flowers in a yard where previously trees had been growing wild, sending branches through windows.
âEven though I was tired, I didnât want to stop. I never realized how good it feels to give all your strength to help better someone elseâs life,â says 17-year-old Ashlee Karpowitz.
Many of the youth agreed with Ashlee. They found that working outside in hot weather turned out to be surprisingly funâplus a few added activity breaks didnât hurt either. The event kicked off on Thursday evening with a dinner, music from a local band, and a movie under the stars. On Friday evening every last ounce of energy was spent slipping down a plastic water slide. Hearty meals also helped to break up the workdays.
Sixteen-year-old Taylor Merrill had only good things to say about it. âMy favorite part of youth conference was using the spray-paint gun and eating the food. We had sub sandwiches for lunch every day. I always tried to eat as much as I could before we went back to work.â
But fun, sun, food, and spray-paint guns were only the beginning. In addition to the fresh paint and new leak-proof roofs, testimonies were refurbished as well.
âI feel like I accomplished something in my heart,â says 14-year-old Sarah Loock. âI made myself stronger, raised my feelings of self-worth, and strengthened my testimony.â
Like Sarah, many of these youth didnât realize until later that service has spiritual side effects: when you forget about yourself and serve others, you canât help but find happiness.
âI feel like I gained stronger friendships, a stronger testimony of the Church, and a closer relationship with my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ,â says Kelly Smith, 14.
âWhile we worked on peopleâs houses I felt the Spirit of the Lord,â says 15-year-old Katie Stout.
The youth and leaders alike found the whole experience to be gratifying, but the homeowners were also blessed.
âAlmost without exception, they were so excited, with tears in their eyes, just grateful that someone would consider doing it for them,â Brother Wall explains. âWe had a fireside to conclude the event, and one of the sisters whose home we worked on came and spoke. It was just wonderful. The kids were just beaming.â
Today more than 270 kids may walk down the streets of this same neighborhood and see something different. Sure, anyone might notice the shiny paint, the newly made ramps, or the vibrant flowers. But when teens from the Layton Utah Kays Creek Stake walk down these streets, they will remember how good it felt when they served people who really needed help. These teens witnessed firsthand that, when it comes to serving, a handful of help goes a long way.
Many of the homes, which only two days before looked old and worn down, are now spruced up and polished. Is it a miracle? According to teens in northern Utah, itâs all in a dayâsâwell, make that two-daysââwork.
The Layton Utah Kays Creek Stake hosted a fun, service-filled youth conference. For two days teens and leaders alike sacrificed their time and energy to fix up several homes in a nearby city.
And they werenât just any homes. Through fasting and prayer co-chair Neil Wall and his committee carefully selected those people (some members of the Church and some not) they thought could really use the helpâmostly single mothers, the elderly, and the disabled.
And then, with 16 homes in mind, donated supplies, and multiple prayers of faith, the youth set out to offer service in life-sized proportions.
These teens quickly learned that this degree of service (it was approximately 100 degrees both days) was not for the faint of heart.
But despite the heat, what was initially a good-sized service project grew even bigger when more handsâattached to energetic teensâshowed up than expected. On Friday afternoon approximately 240 teens participated, but by Saturday Brother Wall estimated there were closer to 270.
âWe really thought we would lose some because it was hard work and it was very hot and the days were long,â he says. âWe thought, âOn Saturday we wonât get as many.â And we ended up with more. It really surprised us.â
And many hands made light work. With handfuls of help, the stake restored more than 24 homesânot just the original 16. They finished all their contingency projects and then some.
âI know without a doubt they will never forget it,â Brother Wall says. âThey admit, it was hard, it was hot, and it wasnât fun in one way because it was work, but it was rewarding. They could sense that they were doing something good.â
And these Utah teens proved themselves quite handy. Working under the direction of volunteer contractors, teens spent the bulk of their time doing all kinds of odd jobs: mowing lawns, hauling away garbage, painting, pouring cement for ramps for the disabled, roofing, and so on. At one house they planted flowers in a yard where previously trees had been growing wild, sending branches through windows.
âEven though I was tired, I didnât want to stop. I never realized how good it feels to give all your strength to help better someone elseâs life,â says 17-year-old Ashlee Karpowitz.
Many of the youth agreed with Ashlee. They found that working outside in hot weather turned out to be surprisingly funâplus a few added activity breaks didnât hurt either. The event kicked off on Thursday evening with a dinner, music from a local band, and a movie under the stars. On Friday evening every last ounce of energy was spent slipping down a plastic water slide. Hearty meals also helped to break up the workdays.
Sixteen-year-old Taylor Merrill had only good things to say about it. âMy favorite part of youth conference was using the spray-paint gun and eating the food. We had sub sandwiches for lunch every day. I always tried to eat as much as I could before we went back to work.â
But fun, sun, food, and spray-paint guns were only the beginning. In addition to the fresh paint and new leak-proof roofs, testimonies were refurbished as well.
âI feel like I accomplished something in my heart,â says 14-year-old Sarah Loock. âI made myself stronger, raised my feelings of self-worth, and strengthened my testimony.â
Like Sarah, many of these youth didnât realize until later that service has spiritual side effects: when you forget about yourself and serve others, you canât help but find happiness.
âI feel like I gained stronger friendships, a stronger testimony of the Church, and a closer relationship with my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ,â says Kelly Smith, 14.
âWhile we worked on peopleâs houses I felt the Spirit of the Lord,â says 15-year-old Katie Stout.
The youth and leaders alike found the whole experience to be gratifying, but the homeowners were also blessed.
âAlmost without exception, they were so excited, with tears in their eyes, just grateful that someone would consider doing it for them,â Brother Wall explains. âWe had a fireside to conclude the event, and one of the sisters whose home we worked on came and spoke. It was just wonderful. The kids were just beaming.â
Today more than 270 kids may walk down the streets of this same neighborhood and see something different. Sure, anyone might notice the shiny paint, the newly made ramps, or the vibrant flowers. But when teens from the Layton Utah Kays Creek Stake walk down these streets, they will remember how good it felt when they served people who really needed help. These teens witnessed firsthand that, when it comes to serving, a handful of help goes a long way.
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đ€ Youth
đ€ Church Leaders (Local)
đ€ Church Members (General)
đ€ Other
Disabilities
Fasting and Fast Offerings
Prayer
Service
Single-Parent Families
Testimony
FYI:For Your Information
Summary: The 111th Belfast Troop camped at Castlewellan, with the highlight being an obstacle course won by 11-year-old John Pratt, a fourth-generation Latter-day Saint. To commemorate 150 years of the Church in the British Isles, some Scouts attended the National Jamboree in Preston, strengthening Scouting locally.
Take a dose of Irish mist, mix well with 13 lively Scouts (plus three tired leaders), add a blazing campfire, a bucketful of gnats, and stir with tons of energy. The result? A bubbling, sizzling Scout camp set at Castlewellan beside the Mountains of Mourne, deep in the wilds of Northern Ireland.
Scouting has been organized in the Belfast Northern Ireland Stake barely two years. The 111th Belfast Troop includes both member and nonmember boys who found many adventures during their campout. The highlight was the obstacle course on the last day, which was won by 11-year-old John Pratt, a fourth-generation Latter-day Saint.
Fourth-generation Saints are rare in northern Ireland. Johnâs great-grandmother was baptized in 1926 in England when missionaries still wore top hats. To celebrate the Churchâs 150 years in the British Isles, John and some of his fellow Scouts went to the National Jamboree in Preston, England, further strengthening the Scouting program in the British Isles.
Scouting has been organized in the Belfast Northern Ireland Stake barely two years. The 111th Belfast Troop includes both member and nonmember boys who found many adventures during their campout. The highlight was the obstacle course on the last day, which was won by 11-year-old John Pratt, a fourth-generation Latter-day Saint.
Fourth-generation Saints are rare in northern Ireland. Johnâs great-grandmother was baptized in 1926 in England when missionaries still wore top hats. To celebrate the Churchâs 150 years in the British Isles, John and some of his fellow Scouts went to the National Jamboree in Preston, England, further strengthening the Scouting program in the British Isles.
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đ€ Youth
đ€ Church Members (General)
Baptism
Family History
Young Men
Minus One Rose
Summary: A father describes how his sons sometimes bring their mother roses to show appreciation. One day, Jarom, a mission-bound son who rarely expressed affection with words or gifts, brought his mother a dozen yellow rosesâexcept there were only eleven. He had given one rose to a sad neighborhood girl he passed on the way home, brightening her day.
As the father of seven sons, I have always wanted them to love, honor, and respect their mother. As the older ones have gone through their teen years and beyond, it has been gratifying to watch them do special things for their mother.
My wife, Nicki, loves flowers. Over the years, it has not been uncommon for one of the boys to bring his mother a special bouquet of a dozen roses. These floral gifts havenât necessarily come on Motherâs Day, her birthday, or some other special occasion, although they have come then too. More often than not, these timely gifts come spontaneously and unexpectedly just to say, âThanks, Mom, for everything you do and for putting up with me.â
Such was the case when Jarom, our mission-bound son, surprised his mother. Over the years Jarom had found words and gestures of love and appreciation difficult to come by. He was a big, handsome, muscular young man who could bench-press 300 pounds but still struggled to refine the delicate art of telling his mother he loved her.
Of course, Nicki knew Jarom loved her, and she had accepted the fact that he would probably communicate his love and appreciation to her in other ways not associated with flowers, cards, or even spoken words.
But one afternoon he walked into the house and handed her a bouquet of yellow long-stemmed roses. Somewhat taken aback, Nicki caught her breath and exclaimed, âJarom, how beautiful!â She instinctively breathed in their rich fragrance. âI love them. One dozen yellow roses!â
Jarom shrugged sheepishly and shook his head. âActually, there are only 11,â he confessed. He cleared his throat and smiled bashfully. âI gave one of them away.â
He paused and then explained. âI picked up the roses and was on my way home when I passed this girl from our neighborhood. She was about nine or ten, just kind of dragging down the sidewalk, looking really sad.â He shrugged and grinned. âSo I figured, why not. I stopped, took a rose from your bouquet and handed it to her. I told her to have a great day.â
âWhat did she do?â Nicki asked, curious.
Jarom laughed. âWell, she wasnât sad anymore.â He took a deep breath and added, âSo thatâs why youâve only got 11 roses.â
Nicki smiled for a moment and tried to picture in her mind that girl walking down the street, discouraged and perhaps crushed by some adolescent tragedy. In the midst of her sorrow she looks up and sees this big, handsome neighbor approach her with a single yellow rose, perhaps the first she has ever received in her life. He smiles at her, hands her the rose, and tells her to have a great day. She is probably flattered beyond words, and suddenly her gray day is brightened by the unexpected light from Jaromâs yellow rose.
My wife, Nicki, loves flowers. Over the years, it has not been uncommon for one of the boys to bring his mother a special bouquet of a dozen roses. These floral gifts havenât necessarily come on Motherâs Day, her birthday, or some other special occasion, although they have come then too. More often than not, these timely gifts come spontaneously and unexpectedly just to say, âThanks, Mom, for everything you do and for putting up with me.â
Such was the case when Jarom, our mission-bound son, surprised his mother. Over the years Jarom had found words and gestures of love and appreciation difficult to come by. He was a big, handsome, muscular young man who could bench-press 300 pounds but still struggled to refine the delicate art of telling his mother he loved her.
Of course, Nicki knew Jarom loved her, and she had accepted the fact that he would probably communicate his love and appreciation to her in other ways not associated with flowers, cards, or even spoken words.
But one afternoon he walked into the house and handed her a bouquet of yellow long-stemmed roses. Somewhat taken aback, Nicki caught her breath and exclaimed, âJarom, how beautiful!â She instinctively breathed in their rich fragrance. âI love them. One dozen yellow roses!â
Jarom shrugged sheepishly and shook his head. âActually, there are only 11,â he confessed. He cleared his throat and smiled bashfully. âI gave one of them away.â
He paused and then explained. âI picked up the roses and was on my way home when I passed this girl from our neighborhood. She was about nine or ten, just kind of dragging down the sidewalk, looking really sad.â He shrugged and grinned. âSo I figured, why not. I stopped, took a rose from your bouquet and handed it to her. I told her to have a great day.â
âWhat did she do?â Nicki asked, curious.
Jarom laughed. âWell, she wasnât sad anymore.â He took a deep breath and added, âSo thatâs why youâve only got 11 roses.â
Nicki smiled for a moment and tried to picture in her mind that girl walking down the street, discouraged and perhaps crushed by some adolescent tragedy. In the midst of her sorrow she looks up and sees this big, handsome neighbor approach her with a single yellow rose, perhaps the first she has ever received in her life. He smiles at her, hands her the rose, and tells her to have a great day. She is probably flattered beyond words, and suddenly her gray day is brightened by the unexpected light from Jaromâs yellow rose.
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đ€ Parents
đ€ Young Adults
đ€ Children
Family
Gratitude
Kindness
Love
Missionary Work
Parenting
Service
Young Men
Rising Above the Blues
Summary: Melissa struggled with depression, feeling worthless and unable to 'snap out of it.' After opening up to her mother, she was taken to a doctor and began counseling, which she initially resisted. Over time she combined therapy with prayer and scripture study and found strength and support. She now expresses gratitude for her challenges because they strengthen her testimony, and she is doing better after seeking help.
When people told Melissa* to snap out of it, it only made her feel worse. She would try but would still wake up the next day feeling awful. âI didnât know what to do. I would sleep the day away because I felt totally worthless.â
âI didnât even realize I was depressed,â she says. âI didnât even think to turn to my Heavenly Father for help.â
She also didnât want to talk to her mom about what she was feeling. âI thought my mom would not like me for opening up and letting her know I was hurting. But once I talked to her she was really supportive, and I needed that.â
When Melissa was 14, her mom took her to a doctor. âAt first I thought, No way! I donât need a counselor. Iâm fine! But I guess I wasnât fine. When youâre depressed you donât really realize thereâs something wrong with you. And when you finally do recognize it, youâre so immune to it that itâs hard to deal with.â
Melissa has been in counseling for more than a year, and she looks forward to her once-a-week therapy sessions now. Sheâs glad she decided to get help. âI didnât think I would ever need help. I didnât think I would ever go through the things I went through. After a while I finally realized I needed to get down on my knees and ask for help. And that help came. I turned to my scriptures more often, and there would always be something there I needed to hear.â
Melissa has suffered a lot because of depression, but she feels her reactions to her trials have made her into a better person. âWhen I say a prayer I thank Heavenly Father for my challenges because they make me stronger and they strengthen my testimony and help me grow closer to Him.â
Things are still not easy for Melissa, Becky, and Anna. But since they have turned to the Lord and requested help from other sources as well, they are doing much better, and they now feel their lives are worth living. Becky says, âEven if you feel like no one else has ever gone through this, Jesus Christ has. He has felt every single thing.â
âI didnât even realize I was depressed,â she says. âI didnât even think to turn to my Heavenly Father for help.â
She also didnât want to talk to her mom about what she was feeling. âI thought my mom would not like me for opening up and letting her know I was hurting. But once I talked to her she was really supportive, and I needed that.â
When Melissa was 14, her mom took her to a doctor. âAt first I thought, No way! I donât need a counselor. Iâm fine! But I guess I wasnât fine. When youâre depressed you donât really realize thereâs something wrong with you. And when you finally do recognize it, youâre so immune to it that itâs hard to deal with.â
Melissa has been in counseling for more than a year, and she looks forward to her once-a-week therapy sessions now. Sheâs glad she decided to get help. âI didnât think I would ever need help. I didnât think I would ever go through the things I went through. After a while I finally realized I needed to get down on my knees and ask for help. And that help came. I turned to my scriptures more often, and there would always be something there I needed to hear.â
Melissa has suffered a lot because of depression, but she feels her reactions to her trials have made her into a better person. âWhen I say a prayer I thank Heavenly Father for my challenges because they make me stronger and they strengthen my testimony and help me grow closer to Him.â
Things are still not easy for Melissa, Becky, and Anna. But since they have turned to the Lord and requested help from other sources as well, they are doing much better, and they now feel their lives are worth living. Becky says, âEven if you feel like no one else has ever gone through this, Jesus Christ has. He has felt every single thing.â
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đ€ Youth
đ€ Parents
đ€ Other
Adversity
Family
Gratitude
Hope
Jesus Christ
Mental Health
Prayer
Scriptures
Testimony
House of Revelation
Summary: Brigham Young recalled that elders in the School of the Prophets smoked and chewed tobacco, leaving the room filthy and prompting complaints from Joseph Smithâs wife. Joseph inquired of the Lord about their conduct, resulting in the revelation known as the Word of Wisdom. Zebedee Coltrin added that when it was presented, nearly all the elders used tobacco and immediately threw their tobacco and pipes into the fire.
President Brigham Young recalled:
âOver [the] kitchen was situated the room in which the Prophet received revelations and in which he instructed his brethren [the School of the Prophets]. The brethren came to that place for hundreds of miles to attend school in a little room probably no larger than eleven by fourteen [feetâabout 3.3 by 4.2 meters]. When they assembled together in this room after breakfast, the first thing they did was to light their pipes, and, while smoking, talk about the great things of the kingdom, and spit all over the room, and as soon as the pipe was out of their mouths a large chew of tobacco would then be taken. Often when the Prophet entered the room to give the school instructions he would find himself in a cloud of tobacco smoke. This, and the complaints of his wife at having to clean so filthy a floor, made the Prophet think upon the matter, and he inquired of the Lord relating to the conduct of the Elders in using tobacco, and the revelation known as the Word of Wisdom was the result of his inquiryâ (Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, 12:158).
Brother Zebedee Coltrin adds the following information to this story: âWhen the Word of Wisdom [D&C 89] was first presented by the Prophet Joseph ⊠there were twenty out of the twenty-one who used tobacco and they all immediately threw their tobacco and pipes into the fireâ (minutes, Salt Lake City School of Prophets, 3 October 1883, page 56).
âOver [the] kitchen was situated the room in which the Prophet received revelations and in which he instructed his brethren [the School of the Prophets]. The brethren came to that place for hundreds of miles to attend school in a little room probably no larger than eleven by fourteen [feetâabout 3.3 by 4.2 meters]. When they assembled together in this room after breakfast, the first thing they did was to light their pipes, and, while smoking, talk about the great things of the kingdom, and spit all over the room, and as soon as the pipe was out of their mouths a large chew of tobacco would then be taken. Often when the Prophet entered the room to give the school instructions he would find himself in a cloud of tobacco smoke. This, and the complaints of his wife at having to clean so filthy a floor, made the Prophet think upon the matter, and he inquired of the Lord relating to the conduct of the Elders in using tobacco, and the revelation known as the Word of Wisdom was the result of his inquiryâ (Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, 12:158).
Brother Zebedee Coltrin adds the following information to this story: âWhen the Word of Wisdom [D&C 89] was first presented by the Prophet Joseph ⊠there were twenty out of the twenty-one who used tobacco and they all immediately threw their tobacco and pipes into the fireâ (minutes, Salt Lake City School of Prophets, 3 October 1883, page 56).
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đ€ Joseph Smith
đ€ Early Saints
Health
Joseph Smith
Obedience
Revelation
Word of Wisdom
Path to Follow
Summary: Peter comes home upset that his friend Justin wonât come to Primary despite repeated invitations. His mother reviews the eleventh article of faith and teaches him about agency using a recent snowstorm experience as an analogy. Peter realizes he canât force Justin to choose as he does but can keep being a loving friend and example. He feels grateful for his own agency and chooses to attend Primary.
Thump! went the backpack on the living room end table. âPut your bag in your room, Petey!â Mother said as she rounded the corner, wiping her hands on a kitchen towel. Her smile faded as she noticed Peterâs somber face. âAre you OK?â
âI guess so.â Peter shrugged as he hung his coat on a hook by the door.
âThen why the glum face? Did you have a fight with Justin?â
âWell, no ⊠Itâs just that whenever I ask him to come to Primary with me, he says heâs too busy or has stuff to do or something. Why canât I make him come? Primary is so cool!â
âLetâs sit down a minute,â Mother said, heading for the couch. She tossed the towel onto the end table next to Peterâs backpack. âDo you remember the eleventh article of faith?â she asked when they were seated. âI think thatâs one youâve already learned.â
âHmmm, let me think.â
ââWe claim the privilege âŠââ she started him off.
âOh, yeah! I remember now. Thatâs the one that says âhow, where, or what they may.ââ
âThatâs right! It says, âWe claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship âŠââ
ââhow, where, or what they may!ââ Peter finished proudly.
âThatâs very good, Petey. But do you know what it means?â
Peter began to fidget on the couch.
Mother smiled thoughtfully. âLet me see if I can help. Remember last week, when Dad was out of town and we had that snowstorm?â
âDo I ever! We had to shovel the walks and driveway before school. It was a lot of work. And then the neighbor kids wanted to walk through the snow, so they tromped across our lawn, instead! What a waste of time!â Peter shook his head, remembering the footprints across the front lawn.
âWell, no it wasnât,â Mother corrected gently. âBecause our walks were clear, it was easy to get the car out to take you to school.â
âOK, OK.â Peterâs nose wrinkled slightly. âI still donât get what that has to do with the eleventh article of faithâor Justin.â
âWell, we worked hard to clear a path in the snowâthatâs what we wanted to do. It was important to us. But the neighborhood children chose to walk in the snow, insteadâbecause thatâs what was important to them. Right?â
âRight,â Peter said. âSo what?â
âWell, you want Justin to go to Primary on Sunday because itâs important to you, right?â
âOh. I think I get it,â Peter said slowly. âEven though I choose to go to Primary, that doesnât mean that Justin has to, right?â
Mother smiled. âThatâs right. Heavenly Father has given us a very precious gift called agency. It is the right to choose and act for ourselves. We canât force someone to follow the same path we choose to follow. However, while you need to let Justin have his agency, itâs also very good for you to love him and be his friend. You can keep showing Justin the âclear pathâ thatâs important to you. And maybeâjust maybeâheâll want to follow it one day.â
As Peter grabbed his backpack and headed up the stairs, he turned and smiled. âIâm glad I have my agency so I can choose to go to Primary.â
âI guess so.â Peter shrugged as he hung his coat on a hook by the door.
âThen why the glum face? Did you have a fight with Justin?â
âWell, no ⊠Itâs just that whenever I ask him to come to Primary with me, he says heâs too busy or has stuff to do or something. Why canât I make him come? Primary is so cool!â
âLetâs sit down a minute,â Mother said, heading for the couch. She tossed the towel onto the end table next to Peterâs backpack. âDo you remember the eleventh article of faith?â she asked when they were seated. âI think thatâs one youâve already learned.â
âHmmm, let me think.â
ââWe claim the privilege âŠââ she started him off.
âOh, yeah! I remember now. Thatâs the one that says âhow, where, or what they may.ââ
âThatâs right! It says, âWe claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship âŠââ
ââhow, where, or what they may!ââ Peter finished proudly.
âThatâs very good, Petey. But do you know what it means?â
Peter began to fidget on the couch.
Mother smiled thoughtfully. âLet me see if I can help. Remember last week, when Dad was out of town and we had that snowstorm?â
âDo I ever! We had to shovel the walks and driveway before school. It was a lot of work. And then the neighbor kids wanted to walk through the snow, so they tromped across our lawn, instead! What a waste of time!â Peter shook his head, remembering the footprints across the front lawn.
âWell, no it wasnât,â Mother corrected gently. âBecause our walks were clear, it was easy to get the car out to take you to school.â
âOK, OK.â Peterâs nose wrinkled slightly. âI still donât get what that has to do with the eleventh article of faithâor Justin.â
âWell, we worked hard to clear a path in the snowâthatâs what we wanted to do. It was important to us. But the neighborhood children chose to walk in the snow, insteadâbecause thatâs what was important to them. Right?â
âRight,â Peter said. âSo what?â
âWell, you want Justin to go to Primary on Sunday because itâs important to you, right?â
âOh. I think I get it,â Peter said slowly. âEven though I choose to go to Primary, that doesnât mean that Justin has to, right?â
Mother smiled. âThatâs right. Heavenly Father has given us a very precious gift called agency. It is the right to choose and act for ourselves. We canât force someone to follow the same path we choose to follow. However, while you need to let Justin have his agency, itâs also very good for you to love him and be his friend. You can keep showing Justin the âclear pathâ thatâs important to you. And maybeâjust maybeâheâll want to follow it one day.â
As Peter grabbed his backpack and headed up the stairs, he turned and smiled. âIâm glad I have my agency so I can choose to go to Primary.â
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đ€ Parents
đ€ Children
đ€ Friends
Agency and Accountability
Children
Family
Friendship
Light of Christ
Love
Parenting
Teaching the Gospel
Teenage Pioneer
Summary: One of their smartest cows became so lame she could hardly travel. Margaretâs mother made a large poultice and applied it at night, accidentally to the wrong hip; by morning the cow limped very little and soon recovered. Margaret notes there was a lot of faith mixed with that poultice.
âOne cow in our team was very intelligent. In fact, she was so smart that she used to hide in the willows to keep from being yoked up but when father found her and yoked her she was a good worker and a good milker. She got very lame at one time and could scarcely travel. My parents were very worried, since they had already lost one. They were afraid they could not travel as fast as the rest of the company, and so Mother said she would make a poultice and put it on as soon as the cow laid down for the night. She made a very large one that covered all of the lame hip. Well, the next morning, when father went out to get the cows up he called out, âWhy, Mother, you have poulticed the wrong hip.â Mother said, âDonât worry about it. Itâs all right. It has gone clear through.â And sure enough she (the cow) limped very little that day, and was soon as well as ever. I know there was a great deal of faith mixed up with that poultice.â
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đ€ Pioneers
đ€ Parents
Adversity
Faith
Family
Miracles
Not Just for Kicks
Summary: Richard Penrod is a talented young soccer player whose skill has taken him on trips to Scotland and Holland, while he also balances Church responsibilities and family life. The article shows how soccer has become a family interest that teaches the Penrods teamwork, discipline, and brotherhood. It concludes by emphasizing that their involvement in soccer is about more than the game itself; it helps them learn important life lessons together.
Out on the field, Richard makes the game look simple. He feints, counterfeints, and passes. He sees an opening and sprints for it, waving his hand to let fellow players know heâs in the clear. On defense he shouts instructions and directs traffic as though heâs been playing all his lifeâwhich is just about the truth. His expertise, along with his scholarship in school, have qualified him for two trips abroad with soccer teamsâone to Glenrothes, Scotland, another to Den Haag, Holland. While there, Richard lived with families and attended school, as well as playing exhibition soccer.
Of course, there have been embarrassing times, too. Like slipping and falling in the mud, or getting clobbered with a lopsided score, or losing every game during the season when Dad was the head coach. But some of that has to be expected.
How Richard plays in a particular match is determined by two things: which position heâs playing (he plays three), and which team heâs playing for at the time (he plays on four). On the ward team the ages vary significantly. So do the skill levels. But there, playing is mostly for fun. On the all-star team or in league competition, games are closely contested, and each move makes a difference.
Richard and John will talk for hours about their favorite sport. John plays forward, an offensive position that puts him on the front line of attack. Richard usually plays halfback, the midfield position, which challenges him by requiring both offensive and defensive skills. However, Richard has also played forward, as well as fullback (the last defender between the ball and the goalie).
They disagree about which is the ideal position to play. John says forwards have the most enjoyable job on the field because they go where they want. âItâs kind of like playing hide-and-seek with the defense,â he says. But he also notes that forwards often take the blame for missed goals. Richard counters that halfbacks have the fun of playing at both ends of the field, which, though it demands endurance, allows them power to control the tempo of the game.
John says fullbacks get the most rest, that their main task is to steal the ball and relay it to the opposite end of the field. Richard notes, however, that the defense is often outnumbered, and the fullbackâs role is vital in preventing goals. Both agree, however, that the goalie may have the roughest assignment. Heâs expected to analyze each shot-on-goal correctly and position himself properly to block or deflect it, often diving face down on the turf in the effort.
The two young men also discuss dreams, like playing on a professional or Olympic team, or even more immediate wishes, like attending a soccer clinic at BYU.
At a home evening recently, Richard brought out a scrapbook he keeps; itâs full of his souvenirs. He passed it around the family circle, describing photos he took himself and clippings from newspapers. The rest of the family joined in with other stories, laughter, and warmth. It was clear that they were all involved in learning lessons through their Church activity and through sports. They were learning about brotherhood by working together; they were learning to plan their time to be able to do things they enjoy and still meet school, Church, and household responsibilities; they were learning about family love, caring, and sharing; and they were learning about fixing goals for themselves. It was clear that theyâre involved with soccerâand with each otherâfor more than just the kicks.
Of course, there have been embarrassing times, too. Like slipping and falling in the mud, or getting clobbered with a lopsided score, or losing every game during the season when Dad was the head coach. But some of that has to be expected.
How Richard plays in a particular match is determined by two things: which position heâs playing (he plays three), and which team heâs playing for at the time (he plays on four). On the ward team the ages vary significantly. So do the skill levels. But there, playing is mostly for fun. On the all-star team or in league competition, games are closely contested, and each move makes a difference.
Richard and John will talk for hours about their favorite sport. John plays forward, an offensive position that puts him on the front line of attack. Richard usually plays halfback, the midfield position, which challenges him by requiring both offensive and defensive skills. However, Richard has also played forward, as well as fullback (the last defender between the ball and the goalie).
They disagree about which is the ideal position to play. John says forwards have the most enjoyable job on the field because they go where they want. âItâs kind of like playing hide-and-seek with the defense,â he says. But he also notes that forwards often take the blame for missed goals. Richard counters that halfbacks have the fun of playing at both ends of the field, which, though it demands endurance, allows them power to control the tempo of the game.
John says fullbacks get the most rest, that their main task is to steal the ball and relay it to the opposite end of the field. Richard notes, however, that the defense is often outnumbered, and the fullbackâs role is vital in preventing goals. Both agree, however, that the goalie may have the roughest assignment. Heâs expected to analyze each shot-on-goal correctly and position himself properly to block or deflect it, often diving face down on the turf in the effort.
The two young men also discuss dreams, like playing on a professional or Olympic team, or even more immediate wishes, like attending a soccer clinic at BYU.
At a home evening recently, Richard brought out a scrapbook he keeps; itâs full of his souvenirs. He passed it around the family circle, describing photos he took himself and clippings from newspapers. The rest of the family joined in with other stories, laughter, and warmth. It was clear that they were all involved in learning lessons through their Church activity and through sports. They were learning about brotherhood by working together; they were learning to plan their time to be able to do things they enjoy and still meet school, Church, and household responsibilities; they were learning about family love, caring, and sharing; and they were learning about fixing goals for themselves. It was clear that theyâre involved with soccerâand with each otherâfor more than just the kicks.
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đ€ Youth
Education
Young Men
Church-Ball Champ
Summary: During a tense Church basketball game, the narrator is struck by an opponentâs elbow and wants to retaliate. Seeing a poster with Mosiah 18:9 about standing as a witness of God changes his impulse. He chooses restraint, shakes the opponent's hand, and accepts the loss while feeling a spiritual victory.
As my body hit the gym floor, a flood of mixed feelings swept through me. A numbing pain throbbed in my left temple, and I wanted to punch something ⊠or somebodyânumber 11 in the black jersey, to be specific.
It had been a great game, the kind of Church basketball game that you look forward to telling college roommates about years later. We were the undersized, undermanned underdogs. Our opponents were priests, but they looked like men, sporting beards and bowling-ball-sized biceps. For three quarters they had manhandled us, and yet somehow the scoreboard showed us deadlocked at 33. Our pint-sized crew was still in the game.
After making a quick layup to tie the game, I was tightly guarding an opponent to prevent him from catching the inbounds pass when I saw number 11âall six feet four, 225 pounds of him. Suddenly, a massive elbow crashed into my head, sending me sprawling onto the carpeted gym floor.
And now, every fiber of my being wanted to hit him back. I got up quickly and glared at the giant, with every intention of sending a message of my own. He stood there, stone-faced, ready for a fight if that were the case. My natural inclination screamed at me to deck him.
But my eyes then focused past him to a poster on the wall. Our stake president had requested that a scripture be placed on the gym wall during the basketball season. The poster had part of Mosiah 18:9 on it: âTo stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in.â
The words hit me harder than his elbow had. I, a priesthood holder, was responsible to stand as a witness of God at all times and in all places, not just on Sunday, not just at the sacrament table or in seminary. My actions portrayed my beliefs, no matter where I was or who was watching me.
We ended up losing that game. But before I left the court, I found number 11. I reached out my hand, and he shook it briefly. âGood game,â I told him, and I headed down the hall. We lost that game, but for the first time I felt I had truly won.
It had been a great game, the kind of Church basketball game that you look forward to telling college roommates about years later. We were the undersized, undermanned underdogs. Our opponents were priests, but they looked like men, sporting beards and bowling-ball-sized biceps. For three quarters they had manhandled us, and yet somehow the scoreboard showed us deadlocked at 33. Our pint-sized crew was still in the game.
After making a quick layup to tie the game, I was tightly guarding an opponent to prevent him from catching the inbounds pass when I saw number 11âall six feet four, 225 pounds of him. Suddenly, a massive elbow crashed into my head, sending me sprawling onto the carpeted gym floor.
And now, every fiber of my being wanted to hit him back. I got up quickly and glared at the giant, with every intention of sending a message of my own. He stood there, stone-faced, ready for a fight if that were the case. My natural inclination screamed at me to deck him.
But my eyes then focused past him to a poster on the wall. Our stake president had requested that a scripture be placed on the gym wall during the basketball season. The poster had part of Mosiah 18:9 on it: âTo stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in.â
The words hit me harder than his elbow had. I, a priesthood holder, was responsible to stand as a witness of God at all times and in all places, not just on Sunday, not just at the sacrament table or in seminary. My actions portrayed my beliefs, no matter where I was or who was watching me.
We ended up losing that game. But before I left the court, I found number 11. I reached out my hand, and he shook it briefly. âGood game,â I told him, and I headed down the hall. We lost that game, but for the first time I felt I had truly won.
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đ€ Church Members (General)
đ€ Church Leaders (Local)
Forgiveness
Kindness
Priesthood
Scriptures
Testimony
Young Men
Shared Prayer
Summary: On a school field trip, the narrator hesitated to pray with nonmember friend Louise in the same room. She chose to kneel and pray, then explained how to pray when Louise asked. They prayed together, and afterward the narrator felt the Spirit confirm God's love and hoped Louise felt it too.
My classmates and I were staying overnight at Tanyllyn Lodge in the Welsh mountains as part of our sixth-form geography field trip. I was glad that my friend Louise and I were assigned to share a room.
It took us a while to get ready for bed. We took turns using the one tiny sink in the room and the even tinier mirror. Our clothing for the next day had to be set out along with our hiking boots and thick socks. Louise finished her preparations before I did and climbed into her bed.
When I had finished doing everything except saying my prayers, I hesitated beside my bed. Louise was not a member of the Church and had no idea I prayed each night.
My first instinct was to slip into bed as she had done and feign sleep while I silently prayed. But I anticipated two big flaws with that decision. First, I knew Louise would start talking to me and I would never make it through my prayer uninterrupted. Second, I was a little daunted by the next dayâs grueling agenda and needed the comfort of a fervent prayer on my knees.
I vacillated in indecision for a few minutes, then turned to Louise and told her I was going to say a prayer. She looked a bit startled, but before she could say anything, I knelt at the end of the bed, bowed my head, closed my eyes, and offered a silent personal prayer. She was still watching when I rose.
There was a rather awkward silence as I crawled into my bed. As I anxiously searched for something to say, Louise said, âSian, do you do that every night?â
âYes,â I replied.
There was a slight pause, then the question, âWhat do you say?â
I was surprised. I had never really considered the possibility of someone not knowing how to pray. I told Louise I began my prayers by addressing our Father in Heaven. Then I thanked him for blessings I had received, asked him to help me, and closed my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ.
There was another pause, and during the silence I felt my heartbeat quicken. Before I lost my nerve, I asked her if she would like to pray with me.
âOkay,â she said, with curiosity in her voice. âWhat do we do?â
We knelt together by the side of the bed, and I said a prayer aloud. When it was over, I asked her how she felt.
She smiled shyly. âWell, youâve given me something to think about.â
I donât know what Louiseâs thoughts were as we lay in our beds afterward. Mine were thoughts of gratitude. Lying there in the dark, I felt the Spirit confirming to me that we do have a Heavenly Father who loves us and listens to our prayers. I hope Louise felt it, too.
It took us a while to get ready for bed. We took turns using the one tiny sink in the room and the even tinier mirror. Our clothing for the next day had to be set out along with our hiking boots and thick socks. Louise finished her preparations before I did and climbed into her bed.
When I had finished doing everything except saying my prayers, I hesitated beside my bed. Louise was not a member of the Church and had no idea I prayed each night.
My first instinct was to slip into bed as she had done and feign sleep while I silently prayed. But I anticipated two big flaws with that decision. First, I knew Louise would start talking to me and I would never make it through my prayer uninterrupted. Second, I was a little daunted by the next dayâs grueling agenda and needed the comfort of a fervent prayer on my knees.
I vacillated in indecision for a few minutes, then turned to Louise and told her I was going to say a prayer. She looked a bit startled, but before she could say anything, I knelt at the end of the bed, bowed my head, closed my eyes, and offered a silent personal prayer. She was still watching when I rose.
There was a rather awkward silence as I crawled into my bed. As I anxiously searched for something to say, Louise said, âSian, do you do that every night?â
âYes,â I replied.
There was a slight pause, then the question, âWhat do you say?â
I was surprised. I had never really considered the possibility of someone not knowing how to pray. I told Louise I began my prayers by addressing our Father in Heaven. Then I thanked him for blessings I had received, asked him to help me, and closed my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ.
There was another pause, and during the silence I felt my heartbeat quicken. Before I lost my nerve, I asked her if she would like to pray with me.
âOkay,â she said, with curiosity in her voice. âWhat do we do?â
We knelt together by the side of the bed, and I said a prayer aloud. When it was over, I asked her how she felt.
She smiled shyly. âWell, youâve given me something to think about.â
I donât know what Louiseâs thoughts were as we lay in our beds afterward. Mine were thoughts of gratitude. Lying there in the dark, I felt the Spirit confirming to me that we do have a Heavenly Father who loves us and listens to our prayers. I hope Louise felt it, too.
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đ€ Youth
đ€ Friends
đ€ Church Members (General)
Friendship
Holy Ghost
Missionary Work
Prayer
Testimony
Swimming Upstream
Summary: During summer military training, LDS college men faced instructors who began each hour with a dirty joke. When an NCO asked if anyone objected, one person said yes; told to leave, most of the group walked out. Their stand demonstrated the power of one voice to galvanize others.
Another time in the military a whole delegation of LDS college men went through summer training. As they moved from one field demonstration to another, each hour they endured the military instructors who began each session with a dirty joke. One NCO unintentionally prefaced the inevitable lewd story by asking, âAnyone object to a joke?â There was a split second of intense silence while the opportunity ran through the group. Then quickly from the back came a solitary but solid, âYes.â The cadreman looked up in shocked surprise, immediately becoming defensive. Intending to intimidate such an upstart, he fired back, âWell, leave if you donât like it.â Again a second of silenceâfollowed by a decision. Then three-fourths of the group voted with their feet.
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đ€ Young Adults
đ€ Church Members (General)
đ€ Other
Agency and Accountability
Chastity
Courage
War
FYI:For Your Information
Summary: Youth from Huntington Beach crossed into Mexico to celebrate Christmas with the Tecate Branch. They shared bilingual carols, enjoyed a homemade tamale dinner, and gifted rugs, stockings, and bicycles. Both groups ended the visit singing together in an emotional farewell.
The Christmas spirit knew no bounds as the Young Men and Young Women of the Huntington Beach Seventh Ward, Huntington Beach California Stake, crossed the Mexican border to celebrate Christmas with the Tecate Branch, Tijuana Mexico Stake. Christmas carols were sung in Spanish and English, and colorful piñatas made by the Mexican Saints were broken, scattering candies and fruits to everyone. A delicious homemade tamale dinner followed, treating the Californians to the tasty talents of their new friends. The Huntington Beach Ward then gave gifts of throw rugs designed by the Young Men, handmade stockings filled with treats made by the Young Women, and 16 tricycles and bicycles to the Tecate Saints. Both groups joined in a tearful rendition of âO, Little Town of Bethlehemâ as they said good-bye to their newfound friends.
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đ€ Youth
đ€ Church Members (General)
Charity
Christmas
Diversity and Unity in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Friendship
Kindness
Music
Service
Unity
Young Men
Young Women
Momâs Horned-Toad House
Summary: A young boy and his brothers want to surprise their mother for Mother's Day but don't have enough money to buy a gift and struggle to build a rocking chair. They decide to catch three horned toads and present them in a shoebox, which delights their mother. She has them build an outdoor home for the toads, and the family enjoys visiting them together.
I was excited! Spring was here, and I could play outside without a coat. Kindergarten was almost out for the summer, and I was getting ready to play ball and help Dad with the garden. But I forgot all about Motherâs Day. I didnât remember until my Primary teacher reminded us the Sunday before. I knew then that I would have to have a secret meeting with Aaron and Jarom.
Aaron and Jarom are my two brothers. Aaronâs four, and Jaromâs only two, but heâs real smart. He can talk really good. In fact, he can do nearly everything Aaron and I can.
That night when we were in bed, I talked to Aaron and Jarom and told them that next Sunday was Motherâs Day and that we just had to get Mom a present. We knew Dad was going to give her somethingâhe always does. But we wanted to give her a big surprise just from us.
We thought about giving Mom a motorcycle or a horse or a pickup truck. Those things would have made good presents, but we knew we couldnât ever get anything like that till we were a lot older.
We finally decided that we would get all our money together and go to Brother Bobâs store to buy Mom something.
The next day after I came home from school, Aaron and Jarom and I walked to the store. We only had two dollars and three quarters and a dime and four pennies. It wasnât very much, but we thought we could get Mom something sheâd like.
Well, there really wasnât much in Brother Bobâs store for Motherâs Day, because he sells mostly food and things like that. We looked at the bubble gum, but Mom doesnât like bubble gum very much. We looked at some boxes of candy because Dad sometimes buys it for her. She likes candy, but just one of those boxes of chocolates with a big bow on it costs lots more money than we had. There was a real good pocketknife inside a glass case, but it cost over ten dollars. There was a watch inside the case too. It was just a little one, not like the big one Dad wears. We figured that since it was such a little watch, we probably had enough money to buy it. But when we put our money on the counter, Brother Bob said we didnât have quite enough.
We were going to go to the big store by the ice-cream place, but that was a long way away. You have to cross the highway to get there, so we decided not to go. Instead, we each bought a sucker and went home.
On the way home we decided that if we couldnât buy something for Mom, weâd make something. I remembered that Mom once said sheâd sure like a rocking chair to rock Jared in at night. An old rocking chair wouldnât be very hard to make. We had wood and nails and tools and everything at home.
Every day after school Aaron and Jarom met me at the corner. Then we ran around to the backyard and worked on the rocking chair. Jarom didnât work much; he just kind of watched us. Heâd get tired and go into the house for his blanket, but he always came back and sat on a box and rubbed his blanket and sucked his thumb. We still liked to have him there because it was his present too.
We had a hard time trying to build Mom that rocking chair though. Weâd seen Dad hammer and saw, but he had bigger muscles than Aaron and I. I scratched my hand with the saw, and Aaron got silvers in his hands trying to hold the boards still. And I hit my thumb, trying to hammer in a nail.
We worked every day till Saturday, but by Saturday we still didnât have a rocking chair. Weâd hammered some boards together, but they were rough and had crooked nails sticking out of them. It didnât look like any rocking chair weâd ever seen. It looked more like a table. But Mom didnât need a table; she needed a rocking chair.
It was hot. Jarom had his blanket and was lying down on a box, sucking his thumb and looking at our rocking chair. I was thinking, and Aaron was over by the grapevine hunting for something. Pretty soon he yelled, âHey, Alma, come here! Look what I found!â
I threw my hammer down, and Jarom left his blanket and ran over to the grapevine with me. Under the branches, sitting on some crunchy leaves, was a big, fat horned toad. He was brown and had little bumps all over him.
Iâd seen horned toads before, because Aaron likes to catch them. But this one was one of the best horned toads Iâd ever seen. Aaron picked it up and tickled its tummy and rubbed it against his cheek so he could feel the bumps.
Aaron said, âI know, Alma! Letâs give Mom some horned toads! She said that she thinks theyâre cute and that theyâre funny to watch when they run. Letâs look for some more, and weâll each give her a horned toad for Motherâs Day.â
Thereâs an empty lot behind our house thatâs covered with weeds and rocks and other good places for horned toads to hide. Jarom went there with us, too, but he had to leave his blanket behind, because it would get weed stickers in it.
We hunted for a long time, and finally we found another horned toad. It was almost suppertime. We were about ready to give Mom just two horned toads, when suddenly Jarom saw a tiny one. I grabbed it. Now we each had a horned toad to give to Mom.
When we went into the house, we didnât let anyone see the toads. I found an empty shoe box and put some rocks inside so the horned toads would think they were still outside. Then we wrapped the box in newspaper and punched some holes in the top very carefully.
The next day, after the family came home from church and Primary, Mom started fixing dinner. After my brothers and I helped her set the table, we went out to the garage and brought in our present. I put the box on Momâs plate so sheâd know we hadnât forgotten about Motherâs Day. Aaron and Jarom and I were grinning as Mom tried to guess what was in the present. She was going to shake it, but we told her sheâd better not because it might break. She kept trying to guess, but she couldnât. Not even Dad could guess what our present was.
After family prayer and the blessing on the food, I told Mom to open our present. I knew we couldnât eat until Mom had opened it.
She took the paper off really slow, and then she took the lid off the shoe box. Her eyes got really big, but she didnât say anything, and we werenât sure if she liked our horned toads. We didnât know if she thought they were too little or not the right color. But then she got a great big smile on her face, and she looked at Aaron and Jarom and me. Her eyes were sparkling like they do sometimes when sheâs real happy. We knew then that she was glad to get those three horned toads.
She got up and gave us each a great big kiss and said, âIâll never forget this Motherâs Day. Horned toads are the best Motherâs Day surprise Iâve ever received!â
After weâd all had a good look at the horned toads, Dad said we should take them out to the garage for a while. But Mom said it would be OK to put them on the chair by the telephone if we wouldnât bother them while we ate.
After dinner, Mom looked at her horned toads and said, âI donât like to see toads closed up in an old shoe box. Why donât you boys build them a house outside where they wonât feel sad and where we can go to visit them.â
The next day after kindergarten, Aaron and Jarom and I went out in the backyard by the grapevine. Weâd seen lots of horned toads there, so we knew that that was one of their favorite spots. We found a shady place where there were lots of crunchy leaves. We got some rocks and put them in a little pile under the grapevines, and that was Momâs horned-toad house. The horned toads really liked it. As soon as we let them out of the shoe box, they waddled as fast as they could into their little rock house.
Those horned toads were our very best Motherâs Day present. And Mom said one of her favorite times of the day was when she went out to the grapevine with Aaron and Jarom and me and watched her very own horned toads.
Aaron and Jarom are my two brothers. Aaronâs four, and Jaromâs only two, but heâs real smart. He can talk really good. In fact, he can do nearly everything Aaron and I can.
That night when we were in bed, I talked to Aaron and Jarom and told them that next Sunday was Motherâs Day and that we just had to get Mom a present. We knew Dad was going to give her somethingâhe always does. But we wanted to give her a big surprise just from us.
We thought about giving Mom a motorcycle or a horse or a pickup truck. Those things would have made good presents, but we knew we couldnât ever get anything like that till we were a lot older.
We finally decided that we would get all our money together and go to Brother Bobâs store to buy Mom something.
The next day after I came home from school, Aaron and Jarom and I walked to the store. We only had two dollars and three quarters and a dime and four pennies. It wasnât very much, but we thought we could get Mom something sheâd like.
Well, there really wasnât much in Brother Bobâs store for Motherâs Day, because he sells mostly food and things like that. We looked at the bubble gum, but Mom doesnât like bubble gum very much. We looked at some boxes of candy because Dad sometimes buys it for her. She likes candy, but just one of those boxes of chocolates with a big bow on it costs lots more money than we had. There was a real good pocketknife inside a glass case, but it cost over ten dollars. There was a watch inside the case too. It was just a little one, not like the big one Dad wears. We figured that since it was such a little watch, we probably had enough money to buy it. But when we put our money on the counter, Brother Bob said we didnât have quite enough.
We were going to go to the big store by the ice-cream place, but that was a long way away. You have to cross the highway to get there, so we decided not to go. Instead, we each bought a sucker and went home.
On the way home we decided that if we couldnât buy something for Mom, weâd make something. I remembered that Mom once said sheâd sure like a rocking chair to rock Jared in at night. An old rocking chair wouldnât be very hard to make. We had wood and nails and tools and everything at home.
Every day after school Aaron and Jarom met me at the corner. Then we ran around to the backyard and worked on the rocking chair. Jarom didnât work much; he just kind of watched us. Heâd get tired and go into the house for his blanket, but he always came back and sat on a box and rubbed his blanket and sucked his thumb. We still liked to have him there because it was his present too.
We had a hard time trying to build Mom that rocking chair though. Weâd seen Dad hammer and saw, but he had bigger muscles than Aaron and I. I scratched my hand with the saw, and Aaron got silvers in his hands trying to hold the boards still. And I hit my thumb, trying to hammer in a nail.
We worked every day till Saturday, but by Saturday we still didnât have a rocking chair. Weâd hammered some boards together, but they were rough and had crooked nails sticking out of them. It didnât look like any rocking chair weâd ever seen. It looked more like a table. But Mom didnât need a table; she needed a rocking chair.
It was hot. Jarom had his blanket and was lying down on a box, sucking his thumb and looking at our rocking chair. I was thinking, and Aaron was over by the grapevine hunting for something. Pretty soon he yelled, âHey, Alma, come here! Look what I found!â
I threw my hammer down, and Jarom left his blanket and ran over to the grapevine with me. Under the branches, sitting on some crunchy leaves, was a big, fat horned toad. He was brown and had little bumps all over him.
Iâd seen horned toads before, because Aaron likes to catch them. But this one was one of the best horned toads Iâd ever seen. Aaron picked it up and tickled its tummy and rubbed it against his cheek so he could feel the bumps.
Aaron said, âI know, Alma! Letâs give Mom some horned toads! She said that she thinks theyâre cute and that theyâre funny to watch when they run. Letâs look for some more, and weâll each give her a horned toad for Motherâs Day.â
Thereâs an empty lot behind our house thatâs covered with weeds and rocks and other good places for horned toads to hide. Jarom went there with us, too, but he had to leave his blanket behind, because it would get weed stickers in it.
We hunted for a long time, and finally we found another horned toad. It was almost suppertime. We were about ready to give Mom just two horned toads, when suddenly Jarom saw a tiny one. I grabbed it. Now we each had a horned toad to give to Mom.
When we went into the house, we didnât let anyone see the toads. I found an empty shoe box and put some rocks inside so the horned toads would think they were still outside. Then we wrapped the box in newspaper and punched some holes in the top very carefully.
The next day, after the family came home from church and Primary, Mom started fixing dinner. After my brothers and I helped her set the table, we went out to the garage and brought in our present. I put the box on Momâs plate so sheâd know we hadnât forgotten about Motherâs Day. Aaron and Jarom and I were grinning as Mom tried to guess what was in the present. She was going to shake it, but we told her sheâd better not because it might break. She kept trying to guess, but she couldnât. Not even Dad could guess what our present was.
After family prayer and the blessing on the food, I told Mom to open our present. I knew we couldnât eat until Mom had opened it.
She took the paper off really slow, and then she took the lid off the shoe box. Her eyes got really big, but she didnât say anything, and we werenât sure if she liked our horned toads. We didnât know if she thought they were too little or not the right color. But then she got a great big smile on her face, and she looked at Aaron and Jarom and me. Her eyes were sparkling like they do sometimes when sheâs real happy. We knew then that she was glad to get those three horned toads.
She got up and gave us each a great big kiss and said, âIâll never forget this Motherâs Day. Horned toads are the best Motherâs Day surprise Iâve ever received!â
After weâd all had a good look at the horned toads, Dad said we should take them out to the garage for a while. But Mom said it would be OK to put them on the chair by the telephone if we wouldnât bother them while we ate.
After dinner, Mom looked at her horned toads and said, âI donât like to see toads closed up in an old shoe box. Why donât you boys build them a house outside where they wonât feel sad and where we can go to visit them.â
The next day after kindergarten, Aaron and Jarom and I went out in the backyard by the grapevine. Weâd seen lots of horned toads there, so we knew that that was one of their favorite spots. We found a shady place where there were lots of crunchy leaves. We got some rocks and put them in a little pile under the grapevines, and that was Momâs horned-toad house. The horned toads really liked it. As soon as we let them out of the shoe box, they waddled as fast as they could into their little rock house.
Those horned toads were our very best Motherâs Day present. And Mom said one of her favorite times of the day was when she went out to the grapevine with Aaron and Jarom and me and watched her very own horned toads.
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Children
Family
Gratitude
Love
Service
Up from Down Under
Summary: Two Australian missionaries serving in Alabama describe the surprise of receiving mission calls to the South and the adjustments they made after arriving in the United States. Companions Elder Terrence John Brooks and Elder Graeme Thomas McKim talk about how their foreign accents attract attention but do not change their purpose of teaching the gospel.
The story also shares how both missionaries gained testimonies and changed through their missionsâMcKim as a lifelong Church member who felt prompted not to delay his mission, and Brooks as a convert whose family gradually became more supportive. The article concludes that as the Church grows worldwide, missionaries from other countries will increasingly come to serve in America.
When my mission call came, I read the letter until I got to where it said âBirmingham.â I thought, well, itâs going to be cold there in England. Then I read again and I saw that it said Alabama Birmingham Mission. I had to go find a map of the United States so I could see where I was going.â
Thatâs how Elder Terrence John Brooks of Perth, Australia, discovered he would be heading north to serve in the South.
âI got to Alabama in February 1984. So far Iâve served in Sylacauga, Florence, Bessemer, and now Iâm in Montgomery.â
And in Montgomery a surprise was in store.
âWhen I got my mission call to Alabama, I laughed,â said Elder Graeme Thomas McKim of Adelaide, Australia. âIt was the last place I was thinking of and there was sort of disbelief. But I was really happy. I thought it would be an interesting foreign country. My friends couldnât believe it. I got heaps of Alabama jokes poured upon me in Southern accents. My mum was a little bit apprehensive; but she was just happy, as was the rest of my family, that I was going on a mission.
âMy first assignment was in Troy for four months. Then came transfers.â
And, of course, Elder Brooks and Elder McKim ended up as companions. Now they make the rounds door-to-door in Montgomery, causing a few double takes when people hear their conversation.
âMost people think weâre English,â Elder McKim said.
âSomeone told me I had a nice South Dakota accent,â Elder Brooks chimed in. âA man in Florence asked me if I could understand English better than I could speak it.â
The elders are quick to add, however, that they are in the South to preach the gospel, not to talk about their homeland.
âThe fact that we are âforeignâ stirs a desire in people to speak to us,â Elder McKim said. âThey want to know what we think about America. They want to know about Australia. They are curious about the way we speak and why we are here, even more so as we labor together. Itâs the same with the members, too. We are the first Australians many of them have ever known.
âBut laboring here in Montgomery with another Australian only makes a difference as far as the initial reaction,â Elder Brooks said. âIt doesnât make a great deal of difference as far as teaching the gospel is concerned.
âTo me the most spiritual thing a person can do is to find, teach, and then to baptize someone, to watch them grow, to go through their adjustments and trials with them. To go through these trials and come out with a testimony of the gospel is the greatest thing that can happen.â
Elder McKim agreed. âIâve had several spiritual experiences since coming on my mission, but the one that comes to mind happened in Troy. Weâd been working all day, but we hadnât been very successful. Then one woman invited us in. At first she was cool toward us, polite. But we talked to her and taught her a lesson and noticed that tears were coming to her eyes. The Spirit was very strong.
âAt the end of the lesson, she told us that for weeks she had been depressed and that the night before, at her lowest ebb, she prayed that the Lord would send someone to help her. The next day, there we were! It was such a great experience for me because I had heard so many stories like that before in magazines like the New Era. You hear these stories, and you think it would never happen to you. But it did!â
Elder McKim, 19, was actually born in Glasgow, Scotland. âWe moved to Australia when I was five. My parents are converts to the Church. Most of the children were born after my parents were sealed in the London Temple. My father was a stake patriarch in Glasgow. He was set apart by President Kimball, who was at the time a member of the Quorum of the Twelve.
âI was brought up in the Church, and when I was a little boy I knew I was going to go on a mission. But as the time grew near, I planned to put it off until the end of the college year. Then one night I just had this feeling that I had to go on my mission and I wasnât to put it off. I talked to my bishop and put my papers in. And Iâm glad I did. My mission has drastically changed my life and my ideals. Things which I thought were important are so trivial now. And things which I really didnât think of before are now so important.â
Elder Brooksâs story is quite different.
âI am a convert to the Church of four and a half years, the only member in my family. I became interested in the Church through a girl I dated that was a Mormon. My testimony came slowly over a period of ten months. I really didnât want it to be true because it meant I would need to change my life-style. But the more I was exposed to the Church the more convinced I became that it was true. The things that rang true were that there is a prophet on the earth today and that there is modern revelation. As a child I always wondered why the Bible stopped where it did and why we didnât have someone like Moses on the earth.
âSince I was 23 when I joined the Church I thought Iâd be too old to go on a mission. But I went to a Young Adult conference in Brisbane, and after talking with some friends there I was motivated to go. I worked as a civil servant before my mission, and I had saved enough money to support myself as a missionary.
âMy mission has changed my life, too. I used to be shy, almost embarrassed to talk about the Church. That shyness has left me and I feel now that I can talk about it with anyone. When I told my parents I was going to go on a mission they were quite upsetâthey were concerned about my job. But when I received my call they were really happy for me. So in a period of about six weeks there was a real transition in my familyâs attitudes. And now they are actually having a friendship with the missionaries at home. I donât know if theyâre being taught or not, but there was a time when they wouldnât even let missionaries in the door.â
Both Elder Brooks and Elder McKim say theyâve had to adapt a little to life in the States. âThe biggest adjustment is to cars being driven on the wrong side of the road!â Elder McKim said. âSeveral times my companions have saved my neck as Iâve gone to walk out in front of an oncoming car,â Elder Brooks agreed.
Theyâve also had a few strange looks from fellow missionaries when they talk about Australian children eating fairy bread (bread and butter with candy sprinkles), or when they reminisce about hot summer Christmases celebrated with a barbecue at the beach.
âOne preparation day we had an Australian day for missionaries in our zone. We invited them to an Australian party and tried to make it as authentic as possible, with food like fish and chips served on newspaper. It was especially fun for me and Elder Brooks, and the other missionaries seemed to enjoy themselves,â Elder McKim said.
In the early days of Church history, the gospel restored in New York and eventually headquartered in Utah sent missionaries from America to other lands around the globe. As the Church continues its worldwide growth, young men like Elder Brooks and Elder McKim will increasingly represent a new generation of missionaries, those who leave their homes to help share the gospel in a foreign landâAmerica.
Thatâs how Elder Terrence John Brooks of Perth, Australia, discovered he would be heading north to serve in the South.
âI got to Alabama in February 1984. So far Iâve served in Sylacauga, Florence, Bessemer, and now Iâm in Montgomery.â
And in Montgomery a surprise was in store.
âWhen I got my mission call to Alabama, I laughed,â said Elder Graeme Thomas McKim of Adelaide, Australia. âIt was the last place I was thinking of and there was sort of disbelief. But I was really happy. I thought it would be an interesting foreign country. My friends couldnât believe it. I got heaps of Alabama jokes poured upon me in Southern accents. My mum was a little bit apprehensive; but she was just happy, as was the rest of my family, that I was going on a mission.
âMy first assignment was in Troy for four months. Then came transfers.â
And, of course, Elder Brooks and Elder McKim ended up as companions. Now they make the rounds door-to-door in Montgomery, causing a few double takes when people hear their conversation.
âMost people think weâre English,â Elder McKim said.
âSomeone told me I had a nice South Dakota accent,â Elder Brooks chimed in. âA man in Florence asked me if I could understand English better than I could speak it.â
The elders are quick to add, however, that they are in the South to preach the gospel, not to talk about their homeland.
âThe fact that we are âforeignâ stirs a desire in people to speak to us,â Elder McKim said. âThey want to know what we think about America. They want to know about Australia. They are curious about the way we speak and why we are here, even more so as we labor together. Itâs the same with the members, too. We are the first Australians many of them have ever known.
âBut laboring here in Montgomery with another Australian only makes a difference as far as the initial reaction,â Elder Brooks said. âIt doesnât make a great deal of difference as far as teaching the gospel is concerned.
âTo me the most spiritual thing a person can do is to find, teach, and then to baptize someone, to watch them grow, to go through their adjustments and trials with them. To go through these trials and come out with a testimony of the gospel is the greatest thing that can happen.â
Elder McKim agreed. âIâve had several spiritual experiences since coming on my mission, but the one that comes to mind happened in Troy. Weâd been working all day, but we hadnât been very successful. Then one woman invited us in. At first she was cool toward us, polite. But we talked to her and taught her a lesson and noticed that tears were coming to her eyes. The Spirit was very strong.
âAt the end of the lesson, she told us that for weeks she had been depressed and that the night before, at her lowest ebb, she prayed that the Lord would send someone to help her. The next day, there we were! It was such a great experience for me because I had heard so many stories like that before in magazines like the New Era. You hear these stories, and you think it would never happen to you. But it did!â
Elder McKim, 19, was actually born in Glasgow, Scotland. âWe moved to Australia when I was five. My parents are converts to the Church. Most of the children were born after my parents were sealed in the London Temple. My father was a stake patriarch in Glasgow. He was set apart by President Kimball, who was at the time a member of the Quorum of the Twelve.
âI was brought up in the Church, and when I was a little boy I knew I was going to go on a mission. But as the time grew near, I planned to put it off until the end of the college year. Then one night I just had this feeling that I had to go on my mission and I wasnât to put it off. I talked to my bishop and put my papers in. And Iâm glad I did. My mission has drastically changed my life and my ideals. Things which I thought were important are so trivial now. And things which I really didnât think of before are now so important.â
Elder Brooksâs story is quite different.
âI am a convert to the Church of four and a half years, the only member in my family. I became interested in the Church through a girl I dated that was a Mormon. My testimony came slowly over a period of ten months. I really didnât want it to be true because it meant I would need to change my life-style. But the more I was exposed to the Church the more convinced I became that it was true. The things that rang true were that there is a prophet on the earth today and that there is modern revelation. As a child I always wondered why the Bible stopped where it did and why we didnât have someone like Moses on the earth.
âSince I was 23 when I joined the Church I thought Iâd be too old to go on a mission. But I went to a Young Adult conference in Brisbane, and after talking with some friends there I was motivated to go. I worked as a civil servant before my mission, and I had saved enough money to support myself as a missionary.
âMy mission has changed my life, too. I used to be shy, almost embarrassed to talk about the Church. That shyness has left me and I feel now that I can talk about it with anyone. When I told my parents I was going to go on a mission they were quite upsetâthey were concerned about my job. But when I received my call they were really happy for me. So in a period of about six weeks there was a real transition in my familyâs attitudes. And now they are actually having a friendship with the missionaries at home. I donât know if theyâre being taught or not, but there was a time when they wouldnât even let missionaries in the door.â
Both Elder Brooks and Elder McKim say theyâve had to adapt a little to life in the States. âThe biggest adjustment is to cars being driven on the wrong side of the road!â Elder McKim said. âSeveral times my companions have saved my neck as Iâve gone to walk out in front of an oncoming car,â Elder Brooks agreed.
Theyâve also had a few strange looks from fellow missionaries when they talk about Australian children eating fairy bread (bread and butter with candy sprinkles), or when they reminisce about hot summer Christmases celebrated with a barbecue at the beach.
âOne preparation day we had an Australian day for missionaries in our zone. We invited them to an Australian party and tried to make it as authentic as possible, with food like fish and chips served on newspaper. It was especially fun for me and Elder Brooks, and the other missionaries seemed to enjoy themselves,â Elder McKim said.
In the early days of Church history, the gospel restored in New York and eventually headquartered in Utah sent missionaries from America to other lands around the globe. As the Church continues its worldwide growth, young men like Elder Brooks and Elder McKim will increasingly represent a new generation of missionaries, those who leave their homes to help share the gospel in a foreign landâAmerica.
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đ€ Missionaries
Diversity and Unity in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Missionary Work
Summary: A bishop invited the ward to read the Book of Mormon, which a child initially felt was too hard. The next year, the child set a goal to finish before baptism, bore testimony about it, and the bishop invited the ward to join, leading to positive changes in the childâs life.
A couple of years ago, my bishop asked our ward to read the Book of Mormon. I did not want to do it because I thought it would be too hard. The next year I decided to try to read it before my birthday to prepare for my baptism. I bore my testimony in sacrament meeting about this goal, and my bishop asked the ward to do my goal with me. Iâm already beginning to see a change in my life from reading the Book of Mormon.
Emma G., age 7, Florida
Emma G., age 7, Florida
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đ€ Church Leaders (Local)
đ€ Church Members (General)
Baptism
Bishop
Book of Mormon
Children
Sacrament Meeting
Scriptures
Testimony
A Brotherâs Example
Summary: Inspired by his brother's experience, the narrator decided to read and pray over every page of the Book of Mormon. Though young and not understanding all the words, he felt the Lord confirm its truth and gained a strong testimony by age 12, which helped him through his youth. He expresses gratitude for his brother's example.
After Ron left me alone, I thought to myself, âIf the Lord would tell my brother, then Iâll bet the Lord would tell me.â So I did what my brother did, reading and praying over every page of the Book of Mormon. Because I was still young, I didnât understand a lot of the words, but it wasnât long before I began to feel the Lord speak to me in my heart, telling me it was true. I read the whole book through and ended up with a strong testimony even at age 12. That really helped me through my youth and in preparation for a mission.
I have always been thankful for my good brother, who loved me enough to show me by example how to gain a testimony.
I have always been thankful for my good brother, who loved me enough to show me by example how to gain a testimony.
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đ€ Children
Book of Mormon
Children
Family
Missionary Work
Prayer
Revelation
Testimony
Pin the Grin on the Pumpkin: A Tradition of Service
Summary: Allison Wright and classmates hand-made and delivered invitations to every home in the ward boundaries, resulting in over 300 attendees, including about 100 nonmembers. Marianne Miner prepared a smoky dry-ice punch and enlisted a neighbor to dress as a witch to serve it, helping everyone mingle and feel welcome.
Mia Maid president Allison Wright and her classmates hand-made and delivered invitations to all the homes within the ward boundaries. Over 300 people attended, with approximately 100 being nonmember children and their parents. âItâs a great chance for us to associate with and get to know those we donât usually meet through Church activities,â said Marianne Miner. âI was in charge of the punch and chips, and I got a big cauldron-looking pot, put dry ice in the punch to make it smoke, and asked one of my neighbors to dress up like a witch to serve it.â
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đ€ Church Members (General)
Children
Friendship
Missionary Work
Service
Young Women
Ăngrid Fabiola MartĂnez Barredo of Tuxtla GutiĂ©rrez, MĂ©xico
Summary: A young girl named Ăngrid Fabiola MartĂnez Barredo is deeply excited about temples and was sealed to her parents in the MĂ©xico City D.F. MĂ©xico Temple after a long, difficult trip. Despite sacrifices, including her father temporarily losing his job, the family sees blessings from their temple experience and their childrenâs place in their eternal family. Ăngrid continues to be an example at home and in church, reminding her family to keep commandments, pray, and bear testimony. Her parents say her faith and example strengthen the whole family.
When the First Presidency announced that a new temple would be built in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, México, Church members rejoiced. One young girl was so excited she told the news to almost everyone she knew.
âTemples are where dads and moms can be married for eternity!â she told them. âTemples are where families can be sealed together forever!â
Each time she passes the temple, she announces, âThatâs where Iâm going to be married someday.â
Seven-year-old Ăngrid Fabiola MartĂnez Barredo knows something about temples. When she was five years old, she and her parents were sealed as an eternal family in the MĂ©xico City D.F. MĂ©xico Temple. The trip took 18 hours each way on a bus crowded with members from their ward and stake. Like many members in Tuxtla GutiĂ©rrez, Ăngrid is thankful now to have a temple just minutes away in her own city.
Even though the long journey to the temple was uncomfortable, Ăngrid and the other Primary children accompanying their parents to the temple did their best to make it pleasant. âThey sang their favorite hymns and songs on the way, such as âCount Your Many Blessingsâ and âI Am a Child of God,ââ says Ăngridâs dad, Javier. Several members who traveled on the bus thanked the children for helping make their journey more enjoyable.
Traveling a long distance wasnât the only sacrifice Ăngrid and her family made to get to the temple. Although her dad gave his employer plenty of notice when requesting time off from work, he lost his job because he left on the temple trip. However, after returning home he was able to get a better job.
While Ăngrid was waiting to be sealed to her parents, she helped the temple nursery workers care for the younger children and babies. When it was time for her to leave, the workers said, âOh, donât take her! She helped us so much. She put the babies to sleep.â
A couple of years after they went to the temple, Ăngridâs mother, MarĂa Carmelita, gave birth to a baby boy. Later, Ăngridâs parents had a baby girl. âLuis Fernando and Mari Carmen are children of the covenant,â Ăngrid says proudly. She explains to her nonmember relatives that since her family was sealed in the temple before her baby brother and sister were born, the babies are also members of their eternal family. Ăngrid loves her brother and sister and helps her mother take care of them. âShe often puts them to sleep by singing Primary songs to them,â says her mom.
Her dad says with a smile, âShe tells us that when she grows up, she wants to be whatever she is thinking of at the timeâa doctor, an artist, a teacher.â
âBut mostly she wants to be a mother,â her mom adds. âBesides helping me with the babies, she holds her dolls and hugs them and sings to them. She has told me, âWhen Iâm big, Iâm going to get married. And Iâm going to study a lot so my children donât lack anything.ââ
Ăngrid enjoys drawing pictures of animals, running races, playing ball, and riding her bicycle. She especially loves to dress up in costumes and perform folk dances.
Her bishop, Juan JosĂ© Albores Gallegos, of the Las Lomas Ward, Tuxtla GutiĂ©rrez MĂ©xico Stake, says Ăngrid participates with great energy in Primary and in ward activities. Bishop Albores especially appreciates the care Ăngrid gives younger Primary children. âShe loves them and gives them her time and attention,â he says. âShe plays and sings songs with them.â
Never at a loss for words, Ăngrid has told her nonmember friends and relatives about the Church and has invited several of them to attend. Although none of them have joined the Church yet, she isnât discouraged.
âWherever we go,â her dad says, âshe tells people about the Church.â
For example, when her family was invited to a picnic one Sunday, Ăngrid said, âNo, we canât go on the picnic because itâs Sunday, and we are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.â When someone offers her a drink that is not in keeping with Church standards, she says, âNo, we canât drink it.â
âĂngrid has learned a lot in Primary and in our family home evenings,â her mother says. âShe is often the one to remind us to say our prayers before going to bed. âDid you say your prayers, Papi, Mami?â she will ask. And at mealtime, she will say, âLetâs bless the food before eating.â She is teaching us all the time.â
âOn fast Sunday, Ăngrid is the first in our family to get up and bear her testimony in sacrament meeting, and she bears her testimony like an adult,â says her dad. âSometimes sheâll ask me, âAre you going to bear your testimony today?â Iâll usually tell her Iâm not sure, because itâs hard for me to speak in public. And sheâll tease me by saying, âIf you donât, Iâll call you from the pulpit to come up and do it.â Iâll say, âDonât you dare!â She smiles happily if I do go up.â
Ăngridâs parents are thankful for her strength and example. âShe makes sure we obey the commandments,â her dad says. âMaybe she understands the gospel better than I do!â
âTemples are where dads and moms can be married for eternity!â she told them. âTemples are where families can be sealed together forever!â
Each time she passes the temple, she announces, âThatâs where Iâm going to be married someday.â
Seven-year-old Ăngrid Fabiola MartĂnez Barredo knows something about temples. When she was five years old, she and her parents were sealed as an eternal family in the MĂ©xico City D.F. MĂ©xico Temple. The trip took 18 hours each way on a bus crowded with members from their ward and stake. Like many members in Tuxtla GutiĂ©rrez, Ăngrid is thankful now to have a temple just minutes away in her own city.
Even though the long journey to the temple was uncomfortable, Ăngrid and the other Primary children accompanying their parents to the temple did their best to make it pleasant. âThey sang their favorite hymns and songs on the way, such as âCount Your Many Blessingsâ and âI Am a Child of God,ââ says Ăngridâs dad, Javier. Several members who traveled on the bus thanked the children for helping make their journey more enjoyable.
Traveling a long distance wasnât the only sacrifice Ăngrid and her family made to get to the temple. Although her dad gave his employer plenty of notice when requesting time off from work, he lost his job because he left on the temple trip. However, after returning home he was able to get a better job.
While Ăngrid was waiting to be sealed to her parents, she helped the temple nursery workers care for the younger children and babies. When it was time for her to leave, the workers said, âOh, donât take her! She helped us so much. She put the babies to sleep.â
A couple of years after they went to the temple, Ăngridâs mother, MarĂa Carmelita, gave birth to a baby boy. Later, Ăngridâs parents had a baby girl. âLuis Fernando and Mari Carmen are children of the covenant,â Ăngrid says proudly. She explains to her nonmember relatives that since her family was sealed in the temple before her baby brother and sister were born, the babies are also members of their eternal family. Ăngrid loves her brother and sister and helps her mother take care of them. âShe often puts them to sleep by singing Primary songs to them,â says her mom.
Her dad says with a smile, âShe tells us that when she grows up, she wants to be whatever she is thinking of at the timeâa doctor, an artist, a teacher.â
âBut mostly she wants to be a mother,â her mom adds. âBesides helping me with the babies, she holds her dolls and hugs them and sings to them. She has told me, âWhen Iâm big, Iâm going to get married. And Iâm going to study a lot so my children donât lack anything.ââ
Ăngrid enjoys drawing pictures of animals, running races, playing ball, and riding her bicycle. She especially loves to dress up in costumes and perform folk dances.
Her bishop, Juan JosĂ© Albores Gallegos, of the Las Lomas Ward, Tuxtla GutiĂ©rrez MĂ©xico Stake, says Ăngrid participates with great energy in Primary and in ward activities. Bishop Albores especially appreciates the care Ăngrid gives younger Primary children. âShe loves them and gives them her time and attention,â he says. âShe plays and sings songs with them.â
Never at a loss for words, Ăngrid has told her nonmember friends and relatives about the Church and has invited several of them to attend. Although none of them have joined the Church yet, she isnât discouraged.
âWherever we go,â her dad says, âshe tells people about the Church.â
For example, when her family was invited to a picnic one Sunday, Ăngrid said, âNo, we canât go on the picnic because itâs Sunday, and we are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.â When someone offers her a drink that is not in keeping with Church standards, she says, âNo, we canât drink it.â
âĂngrid has learned a lot in Primary and in our family home evenings,â her mother says. âShe is often the one to remind us to say our prayers before going to bed. âDid you say your prayers, Papi, Mami?â she will ask. And at mealtime, she will say, âLetâs bless the food before eating.â She is teaching us all the time.â
âOn fast Sunday, Ăngrid is the first in our family to get up and bear her testimony in sacrament meeting, and she bears her testimony like an adult,â says her dad. âSometimes sheâll ask me, âAre you going to bear your testimony today?â Iâll usually tell her Iâm not sure, because itâs hard for me to speak in public. And sheâll tease me by saying, âIf you donât, Iâll call you from the pulpit to come up and do it.â Iâll say, âDonât you dare!â She smiles happily if I do go up.â
Ăngridâs parents are thankful for her strength and example. âShe makes sure we obey the commandments,â her dad says. âMaybe she understands the gospel better than I do!â
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