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:cur-editorial-newera@ldschurch.org

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.

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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 lowered

Robin 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, the

temperature 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 cur-editorial-newera@ldschurch.org.

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.

QQ

ass the ketchup, will you, Mom?”

“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, all

in 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 cur-editorial-newera@ldschurch.org.Please 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 the

vicarious 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 for

us 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 to

0 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

cur-editorial-newera@ldschurch.org

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

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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.