Gospel Story Finder

I know a little girl who was born with very serious cleft lips and a cleft palate. She had to have the first of a series of many surgeries on the second day of her life. Moved by a genuine compassion for those who experience this same challenge, this girl and her parents seek to give support, understanding, and emotional assistance to others who face this difficult reality. They wrote to me recently and shared: “Through our daughter’s challenge, we had the opportunity to meet wonderful people who needed comfort, support, and encouragement. Some time ago, our daughter, who is 11 years old now, talked with the parents of a baby with the same challenge. During this conversation, our daughter momentarily took off the mask she was wearing due to the pandemic so the parents could see that there is hope, even though that baby still has a long way to go in the next few years to fix the problem. We feel very grateful for the opportunity to extend our empathy to those who suffer, as the Savior does for us. We feel we ease our pain every time we relieve someone else’s pain.”

This brings me to my last story. Our boy Seth, who was a little over three-and-a-half years old at the time, woke me up at 3:30 one morning. He just seemed to want to talk. I stretched out on the foot of the large bed that he and his brother slept on and we talked. We talked for over an hour. At some point in the conversation I decided I needed to write down some of what he was saying, and went to our library for a pencil and paper. Here are just some of the questions and comments Seth wanted to communicate about that morning:

"Dad, why are we in the world?
Dad, I don't want you to die.
When I'm 55 I'll be a grandpa.
I have a green schoolbook; I'm lucky.
I love you, Dad.
Dad, do all diapers have problems?
When will Jacob die (Jacob is his younger brother)?
What are you thinking of?
All old people die.
What are you writing?"

Somehow, along with green schoolbooks and diapers, Seth was thinking about some of life's central questions and most important truths at less than four years of age.

As I'm sure I discussed with him in simple terms that night, we are only here because-to paraphrase King Benjamin's words-God created us. . . and is preserving us from day to day, by lending us breath, that we may live and move and do according to our own will, and even supporting us from one moment to another (Mosiah 2:21). We are dependent upon Him for all that we have, and we are utterly dependent on Him for any long-term hope that we cherish.

Seth was concerned about death, but I think we adults don't worry much about it because of the trust we have that the Lord has conquered it. We have a conviction that we will all be quickened; that we will all be immortal.

I pray that as we trust the Lord in the truly great matters, like death, we will learn to trust Him in the smaller but challenging concerns of our daily lives. My testimony is that He is trustworthy, and my conviction is that trusting in Him brings assurance and peace.

Graziely Moreira, 25, was pretty much raised to do good. When people in her hometown of Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, see someone in need, they help. “It’s a cultural thing,” she explains. And for members of the Church, “it’s also because we just think about, as Jesus Christ said, love others as you love yourself. So we just do it. We do it because we like doing it.”
With her quiet example of watching out for and going out of her way to help those in need—like when she saw an old man struggling to carry heavy bags and crossed the street to help him carry them home—Graziely is a force for good. She also knows that we can do the most good when people know that we’re serving out of love, not obligation. “There’s something I learned from my mom: Do to others what you want people to do to you. It’s Heavenly Father’s plan—He wants us to help people.”
We also can’t let things like technology (AKA our smartphones) get in the way of our reaching outside ourselves to do good, says Graziely. “That’s the thing—we have to know each other, we have to understand others’ needs because our life is not based on apps. Our life is based on people. It’s based on what we have to do to become better and to follow Jesus Christ.” And a big part of following Jesus means doing good.

The Davis County Sheriff’s Department received 100 teddy bears. Captain Simpson said it is policy now for a paramedic or a sheriff on a call to give any child involved under the age of ten a bear. However, young children have not been the only recipients. The paramedics gave a bear to an 80-year-old woman who suffered a stroke. “It was the only thing that calmed her down,” said Captain Simpson. “She wouldn’t let go of the bear.”

A couple years ago, Scott and I were able to accompany the school dance team to Ecuador and Peru. The team often puts on their performances to help others. One organization that they were sponsoring was a small community surrounded by sand that was in need of help and so the money collected from the dance team performance was going to rebuild their tiny homes, and to dig a well so water would be closer.

It was Sunday, and we had a big lunch, and still had a lot of leftovers, so we decided to pack them up and offer the food, our love, and the check to this little town that had suffered such devastation. So in our Sunday clothes we ventured off in our comfortable 50 passenger bus. As we got close to our destination, we got stuck in the sand. We filed out of the bus, to look at what we could do, when from this little community that had been hit by disaster. The people came out carrying shovels, and any makeshift tool to help "dig us out". Here we were there to serve them. But indeed they served us.

We were able to then go into their little community, and share with them our "leftover lunch". I watched as these students gave away sandwiches to this very grateful and humble people. One man heard that we had a new grandchild. He ran into his little make shift hut and pulled out a homemade rattle to give to us. We were so humbled with the generosity of this good people.

Chris shuffled his feet a little to hear the brush, brush sound they made in the blue paper booties covering his shoes. He was standing in line with his family, waiting to go into the San Diego California Temple for the open house.
Dad bent down and put a hand on Chris’s shoulder. “Temple open houses are very special,” he said. “I remember when I went to the Provo Utah Temple open house. I had watched the workers building it from just an empty field up to a finished temple. When we were inside, I knew it was Heavenly Father’s house. I was a little bit older than you are, but you’ll remember this your whole life, just like I did.”
Mom turned toward them. “That’s right. I remember when I went to the Seattle Washington Temple open house a long time ago. That’s why we drove all the way here. Getting to tour a temple before it’s dedicated is a very special opportunity.”
Chris thought about their long drive through the desert to get to San Diego. There had been nothing interesting to look at out the windows, and his little sister cried most of the way. Even his older sister got a little bit tired of all the driving. But since they had come so far, he knew it was important.
Chris folded his arms and walked as quietly as he could in his blue paper shoes through the temple tour. He couldn’t remember ever being somewhere so beautiful. The carpet was white. The windows were tall. The pictures on the walls were beautiful. It felt more reverent than any place he had been before.
As they walked up the stairs, Chris held tightly to the handrail. He was smiling brightly.
Mom whispered to him, “How do you feel?”
Chris looked up at her and Dad. “I feel like I’m holding the iron rod.”

It was my great privilege to know President Clark rather well. I was his printer. On occasion, he would share with me some of his most intimate thoughts, even those scriptures around which he tailored his teachings and lived his life. Late one evening I delivered some press proofs to his office situated in his home at 80 D Street here in Salt Lake City. President Clark was reading from Ecclesiastes. He was in a quiet and reflective mood. He sat back from his large desk, which was stacked with books and papers. He held the scriptures in his hand, lifted his eyes from the printed page, and read aloud to me: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Eccl. 12:13.) He exclaimed, “A treasured truth! A profound philosophy!” Through the years that conversation has remained bright in my memory. I love, I cherish the noble word duty.

Jarod wanted blueberry pancakes with puddles of melted butter and syrup on them for breakfast. He wanted to help Mommy squeeze the oranges for fresh juice. And he wanted a hardcooked egg that he could peel himself. But when Jarod got to the kitchen table and Mommy gave him a bowl of cold cereal and a plate of orange sections, he could tell that it was a rush-rush day.
Mommy said, “Hurry, please, Jarod. We have to go shopping and be back in time to tend Sister Miller’s kids while she goes to the doctor.”
At the grocery store Jarod hurried, but he really wanted to stop and look at the different kinds of vegetables and put his hand down close to the refrigerated shelves until it felt cold. He wanted to watch the butcher trim fat from the meat. And he wanted to count the different kinds of candy while his mother was at the checkout counter.
When they reached home, Jarod barely had time to get out his toys for Bobby and Kim Miller to play with. And as soon as their mother picked them up again, Jarod was rushed into the kitchen for a sandwich and a bowl of soup. Jarod hated rush-rush days.
His sisters were soon home from school, and Jarod and Mommy had to rush them to dancing lessons. Then he and Mommy rushed to the post office to mail a package to Jarod’s aunt for her birthday, to the service station to put more gas in the car, and back to the studio to get his sisters. Then they rushed home. Jarod wanted to slow down and watch a jet that was making white streaks across the sky. He wanted to sled down the big hill at the park. He wanted to go to the library and check out a book on rockets. But he didn’t ask Mommy to do any of those things. It was a rush-rush day.
While Mommy went visiting teaching, his sisters rushed to do their homework before supper. They needed the room quiet, so Jarod couldn’t watch cartoons. He couldn’t blast off in his pretend rocket because that would be too noisy too.
Daddy came home, but he couldn’t play with Jarod. He hurried to the kitchen and made a casserole with lots of noodles and hamburger. He made two because one was to go over to Sister Howard, who just had a new baby. Mommy came home and rushed the Howard’s meal over to them; then Jarod’s family all sat down together, and Daddy blessed the food. The funny-looking stuff tasted good, even on a rush-rush day.
As soon as dinner was over, Jarod was whisked off to the bathtub. He wanted to stay in the bathtub long enough for the water to wrinkle his skin, but he had to hurry so that his sisters could have their turn. Jarod was tired—tired of rushing and just plain tired.
Mommy looked tired, too, when she came to tuck him in. Rush-rush days were hard on everyone, Jarod decided.
“How about a story?” Mommy asked.
Jarod said, “It’s OK if you don’t have time.”
Mommy smiled. She got a book from his bookcase and read Jarod’s favorite story about a rocket trip to the moon. Mommy read the story slowly. She let Jarod study each picture as long as he wanted. Then they both sang a Primary song before his prayer.
“I always have time for you, even on a busy day.” Mother kissed Jarod and turned on the night light.
Jarod smiled and snuggled his chin under the covers. Even rush-rush days had nice-nice endings.

I recently heard President Eric Shumway, president of BYU-Hawaii, relate this story. Last summer President Shumway's mother died in Utah. He traveled to Utah and then Arizona for her funeral. After returning to his home in Laie, Hawaii, he heard a knock at his door early one morning. Upon opening the door, he saw three humble Tongan brethren whom he had known for years. After inviting them into his home, one of the brethren spoke for the group: "President Shumway, we heard of the death of your dear mother and felt our need to mourn with you and your family. Please accept this gift as a token of our sorrow." They handed President Shumway an envelope. After they left his home, he opened the envelope to find a nice condolence card, and inside the card was $100. Now, President Shumway did not need $100; but he knew from living and associating with the Tongan people for years, that this $100 represented a great monetary sacrifice and a "heartfelt token" of their grief.

Traffic lights; we are familiar with the frustration we experience while driving to a destination and we come to a red light. It is not fun to have to sit for a minute or so while we wait for that light to turn green. We might momentarily wish that the traffic light was banished forever. After all, we may think, without this red light I would be much further along in my journey. However, the reality is that traffic lights are for our benefit. If these stop lights are removed, pandemonium rules, traffic backs up, and our journey becomes much more dangerous and takes much longer. I experienced this exact phenomenon on the morning of the Hawaii earthquake in October 2006. You may recall that that earthquake took place on an early Sunday morning and set off a series of events that resulted in a power outage that lasted many long hours throughout almost the entire island of Oahu. This included a loss of electricity needed to run traffic lights. None of theses crucial traffic lights functioned throughout Oahu for most of that day. When the earthquake occurred I was attending our stake presidency meeting in the Waipahu Hawaii Stake Center. After enduring the shaking of the stake center, assessing the situation, and deciding to cancel church meetings throughout the stake on that day, we closed our presidency meeting and each member of the presidency began their drive back home. My drive was a relatively short 6-mile journey from the stake center in Waipahu to my home in Ewa Beach, but it required passing through a series of congested street crossings normally governed by a system of stop lights. That drive generally takes around 15 minutes, but can take up to 20 minutes if one is unlucky and catches several red lights. However, on this morning, without the assistance of stop lights, that drive took nearly an hour. Each intersection was backed up as vehicles from all four directions cautiously inched their way across each crossing street. Several cars refused to follow courtesy rules and this resulted in fender bender accidents. It was utter chaos. That day, I became very grateful for traffic lights.

My father-in-law crossed a strip of desert on horseback as a young man—sixty miles with no water. He planned to meet a wagon train midway to replenish his water, but they were delayed two days in starting and he met no one else. His tongue swelled up, his throat was parched, his dog died, and the horse keeled over. He thought he was going to die. He finally made it, but, in listening to the story, I can feel the intense, agonizing, thirsting desperation for moisture, just like a man held under water gasps for air.

I was reminded of this principle among Muslims, and the profound influence of Muhammad’s example in their lives, while living in Cairo, Egypt, during the holy month of fasting, Ramadan. My family and I were invited by a Muslim friend, Nabil, to participate in his family’s evening meal in which they broke their fast. As we entered their modest apartment in one of the most impoverished quarters of Cairo, I noticed that one of the rooms was occupied by numerous women and their children. They were all sitting on the floor with food spread out before them on a cloth, quietly waiting for the call to prayer that marks the end of fasting each day. When I asked if they were his relatives, Nabil replied: “No, I don’t know any of them. It is our habit to invite strangers off the street who cannot afford good food to share our Ramadan meal. We do this because it was one of the customs of our prophet, Muhammad.”
I was deeply moved by my Muslim friend’s unselfishness and compassion for the poor and humbled by his good example in practicing a principle I had learned from the Bible years before but had rarely observed: “When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; … but when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee” (Luke 14:12–14).

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).

Kevin watched as his older brother and sister got ready to go to the temple to do baptisms for the dead. Kevin wanted to go too.
Dad, can I go?
You’re not old enough yet, but I’m glad that you want to go. When you turn 12, you can go too.
Kevin helped his sister pack her bag. Then he helped his brother pick out a tie.
They left, and Kevin stayed home with Mom and his baby sister, Erin.
When Erin cried, Kevin gave her a teddy bear.
I know Heavenly Father is happy with the way you are serving Him today.
But I didn’t go to the temple.
Yes, but you helped your brother and sister get ready. And you are helping me take care of Erin.
When you help other people, you serve Heavenly Father.

In the Republic of Ireland, 18-year-old Andrea Stapleton of Barnhown, Araglen, County Cork, is the only LDS student at a Christian Brothers School. She’s also one of only two girls attending school there.

“It was awful at first,” Andrea recalls. “The boys would fire paper pellets and make fun if I got anything wrong, but things are easier now. There are no girls’ sports taught here and not much opportunity for church discussion. However, I do aim to be a good example of a true Latter-day Saint at all times. My parents and seminary have taught me how to behave.”

Years ago when Sister Nelson and I had several teenaged daughters, we took our family on a vacation far away from telephones and boyfriends. We went on a raft trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. As we started our journey, we had no idea how dangerous this trip could be.
The first day was beautiful. But on the second day, when we approached Horn Creek rapids and saw that precipitous drop ahead, I was terrified. Floating on a rubber raft, our precious family was about to plunge over a waterfall! Instinctively I put one arm around my wife and the other around our youngest daughter. To protect them, I tried to hold them close to me. But as we reached the precipice, the bended raft became a giant sling and shot me into the air. I landed into the roiling rapids of the river. I had a hard time coming up. Each time I tried to find air, I hit the underside of the raft. My family couldn’t see me, but I could hear them shouting, “Daddy! Where’s Daddy?”
I finally found the side of the raft and rose to the surface. The family pulled my nearly drowned body out of the water. We were thankful to be safely reunited.
The next several days were pleasant and delightful. Then came the last day, when we were to go over Lava Falls, known as the most dangerous drop of the journey. When I saw what was ahead, I immediately asked to beach the raft and hold an emergency family council meeting, knowing that if we were to survive this experience, we needed to plan carefully. I reasoned with our family: “No matter what happens, the rubber raft will remain on top of the water. If we cling with all our might to ropes secured to the raft, we can make it. Even if the raft should capsize, we will be all right if we hang tightly to the ropes.”
I turned to our little seven-year-old daughter and said, “All of the others will cling to a rope. But you will need to hold on to your daddy. Sit behind me. Put your arms around me and hold me tightly while I hold the rope.”
That we did. We crossed those steep, rough rapids—hanging on for dear life—and all of us made it safely.
Brothers and sisters, I nearly lost my life learning a lesson that I now give to you. As we go through life, even through very rough waters, a father’s instinctive impulse to cling tightly to his wife or to his children may not be the best way to accomplish his objective. Instead, if he will lovingly cling to the Savior and the iron rod of the gospel, his family will want to cling to him and to the Savior.
This lesson is surely not limited to fathers. Regardless of gender, marital status, or age, individuals can choose to link themselves directly to the Savior, hold fast to the rod of His truth, and lead by the light of that truth. By so doing, they become examples of righteousness to whom others will want to cling.
With the Lord, families are essential. He created the earth that we could gain physical bodies and form families. He established His Church to exalt families. He provides temples so that families can be together forever.
Of course, He expects fathers to preside over, provide for, and protect their families. But the Master has asked for much more. Etched in sacred scripture is a commandment to “set in order thy house.” Once we as parents understand the importance and meaning of that commandment, we need to learn how to do it.
To set our house in an order pleasing to the Lord, we need to do it His way. We are to employ His attributes of “righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, [and] meekness.” Each father should remember that “no power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned.”
Parents are to be living examples of “kindness, and pure knowledge, which … greatly enlarge the soul.” Each mother and father should lay aside selfish interests and avoid any thought of hypocrisy, physical force, or evil speaking. Parents soon learn that each child has an inborn yearning to be free. Each individual wants to make his or her own way. No one wants to be restrained, even by a well-intentioned parent. But all of us can cling to the Lord.
Ages ago, Job taught that concept. He said, “My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go.” Nephi also taught, “Whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and … hold fast unto it, … would never perish.”
These tenets are timeless as the gospel and endless as eternity. Ponder these additional scriptural admonitions:
From the Old Testament Proverbs we read, “Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.”
From the New Testament: “Brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught.”
From the Book of Mormon we learn about multitudes who were “continually holding fast to the rod of iron,” likening it to “the word of God.” Anchored in truth, that iron rod is immovable and immutable.
Not only are parents to cling to the word of the Lord, but they have a divine mandate to teach it to their children. Scriptural direction is very clear: “Inasmuch as parents have children in Zion … that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents.”
That commandment places responsibility and accountability for the teaching of children squarely upon the shoulders of the parents. The proclamation to the world regarding the family warns that individuals “who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God.” Today I solemnly reaffirm that reality.
In discharging these duties, we need both the Church and the family. They work hand in hand to strengthen each other. The Church exists to exalt the family. And the family is the fundamental unit of the Church.
These interrelationships are evident as we study the early history of the Church. In 1833 the Lord rebuked young leaders of His Church because of parental shortcomings. The Lord said:
“I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth.
“But verily I say unto you, …
“You have not taught your children light and truth, according to the commandments. …
“And now a commandment I give unto you … you shall set in order your own house, for there are many things that are not right in your house. … First set in order thy house.”
This revelation represents one of the many powerful validations of the integrity of the Prophet Joseph Smith. He did not delete from scripture words of stinging rebuke, even though some were directed to himself.

A young man once pleaded with me for help. He had become addicted to pornography, which he accessed via his home computer. It burdened him with such guilt that he could not feel good about attending church or participating in priesthood assignments. It adversely affected his social life. He was powerfully drawn to spend hour upon hour alone in front of the computer viewing that which he acknowledged brought only frustration and despair. It was as if he were chained by a master whose only purpose was to make him miserable.
He did not decide at once to become a slave to the computer screen. Rather, he decided at some earlier time that viewing destructive images “just this once” would not hurt and would satisfy a “curiosity.” Once became twice, and twice became several times, until a powerful addiction had lessened his power of choice. Only after he was enchained by his addiction did he recognize that he had willingly submitted to captivity.

When 10-year-old John joined the swimming team, he told his coach he could compete in the meets held on Saturday but not those held on Sunday. At the last meet of the season, John’s relay race was scheduled for Sunday. He remembered a family home evening lesson about making decisions in advance so it would be easier to do the right thing when the time came. John said: “I had made the decision not to swim on Sunday before I joined my team. That made it easier for me to tell the coach that I couldn’t swim the relay. I thought the coach would be mad at me. But at the end-of-the-year banquet, … he told the team how proud he was of me for having standards and then sticking to them.” John shows he knows by keeping the Sabbath day holy and setting an example of someone who follows the teachings of Jesus. Every time you keep the Sabbath day holy, you show you know.

Tami liked to go to Primary. She liked learning about Jesus, she liked to sing, and she liked her teacher, Sister Brown.
Tami liked everything about Primary except for one thing. She couldn’t sit with Mom. Mom taught a different Primary class.
Mom, I want to sit with you.
You need to sit with your Primary class, and I need to sit with mine.
Tami walked to the chairs where her class was sitting. She was not happy.
Tami saw that Jamie was sitting all by herself. Jamie was new to Primary. She was crying.
Tami sat in the chair next to Jamie.
Don’t cry. It’s OK.
I want my mom.
I know, but Sister Brown is really nice. I’ll sit next to you so we can be together.
Thank you.
Tami saw Mom smiling at her. It felt good to help Jamie. She was glad she was sitting in her own seat.

Whether we accept the fact or not, we are different from the world if we are living what we believe. Let me tell you about two of our missionaries.
It was the dinner hour, and it was raining without any sign of stopping. In spite of the rain, these two missionaries continued tracting. But let the father in one of these homes tell what happened that night:
“I had come home from work tired and hungry and wanted nothing more than to be left alone. I might also add that I dislike ‘door knockers’ and salesmen.
“I had just sat down to my dinner when the knock on the door came. I don’t know what I expected to find at the door, but I didn’t intend to be very pleasant about the disturbances at this particular hour.
“Perhaps I was too stunned at first to be angry, but for some reason or other I did not slam the door in their faces. There in the doorway stood two young men, smiling from ear to ear and literally beaming as they told me that they had a special message for me and my family. I still don’t know what prompted me to invite them to come in, except that there was something very special about them. There was a certain quality about them that I had never experienced before.
“I can tell you that when I invited them to come into our home. I also invited the greatest blessings that have ever come into my life and the life of my family. Yes, we were all baptized into the LDS church.”