Gospel Story Finder

When five furry bears decide to don space suits, there is plenty of excitement. A rainy morning inside the house with five furry bears means mischief, fun, and imagination. The illustrations add pleasure to the story.

While their youngest son was serving a mission in Germany, they received a call in the middle of the night telling them that their son had suffered a massive brain hemorrhage and was not expected to live. “Through the miraculous hand of the Lord, his life was spared after 12 surgical procedures,” said Elder Schwitzer. “Over a period of years, we have seen a full recovery. When you have the blessings of the Lord like that in your life, there is no way you could refuse Him any service He would ask of you.”

I know a very faithful young deacon who transformed himself into a modern Captain Moroni. Inasmuch as he has sought to follow the counsel of his parents and Church leaders, his faith and determination have been tested every day, even at his young age. He told me one day he was surprised by a very difficult and uncomfortable situation—his friends were accessing pornographic images on their cell phones. In that exact moment, this young man had to decide what was most important—his popularity or his righteousness. In the few seconds that followed, he was filled with courage and told his friends that what they were doing was not right. Moreover, he told them that they should stop what they were doing or they would become slaves to it. Most of his classmates ridiculed his counsel, saying that it was a part of life and that there was nothing wrong with it. However, there was one among them who listened to the counsel of that young man and decided to stop what he was doing.

This deacon’s example had a positive influence on at least one of his classmates. Undoubtedly, he and his friend faced mockery and persecution because of that decision. On the other hand, they had followed the admonition of Alma to his people when he said, “Come ye out from the wicked, and be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things.”6

“Here’s the ball, Apollo,” Matt called to his golden retriever. “Now go and get it, boy!” He threw the ball, and Apollo ran and caught it in his mouth. Matt always had fun playing ball with Apollo. His dog had been his favorite companion ever since they got him as a puppy two years ago.
“Matt, it’s time for dinner,” his mother called from the porch. “So just one more throw.”
“OK, Mom.” Matt threw the ball so hard it rolled into the street. Without looking, Apollo immediately chased after it and was hit by an oncoming car.
Quickly, Matt and his mom ran to where Apollo lay. “He’s really hurt, Matt,” Mom said. “We need to take him to the vet right now.”
Matt’s dad and older brother rushed outside. They lifted Apollo and placed him in their car. At the veterinarian’s office, Dr. Maxfield took Apollo into the examination room. Matt and his parents sat in the waiting area.
“Can we say a prayer to help Apollo?” Matt asked his parents as tears streamed down his face.
Dad nodded. They bowed their heads and prayed to Heavenly Father, asking that Apollo would be healed. When they were finished Matt’s tears were gone and he felt much better. He was sure Heavenly Father would help Apollo.
Finally Dr. Maxfield came in. Matt jumped up and ran to him. “Is Apollo better now? Can I go see him?”
“I’m really sorry, Matt,” Dr. Maxfield said. “Your dog was badly hurt. I did all I could to help him, but he died.”
Apollo was dead! Matt put his hands over his eyes and sobbed.
Later that night, Matt couldn’t stop thinking about what happened. “Dad, why didn’t Heavenly Father answer my prayer? I prayed that Apollo would be healed. I knew that Heavenly Father could do it.” Matt wiped his eyes.
“Heavenly Father answers all prayers,” Dad said. “He answered yours too—just not in the way you wanted.”
“But, Dad, He didn’t answer my prayer. Apollo died.”
“But how did Heavenly Father answer my prayer if Apollo died?” Matt asked.
“Before you prayed you were really sad. How did you feel after?”
“A lot better—like everything would be all right.”
“Heavenly Father knew you would be very sad when Apollo died, so He sent His Spirit to comfort you,” Dad said. “That’s one way we can know that Heavenly Father loves us all.”
“Even Apollo?”
“Yes, even Apollo.”

“Sports played an important part in Elder Dunn’s early life, especially football and basketball. Recalling the days of his youth, he said, “We’d often gather a few friends in the evenings after the chores were done and play a game of touch football out in the road in front of our house. Now, there was a rule in our house that was very important to our family—no playing football on Sundays. So as much as I loved to play football, we never played on Sunday. That rule helped me understand the importance of keeping the Sabbath day holy. We still live by it in our home, and it’s been a great blessing to us.
“From that early training about not doing certain things on Sundays, I gained—even in my young life—a feeling of the real spirit of the Sabbath. I gradually came to understand that Sunday is different from the other days of the week and that it makes you feel good when you do those things that are proper for the Sabbath day. Honoring the Sabbath brings a spirit into your life that makes a lot of difference. It is a real help for the rest of the week. Learning to appreciate and keep the Sabbath day holy puts you in a position to receive the blessings of the Lord in your life.”

For the past eight and one-half years I have served as a member of a council of twelve men. We come from different backgrounds, and we bring to the Council of the Twelve Apostles a diverse assortment of experiences in the Church and in the world. In our meetings, we do not just sit around and wait for President Howard W. Hunter to tell us what to do. We counsel openly with each other, and we listen to each other with profound respect for the abilities and experiences our brethren bring to the council. We discuss a wide variety of issues, from Church administration to world events, and we do so frankly and openly. Sometimes we discuss issues for weeks before reaching a decision. We do not always agree during our discussions. But once a decision is made, we are always both united and determined.

I was able to attend conference at the Conference Center on Sunday. At first I was nervous to go since there would be so many people. Once I sat down inside I felt an overwhelming love for the prophet and apostles, and I could feel their love. Heavenly Father sent peace to my soul.
Denali L., Alaska, USA

Congratulations on the fine article “Into the Wild Blue Yonder” in the June New Era. I feel very honored to have been mentioned and very honored that the LDS Cadet Group was presented so favorably.
I would like to thank Brother Richard Romney for the time and effort he gave to telling our story. Perhaps now more young men will learn that they do not have to decline an opportunity to serve their country in order to serve as a missionary for the Church.
My work and life have truly been blessed since I left the United States Air Force Academy. While being a “grad” has definitely proven to be an advantage, being LDS and trying hard to live in the light of the gospel has made the greatest difference.
I am working at the headquarters of the Strategic Air Command. The pressures of working at a headquarters base can be overwhelming, and my first real encounters with “people management” have been quite an experience. The pressures aren’t so great, however, when one has the strength of the true gospel and one’s life is measured against eternity rather than against tomorrow. And there is no greater instruction in “people maintenance” than the example of Jesus Christ. At times it has been tough to love my neighbor, but it seems that only when one serves in the spirit of love can he truly be a leader.
The academy years were definitely worth it. The education was absolutely first-rate. The friends I made seem to grow closer even though we’re now separated. But I fear I would have lost it all if I had not joined the Church. Only after I joined did I learn to enjoy life and find the strength to press forward and persevere.
I truly admire Brother Romney’s talent as a writer, photographer, and editor. Thank you for the wonderful article.
Lt. Michael E. DalbyLa Vista, Nebraska

He delighted in recounting such incidents as this:
“I had a man pointed out to me who married an entire family. He had originally intended to marry Jane, but Jane did not want to leave her widowed mother. The other three sisters were not in the matrimonial market for the same reason; so this gallant man married the whole crowd, including the girl’s grandmother, who had lost all her teeth, and had to be fed with a spoon. The family were in indigent circumstances, and they could not but congratulate themselves on securing a wealthy husband. It seemed to affect the grandmother deeply, for the first words she said on reaching her new home, were: ‘Now, thank God! I shall have my gruel reg’lar!’”

Thank you for printing the Scripture Lifeline “Triumph” (Aug. 1997). I’ve never had high self-esteem and am always comparing myself to others. Every time I do this, I feel worse about myself and think no one likes me, and I start not liking myself. But after reading this message, I think I am starting to see myself as the Lord would look at me.
Name WithheldSan Diego, California

As I settled into my seat on the airplane, I noticed that the young man beside me had a Brigham Young University emblem on his jacket. I recognized the name as belonging to “one of those religious schools.”

Although I had been active in churches all of my life, it had only been recently that I had the time or felt the inclination to learn for myself whether Jesus Christ was actually the son of God, or just a great teacher whose life had been exaggerated by his followers. In my search, I had begun to pray earnestly and to read the Bible with real intent. The Holy Spirit had touched my heart only two months before, and had testified to me that Jesus was truly the Christ.

Immediately, I became disillusioned with the church I was attending. A minister there had once told me that whether or not Christ had actually existed was unimportant. What mattered was his example, and learning to love each other. Now that I knew Christ had lived and died for me, this belief seemed empty, and I searched for ways to learn more about Christ and his will for me.

My seatmate and I started talking, and I learned he was going to an amateur golf tournament. We talked of golf and his ambition to become a professional golfer.

Finally, I couldn’t resist the urge to question him about his beliefs.
“Do you go to Brigham Young University because they have a good golf team or because you believe the doctrines they teach?” I asked. He smiled and said that they did have a good golf team, but he was also proud to be a Mormon.

“Tell me,” I asked, “do Mormons believe in Jesus Christ?” He patiently explained that the true name of the church was The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He also bore witness that the Lord leads his church through a modern day prophet.

I was eager to learn more and asked many questions. I wanted to find out if the average Mormon was a member because of family traditions, or be cause he had a true testimony of Christ. It soon became obvious that this young man had done some soul-searching of his own and had a testimony of Jesus Christ.

In my studies of the scriptures, I had come across some concepts that seemed to have been lost—at least from the churches I had attended. I decided to quiz him about them. “Do you believe in the gift of the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands?” I asked.

He stared at me in disbelief. “Where in the world did you learn about that?” he asked.

“In the Bible,” I answered.

“Yes, we do believe in that gift,” he replied. Then he explained about the restoration of the priesthood.

Unfortunately, the plane was just about to land, and I still had a hundred more questions.

“If you’d like,” he said, “I’d be happy to have some of our missionaries from the Church stop by and tell you more.”

Of course, some wonderful missionaries did come and I was soon baptized. Now, six years later, I am thankful for the young man on the plane and the emblem on his jacket, without which I would not have learned of the Savior’s true church.

There are times when I don’t feel like reading the scriptures. But on these occasions I remember the advice of my bishop, and I pray for the Lord’s help.
I know that my Heavenly Father hears me, answers my prayers, and has helped me come to love the scriptures.
Marisa Yoris, 16First Ward, Resistencia StakeArgentina

As elders quorum president in my ward, I like to read the Liahona (Spanish) because the messages from our prophet help me prepare to teach my quorum. The words of the living prophet also help me improve, and reading about the examples of Latter-day Saints in other parts of the world encourages me to press forward.
Jahuner Francisco Orozco CamposAltagracia Ward, Managua Nicaragua Stake

In April 2019, I decided to visit a friend. He is someone my family appreciates, and we really wanted to spend time with him and his wife. While there, he decided to give me a tour of Brigham Young University to get to know the university. As we reached the climax of the tour, arriving at the university museum, I was captivated by the exhibition they had by Brian Kershisnik, especially the piece She Will Find What is Lost. I spent hours staring at the piece, in genuine amazement at what it meant.

Other happy memories for Jared and his mom took place in April and October 1990 when the family attended general conference in Salt Lake City. Only one family member could sit in the special section of the Tabernacle with Sister Anderson, and Jared was chosen. Sister Anderson sat in her wheelchair near the railing, and Jared was assigned a place on the front row. He attended her every need, including wrapping her legs and shoulders in shawls for warmth and quietly massaging her feet when they went into spasms.
In the last session of conference in October, Sister Anderson began having a seizure. Jared saw her distress and immediately put her medicine in her mouth, averting a problem. One of the hosts in the Tabernacle said, “I’ve played a lot of football in my day, but I’ve never seen a bigger man than you were in the way you showed compassion to your mother today.”

Several stakes chose to serve the older members of their areas. In the Salt Lake Holladay North Stake, each Young Women class adopted a “grandmother” or “grandfather” to help throughout the year. They took turns helping with transportation and home cleaning. As a special service, they made white handkerchiefs for their newfound friends to take to the Jordan River Temple dedication. In addition, the girls arranged to tape record the older members’ personal histories. They transcribed the tapes and made a typewritten copy for each grandmother or grandfather to keep, with enough extra copies to give to their children.

There were numerous questions on how we can know and how much we should know—questions dealing with the nature of revelation to individuals and to the Church. One student asked what effect current events and trends have on revelation to the Church. The answer to this question seemed to be the “line upon line” principle. The Lord seems to give people as much as they can take—not just to the Saints, but to all who prepare themselves.
“If the question is whether social circumstances lead us to truth or whether the Lord reveals everything to his prophets, the answer is that there are all kinds of revelation that we should be getting from the Lord. I have a great wife and eight great kids: and since the family is the basic kingdom, I should be getting revelation about the McConkie kingdom of God,” said Brother McConkie.

And then came Dr. John Bennett and his wife, Carolyn, who had served in Mongolia and who told of when they thought they were going to be called to the Canary Islands because someone there had invited them to come, but when their mission call came it was to Mongolia. They were astonished. I read some of their comments later on, of what had happened to them in Mongolia, all of the lives that they touched and the service that they rendered. And even though back home they’d had a brother die and they’d had children be married and have receptions, they said, “We were able to keep in touch with them by telephone while this was all going on.”

Certainly a very important part of repentance is to stop committing the sin. But the problem with trying just to forget about a sin or mistake is that it is like having a splinter in your foot. A splinter may be a small thing and easily overlooked, but if left unattended it can fester and will become a sore spot that will not get better until you do something about it.
Repentance is like pulling out the splinter. You need to clean up the thing that is bothering you because it won’t go away by itself. You can’t fool yourself by saying that no one knows. You know and so does your Heavenly Father.

Ítalo was excited for the ward temple trip. They were going to the Recife Brazil Temple. It was 15 hours away!
Ítalo, his older brother Henrique, and their parents left early in the morning. As they rode along, Ítalo kept thinking about something Mom had told him. “This year, you can see how beautiful the temple is from the outside,” she said. “Next year, you’ll be old enough to see how beautiful it is on the inside.”
Ítalo hadn’t been to any temple before. But he had been watching the new temple being built in Fortaleza, where his family lived. It was amazing!
They stopped for lunch. Ítalo had his favorite, feijoada, black bean stew served with rice and oranges. While he ate, he kept thinking about the temple. When the temple in Fortaleza was finally dedicated, it would be a temple his family could visit over and over again. They wouldn’t have to drive so far.
The sun was setting when Ítalo and his family arrived at the temple in Recife. “Que bonito!” Ítalo said. “How beautiful!” He couldn’t stop smiling.
The next morning, Mom took Ítalo to the children’s waiting area. “Even though you can’t go inside the temple yet,” she said, “see if you feel a special spirit while you’re on the temple grounds.” Then the rest of Ítalo’s family went inside the temple.
Nice temple workers watched Ítalo and the other children as they waited at the temple. They read stories from the Livro de Mórmon (Book of Mormon). “Reading scriptures is a good way to get ready for the temple,” Ítalo thought. He felt calm and safe. Mom’s right, he thought. It’s peaceful here.
Then the temple workers took Ítalo and the other children for a walk around the temple grounds. That’s when Ítalo noticed the words over the entrance to the temple. “Santidade ao Senhor. A casa do Senhor,” they said. “Holiness to the Lord: the House of the Lord.”
No wonder I feel so peaceful here, he thought. This is God’s house.
When the temple trip was over, Ítalo and his family returned home. He wanted to remember how he had felt at the temple. What could he do?
Sometimes Ítalo felt he could draw his feelings better than he could write about them. So he drew a picture of the temple. Then he showed it to Mom and Dad.
“This will remind me of where I want to go,” he said. He kept the picture in his room where he could look at it each day.
“I want to be ready,” he said. “Because I want to go inside someday!”