Gospel Story Finder

Jeff Blanchard, Dave’s older brother, carried items from a tag (yard) sale back into a man’s garage and stacked the boxes against the wall. “The guy asked for my phone number so he could call me anytime he wanted me to do some work for him,” said Jeff.

However, reading scriptures can present a challenge for everyone. President Boyd K. Packer shares his first attempts as a teenager at reading the Book of Mormon. He says: “I opened it and read, ‘I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents’ (1 Nephi 1:1). … It was interesting, and I could follow it until I got over to the Isaiah chapters. … So a few months later I decided to try again to read the Book of Mormon. I read, ‘I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents,’ but every time I’d hit the barrier of those Isaiah chapters. … Finally I decided I was even going to read them.”

And of course President Packer did read them. Persistence is the key. With every reading of the scriptures, unfamiliar words will take on meaning. You can read about heroes and great acts of courage. You can learn of the tender mercies of the Lord. And above all, you can feel the love of God and know that Jesus Christ is our Savior.

Recently I visited a factory in Mexico in which extremely intricate power units are manufactured for sophisticated medical electronic equipment. Upon the reliability of these units many lives will depend. They must be flawless and fail-safe under all circumstances. So meticulously are they built that the manufacturer guarantees their performance for five years.

“How do you obtain such a high quality of workmanship?” I asked of the man in charge.

“By constant training, advice, and supervision, as well as many checkpoints along the way,” he said. “It is called ‘super quality control.’”

Isn’t this the super quality control that the Lord provides for our own performance here on earth? The high standards are revealed through his prophets, and his wise, kindly, understanding, inspired bishops are there to help us control the quality of our performance.

Andrei and Valentina Dudka of the Vynohradars’kyi Ward were introduced to the gospel by neighbors in 2003. After meeting for several weeks with missionaries, the couple decided to join the Church.
Although the Dudkas were excited to learn gospel truths such as the need for latter-day temples and the potential of having an eternal family, they gradually slipped into inactivity. “We just found reasons not to go to church,” Sister Dudka says. “We let things come up—like we were just too tired or there was a show on TV we wanted to watch.”
The Dudkas’ lack of activity adversely affected their happiness. “We started to see a real difference between Church life and worldly life after we left the Church,” Brother Dudka says. “We weren’t happy.”
After about four months of not attending church, Sister Dudka reached her breaking point. “A certain Sunday came, and I said, ‘If I don’t go today, I might not survive,’” she says. “I was like a person who had gone days without water. I needed that water.”
After returning to activity, Sister Dudka patiently prayed for and encouraged her husband to come back to church with her. About half a year after she returned to church, so did her husband.
“My wife’s prayers affected me,” Brother Dudka says. “I realized that as a Melchizedek Priesthood holder, I had the responsibility to be an active member. I recognized that without God, I could not do anything.”
After the Dudkas returned to the Church, their thoughts returned to the saving ordinances of the temple. The couple joined with other Ukrainian Latter-day Saints in rejoicing in the temple groundbreaking in 2007.
“After they started building the temple, we would often come by and just look at the work being done,” Brother Dudka says.
“I jumped so high when I saw them lay the first stone,” Sister Dudka adds.
When the angel Moroni figure was placed on top of the temple, there was a lot of hugging and tears among the Saints and particularly among the Dudkas.
“When they finally finished building the temple, there was such relief that we knew we were worthy to enter,” Brother Dudka says.
The Dudkas say being sealed in the temple has built in them a stronger eternal perspective on life. “You understand that your family is no longer just you and your husband—now the Lord is part of it too,” Sister Dudka says. “We now look at each other with eternal eyes.”

My brother and a family friend received their mission calls. We drove eight hours to the temple in Freiberg, Germany, so they could receive their temple endowments. We stayed for five days so my family could do a lot of temple work. There is a hostel for families on the temple grounds. Some children and I helped the gardener. We had a lot of fun. I look forward to next year when I will be 12 and will be able to enter the temple with my family.
Alicia S., age 11, Slovakia

John K. Edmunds, now president of the Salt Lake Temple, was an outstanding attorney in Chicago for over a quarter of a century. He said, “During all my years in Chicago, I have never felt the necessity for indulging in alcohol, tobacco, tea, or coffee, nor have I ever served or kept these things in our home. And I have never felt the need to apologize for the observance of our church standards. …
“I have found no magic formula for keeping the standards of the Church. To me the observance of these standards is a matter of the will. … God gives to every man and woman, to every boy and girl who sincerely desire it the power to keep his commandments. …” (“Living in the World without Being a Part of the World,” John K. Edmunds, Improvement Era, November 1965, p. 1053.)

On 18 September 2021, the Southwark Multi-Faith Forum held its long-awaited interfaith walk. This walk usually takes place on a yearly basis but, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it had to be cancelled in 2020. The event was aptly themed “Faith—More in Common in a Time of COVID”.
The starting point was the historic Southwark Cathedral 1 , where walkers were welcomed by the canon precentor of the cathedral, the Rev. Canon Andrew Zihni. In his remarks he drew attention to two art installations. The first, which had recently been transferred to another location in the country, was entitled “Please Believe These Days Will Pass”. The second, still in place, was entitled “Leaves of the Tree”, by Peter Walker. It consisted of 5,000 leaves cut from steel, on each of which was carved the word hope. They were displayed on the floor of the sanctuary, giving the impression of fallen autumn leaves.
Both pieces of art, the reverend remarked, reflected a belief and attitude regarding the pandemic, namely that “even in the darkest hour, light will break through”. A sentence from the information display read: “The leaves symbolise the past, what has transpired, as we hope for a better future.”
This piece of art certainly generated much conversation amongst participants in the walk as they examined it and reflected on its message.
Following this, Rabbi Nathan Godleman provided interesting insights into the establishment and tenets of the South London Liberal Synagogue, and its beginnings in Streatham, southwest London.
The walk then moved on to St Hugh’s Church, Bermondsey, which is a sister church to Southwark Cathedral. Here, The Reverend Canon Michael Rawson spoke about the history of the building and the diversity of its parishioners. His talk included an introduction to their interfaith exhibit, an abstract painting titled “Journey Through the Wilderness—The Wilderness Panels.” It consisted of five panels, each representing the world religions of Judaism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism. The painting attracted a great deal of interest and discussion, acting as a reminder of the similarities that can bind people of different faiths. It also beautifully demonstrated the essence of the interfaith walk.
This point was further emphasised at the next venue, the Baitul Aziz Islamic Cultural Centre, near Harper Road, where the imam, in his contribution, noted the significance of love, respect, unity and service in all faith traditions.
As the walk progressed in glorious sunshine, the enthusiasm and energy of the participants was palpable, and conversations were joyful. This was very likely due to over 18 months of extremely restricted movement.
The next destination was The London Friendship Centre at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Walworth, southeast London. There, Kyan Pucks and Samira Ciotti gave an enlightening introduction to the foundation and principles of the Baha’i Faith.
The final presentation was by Christopher Cooke, president of the Wandsworth Stake, London. Despite a lack of time, due to the interesting and engaging questions from participants, he provided a great overview of the establishment of the Church and its historical context, including remarks that affirmed its Christian tradition and how it began in England. Importantly, he highlighted the purpose of the friendship centre as a community resource to support refugees and others who may be struggling.
Each presentation included time for questions, which helped to enhance the knowledge and understanding of individuals and the group. All too soon, four hours came to an end, but the friendshipping continued for some time after, while being treated to a barbeque hosted by the friendship centre.
The success of the whole event was evidenced by participants lingering and talking for as long as it was possible. Many were enlightened and edified. The event ended as it began, recognising and appreciating the diversity of all, while focusing on the things that are held in common.
Community friendships and relationships were built, reestablished, and strengthened. Indeed, Musharraf Chaudhury, chair of the Southwark Multi-Faith Forum. remarked: “A fantastic day of sunshine, amazing venues and great speakers. It was so wonderful to see so many friends and colleagues in person after such uncertain and challenging times. Thank you to everyone involved in making what many commented as the best walk they have been on. It was an amazing display of diversity, togetherness and hope for the future.”

When I was called as a General Authority, President Hinckley asked my wife and me about our children. We talked about our youngest daughter, who was fourteen at that time. Several times afterward, when I saw President Hinckley, he asked, “How’s your daughter doing?”

A family had been taking pictures on a lookout point of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. They heard screams and ran to find that a two-year-old girl had fallen through a railing to a ledge about 35 feet (11 m) below. The little one tried to climb back up, but her movements caused her to slip even farther until she was 5 feet (1.5 m) from a dangerous 200-foot (61-m) drop.
A 19-year-old young man named Ian saw where she was and, using his emergency-response training, knew how to handle the situation. These are his words: “‘Immediately, it all came at me, and I just knew what I had to do. I set down my camera and went up the trail a little ways where it wasn’t as steep, climbed over the rail, scrambled down a bunch of rocks and through brush, and found her.’ Holding her in his arms for an hour, Ian waited until emergency teams could drop down with ropes” to rescue them (“Save Her!” New Era, Sept. 2007, 6). The phrase “holding her in his arms” caught my attention because the scriptures talk about arms—arms of love, arms of mercy, and arms of safety (see 2 Nephi 1:15; Mosiah 16:12; Alma 5:33; D&C 6:20; 29:1).

Recently, I had the opportunity to sit at the back of a chapel during a sharing time session of Primary and watch a lively group of youngsters keep a music teacher very busy. For a final song the director asked the children to sing “I Am a Child of God.” They quieted down, and for the first song of the entire session the voices unified in quality instead of quantity. The words rang throughout the chapel with an angel-like resonance:
Lead me, guide me, walk beside me,
Help me find the way.
Teach me all that I must do
To live with him someday.
[Hymns, 1985, no. 301]
These pleading words sank deep into my heart that day and stirred my soul. What a great burden of responsibility the Lord has placed upon us as parents: to take these children and lead them in the ways of holiness, to guide them through the perils of mortality, and to walk beside them on the straight and narrow path which leads to eternity. Yes, the responsibility is ours to teach them all they must do so that someday, as the mortal is changed to immortal, they will be prepared to return to the presence of the Father and dwell with him and their Elder Brother, Jesus Christ.
As I sat there in the back of the chapel, I silently asked myself, “Am I doing all the things which I must do? Can my wife and daughter walk alongside me with confidence that I will lead them into the celestial kingdom? ‘Lead me, guide me, walk beside me. …’” Stop. Stop for one minute and ask the same question of yourself: “Can my spouse and children walk alongside me with confidence that I will lead them into the celestial kingdom?” The Savior said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God” (Matt. 6:33).

My mom helped me register on FamilySearch.org. I found out that I am related to the first president of the Philippines and shared this information at school for my oral communications sharing time. My teacher was amazed that I was able to know this, and I told her about family history.
Sharmaine S., age 8, Cavite, Philippines

Katherine Wilkinson, from Utah, often stayed out late on Saturday nights. She said of one weekend, “My friends and I had gone to dinner, watched a movie, and stayed up talking well into the morning. It was probably after 2:00 a.m. when I finally went to sleep.
“On Sunday morning, I fumbled in the darkness to turn off my alarm at 7:30 a.m. but since church didn’t begin until 8:30 a.m., my sleepy self reasoned that I could reset my alarm for 8:00 a.m. When I finally got up, I had to rush to get ready on time. A two-minute shower and no breakfast later, I rushed out the door.
“Church seemed long. I could hardly stay awake during the meetings. I watched the clock, counting down the minutes until I would be napping at home. Not until Sunday School began did I realize that, in my rush, I had forgotten both my scriptures and the manual.”
Eventually Katherine decided she wanted to change so that she could enjoy the Sabbath day and keep it holy. “I pondered on my Sabbath day,” she said. “I’d gotten up too late, rushed to church only halfway ready, endured three hours of meetings (without a good attitude), and come back home to sleep. And that was hardly the first time my Sunday had gone that way. I realized I was depriving myself of the full blessings of Sabbath-day worship, especially the sacrament and what it offered me.
“Observing the Sabbath includes more than physically attending Church meetings; it means being there mentally and spiritually. I want to do that. President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) taught, ‘The Sabbath calls for constructive thoughts and acts, and if one merely lounges about doing nothing on the Sabbath, he is breaking it. To observe it, one will be on his knees in prayer, preparing lessons, studying the gospel, meditating, visiting the ill and distressed, sleeping, reading wholesome material, and attending all the meetings of that day to which he is expected’ (The Miracle of Forgiveness [1969], 96–97). As I’ve begun to change and honor this sacred day, I have felt greater blessings in my life.”

During the Second World War we used to call the men and women in uniform to talk in our stake conferences. In Oakland we called on one of the women. She said, “I work over in San Francisco in the government hospital. One day they brought in a girl for medical treatment. She was a Mormon girl. When they sent her tray up, one of the nurses said, ‘Should we send milk or should we send coffee?’ I spoke up and said, ‘Send milk; she won’t touch coffee.’ ‘Why won’t she touch the coffee?’ asked the other nurse. ‘Because she is a Mormon.’ ‘Ah, don’t kid yourself,’ the girl said. So the tray went up with the coffee on it.”
That first girl was on the spot—not only for herself, but for the Church. She said she almost held her breath until that tray came back for fear that the Mormon girl would let her down. In a few minutes the tray came back. The coffee had not been touched. With it was a note: “Please send me a glass of milk.” That is what it is to be able to live up to your standards. The eyes of the world are upon us.

In this dispensation many have received like assurances. In the spring of 1839, while the Prophet Joseph and his associates were languishing in Liberty Jail, Heber C. Kimball, our president’s grandfather, labored against great odds caring for the Saints and striving to free the brethren who were in jail. On the sixth of April he wrote:
“My family having been gone about two months, during which time I heard nothing from them; our brethren being in prison; death and destruction following us everywhere we went; I felt very sorrowful and lonely. The following words came to mind, and the Spirit said unto me, ‘write,’ which I did by taking a piece of paper and writing on my knee as follows: …
“Verily I say unto my servant Heber, thou art my son, in whom I am well pleased; for thou art careful to hearken to my words, and not transgress my law, nor rebel against my servant Joseph Smith, for thou hast a respect to the words of mine anointed, even from the least to the greatest of them; therefore”—listen to this—“thy name is written in heaven, no more to be blotted out for ever.” (Orson F. Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball, Bookcraft, 1975, p. 241; italics added.)

Once when my sisters and I were singing songs out of the Primary songbook, I could feel the Holy Ghost. I felt all tingly and warm. I know when we sing Church songs at home I can feel the Holy Ghost.
Kathy McCoy, age 11

He finished high school and went to work in a photo studio, developing film and studying photography while he continued searching for spiritual truth. Meanwhile, the tremor of political change had begun to softly shake Estonian life. People began to question the government openly for the first time.
One evening Jaanus and some friends carried the Estonian flag, fluttering over their shoulders, on the way to a patriotic song party. Enraged police saw the flag and chased them down. When they caught them, the police grabbed the flag and ripped it, but Jaanus and his friends were only reprimanded. This treatment by the police was a big change for the better.
“There is a special feeling in Estonia,” Jaanus later explained in an excited voice to his mother. “People are patriotic. We all feel this new warmth and happiness.”

During the past two years, Sister Maynes and I have been assigned to serve in the Philippines. We have come across many examples of Filipino families and individuals who understand and keep the covenants they have made with the Lord. Let me share with you an experience that we have had with one of these families.
A few months ago I was assigned to preside at the Talisay Philippines Stake conference. During the Sunday general session, I began my talk by thanking the congregation for their reverence. While speaking, I looked down to my left and saw a very large family sitting a couple of rows back from the front of the chapel. I was impressed to point them out and use them as an example of a family who understood and lived the principle of reverence. The parents were sitting there surrounded by many, many reverent children.
Upon the completion of the meeting, we had the wonderful opportunity to meet the Abasanta family. The more I learned about them, the more I was impressed with the fact that they truly understood what it meant to keep covenants and live the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Brother Lani and Sister Irenea Abasanta joined the Church 22 years ago. Together, they have had 17 children. Among the 17 children is one set of triplets. We all know that raising a family is not an easy task anywhere in the world, and the Philippines is no exception. The Abasanta family is a living example that it can be done, and it can be done in the right way.
The successes they have enjoyed raising their children in the Church are made manifest in many ways. A family of 19 sitting reverently through Church meetings is just one example.
Another example is illustrated by how they work hard and how they work together to meet their everyday financial needs. Brother Abasanta works as an electrician. Sister Abasanta, with the help of her daughters, makes and sells jewelry out of their home. Together, they have succeeded in providing the necessities of life for their family.
Even more important than their example in supporting their large family financially is how they teach their children to live the gospel of Jesus Christ. Their regular family home evenings play an essential part in the teaching of their family. Referring to their family home evenings, Brother Abasanta explained, “First we discuss any problems we might have in the family and how we can become more united; then there is a spiritual thought or lesson; then we play games.”
At a recent family home evening, Brother Abasanta used the Liahona magazine as a tool to help him teach his children not to spend so much time watching television but instead to use that time doing something of greater worth, like homework or reading the scriptures. Over the years during family home evenings the children have been taught to practice being reverent. Because their children have been taught to be reverent in their home, it is easier for them to demonstrate reverence at church on Sunday.
Another example of living the gospel and keeping their covenants is the priority they have given in teaching their children the importance of paying an honest and full tithing. Brother Abasanta stated: “We teach our children that the food we have is a direct result of paying tithing. When our kids have their own work, we make sure to tell them that they need to pay their tithing. It’s hard to provide for so many children, but when I pay my tithing faithfully and honestly, it’s not hard at all. We just trust in the Lord 100 percent that if we pay an honest tithing, we’ll be able to eat daily.”
Remember that I mentioned that Brother and Sister Abasanta have 17 children. Now, let me tell you about the triplets. They happen to be all boys. They happen to be 19 years old. Their names are Ammon, Omni, and Omner. Yes, you guessed it. All three are serving the Lord as faithful and hard-working full-time missionaries. Ammon is serving in the Philippines Baguio Mission, Omni is serving in the Philippines Davao Mission, and Omner is serving in the Philippines Manila Mission.
Now I do not want you to get the impression that the Abasanta family is perfect. None of us are perfect. However, by trying their best to live the commandments and keep their covenants, the Abasanta family is able to enjoy the blessings of the Lord in their lives.

One of the team members, Brother Roger R. Williams, assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Utah College of Medicine, says that medical genetics began in Utah in 1946 when a group received funds to study muscular dystrophy and cancer. Dr. Eldon Gardner, one of the researchers, studied 189 families, most of them high cancer risks. When one genetics student told him of several aunts who had had breast cancer, Dr. Gardner did further research and identified forty-six additional women in that family with malignant or premalignant tumors.

When my oldest son, Eric, was a senior in high school, he wanted to give his family gifts for Christmas. He had little income, so he decided on a gift of the heart.
For each family member Eric made a list of the 10 things he would miss most about him or her while he was at college and on his mission. His lists were rolled up like scrolls and tied with ribbon.
At Christmas we opened our gifts with great enthusiasm and curiosity. My list included things like “Watching her try to use the computer” and “Her hugs.” It must have taken him a long time to think of 10 things for each of us. I cried, his brothers laughed, and his only sister cherished her list. It still hangs on the door of her room today, three years later.
Now as Eric serves a mission in Guatemala, we wanted to send him something different for his last Christmas before returning home. Each of us wrote our own version of the present he gave us three years ago. We titled them “Ten Things I Have Missed Most about Eric While He’s Been on His Mission.”
For some of us it was easy. Eric’s brothers had a hard time but finally finished. It was a great project for family home evening, and we all laughed and cried as we thought of our 10 things. What a great family tradition we’ve started and hope to continue as our other children leave for college and missions.
I will never forget this gift from a busy son who thought to make a gift that would make a difference. We are grateful we were able to receive this from him.

Even with all of the articles you have printed about preparing rather than repairing, I am one who dated a nonmember against the counsel of Church leaders. I’ve been dating a wonderful young man for a year who is devoted to his own Christian church. Now that we’re graduating from high school, questions of “our” future are arising. What was so nice and fun a year ago is now very emotional and serious. I have realized in recent weeks that this relationship has to come to an end. It is terribly painful as I contemplate how hurt he is going to be and how I’ve made him a victim by allowing this relationship to progress. I write this for the benefit of those who are making important decisions in their lives. Remember who you choose to date is vitally important.
Name Withheld