Upload
others
View
3
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
J U L Y 2 0 0 1
COVER STORY:“MISSIONPOSSIBLE,” P. 30
REASON TOSMILE,P. 4
THE DEBT YOU OWE,P. 8
T H E
2 T H E N E W E R A
20
The New Era Magazine
Volume 31, Number 7
July 2001
Official monthly publication for youth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Editorial Offices:New Era50 E. North TempleSalt Lake City, UT 84150-3225
E-mail address:[email protected]
To Subscribe:Send $8.00 check or moneyorder for the New Era toChurch Magazines Salt Lake Distribution CenterP. O. Box 26368Salt Lake City, UT 84126-0368
Subscription helpline:1-800-537-5971 Credit card orders (Visa,Mastercard, AmericanExpress) may be taken byphone.
Cover: Teens in San
Antonio, Texas, aren’t
afraid of work. See
“Doing the Hard Jobs” on
p. 30.
Cover photography:
Janet Thomas (front),
John Luke (back)
4
ow
reward-
ing can a
service project be
when you don’t
even meet those
who benefit? See
“Doing the
Hard Jobs,”
p. 30.
HH
C O N T E N T S
J U L Y 2 0 0 1 3
Words of the Prophet:
The Spirit of Optimism 4President Gordon B. Hinckley
Lift your eyes. Stand on your feet.
Be positive. Think of what great things
are occurring as the Lord brings to
pass His eternal purposes.
Remembering 7The early pioneers made such a
significant sacrifice for the gospel that
we simply must not forget.
The Debt You Owe 8Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
We are all blessed by the faith of
the pioneers and owe them a
debt of gratitude.
Everyday Heroes:
Taking the Next Step 12Jane Forsgren
David Eves of St. George, Utah, rolled
along with enthusiasm as he served
a full-time service mission.
Q&A:
Questions and Answers 16I’m not exaggerating when I say
that there are no LDS young people
to date in my area. Wouldn’t it be
all right to date nonmembers?
New Era Poster:
Don’t Be a Dummy 19
A Temple of Our Own 20Matthew Baker and Laury Livsey
Having a temple closer to their homes
has made teens more focused on
staying temple worthy.
Prayer Was the Key 28Christian Neumann
The answer to his prayer unlocked
a way to increase his faith.
Doing the Hard Jobs 30Janet Thomas
San Antonio, Texas, teens faced
soaring temperatures, long hours, and
blisters, but their service was needed.
The Extra Smile 35
Of All Things 36
Fiction:
Go Fiche 38W. Dave Free
Who knew that a trip to the Family
History Center would be a line
to the past?
Idea List:
Starting
Family History 43Getting to know your relatives can
bring eternal blessings.
New Era Classic:
Elder, They Will Love You 44Elder LeGrand Richards
People love missionaries because
of what the missionaries bring them.
Changing Places 46Matthew Baker
When I went from being in the
majority to one of the minority, I
could understand how others feel.
Reader’s Guide 49
We’ve Got Mail 50
Poem:
Mary’s Oxen 51Mary Jo Westenhaver
Photo of the Month 51Welden Andersen
Everything in the New Era may be copied for
incidental, noncommercial Church or home
use unless otherwise indicated. Other uses
require permission of the copyright owner.
The First Presidency
Gordon B. HinckleyThomas S. MonsonJames E. Faust
The Quorum of the Twelve
Boyd K. PackerL. Tom PerryDavid B. HaightNeal A. MaxwellRussell M. NelsonDallin H. OaksM. Russell BallardJoseph B. WirthlinRichard G. ScottRobert D. HalesJeffrey R. HollandHenry B. Eyring
Editor
Dennis B. Neuenschwander
Advisers
L. Lionel Kendrick Yoshihiko KikuchiJohn M. Madsen
Curriculum Department Administrators
Managing DirectorRonald L. Knighton
Editorial DirectorRichard M. Romney
Graphics DirectorAllan R. Loyborg
Editorial Staff
Managing EditorLarry Hiller
Assistant Managing EditorJanet Thomas
Associate EditorLinda Stahle Cooper
Assistant EditorLaury Livsey
Editorial AssociatesShanna GhaznaviMatthew Baker
Design Staff
Magazine Graphics ManagerM. M. Kawasaki
Art DirectorBryan Lee Shaw
Senior DesignerBrent Christison
Printing Director
Kay W. Briggs
Distribution Director(Subscriptions)
Kris T. Christensen
© 2001 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.All rights reserved. Periodicals PostagePaid at Salt Lake City, Utah, and atadditional mailing offices. U.S. subscription rate $8.00 yearly, inadvance. Non-U.S. subscription rate isthe U.S. equivalent in local currency.
THE NEW ERA (ISSN 0164-5285) ispublished monthly by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 50East North Temple, Salt Lake City,Utah 84150-3225. Sixty days’ noticerequired for a change of address.Include address label from a recentissue. Changes cannot be made unlessold address, as well as new one, isincluded. Unsolicited manuscripts arewelcomed, but no responsibility isassumed for them. Sufficient postageand self-addressed envelope mustaccompany all manuscripts.
Canada Post InformationPublication Agreement #1604813
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Salt Lake Distribution Center, Church Magazines, P. O. Box 26368, Salt Lake City, Utah 84126-0368.
4 T H E
I am asking that we stopseeking out the stormsand enjoy more fully thesunlight.
THE SPIRIT OFTHE SPIRIT OF
W O R D S O F T H E
P R O P H E T
by President
Gordon B. Hinckley
here never was a greater time in the history of the world to live upon the earth than this. How
grateful every one of us ought to feel forbeing alive in this wonderful time with allthe marvelous blessings we have. . . . Andon top of all that is the Restoration of thegospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with all ofthe keys and authority, with all the giftsand blessings, with all the organizationand doctrine of all previous dispensationsall brought into one. And you and I arepartakers of that marvelous restoration(from Church News, Aug. 14, 1999, 7).
I see so many good peopleeverywhere—and there’s so much ofgood in them. And the world is good.Wonderful things are happening in this
TT
N E W E R A
world. This is the greatest age in thehistory of the earth. . . .
We have every reason to be optimisticin this world. Tragedy is around, yes.Problems everywhere, yes. . . . You can’t,you don’t, build out of pessimism orcynicism. You look with optimism, workwith faith, and things happen (fromEnsign, June 1995, 4).
Truth will triumphI suppose you have heard the story of
the absent-minded professor who wentshopping and lost his umbrella.Discovering his loss, he retraced hissteps. At the first three stores on whichhe called, the clerks denied having foundhis umbrella. At the fourth store the clerkhanded him the missing umbrella. Hegrumbled, “Thank goodness for anhonest man. The other three told methey didn’t have it.”
I am inclined to think thatnotwithstanding the gains we see in thework of the Lord, notwithstanding thereformation we see in the lives of many
ptimismptimism
e all
worry.
But the
Lord has told us
to lift our hearts
and rejoice.
Cultivate an
attitude of
happiness.
Cultivate a spirit
of optimism.
Walk with faith.
WW
people, we are prone to emphasize theproblems and disregard the progress.I [am] an optimist concerning thework of the Lord. I cannot believe thatGod has established His work in theearth to have it fail. I cannot believe thatit is getting weaker. I know that it isgetting stronger. . . .
I have a simple and solemn faith thatright will triumph and that truth willprevail. I am not so naive as to believethere will not be setbacks, but I believethat “truth crushed to earth will riseagain” (from Improvement Era, Dec.1969, 97–98).
Be happyI have a great and compelling sense of
gratitude and optimism about the youthof the Church. In saying this, I do notwish to imply that all is well with all ofthem. There are many who havetroubles, and many who live far beneaththe high expectations we haveconcerning them.
But even considering these, I have
Illustrated by Scott Greer
great confidence in our young people asa whole. I regard you as the finestgeneration in the history of the Church. Icompliment you, and I have in my heart agreat feeling of love and respect andappreciation for you (from New Era,Sept. 1993, 4).
I have little doubt that many of us aretroubled with fears concerning ourselves.We are in a period of stress across theworld. There are occasionally hard daysfor each of us. Do not despair. Do notgive up. Look for the sunlight throughthe clouds. Opportunities will eventuallyopen to you. Do not let the prophets ofgloom endanger your possibilities (fromEnsign, Apr. 1986, 4–5).
The Lord has said: “Wherefore, lift upthy heart and rejoice, and cleave unto thecovenants which thou hast made” (D&C25:13).
I believe He is saying to each of us, behappy. The gospel is a thing of joy. Itprovides us with a reason for gladness. Ofcourse there are times of sorrow. Ofcourse there are hours of concern and
J U L Y 2 0 0 1 5
6 T H E
have a great
and
compelling
sense of
gratitude and
optimism about
the youth of the
Church. I have
great confidence
in our young
people as a
whole. I regard
you as the finest
generation in the
history of the
Church.
II
anxiety. We all worry. But the Lord hastold us to lift our hearts and rejoice. I seeso many people . . . who seem never tosee the sunshine, but who constantlywalk with storms under cloudy skies.Cultivate an attitude of happiness.Cultivate a spirit of optimism. Walk withfaith, rejoicing in the beauties of nature,in the goodness of those you love, in thetestimony which you carry in your heartconcerning things divine (from Ensign,Nov. 1984, 91–92).The good newsLet us not partake of the negative
spirit so rife in our times. There is somuch of the sweet and the decent andthe beautiful to build upon. We arepartakers of the gospel of Jesus Christ.The gospel means “good news!” Themessage of the Lord is one of hope andsalvation! The voice of the Lord is a voiceof glad tidings! The work of the Lord is awork of glorious accomplishment!
N E W E R A
In a dark and troubled hour the Lordsaid to those He loved: “Let not yourheart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”(John 14:27).
These great words of confidence are abeacon to each of us. In Him we mayindeed have trust. For He and Hispromises will never fail (from Ensign,Apr. 1986, 6).
Be positiveI am asking that we stop seeking out
the storms and enjoy more fully thesunlight. I am suggesting that as we gothrough life we “accentuate the positive.”I am asking that we look a little deeperfor the good, that we still voices of insultand sarcasm, that we more generouslycompliment virtue and effort. I am notasking that all criticism be silenced.Growth comes of correction. Strengthcomes of repentance. Wise is the manwho can acknowledge mistakes pointedout by others and change his course.
What I am suggesting is that each of usturn from the negativism that sopermeates our society and look for theremarkable good among those withwhom we associate, that we speak of oneanother’s virtues more than we speak ofone another’s faults, that optimismreplace pessimism, that our faith exceedour fears. When I was a young man andwas prone to speak critically, my fatherwould say: “Cynics do not contribute,skeptics do not create, doubters do notachieve (from Ensign, Apr. 1986, 2–4).
Let us go forward in this gloriouswork. How exciting and wonderful it is. Ido not know how anybody can feelgloomy for very long who is a member ofthis Church. Do you feel gloomy? Liftyour eyes. Stand on your feet. Say a fewwords of appreciation and love to theLord. Be positive. Think of what greatthings are occurring as the Lord brings topass His eternal purposes. This is a day ofprophecy fulfilled, . . . this great day inthe history of this Church. This is the daywhich has been spoken of by those whohave gone before us. Let us live worthyof our birthright. Keep the faith. Nurtureyour testimonies. Walk in righteousness,and the Lord will bless you and prosperyou, and you will be a happy andwonderful people (from Ensign, Aug.1996, 61). NE
RR EMEMBERINGEMEMBERING
Painting Pioneers at the River by Thomas Fogarty.
Photography courtesy of Church News/Dell Van Orden
tarting in 1847, in one of the most monumental feats of modern time,the Latter-day Saints, led by their
prophet Brigham Young, crossed the1,300-mile stretch of wilderness of theAmerican continent to establish a citywhere they could worship God in theway they desired. The willingness ofthese early Saints to leave behind theirhomes and newly completed temple inNauvoo continues to serve as aninspiration and example for us now aswe choose to live our lives committed tofollowing the prophet.
On July 24, 1847, while suffering frommountain fever, Brigham Young saw theSalt Lake Valley for the first time. WilfordWoodruff, who accompanied theprophet, recalled his words to be, “Thisis the right place, drive on.” ByDecember of 1847, nearly 2,000 pioneerswere already in the valley. And beforethe railroad was completed in 1869,making travel easier, a total of 80,000pioneers had made the trip by wagon,pulling handcarts, and on foot.
While serving in the Quorum of theTwelve, President James E. Faust said,“How can we pay our debt of gratitudefor the heritage of faith demonstrated bypioneers in many lands across the earthwho struggled and sacrificed so that thegospel might take root? How is thankful-ness expressed for the intrepid handcartpioneers who, by their own brutestrength, pulled their meager belongingsin handcarts across the scorching plainsand through the snows of the highmountain passes to escape persecutionand find peaceful worship in thesevalleys? How can the debt of gratitudepossibly be paid by the descendants ofthe Martin and the Willie and the otherhandcart companies for the faith of theirforebears? . . . The descendants of thesepioneers can partially settle the accountby being true to the cause for whichtheir ancestors suffered so much to bepart of ” (Ensign, May 1990, 87). NE
Inset: Elder M. Russell Ballard with
children of the Faith in Every
Footstep wagon train in 1997.
SS
J U L Y 2 0 0 1 7
8
TheDEBDEBTT
YouOWEOWE
by Elder Jeffrey R. Hollandof the Quorum of theTwelve
AA
We are all blessed by thefaithful lives of those whohave gone before us.
nswering
the
prompting
of the Holy Spirit,
people like Peter
Neilson made
sacrifices that
have blessed
generations.
s a young man of Primary andAaronic Priesthood age, Iattended church in the grand
old St. George Tabernacle, constructionfor which had begun in 1863. During verylengthy sermons I would amuse myselfby gazing about the building, admiringthe marvelous pioneer craftsmanshipthat had built that striking facility. Didyou know, by the way, that there are 184clusters of grapes carved into the ceilingcornice of that building? (Some of thosesermons were really long!) But most ofall I enjoyed counting the windowpanes—2,244 of them—because I grewup on the story of Peter Neilson.
In the course of constructing thattabernacle, the local brethren orderedthe glass for the windows from New Yorkand had it shipped around the cape toCalifornia. But a bill of $800 was due andpayable before the panes could be pickedup and delivered to St. George. BrotherDavid H. Cannon, later to preside overthe St. George Temple being built at thesame time, was charged with theresponsibility of raising the neededfunds. After painstaking effort, the entirecommunity, giving virtually everything
AA
T H E N E W E R A
they had to these two monumental
building projects, had been able to comeup with only $200 cash. On sheer faithBrother Cannon committed a team offreighters to prepare to leave forCalifornia to get the glass. He continuedto pray that the enormous balance of$600 would somehow be forthcomingbefore their departure.
Living in nearby Washington, Utah, wasPeter Neilson, a Danish immigrant whohad been saving for years to add on tohis modest two-room adobe home. Onthe eve of the freighters’ departure forCalifornia, Peter spent a sleepless nightin that tiny house. He thought of hisconversion in far-off Denmark and hissubsequent gathering with the Saintsin America. After coming west he hadsettled and struggled to make a livingin Sanpete. And then, just as someprosperity seemed imminent there, heanswered the call to uproot and go to theCotton Mission, bolstering the patheticand sagging efforts of the alkali-soiled,malaria-plagued, flood-bedeviled settlersof Dixie. As he lay in bed that nightcontemplating his years in the Church,he weighed the sacrifices asked of himagainst the wonderful blessings he hadreceived. Somewhere in those privatehours he made a decision.
Peter’s decisionSome say it was a dream, others say an
impression, still others simply a call toduty. However the direction came, Peter
Illustrated by Paul Mann
J U L Y 2 0 0 1 9
1
OOn an
artificial
leg he
had carved for
himself, Brother
Moyle walked the
22 miles to the
temple and, with
chisel in hand,
hammered out the
declaration
“Holiness to the
Lord.”
Neilson arose before dawn on themorning the teams were to leave forCalifornia. With only a candle and thelight of the gospel to aid him, Peterbrought out of a secret hiding place $600in gold coins. His wife, Karen, aroused bythe predawn bustling, asked why he wasup so early. He said only that he had towalk quickly the seven miles to St.George to give $600 to Brother David H.Cannon.
As the first light of morning fell on thebeautiful red cliffs of southern Utah, aknock came at Brother Cannon’s door.There stood Peter Neilson, holding a redbandanna which sagged under the weightit carried. “Good morning, David,” saidPeter. “I hope I am not too late. You willknow what to do with this money.”
With that he turned on his heel andretraced his steps back to Washington,back to a faithful and unquestioning wife,and back to a small two-room adobehouse that remained just two rooms forthe rest of his life. (See Andrew KarlLarson, Red Hills of November, 1957,311–13.)
One man’s commitmentJohn R. Moyle lived in Alpine, Utah,
about 22 miles as the crow flies to theSalt Lake Temple, where he was the chiefsuperintendent of masonry during itsconstruction. To make certain he wasalways at work by 8:00 A.M., BrotherMoyle would start walking about 2:00 onMonday mornings. He would finish hiswork week at 5:00 P.M. on Friday and thenstart the walk home, arriving thereshortly before midnight. Each week hewould repeat that schedule for the entiretime he served on the construction of thetemple.
Once when he was home on theweekend, one of his cows bolted duringmilking and kicked Brother Moyle in theleg, shattering the bone just below theknee. With no better medical help thanthey had in such rural circumstances, hisfamily and friends took a door off thehinges and strapped him onto thatmakeshift operating table. They thentook the bucksaw they had been using to
0 T H E N E W E R A
cut branches from a nearby tree andamputated his leg just a few inchesbelow the knee.
When against all medical likelihoodthe leg finally started to heal, BrotherMoyle took a piece of wood and carvedan artificial leg. First he walked in thehouse. Then he walked around the yard.Finally he ventured out about hisproperty. When he felt he could standthe pain, he strapped on his leg, walkedthe 22 miles to the Salt Lake Temple,climbed the scaffolding, and with achisel in his hand hammered out thedeclaration “Holiness to the Lord.” (See“Two Traditions of John Rowe Moyle,” inBiographies and Reminiscences, ed.Gene A. Sessions, 1974, 202–3.)
A debt of gratitudeWhether longtime member or newest
of converts, we are all the beneficiariesof such faithful forebears. My mind goesback 167 years to a little handful ofwomen, older men, and those childrenthat could labor who were left to keepconstruction going on the KirtlandTemple while virtually every man wellenough to do so had undertaken a reliefmarch of 1,000 miles to aid the Saints inMissouri. The records indicate that quiteliterally every woman in Kirtland wasengaged in knitting and spinning inorder to clothe the men and boyslaboring on the temple.
Elder Heber C. Kimball wrote, “TheLord only knows the scenes of poverty,tribulation, and distress which we passedthrough in order to accomplish this.” Itwas recorded that one leader of the day,looking upon the suffering and povertyof the Church, frequently went upon thewalls of that building by day and bynight, weeping and crying aloud to theAlmighty to send means whereby theymight finish that building (“Extracts fromH.C. Kimball’s Journal,” Times andSeasons, 15 Apr. 1845, 867).
We are a blessed people, and I feel anoverwhelming debt of gratitude. I thankmy Father in Heaven for blessingsunnumbered and incalculable, first andforemost being the gift of His Only
Begotten Son, Jesus of Nazareth, ourSavior and King. I testify that Christ’sperfect life and loving sacrificeconstituted literally a King’s ransom, anatonement willingly paid, to lead us notonly from death’s prison but also theprisons of sorrow and sin and self-indulgence.
I know that Joseph Smith beheld theFather and the Son and that this day is adirect extension of that day. I owe muchfor the precious knowledge of which Itestify here. I owe much for thepriceless heritage that has been given tome. Indeed I owe everything, and Ipledge the rest of my life in giving it. NE
Adapted from an April 2000 generalconference address.
“Today weare notcalled topullhandcartsthrough thesnow-sweptplains ofWyoming.However,we arecalled tolive, foster,and teachthe gospel
of Jesus Christ. It is our privilege toinvest our means and our time to blessothers. Each one of us must do all wecan to preserve our Latter-day Saintway of life. A vital part of thispreservation is a willingness to setaside personal desires and replacethem with unselfish sacrifice forothers” (Ensign, May 1992, 77).
—Elder M. Russell Ballardof the Quorum of the Twelve
OUR PRIVILEGEOUR PRIVILEGE
J U L Y 2 0 0 1 1 1
E V E R Y D A Y H E R O E S
TTAKING THE AKING THE NNEXTEXT SSTTEEPP
AA fter his
life-
changing
injury and a
lengthy hospital
stay (right,
inset), David’s
first job was to
become as
independent as
possible. Then he
settled down to
achieving as
much as
possible.
by Jane Forsgren
It may take wheels to doit, but David Eves ismoving forward to makehis dreams a reality—including a mission.
1 2 T H E
avid Eves discovered firsthandhow quickly life can changewhen, on September 20, 1997,
he and his friends went four-wheeling atKolob Canyon in southern Utah.
“We’d been driving all day when we hita bump and lost control,” says David. “Iremember flying through the air, thenwaking up in excruciating pain. When Isaw my friends looking down at me andtold them I couldn’t feel my legs, I knewI would never be the same.”
After being life-flighted to LDSHospital in Salt Lake City and undergoingeight hours of surgery to stop internalbleeding and to secure two titanium rodsin his back, David spent the next threemonths fighting for his life.
An avid football, basketball, and trackstar, David, of the LaVerkin Second Ward,LaVerkin Utah Stake, was no stranger topain, but soon he was faced with a newchallenge: he couldn’t hold his fooddown or speak. His body weight droppedfrom 170 to 100 pounds over a two-month period.
The days and nights grew longer. “Iwanted to get off the morphine, but thepain was unbearable,” David recalls. “Iasked my dad to read to me from theBook of Mormon, and as he did a miraclehappened. The spirit of that bookbrought so much peace, I was able torest.”
DD
N E W E R A
But David was not improving. Jill Evesbecame alarmed at her son’s severeweight loss and, pleading with the Lordfor inspiration, knew a specialist must becalled immediately. Sure enough, thedoctor discovered and repaired a hole inDavid’s esophagus, and David camehome two weeks later.
His father, Raymond, had taught himtwo important secrets to obtaining goals:give it your all and never quit. David wasused to giving his all, so it was no
surprise when he was back at school thefollowing Monday.
“Looking like an alien with my bodycast and neck brace, I could see howdifferent I was. I had absolute faith Iwould get better, but soon realized I wascompletely unlike the other 800 kids inmy school. After that first hard week,though, I knew I could do anything Iwanted; I just had to find a different way.”
When his brother suggested he run forstudent body president a few monthslater, David again gave it his all. “Vote forsomeone with skills and wheels!” posterslined the school halls, and soon Davidwent from jock to school leader. “Thatyear was awesome,” he says. “I felt it was
the perfect preparation for my mission.”J U L Y 2 0 0 1 1 3Photography by the author and courtesy of the Eves family
1 4 T H E
issionaries
usually
have their
mom’s love and
support. David
also had his
mom’s cooking,
since his address
as a welfare
missionary was
also his home
address. (Above)
Elder Eves spent
his mornings at
the Deseret
Industries in St.
George, tutoring
trainees working
on their high
school and
G.E.D.
certificates.
MM
Nothing made David’s therapy moreimportant than his determination toserve a mission. Although some of hisfriends said serving a mission wasn’tnecessary, since he was in a wheelchair,David didn’t buy it. “I knew the Lordwanted me to serve, so I decided I woulddo everything in my power to make thatpossible.”
Before long, he could shower anddress himself, drive his car, and negotiatehis way anywhere. In fact, after his doctorsaid it was impossible, David learned tostrap on a brace he calls his exoskeletonand walk, using crutches extending fromhis hands, by moving his shoulders topush his body forward. With no sense ofbalance or ability to feel the groundunder him, this is an incredible feat—onefor which the students and parentshonored him with a standing ovation athigh school graduation exercises.
After graduation David couldn’t wait toturn 19 and send in his mission papers.His doctor attached a note verifying hewas totally independent.
But it was not to be. Instead of acalling, David’s letter informed him he
N E W E R A
could not serve a full-time proselytingmission.
“When I heard this, I was crushed,”remembers David. “I had worked sohard, and it seemed it was all taken awayfrom me in just a matter of seconds.”Even though David had given it his best,he felt strongly he must continue topursue a mission. An interview wasarranged with Elder David B. Haight ofthe Quorum of the Twelve, who lovinglyassured David there was a mission forhim.
One week later he was called to servea welfare mission at the DeseretIndustries (D.I.) in St. George. Nothinghad prepared him for such a call. “To tellthe truth, I was disappointed.” But hekept hearing these words to the song, “Iwill go, I will do,” run through his headand knew the Lord wanted him there.
“I look back now and think howfoolish I was. I had no clue what ablessing this mission would be,” Davidsays.
Not only has David been blessed, buthis sense of humor and positive attitudetouched each of the 250-plus people
fter a full
day at
Deseret
Industries, Elder
Eves spent his
evenings working
with the full-time
missionaries
assigned to his
area. One young
lady, Robin
Rasmussen
(above), asked
that Elder Eves
be the one to
baptize her.
Standing in his
“exoskeleton”
(below), David is
flanked by two
of his greatest
supports—his
parents.
AA
whose lives have been uplifted andchanged through D.I.’s self-sufficiencyand missionary programs. “Whenever wewere having a bad day, we’d just comeand find Elder Eves,” says Debbie Kelly, atrainee. “When we saw how happy andpositive he was, even in a wheelchair,we’d ask, ‘What are we complainingabout?’”
While serving his mission, Elder Evesspent mornings tutoring traineesworking on their high school and G.E.D.certificates. “He helped me so much,”says Brandy, a single mom working tolearn the skills necessary for upgradedemployment. “I couldn’t have passed mymath section without him.”
But to David, tutoring wasn’t justabout teaching educational skills. Heloved his students. “They don’t care howmuch you know until they know howmuch you care,” he says. Therelationships he developed with hisstudents reached higher levels, liketeaching the six missionary discussionsto Rita Roberts, another trainee.
“He helped me understand the gospelstep by step, because I’m a slow learner,”Rita says. “And I knew I could count onhim for anything. He and his familyhelped me move twice. You couldn’t geta better person—not just in theclassroom, but everywhere. He’s cooland unique.”
Besides tutoring staff members, Davidwas responsible for many devotionals atthe D.I.
“One day it was Elder Eves’s turn togive the devotional. Everyone was therebut him. In a few minutes, in he came,walking with his braces. There wasn’t adry eye in the room as he talked to usabout overcoming adversity and workingwith your hand in God’s to accomplishany goal,” says Sister Scott, a welfaremissionary at D.I.
While David loved serving at D.I., hismissionary efforts didn’t stop there. Inthe evenings, he went team teachingwith the full-time missionaries, resultingin several baptisms, one where he wasasked to perform the baptism.
“I figured if she had enough faith toask me to baptize her, I had enough faithto find a way to do it,” remembers ElderEves. And so on January 1, 2000, beingstrapped in his shower chair, Elder Eves
said the baptismal prayer and loweredRobin Rasmussen into the water. No onewill ever forget the spirit present that day.
David brings a feeling of hope andpeace everywhere he goes. But it’s hisgreat sense of humor that endears him toeveryone he meets. “I learned early onthat if others see me joking about beingparalyzed, they are more comfortablearound me. When they realize I’m happybecause of the gospel and my manyblessings, the whole wheelchair thingdisappears and they see me as a person.”
And counting blessings is what ElderEves concentrates on. “The one thing mymission taught me more than anythingelse is how blessed I am. When I saw theproblems some of these people at workdeal with, my heart went out to them andI wondered if I could do what they do. Ihave a family who loves me, I have thegospel, and I have had the opportunity toserve the Lord on a mission. I couldn’task for more,” he says.
David is currently attending Dixie StateCollege on a full scholarship andexercising on his bike and braces. “I workout in those leg braces every day to keepmy legs stretched, so that when I do walkagain I’ll be ready,” he says, with the samefervor with which he bears his testimony.
“I love the scripture in Doctrine andCovenants 121:7–8: ‘My son, peace beunto thy soul; thine adversity and thineafflictions shall be but a small moment;And then, if thou endure it well, Godshall exalt thee on high.’ I know JosephSmith was the prophet of the Restorationand that Jesus Christ is our Savior andloves each of us. Sometimes when we’regoing through hard times, it seems likewe’re alone, but we’re really not. He’sright there with us. And with thisknowledge, everything else falls intoplace.” NE
J U L Y 2 0 0 1 1 5
1
QQ&&AAAsk your parents andChurch leaders forguidance.
Date only those whoshare your goals andstandards.
Try to focus on thesocial, not theromantic, aspects ofdating until you mightconsider marriage.
Consider if dating isreally necessary at thistime in your life.
Temple marriageshould be your goal.
Pray to know what isright and to have thestrength to do it.
Q U E S T I O N S & A N S W E R S
“I’m not exaggerating when I say that there are no LDS young people to date in my area.
Wouldn’t it be all right to date nonmembers?”
First of all, this would be a great topicto discuss with your parents and yourbishop or branch president, and weencourage you to do so. Now, having saidthat, here are some things to consider.
For the Strength of Youth says thisabout dating: “Because dating is apreparation for marriage, date only thosewho have high standards, who respectyour standards, and in whose companyyou can maintain the standards of thegospel of Jesus Christ” (p. 7). AndPresident Gordon B. Hinckley has said:“Your chances for a happy and lastingmarriage will be far greater if you willdate those who are active and faithful inthe Church” (Ensign, Nov. 1981, 41).
Our dictionary defines a date as “asocial engagement between two personsthat often has a romantic character”(Merriam-Webster’s CollegiateDictionary, 10th ed.). We like thatdefinition because it points out twomajor aspects of dating. One is social—being with friends, learning to get alongwith different personality types,developing conversation and other social
NN E W EE R A
6 T H E N E W E R A
Before you consider datingnonmembers, try fellow-shipping them to church and see how they feel about it. What you find may be a strong indication of whether you should consider dating them.
Ben Watson, 18Kimberly, Idaho
Here in England, members in a ward usually live far apart, and it is difficult for the youth and young single adults. But the wait is worth it. You will receive so many blessings and you will realize how wonderful a relation-ship that includes the Spirit can be. Mycurrent boyfriend is the first LDS youngman I have ever dated, and the differ-ence between him and all my previousexperiences is phenomenal! I urge youto wait and date an LDS boy or girl.
Sarah Wood, 19Oxford, England
RR E A D E R S
Photography by Kelly A. Larsen. Posed by models J U L Y 2 0 0 1 1 7
1
“ hile you
should be
friendly
with all people, select
with great care those
whom you wish to
have close to you.
They will be your
safeguards in
situations where you
may vacillate between
choices, and you in
turn may save them”
(New Era, Jan. 2001,
11).
—President
Gordon B. Hinckley
WW
NN E W EE R A
skills. This is the aspect of dating youshould focus on until you reach the agewhere you might consider marriage.Group dating is ideal for this purpose.
The other aspect of dating, theromantic part, can be very appealing,especially when there’s someone you areattracted to. It doesn’t help that themedia—and many of your fellow teens—focus on romance and physical attraction.But this is where the real danger is.
Those romantic feelings can becomevery strong. And once they havedeveloped, they can overrule your owncommon sense as well as the teachingsand advice of your parents and Churchleaders. If you don’t place yourself in aposition to be influenced in that way, youare much safer. That’s why it’s such agood idea not to date one personexclusively until you are ready to settledown.
President Spencer W. Kimballcounseled: “Do not take the chance ofdating nonmembers, or members whoare untrained and faithless. . . . Onecannot afford to take a chance on fallingin love with someone who may neveraccept the gospel (The Miracle ofForgiveness, 241–42; italics added).
If you don’t have the opportunity toassociate with other LDS youth, considerif dating is really necessary at this time inyour life. Many people don’t date untilthey go to college. The fun, social aspectof dating is as easily achieved byparticipating in wholesome activities withworthwhile friends. And there’s none ofthe awkwardness and social pressure thatoften accompany dating.
If you date someone who doesn’t holdhigh standards, the romantic feelings youmay develop for that person could press-ure you to compromise your standards.Temple marriage should be your goal. Ifyou avoid dating situations where youmay feel pressure to compromise yourstandards—even if it means postponingdating—the Lord will bless you. NE
Answers are intended for help andperspective, not as pronouncements ofChurch doctrine.
8 T H E N E W E R A
What you really need to do is pray. Though a simple tool, it is most effective. Also, make sure that every person you intend to date knows your standards and won’t try to lower them.
Abby Scott, 16St. George, Utah
Date only those non-members who have high standards, who respect your standards, and in whose company you can maintain the standards of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Elder Offiong Udoh, 21Ghana Accra Mission
I think nonmembers are great friends. However, I have personally set a goal not to date them. It has often been said that you marry the people you date. If that’s the case, I might risk the opportunity to get married inthe temple and the possibility ofreturning back to my Father in Heaven.That’s one risk I’m not willing to take.
Shelley Nebeker, 16Eagle River, Alaska
RR E A D E R S
WHAT DO YOU THINK?Send us your answer to the questionbelow, along with your name, age,and where you are from. Pleaseinclude a snapshot of yourself that is1 1/2 by 2 inches (4 by 5 cm) or larger.
Q&A, New Era50 East North TempleSalt Lake City, Utah 84150
QUESTIONI’m about to receive my patriarchalblessing. I’m a little nervous. Whatare good ways to prepare for it?
Please respond before September 1,
2001.J U L Y 2 0 0 1 1 9
DON’T BE ADUMMY
A MANNEQUIN WEARS WHATEVER THE WORLD IS
SELLING. YOUR STANDARDS ARE HIGHER THAN THAT.
Photography by John Luke
DON’T BE ADUMMY
2 0 T H E N E W E R A
ATEMPLETEMPLEof Our Own
by Matthew Baker and Laury Livsey
ow
exciting
is it to
finally have a
temple near
where you live?
We’ll let the kids
in Oklahoma
and Michigan
tell you.
HH
FF our years ago, the Church had justdedicated its 50th operating temple,the St. Louis Missouri Temple. Four
months after that temple was dedicated,President Gordon B. Hinckley explainedin the October 1997 general conferencethat after prayerful consideration, theChurch had decided to begin a plan toconstruct smaller temples that wouldhave “all of the facilities to administerall of the ordinances. They would bebuilt to temple standards, which aremuch higher than meetinghousestandards. They would accommodatebaptisms for the dead, the endowmentservice, sealings, and all otherordinances to be had in the Lord’s housefor both the living and the dead”(Ensign, Nov. 1997, 49).
Since that historic announcement,members in many areas of the worldhave begun to experience the blessings oftemples that are nearby and convenient.
Last year, the Boston MassachusettsTemple became the Church’s 100thoperating temple. Since then, manyother temples have been announced,dedicated, or are being built. The NewEra recently traveled to two areas—Oklahoma City, Oklahama, the day thetemple there was dedicated, and Detroit,Michigan, after that temple had beendedicated—to see how these temples haveaffected the lives of the youth in the area.
Photography by the authors
J U L Y 2 0 0 1 2 1
2 2 T H E
“There are manyareas of the Churchthat are remote,where themembership is smalland not likely to growvery much in the nearfuture. Are those wholive in these places tobe denied forever theblessings of thetemple ordinances?While visiting such anarea a few monthsago, we prayerfullypondered thisquestion. The answer,we believe, camebright and clear”(Ensign, Nov. 1997,49).
—PresidentGordon B. Hinckley
Oklahoma City Oklahoma TempleWhen members were invited to join a
special choir that would sing at theOklahoma City Oklahoma Templededication, Mary Brunson jumped at thechance. Singing? Absolutely. Mary enjoysdoing it and is quite proficient. She’s sointo performing and singing that she hasa sticker that says “Drama Queen” on thebumper of her car. “I really love to sing,”she says.
So after months of practice for thespecial event on July 30, 2000, shecompared the differences betweenperforming on stage and singing at thisoccasion.
“It was worship here today,” she saysafter the first of four dedicatory sessions.“In a play you go out and perform. WhenI perform, it is pretending. Singing in thechoir was not pretending. This was real.This is something that will stay with me.”
She’s speaking about both herexperience at the dedication and thewhite marble temple that sits on theoutskirts of Oklahoma City.
The choirIn the spring of 2000, the Oklahoma
City Oklahoma East Stake organized thechoir. Mary saw it as a once-in-a-lifetimeopportunity. So did Ben Harrison andJonathan Pierce. It didn’t hurt that allthree are friends who love to sing—friends who were able to support andencourage each other during rehearsals.
“When we started practicing in thespring, the temple dedication didn’tseem real. It seemed so far in the future,”says Ben, 16, of the Choctaw Ward. Mary,Ben, and Jonathan stopped by thetemple site at various stages ofconstruction, watching the sacredbuilding go up. With each passing month,the reality of the temple increased intheir minds. Weekly choir practices inpreparation for the dedication alsohelped.
“I really think it will draw us a lotcloser to the Church having a templehere,” says Jonathan, 18. “We won’t haveto drive all the way to Dallas.” Or Manti.Before the Dallas Texas Temple was built
N E W E R A
in 1985, the Oklahoma City memberswere in the faraway Manti Utah Templedistrict. For Jonathan’s family, templevisits have gone from a two-day journeyto a four-hour trip to the 20-minute driveof today.
As Mary, Ben, and Jonathan walkaround the temple grounds after the firstdedicatory session, they all seem a littlein awe of what has just occurred. Maybeat one time having a temple in Oklahomadidn’t seem real. But the three realizethey just took part in something theyknow they’ll remember forever.
A lifetime of memories“This was an experience you can
look back on and remember mostclearly because of how unique itwas,” says Jonathan. “I reallyliked singing ‘God So Loved theWorld.’ Watching President[James E.] Faust put themortar in the cornerstoneand then singing that hymnmade me realize God doesso love the world that He isgoing to dot the world withtemples.”
All three are also inagreement that they oftenassumed Oklahoma would never have atemple. But after President Hinckley’s1997 announcement, it wasn’t longbefore the temple that will servemembers in parts of Kansas,Arkansas, Texas, and Missouri—aswell as Oklahoma—was announced.
“This is such a great thing,” saysBen, standing near the templeentrance. “There were times when Ithought Oklahoma didn’t haveenough members to have a temple.But I’ve seen that we actually arestrong, and the temple shows mehow strong we can become.”
All three also believe the presenceof the temple will help the youth inthe area stay stronger in the Church.“A lot of teenagers do drift from theChurch when they get to highschool,” says Jonathan. “I reallybelieve more boys will go on missions
J U L Y 2 0 0 1 2 3
efore the
Oklahoma
City temple
was built, (from
left) Mary
Brunson,
Jonathan Pierce,
and Ben Harrison
were part of the
Dallas Texas
Temple district.
When their own
temple neared
completion, the
three signed up to
sing praises in
the special choir
organized for the
dedication.
BB
2 4 T H E
“‘Come to thetemple.’ If not now,come soon. Prayfervently, set yourlives in order, savewhatever you can inhopes that that daymay come. . . . Thetemple transforms theindividual and makesabundantlyworthwhile anyefforts made to getthere. For some wholive at great distancesfrom a temple, thetemples will come toyou before you mightcome to them. Keepyour faith and yourhope and determinethat you will come—that you will beworthy and that youwill come to thetemple” (The HolyTemple, pamphlet,1982, 1).
—President Boyd K. PackerActing President ofthe Quorum of theTwelve
from Oklahoma if they’re able to gothrough the temple that they can calltheir own.”
They’re also sure of one thing. “We’regoing to wear the temple out,” says Ben.
Detroit Michigan TempleTwice a year, before the sun came up
on Saturday morning, the youth from theEast Shores (Michigan) Ward would pileinto cars and vans. For the next four orfive hours they would sleep, sing, playgames, and anticipate their destination:the Toronto Ontario Temple. They wouldspend the afternoon doing temple work,then pile back in the vehicles and arrivehome late in the evening.
Now the East Shores youth travel tothe temple six times each year, but thetravel time has been cut to about 25minutes since the Detroit MichiganTemple was dedicated in October 1999.
BlessingsWhen President Gordon B. Hinckley
gave the dedicatory prayer at the DetroitMichigan Temple, he prayed that thepeople who performed the temple work,as well as those who had passed away,would be blessed. With the temple soclose, the East Shores youth have hadplenty of opportunities to experience theblessings of temple work.
Many of the East Shores youth were atthe temple when President Hinckley gavethe dedicatory prayer. At that time, theyhad many expectations of what it wouldbe like to have a temple so close. Now,more than a year later, they are lookingback to see if their expectations weremet.
Great expectationsWhen the Detroit temple was
announced, Jessica Ellison, an EastShores Mia Maid, could hardly wait. “Iremember the exciting feeling ofknowing there would be a temple closerand we’d get a lot more chances to go.”
Michael Oniones, a teacher, shared inthe excitement. “I knew it would be a loteasier to do the things we used to do atToronto and other temples because it
N E W E R A
would be in our own backyard. We couldgo whenever we wanted.”
Jessica and Michael got their wish. “We go every other month now,” says
Erin Coons, a Mia Maid. “The Young Menand the Young Women switch; the girlsgo one month, and the next month theboys go.”
This is quite a change from the twice-a-year trip to Canada. But even thoughthe temple is so close, the East Shoresyouth say going there is like enteringanother world.
Coming togetherAlthough the greatest expectation the
youth had was to attend the temple moreoften, they have been flooded with otherblessings.
In the temple, sacred work isperformed that connects families throughthe generations. The East Shores youthsay that, as they work in the templetogether, they forge strong bonds witheach other.
“You get to know the girls in yourward better because you go together,”Erin says.
The friendship the Young Men andYoung Women develop as they attend thetemple is stronger than with their otherfriends because of the important workthey do in the temple.
“There aren’t many people you get toshare such a spiritual thing with,” saysKrista Lyke, a Laurel. “There’s a bondwith those girls that you don’t have withyour outside-church friends.”
A missionary nowOne blessing that wasn’t expected by
the East Shores youth was theopportunity the temple would presentfor sharing the gospel. But when agranite building with a gold angelappears on one of the main streets intown, people ask questions.
Erin took two of her friends throughthe temple during the open house. “Even though they weren’t extremelyinterested in learning more,” Erin says, “it just felt nice to share with them what I believe in.”
J U L Y 2 0 0 1 2 5
hen a
granite
building
topped by a gold
angel appears on
one of the main
streets in town,
people ask
questions. And
those questions
give the youth of
the East Shores
Michigan Stake a
chance to talk
with their friends
about the Church.
WW
2 6 T H E
Since the
Detroit
Michigan
Temple was built,
the East Shores
youth and their
leaders (opposite
page) have
attended the
temple every
month. They
realize that if they
are not diligent,
the nearness of a
temple can make
it easier to
procrastinate
going.
WW
A greater respectThe Detroit temple is one of the new,
smaller temples. Since there is minimalstaff, those attending are expected tohelp keep it clean. This means that whenthe youth finish with baptisms, they wipearound the baptismal font, help do thelaundry, and make sure everything is leftin order.
“It makes it more personal to youbecause you’ve taken care of it,” Jessicasays.
Some of the cleaning responsibilitiesmay not seem very pleasant, like cleaningthe bathrooms. But, as Mike says, sinceit’s the temple, it’s a privilege, not achore. “If you clean the bathroom,people may not think that’s so great,”Mike says, “but still, you’re cleaning thebathroom in the temple, and even to bein the temple is a great thing.”
ChallengesWhen Moses was leading the Children
of Israel through the wilderness, fieryflying serpents came down and bit them.After they had been bitten, the Lordpresented a way for them to be healed.All they had to do was look at a serpenton Moses’ staff (Num. 21:8–9). “Andbecause of the simpleness of the way, orthe easiness of it, there were many whoperished” (1 Ne. 17:41).
Since the Detroit temple has beenbuilt, the East Shores youth say it is quiteeasy to attend. But as it was with thepeople who died from the fiery serpentsbecause the cure was so easy, it is alsoeasy to say, “The temple is close by; I cango any time; I’ll skip this month and gonext month.”
“We have to go to the temple onTuesday or Thursday because we save theweekends for other stakes and wards thataren’t close,” says Krista. “So you have tochange your priorities, because, if you’rein sports and you have a practice, youhave to decide what’s more important,your practice or going to the temple.”
“Life doesn’t stop for you,” says ChrisYoung, a teacher. “Being closer to thetemple does make it easier, but you stillhave to plan for it.”
N E W E R A
Blessings closer to homeThe East Shores youth say
they are enjoying the blessingsPresident Hinckley prayed forin the dedicatory prayer. Oneof the things he prayed forwas that the temple would“shine as a bright andwelcome light, arefuge from thestorms andstresses of theworld.”
Jessica, likethe rest of theyouth, says thetemple hasdone that.“When you getto go, youdon’t have toworry aboutanything. Youfeel so calm andspecial, and youdon’t have theworldly matters todeal withanymore.”
As moretemples are builtaround theworld, moreyouth areenjoying theblessings andfeelings of theSpirit that comewith frequenttempleattendance. “Ifeel that feelingmore now,” saysMike. “Before wehad to go far, toCanada. Andnow that thetemple is closer,the feeling iscloser.” NE
J U L Y 2 0 0 1 2 7
2 8 T H E
Maybe it was a smallproblem, but it mattereda lot to me, so I decidedto turn to the Lord, andlearned a big lesson.
PrayerPrayerWAS THE KEY
hose lost
keys were a
worry. I
really needed
them, but I had no
idea where they
could be.
by Christian Neumann
TT
ot long ago I went to school early on my bike as usual, because I am a crossing guard
(skolepatrulje) at my school inCopenhagen, Denmark. We have to startat 7:45 A.M., and at 8:00 we go to ourclass. This particular day I took off myequipment in the basement when wefinished and was the first to enter myclassroom.
One of the boys from my class tried toblock my way, and I fell. He fell on top ofme, and my bike keys, which I usually
NN
N E W E R A
carry on a chain around my neck, fell off.Unfortunately, I didn’t notice that they
came off. A girl from my class found thekeys, took them, and put them inanother girl’s bag. But she forgot to tellme. When the teacher came in, every-body forgot everything about theincident.
School ended at noon that daybecause my German teacher was ill.When I went to my bike, I found out mykeys were not around my neck. I emptiedmy bag, but no keys. I tried to thinkwhen I could have lost my keys butdidn’t remember anything. I felt sick, andit seemed as if my brain stopped.
I had to go back and ask one of theteachers to let me call my dad. He cameand took me and my locked bike home.He wasn’t very happy that I had lost mykeys.
When I went to bed that night, I was
Illustrated by Bryan Lee Shaw
“Yes, every test, everytrial, every challengeand hardship youendure is an opportu-nity to further developyour faith. Faith can befortified throughprayer. Prayer is thepowerful key tomaking decisions, notonly concerning yourphysical body, butconcerning all otherimportant aspects ofyour life. Humbly seekthe Lord in prayer witha sincere heart andreal intent, and He willhelp you” (Ensign,Nov. 1990, 75).—Elder Russell M. Nelsonof the Quorum of the Twelve
wondering if I would ever find my keysagain. I was very worried, because if Ididn’t find them, I would have to walk toschool, and a new key was veryexpensive for me. Suddenly the thoughtcame to me that I always could pray toHeavenly Father because He could helpme and He knew where the keys were.
I got up, fell on my knees, and askedHim to help me find my keys.
The next day in school my mathteacher asked me why I was so silent. Itold him I had lost my bike keys.
Right then the girl who took the keyssuddenly remembered that she hadpicked them up, so she asked the girlnext to her to look in one of the smallpockets in her bag. My keys were there.
I know to some people losing a set ofkeys may not seem very important. But tome it was very important, and I also thinkit was important to Heavenly Father. Iknow we can always ask Him for helpwhen we need it. NE
J U L Y 2 0 0 1 2 9
They served with heart,might and mind, rake,brush, and hammer—allfor children whose smilesthey’d never see.
ven the play
houses
needed new
coats of paint, so
nothing at this
home for
seriously ill
children was left
undone.
by Janet Thomas
Doing Doing thetheHHAARD JOBSRD JOBS
EE
ummers in San Antonio, Texas, canget hot, very hot. But this particular Saturday in July, thetemperature was record breaking, wellover 100 degrees Fahrenheit. And best ofall—yes, best of all—most of the teens inthe San Antonio Texas Stake were lost.
They had forgotten themselves, theirown aches and pains, their own problemsand worries, and even the heat. Theywere lost in service to a group of childrenthey would never meet face to face. Theywere refurbishing the play areas,grounds, and buildings of ProvidenceHouse, a day-care facility devoted tochildren with life-threatening illnesses.
SS
3 0 T H E N E W E R A
Because of the children’s illnesses, thegroup would not be allowed to meetthose who would benefit directly fromtheir work.
For these teens, their youthconference was devoted to service, thetrue kind of service that is given with nothought of reward, even the reward thatcomes from seeing the smiling faces ofchildren. They had chosen to dressmodestly, even though temperatures hadvirtually never been higher. They choseto work outside or inside until every jobwas finished. And they chose to workwith an attitude that they hoped wouldplease their Heavenly Father.
The adult leaders took everyprecaution. They made sure teens hadplenty to drink and were taking restbreaks in the shade or inside in the airconditioning. They even broke out ashaved-ice machine to serve plenty ofcooling, flavored ice. They had alsoworked carefully with the director ofProvidence House in identifying exactlywhat needed to be done so the correct
J U L Y 2 0 0 1 3 1Photography by the author
3 2 T H E N E W E R A
materials and tools were on hand.Carol Bova-Rice, the executive director
of Providence Home and Family Services,said, “I cannot find the words to expressour appreciation. Other groups haveoffered to help, but they didn’t want todo big things. With this group, weplanned what really needed to be donein advance, no matter how big. It’swonderful.”
Taking their theme from thescriptures, the stake youth councilagreed on the title “Mission Possible.”They liked the idea that individually theycould not accomplish much but “withGod all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26).They were particularly excited aboutcombining the usual youth conferencedances and barbecues with an out-standing service project. They wantedsomething substantial so the teens couldreally pull together to accomplishsomething big, something that would bememorable, and something that wouldteach a great lesson of Christlike service.
Hannah Clark, one of the teen co-chairs of the youth conference,explained, “There are some people thatneed our help. That’s where we need tocome in and be like Christ. We need toserve. That is the pure love of Christ. It’scharity. That is the way to do it, byserving, even if we can’t see them andeven if we don’t even know who theyare. We are becoming more the way that
he sea of
red shirts
was in
constant motion
except for group
photos (far left)
and snow cone
breaks (left).
Otherwise, the
San Antonio
Texas Stake youth
were always hard
at work.
TT
we should be when we do those things.”“We’ll have to visualize the children
coming in,” said Chris Weirich, anotheryouth co-chair, “and seeing the newthings in a room, the new murals, all thenew materials, the repainted play equip-ment, the new grow boxes; you just haveto visualize it. You won’t see them, butyou can still feel their excitement.”
On youth conference Saturday,Providence House was bustling.Everyone was assigned a group, and eachgroup was assigned a job. Because of thered T-shirts issued for youth conference,the scene was literally a sea of moving,shifting colors. Everyone had a cleaningrag, a paintbrush, a broom, a vacuum, ahammer, or a rake in hand. Every spotthat needed cleaning was cleaned.Everything that needed a new coat ofpaint was painted. Every weed waspulled. Every toy was sterilized. Everyshelf in the storage closets was stackedwith donated food or supplies. The SanAntonio Stake youth had indeed takenon the big things.
Even as hot and tired as they were, byearly afternoon nearly everything hadbeen finished. The group returned to thestake center for a testimony meeting.One after another, they spoke about thethings close to their hearts, about givingservice without complaint, about howpositive they were about the truthfulnessof the gospel of Jesus Christ.
J U L Y 2 0 0 1 3 3
3 4 T H E
row boxes
(above)
will allow
the children the
joy of growing
small gardens.
Esther Crandall
(above, right)
holds a few of
the blankets she
made for the
center.
GG
Sandra Clark summed up how she felt,saying, “I’ve never been so sore and sohappy with everything that’s going onaround me. So many things were donewith the right spirit this weekend.”
There were some nice, unexpectedmoments. Brant Ellsworth mentionedone. “When we first got there, we weredigging the holes for the grow boxes.Some girls were weeding along the fence,and they started singing. It was sobeautiful. They were doing a hard joband singing as they were doing it. Itmade me think of the pioneers. Theydidn’t know how their actions wouldaffect other people. They didn’t see us orknow how much we appreciate thethings they did for us. I felt that samespirit while we were working.”
Two girls, working in the building thathouses the nursery and the offices,paused to look at some small metal starsengraved with first names and attachedto the wall.
“What are these for?” they asked. These represent the children at the
center who have died from theirillnesses, they were told. Suddenly, all thework and effort in such extremeconditions seemed like such a smallthing. They had found those that thescripture speaks of when it says,“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one ofthe least of these my brethren, ye have
N E W E R A
done it unto me” (Matt. 25:40). NE
SSERVICEERVICEPPROJECTSROJECTS
While planning things that needed to bedone at Providence House, several items onthe list became good ideas for one personto take on as a Laurel project or as part ofan Eagle Scout project.
Steven Ellsworth took on the canned-food drive. Checking with the center aboutits specific needs, Steven set a goal tocollect 750 cans. He also created a Web siteto keep stake members informed aboutyouth conference and about whatspecifically was needed for the food drive.
Amy Kreiger accepted the assignment tocreate school boxes suitable for the childrenat the center. She organized painting andassembling the boxes and arranging for theschool supplies to go inside.
Megan Baillio was excited to take on theredecorating of several rooms used forchildren who stay overnight. She workedwith her mother in learning to sew quilttops and curtains for the rooms. Sheorganized groups at the youth conferenceto tie the quilts.
Esther Crandall accepted the assign-ment to make baby-sized blankets for thecenter. She worked with her mother tolearn to make blankets with decorative
edgings.T H E E X T R A S M I L E
J U L Y 2 0 0 1 3 5
Val Chadwick Bagley
“Great, Elder. Thanks to you we
now have the cleanestapartment in the
mission.”
Adam Koford
“Is it just me, or are we singing this
song faster thanusual?”
Ryan Stoker
“Oh, I’m not stuck. I just ran out
of clean clothes to wear.”
O F A L L T H I N G S
3
BE BE CCLEANLEANnly we can control our appetites and passions. . . .
“In its simplest terms, self-mastery is doing those things we should do and not doingthose things we should not do. It requires strength, willpower, and honesty. . . .
“One of the great foundations of personal power is purity. . . . With all my heart I urge youwonderful young people not to take a secret shame with you to your marriage. You may never beable to forget it. You will want to go through life with the strength that comes from a clearconscience, which will permit you one day to stand before your Maker and say, ‘My soul is pure.’Self-denial is not restrictive. It is liberating. It is the pathway to freedom. It is strength. It is anessential element of purity” (Ensign, May 2000, 44).—President James E. FaustSecond Counselor in the First Presidency
OO“
6 T H E N E W E R A
FFAITH OF OUR FAITH OF OUR FAATHERSTHERS
Photography by James H. Crockwell
WRITE AWRITE AWWAAY!Y!
LL ast November, PresidentGordon B. Hinckley gavethe youth of the Church
some Bs to be concernedabout: Be humble, be prayerful,be grateful, be smart, be clean,and be true (see New Era, Jan.2001, 4). We want to hear whatyou’ve been doing to follow theprophet’s counsel. Send yourtrue story about keeping yourstandards high, in 1,200 wordsor less, to New Era, 50 EastNorth Temple, Salt Lake CityUtah, 84150. Or e-mail us at [email protected].
WW e have faith, we live by faith; wecame to these mountains by faith”(Teachings of the Presidents of the
Church: Brigham Young, MelchizedekPriesthood and Relief Society course of study,1997, 106).
Brigham Young spoke these words shortlyafter entering the Salt Lake Valley in July 1847,154 years ago. The valley was barren, butBrigham Young and his company believedtheir vision of the desert blossoming as a rosecould be made real through their faith andhard work.
Brigham Young said, “We had not theleast encouragement—from naturalreasoning and all that we could learn ofthis country—of its sterility, its cold and
“
frost, to believe that we could ever raiseanything. . . . We had faith that we couldraise grain; was there any harm in this?Not at all. If we had not had faith, whatwould have become of us? We wouldhave gone down in unbelief . . . andshould never have raised anything”(Brigham Young, 104–5).But the Saints did have faith. Theyescaped the persecution of the mobs andwere greatly blessed in Utah. “There neverhas been a land, from the days of Adamuntil now, that has been blessed more thanthis land has been blessed by our Father inHeaven; and it will still be blessed more, ifwe are faithful and humble, and thankful toGod” (Brigham Young, 106).
BRITISH PIONEERSBRITISH PIONEERS
JJ uly is also a month to celebrate British pioneers. The first nine Britishmembers were baptized into the Church on July 30, 1837, in the RiverRibble in Preston, England; less than two weeks had passed since the first
seven missionaries came to England on July 19. They faced much opposition, butby the next April, there were 1,500 members in England, and the gospel wasspreading to all the British Isles. By 1851, there were nearly 33,000 members inthe United Kingdom and Ireland—there were only 12,000 in Utah.
About 100,000 converts left England to join the Saints in America between 1837and 1900. And by 1870 British immigrants made up half of Utah’s population.Church membership in the United Kingdom now exceeds 174,000, and the Saintsthere have been blessed with two temples and a missionary training center.
Painting River Ribble by Frank Magleby
THIS IS NOT ATHIS IS NOT ACCRRAASH COURSESH COURSE
CC ar crashes are the number one cause
of death for teenagers in North
America. And summer is when the
fatality rate is the highest. It’s not that all
teens are bad drivers, but inexperience and
the tendency to take more risks than other
drivers combine to make them more likely to
be in an accident. Here are some ways you
can be safer when you drive:
✹ Don’t push yourself into driving if you don’t
feel prepared yet.
✹ Buckle up! Nearly two-thirds of young
people involved in fatal car crashes were not
wearing their safety belts (U.S. Department of
Transportation).
✹ Don’t doze and drive. If you’re sleepy pull
over and take a nap, or have someone else
who’s awake drive. Or if you’re a passenger,
you can help keep the driver alert.
✹ Be courteous and cautious.
✹ Cell phones are another danger when you
drive. Using one while driving increases the
risk of having an accident four-fold
(Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.).
✹ Keep your car well maintained; it needs
more care than just a regular trip to the gas
station.
✹ Turn down the music, and ask your friends
to let you concentrate. Teen drivers with three
or more passengers are three times more
likely to get into a fatal accident than those
driving alone (American Medical Association).
✹ Be extra careful when you drive at night.
Most accidents involving teens occur after
dark, especially on weekend nights (U.S.
Department of Transportation).
J U L Y 2 0 0 1 3 7
F I C T I O N
3 8 T H E
use those ‘fish’ machines as muchby W. Dave Free
Find Annie Hicks? Why?Who was she, and whyshould Jake care?
GOGO FICHEFICHEuickly
shoving
the bare
wires back into
the hole in the
machine, Jake
passed the little
doorway of the
huge fiche reader.
He came to a
dead stop.
Something was
flickering inside.
“How do you ask, Jacob?”replied his mother, holding the
ketchup for ransom.“Come on, Mom! I’m in a hurry. Just
pass me the ketchup!”“Not until you ask for it properly,
young man!”For an instant, Jake thought of eating
his hamburger and fries without ketchup,but the thought vanished as he looked atthe near masterpiece he had created onthe plate before him. All that was missingwas the ketchup. With just a hint ofexaggeration, he gave in and said,“Please, mother dearest, if it’s not toomuch to ask, would you mind passingthe sweetened tomato sauce mydirection?”
“That’s better.” His mom smiled andhanded him the ketchup beforecontinuing. “Oh, I almost forgot. Briancalled to remind you to bring the nameof one of your ancestors to activity nighttonight. He said something about goingto the Family History Center. Anyway, Igot out some books so you can pick aname.”
Jake took a big bite out of his burgerand began to respond. In unison, hismom, dad, two little sisters, and littlebrother reminded him not to talk with
PP“
N E W E R A
his mouth full. As soon as he wasable, he continued, “Don’t worryabout the name, Mom. I’ve beento the Family History Centerbefore, so I’m going to the gymwith Brett tonight.”
Jake’s dad cleared his throat,and the chatter around the tablestopped like a switch had beenflipped. “Son, I’m not going totell you what you have to do, butthe right place to be tonight is atactivity night with the rest of yourquorum. You can make your owndecision, but you know where youshould be.”
“Aw, Dad!” Jake dragged out thewords with his best whining tone. “Wego every year, and it’s always the same.A little old lady tells us how excitinggenealogy is and if we listen real closewe will have the ‘opportunity’ to use oneof the fish machines.”
“Fiche, Jake, microfiche machines,” hismother corrected.
“Fish . . . fiche . . . whatever. Last yearthe most exciting thing that happenedwas when Doug Brown startedrewinding his microfilm and then walkedoff. When it got to the end of the tape, itwas flipping around making all kinds ofnoise. People came running fromeverywhere to see what had happened.”
Jake’s little brother and sisterslaughed, and his parents smiled, but hisdad didn’t give in. “Lots of information ison computers now, Jake. They don’t
Illustrated by Dilleen Marsh
J U L Y 2 0 0 1 3 9
4 0 T H E
The river crossingdescribed in the storyis based on theMartin handcartcompany’s crossingof the North PlatteRiver.
The rescue of the“fine young chap”(Annie’s words) andher testimony weretaken from herunpublishedautobiography, whichis in the possession offamily members. Theconclusion of therescue story is heartwrenching. Theyoung boy Anniepulled from the riverinsisted on searchingfor firewood thatnight for his widowedmother. “When hehad been gone a longtime, a search wasmade for him, and hewas found frozen todeath with his sticksin his arms.”
ANNIE’SANNIE’SWORDSWORDS
anymore. You need to go.”Jake started to respond, but his dad
held up his hand. “You make your owndecision, son. You know what I think youshould do.”
s the quorum arrived at the FamilyHistory Center, Jake dug his handinto his pocket and pulled out the
piece of paper his mom had given him.Unfolding it, he read the name: AnnieHicks. A girl! His mom had given him agirl’s name! Brian had bragged all the wayto the center about his ancestor the CivilWar hero. Most of the rest of the guysclaimed to be related to one king oranother. Doug even claimed he wasrelated to Elvis. And here was Jake withthe name of some unknown girl.
“This is going to be even worse than Ithought,” he grumbled as he walked inthe door.
Jake’s dad was right about one thing.Where the microfiche machines used tobe, there were now several computerswith bright screens. Racks of shinycompact discs sat next to them on thetables. The microfiche machinesremaining were all huddled in a smallback room. The door to the room wasroped off with a sign that read “PleaseAsk for Assistance.”
As the family history consultantwelcomed the quorum and began to talkabout the new software, Jake driftedtoward the back of the group. He didn’twant to be the one who had to use hisancestor’s name as a demonstration.Finding a comfortable spot against thedoorway to the back room with themicrofiche machines, he settled down forthe wait. He tried to listen for a fewminutes, but from the back he couldbarely hear, and his attention soonturned to the ‘fish’ machines in the roombehind him.
Poor machines, he thought, all thoseyears they did just what they weresupposed to and now their only reward isto be quarantined like they have somerare disease. Without thinking, hestepped over the rope and began towander among the machines.
In the darkest corner, Jake discovereda monster of a fiche reader. It wasn’t a
AA
N E W E R A
table-top model like the others but stood
by itself on the floor—like a picture-taking booth. It even had a little blackcurtain across its door to keep out thelight. Curious, Jake began to walk aroundthe machine. His inspection, however,was cut short as he tripped over itspower cord. Bending to plug it back in,he realized that he hadn’t just unpluggedit; he had ripped the wires right out ofthe machine.
Jake groused under his breath. “Ishould have just gone to the gym.” Hequickly shoved the bare wires back intothe hole in the machine and headed forthe safety of the crowd. As he passed thelittle doorway of the huge fiche reader,he came to a dead stop. Something wasflickering inside. Hoping he hadn’tstarted an electrical fire with the barewires, Jake slipped inside the machine toinvestigate. As he sat down, the littleblack curtain quietly closed behind him.
Jake would have jumped up and run,but the screen of the microfiche readerflickered on. “Well, at least it still works!”he said out loud. Almost as if in responseto his voice, a computerized voice said,“Please state the name of the person youwish to find.”
Wow! Pretty high-tech, Jake thought.“Please state the name of the person
you wish to find.” The machine repeated.“Okay, okay! I’ll state it!”“Please state the name of the person
you wish to find.”Jake rolled his eyes and said nothing
as he dug the folded piece of paper fromhis pocket and read the name out loud:“Annie Hicks.”
he next thing Jake knew, he wascold, so very, very cold. Snow wasblowing in his face, and an ice cold
wind cut through the thin, coarse jackethe was now wearing. His legs werecovered by very thin, gray wool pantswith patches on both knees. He couldn’tfeel his feet and had to lift them out ofthe snow to see if they were still there.His high-top, cross trainers had beenreplaced by old-fashioned boots. But thetoes of the boots were completely wornthrough, revealing the red wool socksthat now covered his frozen toes.
Taking in his surroundings, Jake
TT
became aware that he was standing on
ake stared at
the pathetic
collection of
people struggling
through the snow.
“How are these
people going to
survive the night?”
he wondered
aloud as he
helped Annie pull
her cart into
camp.
JJ
the bank of a wide river. There werepeople on both sides of the river pullingand pushing handcarts and shivering inthe cold. Those on the opposite side ofthe river appeared to be waiting for theirturn to walk down into the water andcross to Jake’s side. Jake shiveredinvoluntarily as he looked at the sheetsof ice floating on the cold, gray water.
“What is this?” was all he could saybefore he heard a cry for help.
“My boy, my boy! Somebody save myboy!” The cry came from the far side ofthe river, and Jake focused on a womanwith several children gathered aroundher. She was screaming and pointingat a boy, no more than 10 or 12,being carried downstream withtheir handcart by the force of thecurrent. For an instant, Jake wasfrozen in terror as he watched thetragedy unfold before him. Itseemed hopeless. Then he noticedsomeone from his side of the riverracing down the bank toward theboy. The rescuer jumped into thewater, splashed out to the boy, andpulled him and his handcart towardthe safety of the shore.
Something finally clicked within Jake,and he ran down to the bank of theriver. He reached the water just in timeto help pull the boy and his rescuer uponto the bank. With chattering teeth,the boy thanked the rescuer over andover again, “Thank you, Annie! Thankyou, Annie!”
For the first time, Jake realized thatthe rescuer was a young girl not mucholder than himself. As he reached outhis hand and pulled her out of thewater, he asked, “Annie? Annie Hicks?”
She looked at him for a moment witha quizzical look on her face and thenreplied in an English accent, “Why ofcourse it is. Have you had a bump onyour head today? Now quit looking atme that way, and let’s get this poor chapback to his family and into camp.” Jakesmiled sheepishly, took hold of thehandcart, and pulled it up the hilltoward the rest of the company.
As he walked into the camp, Jakerealized it was like none other he hadever seen. There were four to five
hundred men, women, and children, allin wet and frozen clothes. From whatJake could see, few, if any, had dryclothes to change into. Some were tryingto clear away snow and set up tents, butthe ground was too frozen to drive thetent pegs. One or two small fires burned,but there wasn’t any additional firewoodin sight. There were a few people eating,but what they ate looked like nothingmore than a flour paste. Jake thoughtabout the masterpiece burger and frieshe had eaten for dinner. It probablywould have fed half the camp.
“How are these people going tosurvive the night?” he wondered aloud ashe helped Annie pull her cart into camp.Annie looked at him but didn’t respond.As they passed cart after cart, he began
J U L Y 2 0 0 1 4 1
to wonder if they would ever find Annie’s
4 2 T H E
AAbook was
opened.
On the
page was her
name without a
mar or blemish
against it. She
told Jake, “This is
the right way.
Walk in it.”
family. “Where’s your family’s camp?” hefinally asked.
Annie stopped pulling and studied himclosely before responding. “My family isin England. They disowned me the day Iwas baptized. I don’t expect that I willever hear from them again.” As she spokeshe laid down the handcart handle andturned to unpack her few belongings.
“You, you’re here by yourself?” Jake’sdisbelief and shivering caused him tostammer. After all, here was a girl, noolder than himself, pulling a handcartacross the country in the middle ofwinter without her family.
“No, I’m not by myself,” Annieresponded matter-of-factly. “I’msurrounded by my brothers and sisters,and God is with us.”
N E W E R A
“But how, Annie? How can you keepgoing without your family and with somuch suffering?”
Now Annie stopped working andlooked directly across the handcart atJake. “From the moment I heard thegospel, I knew it was true. The day afterI was baptized, my family heard of mybaptism and told me some of the vileststories about the Mormons. They said if Ijoined the Mormons I would be ruinedfor life. That night I prayed with all myheart to know the truth. I prayed, ‘DearLord, do not let me do wrong. Let meknow tonight, dear Father; let me knowtonight.’ I immediately was comforted
by a wonderful dream. A book wasopened to me, and the leaves
were turned in rapidsuccession until the pagewith my record was found.On the page was my namewithout a mar or blemishagainst it. A loud clear voice
spoke to me saying, ‘This isthe way. Walk ye in it.’ When I
woke the next morning, Ilaughed for joy to think that I
had been heard and answered. Itold my folks that it had been made
known to me that Mormonism wasright, and I would follow it.”
She hesitated for a moment and Jakelooked down. A warmth burned withinhim that even the most severe coldcouldn’t stop. Annie stepped around thecorner of the cart and touched him onthe sleeve. “This is the right way, Jake.Walk in it.”
n an instant, Jake was back in theFamily History Center. He was sittingon the floor where the huge machine
had been. There was no sign of themachine. He had his own clothes on,but his toes tingled like they didwhenever they were thawing out. Jakeshook his head a few times to clear histhoughts. He could hear the familyhistory consultant continuing hispresentation. “Now, does anyone havethe name of an ancestor we can use asan example?”
Jake jumped up and ran toward thegroup, “Right here! I have one righthere!” NE
II
Through thegospel ofJesus Christ,
we have been givenso much. What aresome ways to showgratitude for ourmany blessings?Send your ideas toIdea List, New Era,50 East NorthTemple, Salt LakeCity, Utah 84150. Ore-mail us at [email protected] send your ideas bySeptember 1, 2001.
Contributed by the
GGOOTT AANNYYBBRRIIGGHHT T IIDDEEAAS?S?
I D E A L I S T
STSTARTING YARTING YOUR FOUR FAAMILMILY Y HHISTORYISTORY
resident Gordon B. Hinckley hassaid doing work for the dead“more nearly approaches thevicarious sacrifice of the Savior Himselfthan any other work” (Ensign, Jan. 1998,73). Here are a few suggestions on howto get started on your family history:
*Start with you. A personal journal is asimple and easy way to begin.
*Find out from your parents andgrandparents about their own lives andabout the lives of the ancestors whomthey remember. If it hasn’t already beendone, be sure to record the informationyou get (see comment on PersonalAncestral File below).
*Get a box. Use your file box toorganize the items you will need to beginyour record. These items include yourbirth certificate, baby book, journals,photos, achievement certificates, andanything else representing importantevents in your life.
*Create a photo album. Remember toinclude the dates and names of peoplepictured.
PP
*Keep gathering. Once you have all
Photography by Mark Cannon
your own information recorded, you canbegin to work on organizing yourparents’ and siblings’ information. Familygroup sheets and pedigree charts are thebest way to keep your informationorganized; you can ask your ward orstake family history consultant about howto get them and fill them out.
*Read A Member’s Guide to Templeand Family History Work. It is availablein your ward library or through Churchdistribution centers.
*Become familiar with the programsand Internet sites produced by theChurch to help you in your efforts.Personal Ancestral File is the program youwill use the most to organize yourinformation, and you can download itfree from familysearch.org.
*Always remember the mainingredients in your family history workwill be prayer and commitment. And your
main goal is to ensure yourancestors receive the
ordinances of the temple.You’re never too young to
J U L Y 2 0 0 1 4 3
Don Sparhawk familystart.
N E W E R A C L A S S I C
4 4 T H E
ELDER, THEY WILL ELDER, THEY WILL
LLOOVVE E YYOOUU
EE lder
LeGrand
Richards,
former Apostle
and author of A
Marvelous Work
and a Wonder,
was known
throughout the
Church for his
love of
missionary work.
Here he gives
just one of the
reasons why it is
so rewarding.
by Elder
LeGrand Richards
(1886–1983)
hen I was a young man,before I was even ordained adeacon, I went to one of our
ward meetings, and two missionariesreported their missions in the SouthernStates. When I left that meeting, I felt likeI could have walked to any mission fieldin the world, if I just had a call.
And I went home, went into mybedroom, and got down on my knees,and asked the Lord to help me to liveworthy so that when I was old enough Icould go on a mission. And when the trainfinally left the station in Salt Lake and Iwas headed for the little land of Holland,the last thing I said to my loved ones was,“This is the happiest day of my life.”
Love for missionariesBefore I left on that mission, President
Anthon H. Lund, who was then acounselor in the First Presidency of theChurch, talked to us missionaries, and hesaid, “The people will love you. . . . Theywill love you because of what you bringto them.” I did not understand that then,but before I left Holland, I went aroundsaying good-bye to the Saints and theconverts whom I had brought into theChurch, and I shed a thousand tears, ascompared to what I shed when I told myloved ones good-bye.
For instance, in Amsterdam I went intoa home where I had been the firstmissionary there, and the mother,looking up into my face with tears rollingdown her cheeks, said, “BrotherRichards, it was hard to see my daughterleave for Zion a few months ago, but it’s
WW
N E W E R A
much harder to see you go.” Then I
thought I could understand whatPresident Lund meant when he said,“They will love you.”
I went to tell a man good-bye. Hestood erect in the uniform of his country.He got down on his knees and took myhand in his and hugged it and kissed itand bathed it with his tears. And then Ithought I could understand whatPresident Lund meant.
Joy of serving a missionNow I have labored so much with the
missionaries. I have been on fourmissions, and presided over two, and Ihave toured many missions. I love tohear those young men bear theirtestimonies. For instance, a young man inOregon in our testimony meeting saidthere wasn’t a company in this world thatcould pay him a large enough salary toget him to leave his missionary work.
I received a letter here from amissionary from Idaho. He wrote this:
“There is no greater work than that ofmissionary work. . . . My life is dedicatedto serving the Lord. My heart isoverflowing as are the tears of joy thatare now coming from my eyes. There isnothing so wonderful—nothing—astasting the joy and success of missionarylabors.”
After all the missionary service I havehad, I wouldn’t want to raise a boy andnot have him go on a mission, for hisgood and because I think we owe it tothe world to share with them the truthsof the gospel. NE
Adapted from an October 1978
general conference address.J U L Y 2 0 0 1 4 5
hy havethesegreat
missionaries andothers like thembeen willing tosacrifice . . . toanswer the call toserve? It’s becausethey have atestimony of JesusChrist. . . . Andbecause they arefaithful to theircallings, thousandswill revere theirnames throughoutthe eternities”(Ensign, Nov. 1995,42).
—Elder Harold G. Hillam of the Quorum of the Seventy
Painting by William Hole
WW“
4 6 T H
CHANGING
by Matthew Baker
When I was in themajority, how manytimes had I unthinkinglyexcluded someone else?
rowing
up,
nearly
everyone I knew
belonged to the
same church I
did. In Ireland,
suddenly I was in
a small minority,
and it really
opened my eyes.
CHANGINGGG
AA trip to Ireland sounded like anexciting vacation to me. I didn’tmind leaving home for a year while
my dad taught at a university beforereturning to his job at Snow College.
When we arrived in Ireland and beganpreparations to attend school, I realizedthat not only would my siblings and I be theonly Latter-day Saints in the school, but wewould also be among the small group of
E N E W E R A
non-Catholic students. This would be abig change from the predominantly LDSschool I attended in Ephraim, Utah.
Although I was excited for school tostart, there was one problem: we didn’tknow what time new students were toarrive on registration day. Theregistration schedule wasn’t listed in thelocal paper, and it wasn’t posted at theschool. On a whim, we showed up latein the morning.
Although we had guessed and beensuccessful, we wondered how everyoneelse knew when to arrive, so my dadasked the woman in line in front of us.Her answer taught us a lesson. “Well,they’ve announced it in church the pastfour weeks.”
Illustrated by Allen Garns
PLACESPLACES
The church she referred to was Mass,the Catholic worship service.Growing up in a predominantly
Latter-day Saint community, I hadn’tbeen exposed much to other religions.And since I had grown up as a memberof the majority religion, I nowwondered how many times I hadunconsciously made the same type ofassumption—that everyone was amember of the Church.
I thought of the people I knew at myschool in Utah who weren’t members ofthe Church and wondered how manytimes they had been left out of activitiesjust because they didn’t go to the samechurch I went to. I had neverintentionally discriminated, but I
wondered if they felt excluded.During that year of school I wore a
school uniform every day. I learnedCatholic prayers and attended Mass aspart of the school curriculum. I took aclass about Catholicism and listened eachweek when the priest came to tell ourclass stories from the Bible.
All of my friends at school in Irelandaccepted me despite our religiousdifferences. And as I learned more abouttheir religion, they learned more aboutmine. There were times I felt left outbecause everyone but me knew of acertain activity or had heard a story inchurch that, when referred to, left me inthe dark. But all those times reinforcedmy decision to be more aware of my
J U L Y 2 0 0 1 4 7
4 8 T H E
thought of
those I had
known in Utah
who were not
Latter-day Saints.
Had I been guilty
of unintentional
discrimination
like I was now
experiencing?
II
classmates at home who were not LDS.My dad thought it was important forus to understand the beliefs of the twomajor religions in Ireland so we wouldunderstand the people in ourcommunity. The topic of family homeevenings and family discussions that yearwas often centered on the beliefs of theCatholic and Protestant churches. Myparents taught us to respect the beliefs ofothers and, at the same time, to live theprinciples we believed.
At the end of the year none ofmy friends had been convertedto the Church, but mytestimony had grown as I triedto live my religion. I did learnthat I could be tolerant ofpeople who had differentbeliefs than mine withoutendorsing their beliefs. Ilearned that if I respectedthe religious differences ofmy friends and lived myreligion in a way thatmerited respect, myreligious beliefswould earn the samerespect that I gave. NE
N E W E R A
AACCEPTCCEPTANCEANCEAlthough we desire the world to hearthe restored gospel, we also respect theright of others to decide if they wish toaccept it or not.
The 11th article of faith declares ourrespect for the right of all people tochoose what they believe and how theyworship: “We claim the privilege ofworshiping Almighty God according tothe dictates of our own conscience, andallow all men the same privilege, letthem worship how, where, or whatthey may.”
There are many good people whobelong to other religions, and we havemuch in common with them. TheChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-daySaints often works with other faiths onhumanitarian projects and other effortsto improve the common good.
But there are many lifestyles that runcounter to the revealed teachings ofthe Church. The line between
accepting people and accepting theirbeliefs and actions can easily beconfused. Be careful not to fall forthe mistaken belief that valuing otherpeople means you must also endorse
their actions or lifestyle.President Gordon B. Hinckley
said, “We cannot condone thesin, but we love the sinner”
(Ensign, Nov. 1995, 89). We areall children of the same God,and He loves everyone—thesinner and the saint. We arecommanded to do the same.
There are many who simplydon’t know the teachingsof the restored gospeland therefore can’t livethem (see 2 Ne. 9:25). We
can’t judge people by whatthey don’t know. We musttry to love everyone as our
neighbor.
R E A D E R ’ S G U I D E
Index of Topics
Attitude 4Dating 16Faith 28Family History 38,
43 Gratitude 8Heritage 7Honor 8 Jesus Christ 8Missionary Work 44Modesty 19Optimism 4Pioneers 7, 8Prayer 28 Respect 46Sacrifice 8Selflessness 12Service Projects 30Temple Blessings 20Tolerance 46
Creativeideas forusing thisissue of the New Era.
Family Home Evening Ideas�� Read aloud one of the anecdotes
from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s article onpage 8. Talk about the sacrifices thepioneers made to establish the Church. Asa family, decide on a sacrifice you canmake that will strengthen the Church—perhaps you could use money earmarkedfor something fun to buy copies of theBook of Mormon for the missionaries, oruse the time you had set aside for a funouting to serve a less-active family andinvite them to church.
�� Read the article about temples onpage 20. Obtain a world map and markwhere each temple is located or is underconstruction. If the Internet is available, goto the official church website atwww.lds.org. Click on News MediaResources, then Quick Facts and FAQs.Under Statistical Information, click onTemples of the Church for an officialtemple list. Also, a temple schedule, listingthe operating temples, is available fromthe distribution center.
Member Missionary Ideas�� Read Elder LeGrand Richards’s article
on missionary work on page 44 andchoose a favorite passage. Use thequotation as a way to begin a letter to amissionary and express your gratitude forthe work he or she is doing. This kind ofletter would brighten any missionary’smailbox.
Young Women and Young Men Mutual Activities
�� Read “Go Fiche” on page 38. Thenread the Idea List on page 43 for ideas onhow you and your class or quorum can getstarted on family history. If the FamilyHistory Center in your stake is closeenough to visit, arrange for a tour andsome instruction on how to get started.Set a goal to take a family name to thetemple on your next temple trip.
Seminary Devotional Idea�� President Hinckley is an optimist.
Read the article on page 4 and choose oneor two of your favorite quotations to sharewith the class. Bring a large rock to classand hold it very close to your face. Explainthat the rock is the only thing you can see.Then hold the rock at arm’s length andexplain that if you put problems in properperspective, they seem much moremanageable. Challenge the class todevelop a spirit of optimism.
Personal Improvement�� “Changing Places” on page 46 deals
with becoming educated about the beliefsof others. Write a short list of questionsabout the religious beliefs of someone yougo to school with and arrange for a time todiscuss them. Listen politely and avoidconfrontation. Be prepared to answer afew questions about your own beliefs aswell.
J U L Y 2 0 0 1 4 9
W E ’ V E G O T M A I L
“I used toread theFriend, andnow I lookforward tothe upliftingstories in theNew Era.”
5
Worth looking at againThank you for publishing “A Promise Kept”
in the January 2001 New Era. When I receivedit, I put the magazine under my bed, but Inever read it. In our Young Women meetingthat Sunday, our teacher read that article. Afew hours later, my grandmother died. I wasvery sad, so I pulled out the New Era andread the article again. Thanks.
Tallia TannerGrouse Creek, Utah
A great impactThank you for putting out the New Era. It
has impacted my life greatly. Whenever I needguidance or am feeling depressed, I canalways count on the magazine to fill my spiritand let me know there are other teens likeme who have similar trials and problems.Thank you so much.
Chanelle ChinWailuku, Hawaii (via e-mail)
New readerI just started Young Women last November
and began receiving the New Era. I read thatissue all night and couldn’t put it down! I likeit very much. Keep up the good work.
Emily SweeneyState College, Pennsylvania (via e-mail)
Good guideWe would really like to express how good a
guide the New Era is. It teaches youngpeople, as well as young adults, the way theyshould be living their lives. It also providesinspiration and enlightenment for people ofall ages.
Elder Michael Gross and Elder Michael BorupAustralia Melbourne West Mission
ReassuringThank you for the great magazine you put
out each month. I always look forward to thebeginning of the month so I can read the NewEra. The posters are a good reminder of whatI should be looking out for and doing, and
the stories are good also. It’s reassuring to0 T H E N E W E R A
know that there are teenagers who gothrough the same things I do.
Samuel S. PackardBig Sur, California
Good adviceI want to thank you for your article in the
January 2001 New Era. “The Art of Juggling”has really helped me a lot. I have been havinga lot of difficulty trying to keep up with all ofthe things in my life. I have been praying forhelp to organize my life and for good tips andwords of wisdom. This article provided somemore good advice. The New Era always helpsme a lot. The Lord has answered my prayersin many more ways than one. So I just want tosay thank you for your beautiful articles in thismagazine.
Simone LansingFernie, British Columbia, Canada (via e-mail)
New Era’s new readerI am an 11-year-old who loves the
magazine. I used to read the Friend, and nowI look forward to the uplifting stories in theNew Era. They make me think a lot, and Iappreciate it.
Kristin KeeneLaPorte, Indiana (via e-mail)
CorrectionThe name of a Seattle-area stake in “Steps inTime” (Feb. 2001) was misspelled. The correctname is the Lynnwood stake. The New Eraapologizes for the error.
We love hearing from you. Write us at
New EraWe’ve Got Mail50 E. North TempleSalt Lake City, Utah 84150
Or e-mail us at
Submissions may be edited for length
and clarity.J U L Y 2 0 0 1 5 1
by Welden Andersen
P H O T O O F T H E M O N T H
MARY’S OXENby Mary Jo Westenhaver
It was your privilege to bear silentlythe burden of wood and flesh, to breathe the dust stirred by hooves and wheel on your trek.Your mistress urged you on,and you bravely complied,as if sensing the approaching Zionthat filled her heart with zeal.
A tribute to Mary Fielding Smith
40
22
19
47
00
09
21947 Jul 01
“There aresome peoplewho needour help.That’s wherewe need tocome in andbe likeChrist. Weneed toserve.”
See “Doing
the Hard
Jobs,”
p. 30.