Gospel Story Finder

President Joseph Fielding Smith told me of a repentant woman struggling to find her way out of a very immoral life. She asked him what she should do now.

In turn, he asked her to read to him from the Old Testament the account of Lot’s wife, who was turned to a pillar of salt.23 Then he asked her, “What lesson do you gain from those verses?”

She answered, “The Lord will destroy the wicked.”

“Not so!” President Smith said that the lesson for this repentant woman and for you is “Don’t look back!”24

Strangely enough, it may be that the simplest and most powerful prevention and cure for pornography, or any unclean act, is to ignore and avoid it. Delete from the mind any unworthy thought that tries to take root. Once you have decided to remain clean, you are asserting your God-given agency. And then, as President Smith counseled, “Don’t look back.”

In my college years I suffered a minor plague of health woes. Each new attempt with prescribed medications only seemed to add to the confusion of symptoms. Then I read about Asa.
“And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians.
“And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign” (2 Chr. 16:12–13).
Like Asa, I also had “sought to the physicians” only. But as I read this scripture, the Spirit made very clear to me in whose hands my cure lay. Having done all that medical science prescribed, I prayed, and the Lord directed and blessed me. I have enjoyed many years now free of those problems.

Although I find most social situations enjoyable, I’ve struggled in the dating scene. I never dated before my mission, and when I returned home after two years, I felt particularly inexperienced.
In the decade since then, I’ve tried seemingly “all [I] can do” (2 Nephi 25:23) to marry—something I’ve been promised in my patriarchal blessing—but have had no success. Sometimes I have felt tempted to despair that I might ever find someone, and in particularly dark moments, I have cried out in prayer: “Please help me. I don’t know what I’m doing.”
Recently, I have found substantial comfort in examples from the scriptures. The following three stories have been especially powerful in helping me trust in Heavenly Father and His plan.

Even so, Kate faces some hard situations when it comes to the party atmosphere that accompanies sports. It seems that drinking can become a stumbling point, especially when the team goes to Europe to compete. “After races, it’s party time. Everyone I met would drink. At first, I felt like the loner in the hotel. But I got over that feeling. My teammates knew better than to ask me to drink with them. After I won the worlds, my competitors would say, ‘Kate, you have to drink tonight.’ But I’d say no. My teammates would say, ‘No, she doesn’t drink. Don’t even ask.’”

It seems that people are indeed watching Kate and what she chooses to do. At the end of the season, two of her teammates said they had stopped drinking because of her. “It was the biggest reward I have ever received,” says Kate.

When John Rainer was a young boy in Taos Pueblo, New Mexico, one of his favorite parts of the day was dusk. Like most young Indian children, John would run and play and do chores all day long, with an exuberance typical of those who grow up with space to roam and air to breathe. But at the end of the day, when golden fire filled the horizon, John would pause and listen. He would always hear the song of the flute.
“It was a peaceful, relaxed melody,” John recalls. “The old man would sit near the river half a mile from town and play his tunes. He believed the music would travel with the water. You couldn’t see him, but you could always hear his tunes.” It was a time for rest from the day’s labor, a time of repose and contemplation, a time during which a love for music was born in John’s heart.
John grew up and moved to the city. He lived in a comfortable brick home in a suburb of Orem, Utah, with his wife and children. And every evening, just at dusk, he would take his flute—one he made himself—and play a melody—one he wrote himself—to his family. His neighbors didn’t always see John, but they could usually hear his songs. When they did, the whole world seemed to pause, breathe deeply, then sigh in contentment.
“Playing the flute is my way of sharing something my ancestors shared with me,” John said.

A Little Princess When Sara goes to the boarding school, she is rich—and she is treated like a princess. Then, when her father dies and she is left a penniless orphan, she is treated like a slave. But even as a slave, she acts like a princess, even sharing her last bit of bread with a beggar.Frances Hodgson Burnett8–12 years

I have a friend who belongs to another church. Last year he came to me at school one day and started to try to prove to me that the Book of Mormon was not true and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was not a Christian church. After replying to all of his questions, I began to realize that he wasn’t even paying attention to my answers because he kept challenging me with the same question. From what I learned from this experience, my advice is that all you can do is explain that you don’t want contention and bear testimony of the truthfulness of the Lord’s Church.
Jayden C., 13, Washington, USA

When Stéphane Rasorotsoa lost his grandfather, who was his last known family member, he was inspired to move to Toamasina to find work. He met the missionaries there, who invited him to attend an English class. He was not very interested in learning English, but something made him accept the invitation. Then, an unexpected phone call from someone he did not know invited him to move to Tolagnaro, and an unexplained desire to find his family prompted him to respond to that invitation. In Tolagnaro, he discovered the same Church as the one where he learned English in Toamasina, was taught by the missionaries, joined the Church, later found his mother in Antananarivo, and was prompted to serve a mission. He is now serving in the Madagascar Antananarivo Mission and is clearly blessed with the gift of tongues.5

“When I was older, I had a remarkable spiritual experience. I had taken my family to Burley, Idaho, to see my wife’s family. Coming back, we had a flat tire on a very sharp curve. I stopped the car on the curve because I didn’t want to ruin the tire. As I pulled off the two-lane highway and started to jack the car up, I had the strongest impression to move the car ahead. I ignored the feeling and continued to jack the car up. Luckily the car slipped off the jack. I again had an impression to move the car ahead. I said, ‘OK,’ and I pulled it ahead about twenty yards from where it had been to the straight-away. I had the wheel off and was about ready to put the spare tire on, when I saw two cars speeding west, one car passing the other. Then I saw another car coming from the opposite direction. The three cars passed each other on the curve exactly where our car had been. I don’t know how many of us would have been killed if we had not moved. From then on I’ve tried to follow my impressions the first time—I don’t wait for a second time. When you follow your impressions, you don’t always know what would have happened if you hadn’t done so, but it pays to heed them.”

While attending Brigham Young University, Sister Dibb met her future husband, Roger Dibb, whom she married in the Salt Lake Temple on March 5, 1974. They are the parents of four children. Sister Dibb focused her energies on taking care of the home. However, when her children were a little older and she felt the timing was right, she began taking a few classes each year, eventually graduating with a degree in elementary education.

This advice was found and followed by Joe, who had been asked to get up at six in the morning and drive a crippled child 50 miles (80 km) to a hospital. He didn’t want to do it, but he didn’t know how to say no. A woman carried the child out to the car and set him next to the driver’s seat, mumbling thanks through her tears. Joe said everything would be all right and drove off quickly.
After a mile or so, the child inquired shyly, “You’re God, aren’t you?”
“I’m afraid not, little fellow,” replied Joe.
“I thought you must be God,” said the child. “I heard Mother praying next to my bed and asking God to help me get to the hospital, so I could get well and play with the other boys. Do you work for God?”
“Sometimes, I guess,” said Joe, “but not regularly. I think I’m going to work for Him a lot more from now on.”

Ariana’s brother, Gerardo, feels the same. “I’m grateful because seminary has become an important part of my life,” he says. “It’s preparing me to serve a mission someday. There I have learned about the plan of salvation that God prepared for me. Each class I attend gives me hope that I can inherit the celestial kingdom and gives me the certainty that I have received the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Gerardo is pretty tired during class sometimes. He has to take his little brother to school first and then return home quickly to pick up his sister so they can go to seminary. But he doesn’t mind.

“All of this is so new for me, but I am full of happiness,” says Gerardo. “I know I am on the correct path that will give me the opportunity to see my Heavenly Father again. The Holy Spirit gives me this assurance. I just have to make an effort and persevere unto the end.”

Fourteen-year-old Angela realized that their trip to Japan was more than just one performance after another, more than Polynesian and Native American song and dance. She discovered this one night when she looked out into the audience while the family was singing "Love at Home" in Japanese and several people were crying.

"When I performed, I didn’t realize that a lot of people were looking at me. I didn’t realize that we might touch them a lot. I’d always thought I was just performing to entertain them," she says. "But then it really brought out the message to them that families are forever and when we have a happy family, when we go to church, and when we keep the commandments, we will be happy."

Meet Isaac Sani Dadzie from the Bibiani Ghana District—a young man whose determination to serve led him to discover a valuable skill and build a small business along the way.
It started when the young single adults needed a television hooked up in their building. Instead of waiting for outside help, Isaac took it upon himself to learn how to install and configure TVs and networks. What began as a humble effort to help his YSA group quickly grew into something bigger. With practice and persistence, Isaac mastered the process and has since set up multiple systems for others.
Word of his talent began to spread. Through recommendations from satisfied clients, Isaac built a reputation for reliability and skill—and with that, a small business was born. His journey is a powerful reminder that service, curiosity, and faith can open doors to unexpected opportunities.
Recently, Isaac joined fellow young single adults on a visit to the temple, strengthening both his testimony of Jesus Christ and his vision for the future. Whether in a chapel or a career, Isaac is committed to building—one connection at a time.

During the past two decades, it has been my privilege to officiate at the dedication or rededication of more than 80 temples. The buildings have been opened to the general public prior to dedication. Tens and tens of thousands have gone through them. As they have felt of the spirit of these sacred structures and learned something of the purposes for which the temples have been built, those who have been our guests have recognized why, following dedication, we regard these buildings as sanctified and holy, reserved for sacred purposes and closed to the public.

As a young man, he didn’t get a summer job he applied for with the Utah Park Service. He traveled to Utah anyway, and he offered to do this chore in the kitchen for two weeks. He said, “If you don’t like my work, you don’t have to pay me.” By the end of the summer, he had become the number-two cook.

The mission president and two elders met us at the airport, and after a short meeting, we were whisked off to our various assignments. I guess I was lucky because I was one of the first of the new elders to go.
The apartment where my companion and I were to live was several miles from the mission office, just outside the center of town. Elder Parks was from Houston, Texas, and talked with a slight drawl. He was tall, about six feet six inches, with dark black hair.
We went tracting and were having very little success our first night together. Elder Parks was surprised at how well I spoke Portuguese. I told him my family had lived in Brazil for a year while dad was assigned there on business.
As I opened a gate and Elder Parks and I started up the path to a small, green, wooden home, he whispered, “This one is yours.” I felt a heavy lump in my throat as I knocked on my first door.
An old man let us in. We had to keep repeating ourselves because he didn’t hear very well. We were both yelling by the end of the visit.
“How did I do?” I asked on our way to the bus after the visit.
“Not bad for the first time,” Elder Parks answered. “Too bad the guy’s so old. He must be in his 80s.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Well, he’s what we call a ‘banana peel case,’” he explained. “When a person gets that old and feeble, he could ‘slip off’ at any time. We like to teach younger men who can later become leaders. Besides, he’ll probably get the gospel in the spirit world anyway.”
“Why not give it to him now?”
“Look, the man is old. I should have stopped you at the door and taken over. He’s obviously not what we’re looking for in new members.”
In other words, case closed. I didn’t argue.
As we went out tracting the next day, we were in an area fairly close to where the old man lived, so I suggested we go back.
Elder Parks was dumbfounded. “I thought we talked about it last night.”
“I know, but I just have a feeling about this guy.”
“I think we’re wasting our time, but okay, have it your way. But consider this his last visit from us.”
We trudged up to the door, and I rang the bell. We waited for what seemed like half an hour. Finally the old man answered.
“You boys have to understand that I’m not as young as I used to be, so I take a little longer,” he said after greeting us and asking us in.
We sat down. I had Elder Parks say the prayer, and we started right into the discussion on the plan of salvation. It seemed to go well. This time the old man asked a lot of questions. He beamed with pride as he told us he had read part of the Book of Mormon and all of the Joseph Smith pamphlet we had left before. He’d even been praying, and he promised to come to church Sunday if we’d help him get there. I was really excited as I scheduled another visit.
“Now didn’t that go well?”
Elder Parks wrinkled his brow. “I guess it wasn’t bad.”
“Now, wasn’t it worth it?”
He shrugged his shoulders.
The following Tuesday I dragged Elder Parks back for a third visit. The old man seemed unusually excited. He pulled the Book of Mormon off a shelf. His eyes sparkled.
“I’ve read the book through once. It’s strange; usually I’m not a very religious person, but I couldn’t put the book down.”
It wasn’t hard to read the “oh no” look in Elder Parks’s face, but I didn’t let it bother me too much. After all, the Spirit was really strong there. There was just something special about this sweet old man. Even Elder Parks had to sort of admit it.
“How many investigators have read the Book of Mormon all the way through by the third visit?” I asked as we walked to the bus stop.
“Not very many,” he had to admit.
“So can’t you see? This man is one of the most golden contacts you’ll run into on your whole mission.”
“Maybe so, but wait until you get to the discussion on the commandments. Then you’ll find out how golden he really is. You saw that cigar dangling from his mouth last time, didn’t you? Do you really think an old man like that is going to be able to give up his stogie for the Church? And he’s too old and feeble to get around. Somebody will have to pick him up for church every Sunday and take his arm and chauffeur him around the chapel. Nobody’s going to do that week after week.”
A week passed by, and Elder Parks refused to go back. He just didn’t want to teach old folks.
Finally, on the following Tuesday, we came back to our apartment from a long, discouraging day in which nobody had shown the least interest in hearing about the Church. We were sitting at our desks planning the next day’s schedule when somebody knocked at the door. People didn’t usually come by that late at night, so I was close behind Elder Parks as he answered the door.
It was a boy about ten years old, with long black hair and blue eyes. He was wearing black shorts, a white t-shirt, and thongs.
“Grandpa said I should come see you. He wonders why you haven’t come back.”
I smiled at Elder Parks as we let the boy in.
Roberto was curious about what missionaries do and asked us all sorts of questions. Finally he told us, “Grandpa wants to see you tomorrow night at 7:00. He wants to know more about your church.”
I pulled out my little black book and began thumbing through it. Elder Parks was doing the same.
“Nothing tomorrow night.”
“I don’t have anything either,” he said. “Tell your grandfather, tomorrow at 7:00 will be fine.”
It was a foggy, cold night Wednesday as our bus jolted out toward the little shack on the edge of town.
The porch light was on, and we could hear a lot of noise inside as we knocked on the door. The old man answered and ushered us into a room packed with people—22 of them. Elder Parks’s face was blank with astonishment as Grandpa Carlos introduced us to his two sons, two daughters, and their families. In the middle of it all was Roberto, excitedly telling his parents about his visit to our apartment.
Well, we baptized the old man, two of his sons, a daughter, and their families—a total of 17 in all. One daughter and her family haven’t joined yet, but we’re working on them. And Elder Parks hasn’t said a thing about teaching old folks since. As a matter of fact, we’re teaching three old friends of Grandpa Carlos right now.

And for Christian, so does studying Church doctrine and history. In fact, his favorite stories come out of Church history. For example, he finds strength in the 1834 experience of Zion’s Camp when mobbers threatened to attack the encampment and the Prophet Joseph Smith prophesied that the Lord would not permit it. That evening, a terrible storm scattered the mobbers.1 This tells Christian that he can prepare for the future without fear because the Lord can protect those who serve Him.

A few years ago Sister Jolley and I concluded an assignment where I presided over a mission in south Texas. Our missionaries there wholeheartedly embraced the “balanced effort” concept of missionary work, which includes finding, teaching, baptizing, and doing everything possible to retain new converts, and spending several hours each week working with less-active members. Our missionaries, like all missionaries throughout the world, were great kingdom builders.

When my wife and I returned to our home ward in Idaho, I was determined to practice what I preached in the mission field. I therefore asked the bishop to assign me as a home teacher to some of our wonderful families who were not enjoying the blessings of full activity in the Church. He quickly obliged by assigning me to six of these special families.

After several visits to one of these families, I challenged the father, who had been inactive for almost 40 years, to become fully active in the Church and to participate in the temple preparation classes. He responded, “These kinds of things are more than I can understand; they are way over my head.” I was troubled by his response and felt bad that he did not think he could embrace the gospel because it was too difficult to understand. But I knew that the truths of the gospel are for everyone and that everyone can understand them through earnest prayer and scripture study. So our next few home teaching visits were spent talking about the simple and beautiful things of the gospel.

With patience and persistence our visits became more enjoyable and more spiritual. We developed a genuine friendship. As time went on, it became apparent that he could and did understand the principles of the gospel. This made his wife very happy. They grew closer in their marriage. They are now attending church regularly, becoming good friends with all members, and preparing to go to the temple. We had similar experiences with other families. The Lord blesses us as well as these wonderful families when we put forth the extra effort to share these simple truths with them.

Elder Wada told the story of a time his mother came to church before she was baptized. A young boy noticed that she needed a hymnbook and gave one to her. That boy helped Elder Wada’s mother feel God’s love. She decided to be baptized!