;;;ENSIGN JULY 2008 VOLUME 38 -- NUMBER 7 Over the years, scientific evidence has favored a diet consistent with the principles of the Word of Wisdom. See "Cancer, Nutrition, and the Word of Wisdom: One Doctor's Observations," p. 42. ON THE COVER Illustration by Cary Henrie ;;;CONTENTS FEATURE ARTICLES 8 President Henry B. Eyring: Called of God: ELDER ROBERT D. HALES A biographical sketch of the First Counselor in the First Presidency. 16 President Dieter F. Uchtdorf: A Family Man, a Man of Faith, a Man Foreordained: ELDER RUSSELL M. NELSON A biographical sketch of the Second Counselor in the First Presidency. 24 Faith in His Step and a Song in His Heart: DEIRDRE M. PAULSEN How far would you walk to attend church? 27 The Journey: LISA SOUTH The pioneers suffered, but they also rejoiced. 32 Waiting a Little Season: BROOKE ANN SMITH What Zion's Camp taught me about my own challenges. 34 What Parents Have Learned from Family Home Evening Adults and children alike can learn from family home evening. 38 A Watch, Some Buttons, and Joseph's Cloak: SALLY JOHNSON ODEKIRK What can these items teach us about the life of Joseph Smith? 42 Cancer, Nutrition, and the Word of Wisdom: One Doctor's Observations: WILLIAM T. STEPHENSON, MD From being able to run marathons to getting a good night's sleep, members benefit from living the Word of Wisdom. 48 Lesson from a Milk Jug: NAME WITHHELD After a series of family trials, things were starting to look up. But that changed when the author found her husband engrossed in filth on the Internet. 50 Hope, Healing, and Dealing with Addiction: MICHAEL D. GARDNER You can do much to support your spouse in overcoming addictions while at the same time finding your own healing. 58 Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet: ELDER M. RUSSELL BALLARD How you can further the work of the Lord--right from your own computer. 64 Making Church Magazines Have you ever wondered how the Ensign and other Church magazines are created? This article will show you. DEPARTMENTS LESSONS FROM THE BOOK OF MORMON 28 Coming to Know for Ourselves: ELDER KENNETH JOHNSON Why should we found our faith on the rock of revelation? 54 Change and the Virtue of the Word: ELDER KEITH R. EDWARDS How do we become what we want to become? 70 LATTER-DAY SAINT VOICES Blessings associated with spiritual promptings, gratitude, and fast offerings. 74 RANDOM SAMPLER Magnifying callings, rotating emergency-kit items, planning family home evenings, and responding positively to children. 76 NEWS OF THE CHURCH DO YOU HAVE A STORY TO TELL? In the pamphlet All Is Safely Gathered In, the First Presidency counsels Church members to prepare for adversity by reviewing the stability of their finances. How have you been blessed through obeying the counsel to pay tithes and offerings, avoid debt, use a budget, build a reserve, and teach your family wise use of resources? Please label submissions "Family Finances" and send them by August 29, 2008. We also welcome other submissions that show the gospel of Jesus Christ at work in your life. Ensign Magazine Writers' Guidelines are posted at http://ensign.lds.org under "Resources." Send submissions to ensign@ldschurch.org or Ensign Editorial, 50 E. North Temple Street, Room 2420, Salt Lake City, UT 84150-3220, USA. Include your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, ward (or branch), and stake (or district). Because of the volume of submissions, we cannot acknowledge receipt. Authors whose work is selected for publication will be notified. If you would like your manuscript, photos, art, or other material returned, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. The Ensign can be found on the Internet at http://ensign.lds.org USING THIS ISSUE Share your beliefs. Elder Ballard teaches that we have a "modern equivalent of the printing press" in the Internet (see p. 58). How can you use this powerful tool to spread the message of the gospel? Testify of modern-day prophets. The First Presidency Message this month emphasizes the blessings of living prophets; the two articles that follow it introduce us to the counselors in the First Presidency (see pp. 4, 8, and 16). How have you been blessed because you live in a time when prophets are on the earth? Enjoy Church magazines in multiple formats. Now that you know how Church magazines are made (see p. 64), consider enjoying their content in various formats. Part or all of each issue is available in formats like American Sign Language, audio, braille, and PDA and PDF formats. From www.lds.org, select "Gospel Library," then "Media Formats." GOSPEL TOPICS IN THIS ISSUE Addiction, 48, 50 Adversity, 27, 48 Atonement, 48, 50 Bodies, 57 Book of Mormon, 73 Callings, 74 Children, 74 Church magazines, 64 Creation, 57 Doctrine, 54 Education, 8 Example, 24 Faith, 8, 16, 24, 28 Family, 8, 16, 34 Family Home Evening, 34 Fast Offering, 72 Foreordination, 16 Friendship, 74 Gospel, 28, 54 Gratitude, 70 Healing, 48, 50 Heavenly Father, 57 Holy Ghost, 28, 54, 70 Hope, 48, 50 Joseph Smith, 32, 38, 73 Joy, 27 Love, 34, 70 Missionary Work, 16, 24, 58 Obedience, 42 Parenthood, 34, 74 Patience, 32 Peace, 48, 50 Pioneers, 27 Preparation, 74 Prophets, 4, 8, 16, 38 Repentance, 50, 54 Revelation, 4, 10, 28 Sacrifice, 24, 72 Savior, 48, 73 Scripture Study, 32 Single Adults, 32 Testimony, 28, 58 Word of Wisdom, 42 COMING IN AUGUST Look for articles on: -- Insights for and from young single adults. -- Showing reverence for the Lord in the way we dress. -- Maintaining scripture study habits. ;;;First Presidency Message Heeding the Voice of the Prophets BY PRESIDENT DIETER F. UCHTDORF Second Counselor in the First Presidency In our Father's great love for us, He has given us prophets for our time to lead us in an unbroken succession since the Restoration of this great work through the Prophet Joseph Smith in the early 1800s. What a joy and privilege it is to be part of this worldwide Church and be taught and uplifted by prophets, seers, and revelators! We members of this Church speak many languages, and we come from many cultures, but we share the same blessings of the gospel. This is truly a universal Church, with members spread across the nations of the earth proclaiming the universal message of the gospel of Jesus Christ to all, irrespective of language, race, or ethnic roots. We are all spirit children of a living and loving God, our Heavenly Father, who wants us to be successful on our journey back to Him. In His kindness, He has given us prophets to teach us His eternal truths and guide us in living His gospel. This year we have bade farewell to a beloved prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008), who led us for many years until the Lord called him home. Now we go forward under the direction of the new prophet whom the Lord has called to lead us, President Thomas S. Monson. In our Father's great love for us, He has given us prophets for our time to lead us in an unbroken succession since the Restoration of this great work through the Prophet Joseph Smith in the early 1800s. We will always cherish our memories of the early Saints--their sacrifices, sorrows, and tears but also their courage, faith, and trust in the Lord as they too followed His prophet in their time. I have no ancestors among the 19th-century pioneers. However, since the first days of my Church membership, I have felt a close kinship to those early pioneers who crossed the plains. They are my spiritual ancestry, as they are for each and every member of the Church, regardless of nationality, language, or culture. They established not only a safe place in the West but also a spiritual foundation for the building of the kingdom of God in all the nations of the world. We All Are Pioneers As the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is now being embraced around the world, we are all pioneers in our own sphere and circumstance. It was in the turmoil of post-World War II Germany when my family first learned about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. George Albert Smith (1870-1951) was the President then. I was only a young child, and we had lost all material belongings twice within only seven years. We were refugees with an uncertain future. However, during those same seven years, we gained more than any amount of money could ever buy. We found a supernal refuge, a place of defense from despair: the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and His Church, led by a true and living prophet. The good news that Jesus Christ has made the perfect Atonement for mankind, redeeming all from the grave and rewarding each individual according to his or her works, was the healing power which brought hope and peace back into my life. Whatever our challenges in life may be, our burdens may become light if we not only believe in Christ but also in His ability and His power to cleanse and console our lives. Our lives are healed as we accept His peace. President David O. McKay (1873-1970) was the prophet during my teenage years. I seemed to know him personally. I could feel his love, kindness, and dignity; he gave me confidence and courage in my young life. Even though I grew up thousands of miles away in Europe, I felt he trusted me, and I did not want to disappoint him. Another source of strength was a letter written by the Apostle Paul while he was in prison, addressed to Timothy, his most trusted assistant and friend. He wrote: "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. "Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord" (2 Timothy 1:7-8). These words from one of the ancient Apostles of our Savior rang with great importance for me in postwar times, even as they do today. Yet how many of us permit our fears to take control of our lives in this time of international tension, economic and political uncertainties, and personal challenges? A Consistent Voice God is speaking to us in a consistent voice. God will deal with all the human family equally. We might be in a large ward or a small branch, our climate or vegetation may differ, the cultural background and language might vary, and the color of our skin could be totally different. But the universal power and blessings of the restored gospel are available to all, irrespective of culture, nationality, political system, tradition, language, economic environment, or education. Today, we have again apostles, seers, and revelators who are watchmen on the tower, messengers of supernal, healing truth. God speaks to us through them. They are profoundly aware of the different circumstances we members are living in. They are in this world but not of this world. They point the way, and they offer help for our difficulties, not through the wisdom of this world but from an eternal Source. Only a few years ago, in a First Presidency Message, President Thomas S. Monson said: "The problems of our day loom ominously before us. Surrounded by the sophistication of modern living, we look heavenward for that unfailing sense of direction, that we might chart and follow a wise and proper course. He whom we call our Heavenly Father will not leave our sincere petition unanswered."1 We have a living prophet on the face of the earth again, even President Thomas S. Monson. He knows our challenges and fears. He has inspired answers. There is no need to fear. We can have peace in our hearts and peace in our homes. We can each be an influence for good in this world by following the commandments of God and relying on true repentance, the power of the Atonement, and the miracle of forgiveness. The prophets speak to us in the name of the Lord and in divine plainness. As the Book of Mormon confirms, "For the Lord God giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding" (2 Nephi 31:3). It is our responsibility not only to listen but also to act upon His word that we may claim the blessings of the ordinances and covenants of the restored gospel. He said, "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise" (D&C 82:10). There may be times when we feel overwhelmed, hurt, or on the edge of discouragement as we are trying so hard to be perfect members of the Church. Be assured, there is balm in Gilead. Let us listen to the prophets of our day as they help us to focus on the things that are central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children. The Lord knows us, He loves us, He wants us to succeed, and He encourages us by saying: "And see that all . . . things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that [men or women] should run faster than [they have] strength. . . . [But] it is expedient that [they] should be diligent" (Mosiah 4:27). Following Their Counsel Are we diligent in living the commandments of God, without running beyond our strength? Or are we just leisurely strolling along? Are we using our time, talents, and means wisely? Are we focused on the things which matter most? Are we following the inspired counsel of the prophets? One example of great importance for humanity is strengthening our own families. The principle of family home evening was given to us in 1915. President McKay reminded parents again in 1964 that "no other success can compensate for failure in the home."2 In 1995 the prophets of our day called upon all the world to strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.3 And in 1999 the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles lovingly stated: "We counsel parents and children to give highest priority to family prayer, family home evening, gospel study and instruction, and wholesome family activities. However worthy and appropriate other demands or activities may be, they must not be permitted to displace the divinely appointed duties that only parents and families can adequately perform."4 Let us in humility and faith refresh our dedication and our commitment to follow the prophets, seers, and revelators in all diligence. Let us listen and be instructed and edified by those who hold all the keys of the kingdom. And as we listen and follow them, may our hearts be changed that there will be a great desire to do good (see Alma 19:33). Thus we will be pioneers in building a spiritual foundation that will establish the Church in every part of the world, that the gospel of Jesus Christ may become a blessing for each child of God and unite and strengthen our families. NOTES 1. "Sailing Safely the Seas of Life," Liahona, Nov. 1999, 6-7; Ensign, July 1999, 5. 2. Quoted from J. E. McCulloch, Home: The Savior of Civilization (1924), 42; in Conference Report, Apr. 1964, 5. 3. See "The Family: A Proclamation to the World," Liahona, Oct. 2004, 49; Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102. 4. "Letter from the First Presidency," Liahona, Dec. 1999, 1; "Keeping Children Close to the Church," Ensign, June 1999, 80. IDEAS FOR HOME TEACHERS After prayerfully studying this message, share it using a method that encourages the participation of those you teach. Following are some examples: 1. Ask children what they would need if they were in some distant place and needed to travel back home. Suggest how a map and a guide might help. Explain that prophets are guides Heavenly Father provides to help us get back to Him. Read an excerpt from the message that emphasizes this point. 2. Relate a memory you have of the man who was President of the Church when you were a child or teenager. Tell how the teachings of the living prophets have guided you during your lifetime. ;;;President Henry B. Eyring Called of God BY ELDER ROBERT D. HALES Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles A few years after Henry Bennion Eyring became president of Ricks College (now Brigham Young University-Idaho), he was offered a high-paying, prestige-filled job in southern California. "It sounds like a great opportunity," President Spencer W. Kimball told him as Henry described the offer and its benefits. "If we ever needed you, we would know where you were." Henry had expected President Kimball, his uncle, to ask him to stay on at Ricks. Instead, it became obvious that Henry and his wife, Kathleen, were to pray and fast about their decision, which they did. Within a week, the Spirit whispered to Henry that he would have the privilege of staying at Ricks College "a little longer." He called Jeffrey R. Holland, then Commissioner of the Church Educational System, and told him that he had turned down the job offer. That evening Henry received a phone call from President Kimball. "I understand you've decided to stay," said President Kimball. "Yes," replied Henry. "Do you think you've made a sacrifice?" asked President Kimball. "No," said Henry. "That's right!" President Kimball assured him. With that, President Kimball ended the conversation. For those who know Henry B. Eyring, his willingness to follow spiritual promptings--even if doing so means giving up what the world considers important--comes as no surprise. He has learned for himself that faith and humility, coupled with obedience, qualify God's children for blessings richer than worldly wealth. Following the death of President Gordon B. Hinckley on January 27, 2008, President Thomas S. Monson called President Eyring to serve as First Counselor in the First Presidency. President Eyring had previously served as Second Counselor for four months, filling a vacancy created by the death of President James E. Faust. "Hal"--as he is known among family and friends--was born on May 31, 1933, in Princeton, New Jersey. The second of three sons born to Henry Eyring and Mildred Bennion Eyring, he joined a family that put a premium on both spiritual and secular schooling. His father was a renowned chemist teaching at Princeton University. His mother, an assistant professor who headed the women's physical education department at the University of Utah, was on leave from the department pursuing a doctoral degree at the University of Wisconsin when she met her future husband. Together they passed on to their sons their trust in the Lord and their faith in His gospel. Heritage of Faith President Eyring traces the beginnings of his family's heritage of faith to forebears who listened to and followed the promptings of the Spirit and the direction of priesthood leaders. His great-grandfather Henry Eyring, who left Germany in 1853 when he was 18, was introduced to the Church the following year in St. Louis, Missouri. His desire for a manifestation regarding the Church was answered with a dream in which Elder Erastus Snow of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, whom he would not meet until later, commanded him to be baptized. A similar dream, in which he saw President Brigham Young for the first time, followed in 1860 while he was serving a mission in present-day Oklahoma and Arkansas.1 Great-Grandfather Eyring met Swiss immigrant Mary Bommeli when he joined her pioneer company on his trek to Utah following his mission. Mary, whose family joined the Church when she was 24, had been incarcerated in Berlin, Germany, for sharing the gospel. The night she was arrested, she wrote a letter to the judge who was to hear her case. She told the judge, "a man of the world," about the Resurrection and the spirit world, encouraging him to repent in order to save himself and his family from "great sorrow." The judge soon dropped the charges, and Mary was released from jail.2 Henry and Mary married shortly after reaching the Salt Lake Valley. From Europe to the deserts of southern Utah and Arizona to the colonies of northern Mexico, President Eyring's ancestors tamed the wilderness, spread the gospel, fled persecution, established schools, and educated their children. A Wife's Influence With the onset of World War II, gasoline rationing prevented the Eyring family from making the 17-mile (27-km) drive to the New Brunswick Branch for Sunday meetings. As a result, the family received permission to hold meetings in their home, in Princeton, New Jersey. Hal would joke that he never missed a Primary meeting there--an achievement that wasn't too difficult considering that Primary was held only once in their home. President Eyring often reflects on the beautiful spirit in the sacrament meetings held in this small branch, made up of his family and occasional visitors. He didn't mind that his family were usually the only ones who attended or that he and his brothers constituted the branch's entire Aaronic Priesthood. But as the boys began entering their teenage years, their mother was eager for the family to live among a larger concentration of Latter-day Saints. In 1946 Henry was enjoying his success and work at Princeton. He had won numerous honorary doctorates and most major awards in chemistry. Given his diligent scientific work with world-renowned scientists, he had an excellent opportunity to be considered for a Nobel Prize. At about this time Henry received a call from A. Ray Olpin, president of the University of Utah, inviting him to be the dean of the graduate school there and continue his research in chemistry. His wife, Mildred, left the decision up to Henry, but she reminded him of a promise he had made to her years earlier. Henry had promised to move his family closer to Church headquarters when the boys got older. When Henry turned down the offer, Mildred, who had grown up in Utah, asked him to pray about his decision and gave him a letter to read when he arrived at his laboratory. Upon reading the letter, in which Mildred expressed her disappointment, and after praying and pondering, Henry called President Olpin, saying he would accept the position after all to build up the university's science department. His apparent sacrifice in leaving Princeton turned out to be a blessing for him and his family. One such blessing was Hal's willingness to follow his father's example when he faced a similar crossroads years later. Preparing for the Future "I realized when my brother was a teenager how different he was from other teenagers," says Harden Eyring, who calls his older brother both a mentor and a friend. While Hal was in high school, Harden says, he immersed himself in the scriptures, reading the Book of Mormon five times. Hal did not hold himself above others, but he refused to participate in activities that would distract from his spirituality. He made time to play basketball for East High School in Salt Lake City, but he put priority on his studies. "When I was a teenager, I used to go out to the ice-cream parlors that everybody went to," Harden says. "But Hal wouldn't go out at night to the local hangouts. Instead, he was reading and studying." His older brother, Ted, a chemistry professor at the University of Utah, was a senior there when he took some classes with Hal. Ted observed that Hal could hold his own with anyone in the class. "When Hal is focused, he can accomplish anything," he says. "He is a genuinely funny guy, and he remains in good spirits even in serious, challenging settings. Hal is much like his father." As he grew older, however, Hal discovered a major difference between himself and his father. Henry Eyring encouraged his sons to study physics and to prepare for a career in the sciences. Hal dutifully majored in physics at the University of Utah, but one day when he asked his father for help with a complex mathematical problem, it became apparent to Henry that Hal did not share his passion. "My father was at a blackboard we kept in the basement," President Eyring recalls. "Suddenly he stopped. ‘Hal,' he said, ‘we were working at this same kind of problem a week ago. You don't seem to understand it any better now than you did then. Haven't you been working on it?'" Hal said he had not. He then admitted to his father that physics was not something he constantly thought about. His father paused a moment and then, in tender words that released his son to pursue his own professional passion, he said, "You ought to find something that you love so much that when you don't have to think about anything, that's what you think about."3 Hal nevertheless completed his degree in physics in 1955 before entering the U.S. Air Force. The Korean War had recently ended, and the number of young men called as full-time missionaries from each ward had been restricted. For a period of time the Mission Home in Salt Lake City was closed, and no missionaries went into the field. In a blessing, however, his bishop promised him that his military service would be his mission. Two weeks after arriving at the Sandia Base near Albuquerque, New Mexico, Hal was called as a district missionary in the Western States Mission--a calling he fulfilled in evenings and on weekends during the two years he was in the military. His military obligation fulfilled, Hal enrolled in the Harvard Graduate School of Business, where he earned a master's degree in 1959 and a doctorate degree in 1963, both in business administration. Though he had the intellect to succeed in a career in science, Hal found that his passion lay in teaching, lifting, and strengthening others. Listening to the Spirit While attending Harvard during the summer of 1961, Hal met Kathleen Johnson, the daughter of J. Cyril and LaPrele Lindsay Johnson, of Palo Alto, California. She was attending summer school in Boston, and Hal was smitten the first time he saw her. He felt an immediate desire to do his best when he was in her presence--a feeling that has continued throughout their lives together. They dated that summer and continued their courtship through phone calls and letters after Kathleen returned to California. They were married in July 1962 in the Logan Utah Temple by Elder Spencer W. Kimball. That same year Hal became an assistant professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Nine years later Hal was enjoying tenure at Stanford and serving as bishop of the Stanford First Ward. With his in-laws living nearby, "things were set," he recalls. But in the middle of the night in 1971, Kathleen woke him with two unusual questions: "Are you sure you are doing the right thing with your life?" Wondering how they could be any happier, Hal asked, "What do you mean?" Kathleen replied, "Couldn't you be doing studies for Neal Maxwell?" Neal A. Maxwell had just been appointed Commissioner of the Church Educational System. Neither Hal nor Kathleen knew him, but Kathleen felt that perhaps her husband could be doing more to change lives. "Doing studies for Neal Maxwell--at my stage of my career?" Hal responded. After all, he thought, "‘Doing studies' was something a young graduate student might do." Following a pause, Kathleen said, "Will you pray about it?" At that stage in his marriage, Hal knew better than to ignore his wife's counsel. He got out of bed, knelt, and uttered a prayer. "I got no answer," he says, "and I felt terrific about it because I didn't want to go anywhere." The following day during bishopric meeting, a voice that Hal has come to know well came to his mind and rebuked him for treating lightly his wife's prompting. "You don't know what way is up in your career," he was told. "If you ever get another job offer, you bring it to me." Hal was shaken by the experience and immediately returned home. "We've got a problem," he told Kathleen. He feared he had made a mistake by passing up several job offers he had received while at Stanford. "I had never prayed over any of them," he says. Humbled, he began praying about his future. Less than a week after Kathleen's late-night questions, Commissioner Maxwell called and invited Hal to Salt Lake City for a meeting. He flew out the next day, and the two men met at the home of Hal's parents. The first words out of Commissioner Maxwell's mouth were "I'd like to ask you to be the president of Ricks College." Even his wife's prompting and the spiritual rebuke he had received hadn't prepared him for such a surprise. He told Commissioner Maxwell that he would need to pray about it. After all, he knew little about Ricks College. The next morning he met with the First Presidency. Afterward, Commissioner Maxwell told him the job was his if he wanted it. Upon his return to California, Hal continued praying fervently. An answer came, but he almost missed it. "I heard a voice so faint that I hadn't paid attention to it," he recalls. "The voice said, ‘It's my school.'" He called Commissioner Maxwell and said, "I'm coming." Just like that, Hal gave up the trappings of tenure at Stanford for life in a single-wide trailer in Rexburg, Idaho. It would be several months after his inauguration as president of Ricks College, on December 10, 1971, that he would move his family into their new home, which he helped build. "I went to Ricks knowing a couple of things," he says. "One is that I wasn't as much of a big shot as I thought I was in terms of my great position at Stanford. Another is that I knew my wife had received revelation before I did. Finally, I knew that I was a lucky guy to be there. So instead of answering the question ‘How could I give up my career at Stanford?' I say, ‘Heavenly Father took care of that. It never felt like a sacrifice.'" The six years President Eyring spent in Rexburg proved to be a blessing to his family and the college. Wise counsel from a humble home teacher helped make those years memorable. The home teacher, a farmer with great faith, encouraged President Eyring to get out of his office so he could meet, encourage, and give gratitude to college faculty, staff, and students. Hal prayed about the matter, felt prompted to follow that counsel, and began spending more time with the school's faithful students and dedicated faculty and staff. With another instructor, he even taught religion classes. As he worked hard to shape the college's spiritual and academic foundations, he and Kathleen grew to love the campus community and the people of Rexburg. Family First During their years in Rexburg, Eyring family members grew closer to each other. By then Hal and Kathleen had four sons: Henry J., Stuart, Matthew, and John. Later they would be blessed with two daughters: Elizabeth and Mary Kathleen. But even in a small, rural farm town, Hal and Kathleen had to be vigilant. One of their concerns was the amount and quality of television programming that their sons watched. Henry J., the oldest son, recalls an experience that made a significant difference in the spirit of the Eyring home. "My brother and I were in front of the TV one Saturday night around midnight," says Henry J. "A tawdry comedy show that we shouldn't have been watching was on. The basement room was dark except for the light from the television. Without warning, Mother walked in. She was wearing a white, flowing nightgown and carrying a pair of shears. Making no sound, she reached behind the set, grabbed the cord, and gathered it into a loop. She then inserted the shears and cut the cord with a single stroke. Sparks flew and the set went dead, but not before Mother had turned and glided out of the room." Unnerved, Henry J. headed to bed. His innovative brother, however, cut a cord from a broken vacuum and connected it to the television. Soon the boys had plopped back down in front of the television, hardly missing any of their show. "Mother, however, got the last laugh," Henry J. says. "When we came home from school the next Monday, we found the television set in the middle of the floor with a huge crack through the thick glass screen. We immediately suspected Mother. When confronted, she responded with a perfectly straight face: ‘I was dusting under the TV, and it slipped.'" President Eyring honored his wife's wishes, the children honored their mother's desires, and that was the end of television in the Eyring home. "For the most part, Mother leads through quiet example," Henry J. observes. "However, she is also inspired and fearless. Mother's assertiveness has been a great blessing to her children and grandchildren. Both in pivotal moments and in daily routines, she has forever changed the course of our lives." President Eyring still credits his wife for giving him a desire to do and be his best, and he's grateful that she has blessed her children in the same way. He is quick to credit her for her example and spiritual influence on their family. She is equally complimentary, expressing gratitude for his sensitivity to the Spirit and the effective way he has taught and lived the gospel in their home. "There was no question in Hal's mind who was first in his heart," she says. "He lived in a very competitive environment with competent associates at Stanford, but he always put his family first. At the end of every day, when we were together in the evening, he would ask, ‘Who haven't we called?' Then, guided by the Spirit, he would go to the telephone and touch base with a member of the family who needed to have contact that evening." With no television in the home, family members had more time for each other and more time to pursue interests, develop talents, and engage in sports and other activities as a family. Over the years President Eyring has honed his cooking skills (he makes his own bread), discovered a knack for woodcarving, and learned to paint with watercolor. On occasion he will send a thank-you note or a watercolor painting as a remembrance. Today the Eyring home is full of paintings, carvings, and furniture that he has created with the help of skilled mentors. Many of the pieces reflect moral lessons or spiritual impressions. In addition, he makes time to send daily e-mails, affectionately known as "The Small Plates," to his family, which now includes 25 grandchildren. "Dad's family journal, which he sends out via e-mail each day with photos and contributions from the children, has helped us feel as though we were telling stories around the dinner table each night," says Henry J. Willing to Serve President Eyring didn't know it at the time, but he left secular employment behind him when he accepted the position at Ricks College. His work as college president and simultaneous service as a regional representative and member of the Sunday School general board brought him into increased contact with leaders of the Church, who recognized his talents and spiritual gifts. The Lord, meanwhile, knew his willingness to serve. In extending the important callings to President Eyring that followed his six years at Ricks College, Church leaders sought inspiration that led them to him. During a period of preparation for those callings, he was tutored by the Spirit as he worked, sought the will of heaven, listened for answers, and, like his ancestors, acted on the promptings that followed. When the calls came, he was ready. In 1977 Jeffrey R. Holland, new CES commissioner, asked President Eyring to serve as deputy commissioner. Three years later, when Commissioner Holland became president of Brigham Young University, Hal took his place as CES commissioner. He served in that position until his call in April 1985 as First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric. In that calling he used his many abilities to make significant contributions in administration, physical facilities planning, temple design and construction, and other temporal affairs. In September 1992 he was renamed CES commissioner and, a month later, was called to the First Quorum of the Seventy. On April 1, 1995, Henry B. Eyring was sustained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Since then he has sought an increased portion of the Spirit of the Lord as he has blessed members of the Church throughout the world with his heartfelt sermons, loving ministration, and powerful testimony of the Savior and His gospel. Uniquely Qualified When President Eyring testified during the October 2007 general conference of the blessings of looking for God's hand in our lives, he spoke from personal experience. By keeping a daily journal of Heavenly Father's dealings in his life, he has felt his testimony grow and he has become "ever more certain that our Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers."4 The key to hearing those answers and knowing that God has an interest in our lives, he says, is to develop a listening ear. "We've got to be quiet and listen. In my life, when I have failed to receive a clear feeling or have missed the voice of the Spirit, it is because I was too busy, too noisy inside, and too full of my own world." President Eyring has always lived the precepts of the thirteenth article of faith. Members of the Church are indeed fortunate to have him serve at the side of President Thomas S. Monson and President Dieter F. Uchtdorf. A rare combination of talents, a heritage of faith, a life of preparation, a dedication to service, and a determination to seek God and do His will uniquely qualify him to serve in the First Presidency. NOTES 1. See Henry J. Eyring, Mormon Scientist: The Life and Faith of Henry Eyring (2007), 127-30. 2. See Henry B. Eyring, "The Power of Teaching Doctrine," Liahona, July 1999, 87-88; Ensign, May 1999, 74-75. 3. In Gerald N. Lund, "Elder Henry B. Eyring: Molded by ‘Defining Influences,'" Liahona, Apr. 1996, 28; Ensign, Sept. 1995, 12. 4. Henry B. Eyring, "O Remember, Remember," Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2007, 67. Opposite page, from top: President Eyring's family (from left)--his father, Henry; brothers, Ted and Harden; young Henry, or "Hal"; and mother, Mildred. Hal, from a 1951 high school yearbook. Right: Great-grandparents Henry Eyring and Mary Bommeli. Opposite page: President Eyring's parents and a 1969 portrait of his father. Above: While serving as president of Ricks College. Left: With his wife, Kathleen, at their wedding reception. Above left: As president of Ricks College, presenting the Exemplary Woman of the Year Award to Sister Donna Packer, 1973. Also pictured are President Boyd K. Packer and Denece Hansen Johnson, then president of the Associated Women Students. Above: As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, 1997. Right: During a recent visit to southern Utah. Far right: With Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles during a June 2004 worldwide leadership training meeting. Opposite page: Family portrait, 1995 (seated, from left)--Mary Kathleen, President and Sister Eyring, Elizabeth; (standing, from left)--John, Matthew, Stuart, and Henry. Opposite page: A printout of the family's "Small Plates," a wood chest carved by President Eyring, and some of his watercolor paintings. Above: With his wife, following general conference, October 2007. Left: The First Presidency--President Thomas S. Monson (center); President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor; and President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor. ;;;President Dieter F. Uchtdorf A Family Man, a Man of Faith, a Man Foreordained BY ELDER RUSSELL M. NELSON Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Can you imagine the terror that must have been in the heart of 11-year-old Dieter Uchtdorf as his family fled their home in East Germany1 in 1952 to find freedom in the West? For political reasons, the life of Dieter's father was in extreme danger. He would have to escape alone to minimize risks to his wife and children. To avoid suspicion, the rest of the family would not be able to travel together. They would have to make the attempt separately. A plan was implemented. Dieter's two older brothers, Wolfgang and Karl-Heinz, took a northern route out of their hometown of Zwickau. Their sister, Christel, traveled with two other girls on a train that passed briefly through West Germany en route to its destination city in East Germany. As the train passed through West Germany, the girls persuaded the conductor to open the door for them, and they jumped out of the train. Dieter, age 11--the youngest of the children--and his courageous mother took still another route. They carried with them only a little food and precious family photographs that had been preserved from destruction through World War II. After Dieter and his mother had walked long hours, Sister Uchtdorf's knees began to weaken. Dieter carried their belongings and helped his mother climb a final hill to freedom. There they stopped to eat a meager meal, only to realize, when they saw Russian guards, that they were still shy of the border. The mother and son terminated their picnic, picked up their packs, and climbed even higher before reaching their goal. Dieter and his mother continued their trek as refugees, hitchhiking and walking to their destination at a suburb near Frankfurt. After many long and perilous days of separation, the family was finally reunited. The brothers arrived first; their father followed. Dieter and his mother then arrived, and his sister came last. Their great reunion was joyful. Of lesser significance was the fact that they had left behind virtually all of their possessions. Seven years earlier, toward the close of World War II, they had fled from home as foreign forces approached. Now they were refugees again. Once more they owned nothing. Once more they had to start over. But they had each other. They had their deep faith in God, and they had their membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, acquired barely five years earlier. The family's one-room apartment near Frankfurt was small and infested with mice. Young Dieter was intrigued by the rodents running around. Public transportation in Frankfurt was relatively inexpensive, but the family could not afford for all to travel to church each week. So they took turns. It is no wonder that President Uchtdorf feels so passionately about the sacred institution of the family. With great sincerity he testifies that the family is ordained of God. Family is of utmost importance to him. It was within his family that the seeds of his powerful faith were sown and nurtured. There he began to prepare for the fulfillment of his foreordination as a priesthood leader in the Church of God. A Family Man Dieter Friedrich Uchtdorf was born of goodly parents, Karl Albert and Hildegard Else Opelt Uchtdorf, on November 6, 1940, in Mährisch-Ostrau, Czechoslovakia. The family left Czechoslovakia in 1944 and moved to Zwickau, Germany. From 1949 to 1990, Zwickau belonged to East Germany and was a center for the mining of coal. Because of its strategic importance during World War II, it became a prime target for Allied bombers. Four-year-old Dieter was frightened but also fascinated by the lights of aircraft as they flew overhead. He remembers his mother taking him to air-raid shelters for safety. Her husband had been drafted into the German army, and Sister Uchtdorf bravely fended for her family as the war in Europe swirled about them. After the war, Dieter's father worked in coal and uranium mines in Zwickau under environmental conditions that predisposed him to the development of a malignant disease that claimed his life at age 62, in Germany. President Uchtdorf remembers his father as kind and loving, strong and tender. His father cherished his priesthood responsibilities as a deacon, teacher, priest, and elder. His mother, Hildegard, who died in 1991, was not only courageous, but she was also a true convert and devoted disciple who served in many callings in the Church. These parents and their children were sealed in the Swiss Temple in 1956. Since then, his brothers, Wolfgang and Karl-Heinz, have passed away. His sister, Christel Uchtdorf Ash, who served a mission in Germany, presently resides in Texas, in the southern United States. President Uchtdorf met his future wife, Harriet Reich, as they attended meetings of the Church's Mutual Improvement Association. Harriet was baptized when she was nearly 13 years of age, along with her mother and her sister, after missionaries knocked on their door and taught them the gospel. Harriet's father had died from cancer just eight months earlier. Her mother and her sister have since passed away. A remarkable reward came to one of those missionaries, Elder Gary Jenkins, who had taught and baptized the Reich family. What a joyful day it was for him, decades later, when on February 16, 2008, his granddaughter, Crystal, was sealed to her husband, Steven, in the Salt Lake Temple by a member of the First Presidency, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf. Harriet and Dieter were sealed on December 14, 1962, in the Bern Switzerland Temple. He calls Harriet the sunshine in his life. Her support is a continuous source of strength. She is the love of his life. Harriet describes her husband as having a big heart. "He is kind. He is a good and compassionate leader. We hear that from many of his former professional colleagues as well as from friends in the Church. He is a wonderful husband, always looking for ways to support me. He is a man of great humor and wit. I am very blessed to be his wife." The Uchtdorfs are the parents of two children. Their daughter, Antje, is married to David A. Evans. Antje and David have three sons: 19-year-old twins, Daniel and Patrick, and 8-year-old Eric. They live in Darmstadt, Germany. The Uchtdorfs' son, Guido, served in the Washington D.C. South Mission. He married Carolyn Waldner from Basel, Switzerland. Guido and Carolyn now live near Zürich, Switzerland, where Guido serves as bishop of the Wetzikon Ward of the St. Gallen Switzerland Stake. They are parents of three children: Jasmin, age seven; Robin, age five; and Niklas Ivan, age one. Asked about her father and his new calling, Antje replied, "We are blessed to have such wonderful parents. When we were younger, I didn't realize how busy my father was because he always had time for us. We were never a second priority. When we have a problem, we seek his advice. And our children feel that Opa will know the answer, whatever the question may be. Now that he is in the First Presidency, we feel an even greater responsibility to do our very best." Guido's recollections are quite similar. He spoke of an occasion several years ago when he, his sister, mother, and father all took skiing lessons. That was the beginning of an enjoyable family tradition--skiing together. Guido realized that his father's vocation as an airline pilot necessitated his absence from home for lengthy periods. "But when Dad returned home, we played, we talked, and we laughed together," Guido added. "That was quality time!" Guido and Antje learned from their parents the importance of time together as a family. Whether an outing was educational or recreational, it helped strengthen family ties. Parenting and grandparenting at a distance are now facilitated for the Uchtdorf family by the use of modern technology. E-mail and telephone calls are augmented by the transmission of movie clips and photographs via the Internet. But time together is valued. Especially meaningful for Guido was being able to attend the April 2008 general conference and to be present as his father stood at the Conference Center pulpit. In counseling with his family, President Uchtdorf has always stressed fundamental principles. As Guido explained, "Father teaches of the blessings that come from prayer, scripture study, obedience to the commandments, and a positive attitude. These things are much more important to him than to wonder where Kolob is located." On the occasion of President and Sister Uchtdorf's 40th wedding anniversary, they gathered at the Bern Switzerland Temple with their children, spouses, and older grandchildren to perform sacred ordinances together. That temple is dear to Harriet and Dieter because their parents, they, and their children were all sealed there. A Man of Faith One cannot study the life of this great man without gaining a sense of his unique and unshakable faith. He has total faith in God, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, faith in the Church, and faith that heavenly help will come to him when needed. His parents risked their lives for their freedom and faith. His father honored the priesthood that had been entrusted to him. He learned from his mother--particularly during their risky escape from East Germany--to pray and to trust in the Lord. President Uchtdorf describes his mother as brilliant. He explains that she could do mathematics in her head, and she taught him to do the same. Though their family was penniless twice as refugees of war, they lived the law of tithing. They knew that the Lord would open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings upon those who faithfully obeyed this law.2 President Uchtdorf has special feelings of fondness for the late Elder Theodore M. Burton (1907-89), who served as president of the West German Mission. At a time when many good German Latter-day Saints were leaving their homeland, the Uchtdorf family heeded Elder Burton's counsel to stay in Germany and build up the Church there. It was Elder Burton who ordained Dieter F. Uchtdorf to the office of elder and gave memorable instruction that Dieter heeded precisely. Sister Harriet Uchtdorf understood the importance of Elder Burton's counsel for the Uchtdorf family to remain in Europe to strengthen the Church there. It became an imperative for them. Their children have adhered to that same counsel. Now, in jest, the children chide their parents for leaving for the United States, while they have remained in Europe. Of course, Elder Burton was not the only leader who had a great influence on President Uchtdorf. Dieter remembers his branch president at the time Dieter was set apart as president of the deacons quorum. The branch president gave thorough instruction regarding the duties and responsibilities of a new quorum president. Dieter remembers the significance of that teaching, which a lesser leader might have slighted simply because there was only one other member of the deacons quorum. The faith of this family is personified by the faith of President Uchtdorf's grandmother. She was standing in line for food following the end of World War II when an elderly single sister with no family of her own invited her to sacrament meeting. His grandmother and his parents accepted the invitation. They went to church, felt the Spirit, were uplifted by the kindness of the members, and were edified by the hymns of the Restoration.3 In 1947 Dieter's parents were baptized in Zwickau; Dieter was baptized nearly two years later at the age of eight. The family's commitment to the Church became strong and enduring. His foundation of faith undergirded confidence in his own ability to achieve. His career started with an education in engineering, followed by six years in the German Air Force. Then, thanks to a reciprocal relationship between the German and U.S. governments, he entered pilot training school in Big Spring, Texas, where he won wings with both the German and the American Air Forces. He won the coveted Commander's Trophy for being the outstanding student pilot in his class. In 1970, at age 29, Dieter F. Uchtdorf achieved the rank of captain with Lufthansa Airlines. Ultimately he became chief pilot and senior vice president of flight operations for Lufthansa. In 2004, prior to his call to the Quorum of the Twelve, and quite by coincidence, Elder Uchtdorf and I traveled together on a Lufthansa flight to Europe. It is not unusual for airline passengers to recognize and greet General Authorities traveling on the same plane. But this time the greetings were quite different. Virtually every member of the Lufthansa crew came eagerly to greet their former chief pilot. They lined up for the privilege of shaking his hand. Their feelings of deserved adoration for him were very evident to me. They seemed to perceive his great faith as well as his caring for them. President Uchtdorf's faith in the Lord was evident as he accepted calls to serve in the Church. In 1985 he was called to be the president of the Frankfurt Germany Stake. Then, when boundaries were changed, he was called as president of the Mannheim Germany Stake. In 1994 he was called to the Second Quorum of the Seventy, while maintaining his home in Germany and his occupational responsibilities with Lufthansa. In 1996 he became a full-time General Authority to serve in the First Quorum of the Seventy. Three years later Elder and Sister Uchtdorf moved to Utah, which they then regarded as their turn for an "overseas assignment." When Elder Uchtdorf was called to the holy apostleship in October 2004, some representatives of the media hailed him as the "German Apostle." Then he correctly taught that he was called to represent the Lord to the people, not the other way around. Indeed that is his sacred calling. He is to teach and testify of the Lord Jesus Christ to "every nation, kindred, tongue, and people."4 Elder David A. Bednar was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at the same time as Elder Uchtdorf. Upon President Uchtdorf's call to the First Presidency, Elder Bednar said, "Sitting next to, serving with, and learning from President Uchtdorf have been great blessings in my life. His teachings and engaging, gracious manner inspire me to labor more diligently and to improve myself. I love and sustain President Uchtdorf in his sacred responsibilities." A Man Foreordained One cannot study the life of this great man without also gaining a sense of his foreordination for the great responsibilities that are now his. This doctrine is taught by ancient and modern prophets. Alma taught that priesthood leaders "were ordained--being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God."5 President Joseph F. Smith (1838-1918) revealed that leaders (such as President Uchtdorf) "were also among the noble and great ones who were chosen in the beginning to be rulers in the Church of God. "Even before they were born, they, with many others, received their first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to come forth in the due time of the Lord to labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men."6 Wouldn't it be nice if it were possible to ask President Uchtdorf's mother if she had any inkling that her youngest son might be called one day to serve in the First Presidency of the Church? What did she sense as she nurtured her young son, enabled his freedom, and saved his life? On one occasion she and the children were in a public auditorium. She was impressed to leave the building immediately. Because of that urgent feeling, she availed herself of a wheeled cart, placed young Dieter in it, and scurried away with her children as quickly as possible. Shortly thereafter, the building was destroyed by an act of war. Most occupants of the auditorium were killed. Sister Uchtdorf and her children were spared. As a child growing up after World War II, President Uchtdorf remembers playing in bombed-out houses and discovering guns, ammunition, and other weapons deserted in the nearby forest. Through the years, he has lived with the ever-present consequences of war and the awareness that his own country had inflicted terrible pain on others. In fact, he and his family were also victims of an oppressive dictatorship. Later, he survived an episode while piloting an airplane when the steering control failed to function properly. Uncorrected, this condition would cause the plane to continue to roll and to crash. Numerous attempts to release the frozen steering stick failed. Repeatedly, his flight instructor issued the order to bail out. Finally the powerfully strong pilot, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, overcame the resistance and made a successful emergency landing. President Uchtdorf acknowledges the hand of the Lord in allowing him to survive such an ordeal.7 The mathematical probability of this Czechoslovakian-born child of a convert family surviving such a risk-laden life and then being called to serve in the First Presidency is most unlikely. But the Lord has known and loved this special man from before the world was formed. Yes, he has been foreordained for his duties as a leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Now he stands beside President Thomas S. Monson in his sacred calling. President Henry B. Eyring and President Dieter F. Uchtdorf are great servants of the Lord, willing and able to provide counsel to the President of the Church. These three presiding high priests complement each other. Members of the Church will gladly and gratefully follow their inspired leadership. NOTES 1. Officially designated as the German Democratic Republic. 2. See Malachi 3:10; 3 Nephi 24:10. 3. See Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Opportunity to Testify," Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2004, 74. 4. Mosiah 3:20; see also Revelation 14:6; 1 Nephi 19:17; 2 Nephi 26:13; Mosiah 15:28; 16:1; Alma 37:4; D&C 133:37. 5. Alma 13:3. 6. D&C 138:55-56. 7. See Jeffrey R. Holland, "Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf: On to New Horizons," Liahona, Mar. 2005, 13; Ensign, Mar. 2005, 15. Left, from top: President Uchtdorf's parents, Hildegard and Karl, at the Bern Switzerland Temple. At age 12. At age 2 (second from right) with his sister, Christel (right), and two friends. Right, from top: Dieter (right) with friends in front of the Frankfurt meetinghouse. At a young single adult meeting (back row, far left); Harriet, his future wife, is in the front, second from left. With a friend's car in Frankfurt. Opposite page: Following six years in the German Air Force, Dieter earned his wings with the U.S. Air Force and received the Commander's Trophy award. Above: Even though his job as a pilot required long absences from home, both of his children (pictured with their parents) remember that their father always made spending time together a priority. Prior to his call to the First Quorum of the Seventy in 1996, President Uchtdorf worked for Lufthansa Airlines. Opposite page: The Uchtdorf family in 2006. Standing, from left: Patrick Evans (grandson), Harriet, Dieter, and Daniel Evans (grandson). Seated: David Evans (son-in-law), Antje Evans (daughter), Eric Evans (grandson), Robin Uchtdorf (grandson), Carolyn Uchtdorf (daughter-in-law), Guido Uchtdorf (son), and Jasmin Uchtdorf (granddaughter). President and Sister Uchtdorf's youngest grandson, Niklas Ivan Uchtdorf, was born in 2007. Opposite page: President Uchtdorf and Elder David A. Bednar were both called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in October 2004. Above: The new First Presidency was announced at a press conference in Salt Lake City on February 4, 2008. ;;;Faith in His Step ... and a Song in His Heart BY DEIRDRE M. PAULSEN A 40-kilometer walk was not enough to stop Brazilian member Paulo Tvuarde from faithfully attending church. Whenever I hear or sing the words "We are sowing, daily sowing"1 or "I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord,"2 I can't help but think of Paulo Tvuarde. I met Paulo on a hot day in southern Brazil. Church meetings had ended, and the meetinghouse was almost empty except for a few members sitting in the hallway. My husband, then serving as president of the Brazil Curitiba Mission, was meeting with Edson Lustoza Araújo, the district president from Guarapuava, in Paraná. "Sister Paulsen," said Brother Jason Sousa, who was serving as a counselor to my husband, "did you notice the brother sitting in the hallway with mud on his boots?" Many roads in southern Brazil are made of red dirt, so mud on shoes is common. "You mean the thin, dark-haired man in his late 20s?" I asked. "Yes, his name is Paulo Tvuarde. He walks to church almost every Sunday, except when the mud is so thick that he can't make it. He's been doing that for 14 years--since he was 15." "How far does he walk?" I asked, unprepared for Brother Sousa's response. "Oh, 40 kilometers," he said matter-of-factly. "He leaves at 3:00 a.m. to make it to church on time. It takes him eight hours." Quickly converting kilometers to miles, I realized that Brother Tvuarde walked 25 miles to attend church in Guarapuava! "Why would he do that?" I asked incredulously. "Because he believes that the Church is true." "Well, of course," I said, a little embarrassed at the obvious answer. "What I meant was, why does he have to walk that far?" Brother Sousa explained that Paulo lived in the country, taking care of the family farm so that his 74-year-old mother, who had a heart condition, could live in Guarapuava, where she received medical attention. President Lustoza was her cardiologist. "Paulo lives by himself, plows the fields, and feeds the few animals that they have," Brother Sousa said. "There is no electricity or running water. The farm is eight kilometers from the nearest bus stop. Worse than that, the bus doesn't run on Saturdays or Sundays. So he walks to church." President Lustoza, who had entered the room with my husband, said Paulo usually attended three out of every four weeks. "He doesn't miss unless the roads are impassible," he said. "He stays overnight on Sundays so he can take the bus back on Monday." If Paulo attended church three out of every four Sundays, then he spent more than 300 hours walking nearly 1,600 kilometers (1,000 mi) each year just to attend church! When he is at home on the farm, Paulo has found a way to share the gospel. "I decided that while I was plowing the fields with my plow behind my horse, I would sing hymns at the top of my voice," he said, smiling. "My neighbors who are also out in their fields hear me and ask me what I'm singing. That way I can teach the gospel." Walking to church wasn't the only regular trek Paulo made in exercising his faith. Twice a year he traveled 530 kilometers (330 mi) to attend the São Paulo Brazil Temple. On one of those temple trips he was introduced to Rita de Cássia de Oliveira, who worked in the temple. Odete Lustoza, wife of President Lustoza, had previously met Rita at the temple and had encouraged Paulo to write to her. Rita was accustomed to life in a big city, and she enjoyed her friends and the blessings of being a member of a ward with a nearby chapel. But after a long-distance courtship that resulted in her marriage to Paulo in the São Paulo temple in 2003, Rita joined him on the farm. She has adjusted to farm life and is thankful for the blessing of a temple marriage. "The hardest part was finding a husband," she said. "The rest I can adapt to." As he plows his farm today, Paulo still tries to plant gospel seeds by singing hymns for his neighbors, and he still travels 40 kilometers to church in Guarapuava. But now he travels with Rita and their son, Saulo, at his side, and rather than leave early Sunday morning, they take the last bus of the week late Friday night. After spending the weekend associating with the Saints and attending Sunday meetings, they return by bus to the farm on Monday morning--happy to have gone where the Lord would have them go. NOTES 1. "We Are Sowing," Hymns, no. 216. 2. "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go," Hymns, no. 270. While plowing his fields in southern Brazil, Paulo Tvuarde plants gospel seeds by singing Church hymns "at the top of my voice," generating interest among his neighbors. Paulo and Rita Tvuarde, with their son, Saulo. Paulo studies the gospel by lamplight on his farm, located 40 kilometers (25 mi) from the nearest Latter-day Saint meetinghouse. ;;;The Journey BY LISA SOUTH They began And rejoiced-- Buried tiny bodies in shallow graves, Wept, and began again. They entered the valley With joy-- Beat crickets off their vanishing crops, Starved, wept, and began again. They built their homes With gladness-- Prepared them for burning against an approaching army, Wept, and began again. They endured to the end. They set the example. Fighting our own crickets and armies, We weep, remember, begin again-- And rejoice. ;;;LESSONS FROM THE BOOK OF MORMON COMING TO KNOW FOR OURSELVES BY ELDER KENNETH JOHNSON Of the Seventy We come to know the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ not simply by the exercise of intellect or the process of logic but by acting on what we learn. In June 2005 Sister Johnson and I were preparing to move to a new assignment after having served in the Australia/New Zealand Area for six years. As we were preparing to ship our personal belongings, we noticed several photographs of people, events, and scenes from years gone by. It was thrilling to see these images of family members and friends in former-day settings when we were all so happily united in the faith. I then realized that some of those pictured were no longer active in the Church. What had happened during the intervening years? Why was I still filled with the fire of faith while they were not? Beginning the Journey Before I was introduced to the restored gospel at age 18, my interests centered on family, education, sports, and social activities. After my baptism I added church attendance to my schedule. I no longer played soccer on Sundays and I adjusted my social calendar, but I really did no more than fit church into my schedule. There was no "mighty change" (Alma 5:14) in my heart or in my life. I had experienced impressions of the Spirit, but my faith was not yet founded on the Savior. My bonding to the Church came primarily from the sociality of its members. I once heard Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles observe, "Testimony is to know and to feel, conversion is to do and to become."1 I had some knowledge of the gospel, and my feelings supported my growing testimony, but my conversion did not fully come until I wove gospel principles into the fabric of my life. The Path of Conversion How does such a transition take place? The inspired pronouncement of President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008) resonates with what I experienced. He declared that every new member of the Church needs three things: a friend, a responsibility, and constant nourishment "by the good word of God" (Moroni 6:4).2 Through my association and friendship with Church members after my baptism, I enjoyed each of these means of support and encouragement. As a result, my faith blossomed, my gospel knowledge expanded, and my testimony grew. Pamela, a member missionary in the branch I attended, and her family were there to answer my questions and to model the gospel in their lives. My future father-in-law, Thomas George Wilson, requested that I be assigned as his home teaching companion. As we cycled from home to home to make our visits, he taught me principles of priesthood and Church government. In His day the Savior taught the Jews how to test the truth of His teachings when He challenged them with these words: "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself" (John 7:16-17). This assurance of truth does not come by casual acceptance or tentative observance; our testimonies are nourished and fortified as we apply correct principles in every aspect of our lives. We cannot expect to survive indefinitely on borrowed light from others. It is important that we "be believing" and that we "come unto the Lord with all [our] heart, and work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling before him" (Mormon 9:27). We come to know the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ not simply by the exercise of intellect or the process of logic but by acting on what we learn. Through faith and obedience, the validity of gospel doctrine can be etched upon our hearts. If our faith is rooted in the sandy soil of reason and logic, it will be swept away by a rising tide driven by the escalating winds of opposition. A faith founded in Jesus Christ and on the rock of revelation will endure through the fiercest storms of life (see Helaman 5:12). The Companionship of the Holy Spirit One of the greatest blessings of membership in the Church is the opportunity to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Through virtuous living we can qualify for this divine source of guidance, which enables us to see "things as they really are, and . . . as they really will be" (Jacob 4:13). We then see things clearly; we have a fresh view that is not limited to the span of our mortal sphere. To know that there is a plan and a purpose to our lives creates a vision of possibilities and opportunities of which we were not previously aware. In his inspirational classic, As a Man Thinketh, James Allen observed, "Whatever your present environment may be, you will fall, remain, or rise with your thoughts, your vision, your ideal. You will become as small as your controlling desire; as great as your dominant aspiration."3 With our aspirations tempered by an eternal perspective, our minds can be illuminated by the light of the everlasting gospel, enabling us to chart a course to reach our divine potential. The choice is ours. We can fall back into the lifestyle of the natural man or yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit to become partakers of the divine nature (see Mosiah 3:19; 2 Peter 1:4). Trials and Faith As a member of the Church, particularly following my conversion, I encountered people who felt compelled to challenge my newfound faith. Some of these challengers professed to have no faith; others felt that I was being deceived by unsound teachings. Many of these encounters followed a pattern. First the person would challenge my beliefs with a doctrinal question. I often answered, "I don't know, but I will find out what the Church teaches on the subject." I would then consult with the aforementioned member missionary, who would research an answer. My role as a go-between--carrying responses to those who challenged my beliefs or the truthfulness of the Church--helped me learn the gospel, learn how to research answers for myself, and prepare for future leadership and teaching assignments. This process of learning the gospel is accelerated and magnified when we apply gospel principles to our lives. With the enlightenment of the Spirit we can then develop the capacity to find answers for ourselves. To mature spiritually, we must successfully face situations and encounter experiences that challenge our allegiance to our covenants. When looking back on these experiences, we recognize the impact such moments have on our developing faith. One such incident occurred after I started a job as an insurance broker, working out of our home. One Sunday morning as we were about to leave for church, a knock came at the door. "I understand that you sell insurance," a man asked as I opened the door. "Yes," I responded. "I have purchased a motor vehicle, and I need insurance so that I can drive it home." My income came from selling insurance policies. If I didn't sell policies, we would have to live off our food storage. Nevertheless, I explained to the man that because of my religious beliefs, I did not work on Sundays. He looked puzzled and pressed me, saying how important it was for him to obtain insurance. He pulled a handful of money from his pocket in notes of large denominations and offered them to me. I politely declined, indicating that I would gladly visit his home early the next morning. He then turned away in anger and departed, and I took my family to church. Early the next morning came another knock at our door. Imagine my surprise when I opened the door to find that the man had returned. He commenced by apologizing for his behavior, saying, "I thought about what you said yesterday, and I realized that I wanted to do business with someone of integrity. Not only would I like you to insure my motor vehicle but also to take care of all my insurance needs." One might understandably conclude that the resulting temporal benefits of our business association strengthened my faith. In fact, the feelings I had and the confirmation I received about my decision were what had the most profound effect. Faith and Testimony It has become evident through personal experience and scriptural accounts that our faith in the Savior is reflected in our desire to serve Him. Once Enos had discovered his faith in Jesus Christ, he began to feel a desire for the welfare of his brethren (see Enos 1:7-9). In recounting the story of his repentance, Alma the Younger recalled the impact that his father's prophecies about Jesus Christ had had on him (see Alma 36:17-20). He told his son Helaman: "From that time even until now, I have laboured without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost" (Alma 36:24). As we looked through our photographs of family and friends, we were happy to see that most of our fellow Saints had remained true to the faith. Such knowledge fills my soul with joy, and with Alma I declare, "Then do I remember what the Lord has done for me" (Alma 29:10). I testify that by learning and applying gospel principles we can find the abundant life promised by the Savior to all who seek to become His disciples (see John 10:10). I encourage those seeking heavenly assurance to trust in the Lord and to remember His promise: "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31-32). n NOTES 1. Quoted in Kenneth Johnson, Contemplations of a Convert (2000), 106. 2. See "A Perfect Brightness of Hope: To New Members of the Church," Ensign, Oct. 2006, 4. 3. In Inspirational Classics for Latter-day Saints, comp. Jack M. Lyon (2000), 20; capitalization modernized. HELPS FOR HOME EVENING 1. Read the section "The Path of Conversion." What three things did President Gordon B. Hinckley say every member of the Church needs? Ask family members to share how one of these things has strengthened their testimony. Conclude by reading Elder Johnson's testimony at the end of the article. 2. Read the section "The Companionship of the Holy Spirit." Discuss the quotation by James Allen. How might an eternal gospel perspective affect our daily decisions? Read 2 Peter 1:4. Discuss ways to escape the world's corruptive influences. As a family, choose one of the ways discussed to strengthen each other in the coming week. ;;;Waiting a Little Season BY BROOKE ANN SMITH I was surprised to learn that the Lord's message for Zion's Camp was also a message for me. My favorite institute class during college was on "The Family: A Proclamation to the World." As our instructor helped us understand the principles contained in each line, I gained a strong testimony that marriage "is ordained of God" and that "the family is central to [His] plan."1 My gratitude for inspired priesthood leadership increased as I began to think of the proclamation as one of the most powerful defenses in the war being waged against the family. That semester I enlisted myself in the conflict, inwardly resolving to promote and defend the family every opportunity I had. A few years later on a warm summer evening, I felt I was losing the battle. Being a wife and mother was the deepest desire of my heart, but it hadn't yet happened for me. I felt I had done my best to be patient and trust in the Lord's timing, but that night I was wholly discouraged. Frustrated, I knelt in prayer--to ask not necessarily for a husband but for understanding. "Please, Lord, help me know why I am single and what I should be doing with my life." I finished my prayer and opened my scriptures to the Doctrine and Covenants, where I had been reading the previous night. I couldn't concentrate on the section where I'd left off, so I began leafing through the pages, pausing to read text I'd highlighted or annotated before. Section 105 caught my eye, and I stopped. Two weeks earlier I had taught a Relief Society lesson on the spiritual heritage of members of the Church and had spent time reading and marking this section. As I read that night, however, the verses took on new meaning. The winter of 1833-34 was harsh for early Latter-day Saints. Driven from their homes in Jackson County, Missouri, they had taken up residence in abandoned cabins, crude huts, or tents in nearby Clay County. Though the Saints petitioned the government for assistance in regaining their lands, they were denied help. In response to this situation, Joseph Smith received instruction from the Lord to raise an army in Kirtland and march to the aid of the Saints in Missouri. This body came to be known as Zion's Camp. Approximately 200 men marched in that army. The 900-mile journey was not easy--dissension, disease, and discouragement stalked them, as did hostile mob members. After being protected from mob attacks by an intense storm at Fishing River, Clay County, the army was disbanded at the commandment of the Lord, not having fulfilled the mission of redemption. Section 105, where I had paused to read, gives the reasons behind the dismissal: "It is expedient in me that mine elders should wait for a little season for the redemption of Zion-- "That they themselves may be prepared, and that my people may be taught more perfectly, and have experience, and know more perfectly concerning their duty, and the things which I require at their hands. . . . "For behold, I have prepared a great endowment and blessing to be poured out upon them, inasmuch as they are faithful and continue in humility before me. . . . "For behold, I do not require at their hands to fight the battles of Zion; for, as I said in a former commandment, even so will I fulfill--I will fight your battles" (D&C 105:9-10, 12, 14). As I read, the message for me became strikingly clear: the purposes of the Lord in disbanding Zion's Camp can be likened to His purposes in directing my life. He would have me experience "a little season" of waiting before I marry, that I may be prepared to do what is required of me and have experiences that promote learning and growth. Heavenly Father answered my prayer that night when, as a discouraged daughter, I sought direction and comfort. Through the scriptures, I learned that the Lord is not disregarding the miles I've traveled with His army but is purposefully building on those efforts so that I can be a stronger defender in His kingdom. As I strive to be faithful, humble, and patient, I will know more perfectly my duty and the things that He requires at my hands. NOTE 1. Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102. COME TO KNOW HIM "To be in control of your life, to be a success regardless of your situation as a single, I recommend you come to know your Father in Heaven. Come to love Him. Always remember that He loves you and will give you guidance and support if you will but give Him the chance. Include Him in your decision making. Include Him in your heartaches and heartbreaks. Include Him when you take inventory of your personal worth. ‘For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men [and women] to perform their labors.' (Alma 34:32.)" Elder Marvin J. Ashton (1915-94) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, "Be a Quality Person," Ensign, Feb. 1993, 66. ;;;What Parents Have Learned from Family Home Evening Fostering successful family home evenings can be challenging for families of all sizes and ages. Although family home evenings are often focused on teaching children, adults can learn a great deal as well. In the following accounts, members share examples of how they have been blessed from family home evening. Daddy Time Larry and Sherri Baxter of Mississippi have found two key ingredients to successful family home evenings. The first is to make the lessons age appropriate. When the Baxters initially began holding consistent family home evenings, their girls were ages four and two. Sherri says that their "first family home evening was short and to the point, and the Spirit was very much in attendance. The girls were hooked. Thereafter, it was easy to remember to hold family home evening because our girls wanted to have it just about every night!" Five years and one more child later, holding age-appropriate lessons still works. The second ingredient in successful family nights for the Baxters is "Daddy Time." Larry has a job that requires him to travel from Tuesday to Friday each week. Because he is gone so much, Monday nights have become "Daddy Time." Sherri explains: "Larry comes home from work early on Monday and spends the rest of the evening with the children. Along with the lessons, it's a family home evening of fun. We even let the children stay up late that night so they have a little more time with their father. They clean together, play games together, wrestle or snuggle on the couch together, pick raspberries together. They've even planted sunflowers together. I'm still involved, but the focus is on spending time with Dad." A Child's Testimony Daniel Penrod of North Carolina learned during one family home evening that even little children can feel the Spirit. What set this evening apart from others was that Daniel offered a specific prayer "for our two-year-old son to feel the Holy Ghost." During the lesson, Daniel taught from 3 Nephi 11. As he recalls, "The Holy Ghost came into the room so strongly that all of our hearts burned within us." The two-year-old had a huge smile on his face, and Daniel knew that the Holy Ghost had touched his little son's heart as well. Teaming Up Leander Clifford of Oregon discovered that young children can help teach lessons. He writes: "One week I asked my six-year-old nephew, Rick, to team up with me in presenting the lesson. The idea that Rick could help teach a lesson sparked his imagination. We went over the main points of our lesson and decided to use a flannel board. I gave him a pile of old magazines so that he could cut out pictures that he thought would emphasize an important point. "Thursday evening we glued flannel to the back of the pictures Rick had selected. We also cut out large-letter words, formed them into phrases, and put them on flannel. Friday evening Rick gulped down dinner to have more time on our lesson preparation. That night we put everything in its proper sequence and decided which parts of the lesson each of us would present. "We honed our presentation on Saturday, and on Sunday we invited my dad to our ‘dress rehearsal.' Dad was not a member of the Church, but he loved family home evening. He was a perfect audience as he responded to the lesson questions Rick and I took turns asking him. On Monday, Rick ran all the way home after school to rehearse his role just one more time. "The lesson was a big hit, and there was no question that Rick understood the details of the lesson. He glowed with justifiable satisfaction in what he had accomplished." Teaching with Preach My Gospel Tina Spencer of Delaware writes: "When my oldest daughter was coming up on her eighth birthday, I really wanted to help her prepare for baptism. As a returned missionary, I always thought it would be a great idea to teach my children the missionary discussions. So after the new Preach My Gospel manual replaced the old discussions, we purchased a copy to study. There is so much in it! Although the actual lessons are only a small portion of the book, every section has terrific topics that would make great family home evenings for all ages. "One of the helpful things about Preach My Gospel is that each of the five official lessons can be taught in different time lengths. There are 3-5-minute lessons, 10-15-minute lessons, and 30-45-minute lessons, so you can really plan according to the ages of your children. When I use the manual to teach my children, I sometimes incorporate visual aids to help keep their attention. For instance, to teach the first lesson about the Restoration, we built a model of Christ's Church using blocks of wood. Then we removed a corner block to show what would happen if you remove the foundation of the Church--the blocks fell down. Next, we rebuilt the model as we talked about Joseph Smith and the Restoration. "I've learned that the Preach My Gospel manual can be a great resource for families. I know that when we teach the simple doctrines of the gospel in ways that our children can understand, we will succeed." Bridging the Long-Distance Gap While ideally the entire family is together for family home evening, sometimes life makes that impossible. Alan Smith of California realized that his frequent business trips didn't mean his family had to skip family home evening or even hold it without him. He writes: "One week I found myself away from home for a weeklong business trip. Monday night I called my family on the phone and asked that we gather for family home evening. Over speakerphone, we spent a good portion of an hour having our usual family home evening in a very unusual way. We sang ‘I Am a Child of God' to open, our youngest son said the opening prayer, and then I gave a lesson from the New Testament on the parable of the talents. "We read from the New Testament and the Doctrine and Covenants and spent time discussing the talents of each family member and how we can use our talents to build the kingdom of God. Our three-year-old daughter said the closing prayer while her father, thousands of miles away, helped her when she struggled. "Was it ideal? No. Did we feel the Spirit? Yes. Will we do it again? Absolutely." A Musical Approach Family home evening can be a time to develop and use our talents. Tera Duncan from Utah writes that musical activity in her family's home evenings is not confined to singing hymns. "Each member of the family plays a variety of instruments that we like to rotate from song to song. Dad plays drums, guitar, or harmonica. Mom plays piano, violin, or guitar. The children switch off between violin, piano, trumpet, flute, tambourine, or mandolin. We try to make sure at least one of us is playing some kind of harmony along with the melody. The style can be fiddle, Celtic, classical, Christmas, Broadway, or even patriotic music. Songfests can fill the whole family with a sense of unity and cooperation. "Though it isn't easy to play together when the children are all different ages and abilities, it has become one of the highlights of family home evening. Over the years, we've grown to appreciate the improvement in musical ability, and sometimes we catch the kids practicing without being asked. We believe that even some foot stompin', leg slappin' music can be answered ‘with a blessing upon [our] heads' (D&C 25:12) because it brings our family closer together." Fun with Grandchildren Sharlene T. Barber of Tennessee is lucky enough to have three adult daughters and their families living nearby. Sharlene and her husband, Russ, wanted to share family home evening with their grandchildren but also recognized the need for their daughters to build unity within their individual families. They came up with an interesting solution. Sharlene writes: "One Monday night each month, my husband and I host our three daughters and their families at our home for family home evening. As with our regular family home evenings, we have a prayer, a song, refreshments, and a lesson. However, most of our 12 grandchildren who come are under eight years of age. To keep everyone interested, we keep the lessons simple and use a flannel board, puppets, story telling, or hands-on cutting and coloring. Singing is always a big hit too. "Our grandchildren's favorite activity is a treasure hunt that reinforces the lesson. We have little squares of carpet that display each child's name so they have their own spot to sit on while their parents sit behind them on the couch and chairs. Right before the children go home, we let each grandchild take turns fishing in Grammy and Grandpa's ‘fish pond.' The fish pond is stocked with such items as pencils, notebooks, crayons, and scissors. They each go home with a prize and a memory of an evening of learning gospel principles together with their cousins, uncles and aunts, and Grandpa and Grammy." Engaging Youth of Disparate Ages Holding a family home evening that engages children of a variety of ages can be especially challenging. Lisa Hackwell of Utah and her husband, Burke, know this well; they have three teenagers and three younger children. Yet they have found a way to make it work. Lisa writes: "We hold gospel discussions rather than give lectures. For example, after I give a short lesson, I let the children ask questions. This prompts a discussion. I feel the children learn well with this format because they are involved and receive answers to the things that are on their minds. "Our successful family home evenings also work best when we try to focus on doing things that bring us closer as a family and closer to the Lord." LESSONS LEARNED IN FAMILY HOME EVENING "I begin with family home evening. We cannot afford to neglect this heaven-inspired program. It can bring spiritual growth to each member of the family, helping him or her to withstand the temptations which are everywhere. The lessons learned in the home are those that last the longest." President Thomas S. Monson, "Constant Truths for Changing Times," Ensign, May 2005, 19. ;;;A WATCH, SOME BUTTONS, AND JOSEPH'S CLOAK BY SALLY JOHNSON ODEKIRK Church Magazines Items from the Museum of Church History and Art give us a glimpse into the everyday life of Joseph Smith and his family. A gold watch, a cloak, rusty farm tools, and slate pencils from a bygone era. These common items from the 1800s are meaningful because they come from the daily life of Joseph Smith. Because he lived 200 years ago, looking at artifacts from the Prophet's life helps us understand him better. Makenzie Head, a teen from Cedar Hills, Utah, visited the Museum of Church History and Art to see these items. She wrote that viewing artifacts from the Prophet Joseph's life "has really given me a better understanding of how he lived and the different things he had during his life that are so different from what we have now. What also amazed me were the many things that were actually used by the Prophet. It definitely strengthened my testimony of him." Following are some photos of the artifacts that were on display or are stored at the Church museum. Caption information provided by Mark Staker, museum curator. This article also appeared in the December 2006 Liahona and New Era. Left: A replica of the gold plates that was on display at the museum. Martin Harris, one of the Three Witnesses, said three silver rings held the plates together so they could open like a book. Below: These buttons and clasps were found during an archaeological investigation at the Smith family's log home site in Palmyra, New York. Above: A false shirtfront, made by Lucy Mack Smith for her son Joseph in 1841. This popular men's clothing element, known as a bosom, was typically worn to hide buttons or seams or to provide decoration. Left: Joseph Smith owned this gold watch but gave it to pay for legal services. Above: This cradle was made around 1805 and is similar to what Joseph Smith's family would have used. Right: These nails and oxshoe were found at the Joseph Smith log home site. The round metal piece attached to the handle of a scythe. As a boy Joseph Smith used a scythe to cut grain. Below: A stone fragment from the Nauvoo Temple. Below: Recovering from leg surgery, Joseph used a crutch like this. Far left: These slate pencils were likely used as Joseph Smith's parents taught him to read, write, and solve math problems at home. Above: This first edition Book of Mormon was a gift from Joseph Smith to Martin Harris. It is open to the testimony of the Three Witnesses. Right: The Prophet wore this cloak as lieutenant general of the Nauvoo Legion. These silver ladles belonged to Joseph and Emma Smith. Right: An earring that belonged to one of the women in the Smith family. Far right: This gold bead belonged to Lucy Mack Smith. Left: These surgical instruments are similar to the ones used when Joseph Smith was young. He had an infection that killed a portion of his leg bone. A doctor recommended amputating his leg, but young Joseph and his mother refused. Right: This issue of the Nauvoo Neighbor, published after Joseph and Hyrum Smith were martyred, was printed to share the details of their deaths with a general audience. Below: After the Prophet's death, locks of his hair were given to some of his friends. It was common in the mid-1800s to share locks of hair as a way to remember loved ones who had died. ;;;Cancer, Nutrition, and the Word of Wisdom: ONE DOCTOR'S OBSERVATIONS BY WILLIAM T. STEPHENSON, MD Dr. Stephenson is a physician at Kansas City Cancer Center, Kansas City, Missouri. He also has a degree in nutrition from Brigham Young University and currently serves as a bishop. Knowing our health and our spirituality are interrelated, I would like to offer a few medical insights into what the scientific world is learning about cancer. Doctrine and Covenants 89, known commonly as the Word of Wisdom, is a remarkable revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith almost 175 years ago--long before there was any scientific proof to influence him on issues of health. Though at first reading, Doctrine and Covenants 89 may seem to be simply a list of dos and don'ts about such nonspiritual topics as tobacco, alcohol, and diet, it is much more. The Lord says, "all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal" (D&C 29:34). On Tobacco "And again, tobacco is not for the body, neither for the belly, and is not good for man" (D&C 89:8). While studying cancer medicine at Indiana University, I was assigned to the oncology clinic at the Veterans Administration hospital there. The patients I saw were almost all heavy current or former smokers. They came in with lung cancers, bladder cancers, esophageal cancers, and other smoking-related malignancies. At the same time, they had emphysema and heart disease made worse by years of tobacco use, rendering their treatments both more difficult and less effective. Tobacco has now been linked to many types of cancer, including lung, bladder, esophagus, head and neck, throat, cervix, stomach, pancreas, and kidney cancers, as well as acute myeloid leukemia.1 Lung cancer, however, is foremost among them. Smoking causes about 90 percent of male lung cancer deaths, about 80 percent of female lung cancer deaths,2 and a total of approximately 440,000 deaths annually.3 A 2004 report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that "compared to nonsmokers, men who smoke are about 23 times more likely to develop lung cancer, and women who smoke are about 13 times more likely."4 In addition, smoking is a major cause of emphysema, coronary heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, infertility, dental diseases, and other diseases.5 On Hot Drinks and Caffeine "And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly" (D&C 89:9). The consumption of coffee or tea, whether hot or cold, is recognized by the Church as a violation of the Word of Wisdom. Coffee and tea contain substances such as caffeine, which has been linked to disease. While the Word of Wisdom does not specifically mention caffeine, it is commonly understood in the medical community that higher doses of caffeine are associated with infertility, Meniere's disease (a disease affecting balance), insomnia, sudden infant death syndrome (with maternal consumption in utero), and fibrocystic disease of the breasts. In addition, gastric acid disease (ulcers of the stomach and duodenum) may also be linked to consumption of both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, lending credence to the Word of Wisdom's advice to avoid "hot drinks." From the perspective of medical science, most investigators who have examined the effects of caffeine suggest that caffeinated beverages should not be consumed in large quantities.6 On Alcohol "Inasmuch as any man drinketh wine or strong drink among you, behold it is not good. . . . And, again, strong drinks are not for the belly, but for the washing of your bodies"(D&C 89:5, 7). The Word of Wisdom is clear on this point. Among doctors, as a result of scientific studies, it is commonly accepted that alcohol consumption is associated with cancers of the esophagus, liver, and pancreas. A relationship between alcohol and the development of breast cancer has been debated for years. The largest study on this subject was presented recently. The Nurses' Health Study, a study of 121,700 nurses followed over a 20-year period, found that even modest alcohol intake was associated with an increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer.7 On Dietary Recommendations Although we often consider the verses teaching us to avoid alcohol, tobacco, and hot drinks to be the most important parts of the Word of Wisdom, the larger portion of this revelation is actually devoted to teaching us what we should consume: wheat, other grains, fruits, and vegetables. Grains are mentioned repeatedly in this revelation, with special mention of "wheat for man" in verse 17. "And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man-- "Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving. "Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly; "And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine. "All grain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, . . . "All grain is good for the food of man; as also the fruit of the vine; . . . "Nevertheless, wheat for man" (D&C 89:10-14, 16-17). What does medical science teach us about this kind of diet? Certainly all kinds of diets are being recommended by one seeming authority or another. The diets in fashion change from year to year. Consistently over the years, however, the evidence favors a diet in keeping with the recommendations contained in the Word of Wisdom. The medical community widely accepts that a low-fat diet consisting mostly of complex carbohydrates found in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, along with limited amounts of nuts and high-protein foods like low-fat meats, is associated with lower incidences of disease and a longer life. The benefits of this type of diet are likely related to many different interrelated nutritional factors. For example, such a diet is naturally low in fat. I recently attended the American Society of Clinical Oncology meetings, where I heard research presented on postmenopausal women who had undergone treatment for early-stage breast cancer. Women who followed a low-fat diet, which was remarkably similar to the foods recommended in the Word of Wisdom, were less likely to have their breast cancer return after treatment.8 On Nutrition and Cancer Prevention It would be impractical to discuss all the data in support of the dietary principles promoted by the Word of Wisdom, but I would like to review a few examples from the cancer literature that I find particularly interesting. Several studies have looked at the ability of vitamin supplements in pill form to prevent cancer. One study examined male smokers from Finland who took vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) and vitamin A (beta carotene) in tablet form. The results were unexpected. The authors found no reduction in the incidence of lung cancer among these smokers after five to eight years of dietary supplementation with alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E); they found an 18 percent increased risk of lung cancer among those supplemented with beta carotene (vitamin A).9 In several follow-up studies, participants were asked to give dietary histories showing what kinds of foods they commonly ate.10 The results were also surprising. Those individuals who had the highest intake of fruits and vegetables had a lower incidence of lung cancer.11 The best results were seen in individuals with diets high in vitamin A-rich foods, such as tomatoes and dark green or dark yellow vegetables and fruits. A second study, the Beta-Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial (CARET) Study, confirmed these results.12 Other studies have also confirmed the value of eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Additional studies have linked diets high in whole grains and rich in fiber to lower incidences of colon and other cancers. Nuts also appear to be important and could logically be included in the Word of Wisdom's "fruit of the vine" (D&C 89:16). In a modern world we often look for easy ways to live healthily by substituting fad diets or pills for healthy eating habits. Many fad diets promote the opposite of the Word of Wisdom, including diets high in meat and fat, which may temporarily lower weight. However, research indicates that a diet following the recommendations outlined in section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants, consisting primarily of grains, fruits, and vegetables, is generally considered the healthiest way to eat. On Cancer Incidence and Longevity Science has also looked specifically at Latter-day Saints to see if our health practices influence our chances of getting cancer. The results are encouraging. When looking at Latter-day Saints living in Utah, one study found a 24 percent lower rate of developing cancer. Looking at just smoking-related cancers, the study found a 50 percent lower incidence in men and a 60 percent lower incidence in women compared to the U.S. rate.13 A University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) study of Latter-day Saint high priests in California found they were about 50 percent less likely to die from cancer and 70 percent less likely to die of tobacco-related cancers than the general population."14 Life expectancy for Latter-day Saint males living in Utah is 7.3 years longer than their non-LDS counterparts. Female Latter-day Saints appear to live longer too--an average of 5.8 years.15 Standards for Temporal Health While the Word of Wisdom does not rely on scientific proof, it has stood the test of time, and science is slowly proving the truths it contains. The Lord revealed and the Prophet Joseph Smith taught important standards for temporal health that science is now corroborating many decades later. Thanks to the recommendations contained in section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants, Latter-day Saints live longer and are less likely to get cancer. Although members of the Church often focus on aspects relating to avoiding smoking, alcohol consumption, coffee, and tea, the Word of Wisdom provides further direction for blessing Latter-day Saints. Eating a diet consisting primarily of wheat and grain products, fruits, and vegetables, as outlined in the revelation, is being shown scientifically to be the best possible way to eat. Since the Lord promises that those who follow these teachings will have "health in their navel and marrow to their bones" (v. 18) and will "find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures" (v. 19), I am eager to do all I can to live by the precepts taught in the Word of Wisdom. NOTES 1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "Smoking and Tobacco Use: Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking," fact sheet, Dec. 2006, 1, http:// www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/ Factsheets/ health_effects.htm. 2. CDC, "The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General," 2004, http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/sgr/sgr_2004/sgranimation/lungs_effects.html. 3. CDC, "Annual Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Years of Potential Life Lost, and Economic Costs--United States, 1995-1999," Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Apr. 12, 2002, 300-303, http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5114a2.htm. 4. CDC, "The Health Consequences of Smoking." 5. CDC, "2004 Surgeon General's Report--The Health Consequences of Smoking," 407, 498, 541, 601, 818, http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/sgr_2004. 6. P. Nawrot and others, "Effects of Caffeine on Human Health," abstract, Food Additives and Contaminates, Jan. 2003, 1-30, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query. 7. W.Y. Chen and others, "Moderate Alcohol Consumption and Breast Cancer Risk," abstract, Journal of Clinical Oncology, June 23, 2005, supplement, 515, http://www.asco.org/portal/site/ASCO. 8. R. T. Chlebowski and others, "Dietary Fat Reduction in Postmenopausal Women with Primary Breast Cancer: Phase III Women's Intervention Nutrition Study (WINS), abstract, Journal of Clinical Oncology, June 23, 2005, supplement, 10, http://www.asco.org/portal/site/ASCO. 9. Olli P. Heinonen and others, "The Effect of Vitamin E and Beta Carotene on the Incidence of Lung Cancer and Other Cancers in Male Smokers," New England Journal of Medicine, Apr. 14, 1994, 1029-35, http://content.nejm.org. 10. Margaret E. Wright and others, "Development of a Comprehensive Dietary Antioxidant Index and Application to Lung Cancer Risk in a Cohort of Male Smokers," American Journal of Epidemiology, 160 (2004):68-76, http://aje.oxfordjournals.org. 11. Gilbert S. Omenn and others, "Risk Factors for Lung Cancers and for Intervention Effects in CARET, the Beta-Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial," Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Nov. 6, 1996, 1550-59, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/. 12. Charles H. Hennekens and others, "Lack of Effect of Long-Term Supplementation with Beta Carotene on the Incidence of Malignant Neoplasms and Cardiovascular Disease," New England Journal of Medicine, May 2, 1996, 1145-49, http://content.nejm.org. 13. Joseph L. Lyon and others, "Cancer Incidence among Mormons and Non-Mormons in Utah (United States) 1971-85," Cancer Causes and Control, 5 (1994):152. 14. James E. Enstrom, "Health Practices and Cancer Mortality among Active California Mormons," Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Dec. 6, 1989, 1813. 15. Roy M. Merrill, "Life Expectancy among LDS and Non-LDS in Utah," Demographic Research, Mar. 12, 2004, www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol10/3. ;;;LESSON FROM A MILK JUG NAME WITHHELD How could I carry such an awful burden? The insight came in an unexpected way. Life was starting to look better. Although the last few months had involved severe illness for our newborn baby, a bout with postpartum depression for me, and a sudden layoff for my husband, it seemed that our family was going to make it through the wave of trials we had encountered. But that soon changed when I returned home from helping an ill sister in our ward to find my husband engrossed in filth on the Internet. I had returned earlier than he had expected, and he was caught off guard. I learned that this had been going on for years and that it had been accompanied by other serious sins. I was devastated. The man I had kept myself clean and pure for all of my life had not done the same for me. My heart was broken. I was empty. I was hurt. I was angry. When my husband went to the bishop and the stake president to begin the repentance process, I was embarrassed. And then I became numb. As a matter of routine, I continued to read scriptures with my children and by myself. I continued to have family prayer and family home evening and to say my personal prayers. But they were nothing more than habitual. There was nothing left inside me. After a while, I became tired of being numb. I wanted to feel again. I wanted to be strong for my children. I wanted to love my husband. I wanted to forgive. I just didn't know how. All the Relief Society and Sunday School lessons on forgiveness had not prepared me for this pain, and I didn't know how to overcome it. But I was determined that I would. Time went by, and despite my desire to forgive, I was still bitter. Then the simplest thing happened. I was unloading the car after a trip to the grocery store, and our three-year-old daughter was helping. She was carrying in loaves of bread and cartons of eggs and was doing just fine. Then she decided that she was going to carry in a gallon of milk. After some struggle, she pulled it out of the car, and it landed with a thud on the driveway. She gripped the handle with both hands and heaved it. It barely budged. I offered to help, and she snapped at me: "No! I do it myself!" She strained and grunted but made no progress in lifting the milk. After several minutes she looked up at me with tears welling in her eyes and said, "Too heavy. Can't do it." As I looked at my sweet, stubborn little girl, I saw in an instant what Heavenly Father must see in me--a well-meaning but stubborn child who wouldn't accept His help. A scripture I had learned in seminary came to my mind: Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. "Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me; "And none of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost" (D&C 50:40-42). The significance of this is obvious, but the lesson became even more profound when my daughter's eyes brightened and she said, "Mommy, you carry me; then I carry milk." I scooped my little messenger up in my arms. I carried her, and leaning the jug against my arm, she carried the milk. In tears, I deposited my precious cargo inside. Later, on my knees, I admitted to the Lord that my "jug of milk" was too heavy and that I had been proud in trying to carry it on my own. I asked forgiveness for my anger, my stubbornness, and my pride. I begged the Lord to carry me. I knew I was the one who needed to forgive, but the burden was too painful and too heavy. If the Lord would carry me, though, I could do what I needed to do. I begged Him to lift me, and He did. He helped me not only carry my burden but also cast it away. Our trials have not all ended, but with Heavenly Father's help, we will make it. ;;;Hope, Healing, and Dealing with Addiction BY MICHAEL D. GARDNER LDS Family Services It's difficult to watch your spouse make harmful choices. But hope and peace are available--for both of you. In my work as a therapist, rarely a day passes when I don't hear from someone who wonders how he or she can help a spouse overcome an addiction. My answer often surprises these individuals. First, I state that it is not their responsibility to "fix" their spouse's problem and that the addiction may be no fault of theirs. I then explain that while there are many things they can do to help a spouse overcome an addiction, they cannot control the situation for their spouse. At the same time, I emphasize that they should not be passive in this situation. Individuals can do much to support their spouses in overcoming addictions while at the same time finding their own healing. Understanding the Problem People who engage in addictive behavior often live in a world of denial. They may tell themselves, "It's not that bad," "I'm not hurting anyone but myself," or "I can stop anytime I want." Similarly, husbands and wives are often in denial after first discovering their spouse's behavior. They may find it difficult to accept that their spouse would engage in a particular activity, or they may choose to believe it was only an isolated incident. While it may have been a one-time event, more often the addiction is a bigger problem than the spouse first suspected. Accepting the full scope of the problem is necessary for healing to begin. I advise spouses to calmly, and with love and support, encourage their partners to fully disclose the extent of their addictive behavior rather than allowing information to trickle in over time. Specific details may not be necessary; rather, it is more important to disclose the type of addictive behavior, its duration, and its frequency. Upon learning of a spouse's addiction, an individual may experience a wide range of emotions, including anger, shame, betrayal, fear, disgust, and humiliation. These feelings are normal. But how the person deals with these feelings can make a big difference in the outcome of the situation. It is common for those in a crisis to think in erroneous ways. They should take care not to jump to conclusions, "catastrophize" things, overgeneralize, or get stuck in all-or-nothing thinking.1 One should avoid discussing difficult issues when tempers and emotions are at their peak. Physical, emotional, or verbal attacks will only make a painful situation worse. A bishop and a licensed therapist may be of help when a couple begins to discuss the damage the addictive behavior has caused. Control It is difficult to watch someone you love and care for make choices that you know will hurt them and others. As a result, many people try to control their spouse's addiction problems by policing, monitoring, and otherwise trying to prevent recurrences of the behavior or to catch them in the act. These efforts are usually not effective and may lead to more frustration and hopelessness. We cannot control another's behavior; only the offender can make lasting changes. My advice to spouses is to focus their attention and efforts on what they can change, not on what they can't. They can work on efforts to make their own lives better. These changes may not have any effect on their husband or wife, but this should not be the goal of the behavior. One word of caution here is to maintain balance in life. Reading the scriptures, praying, and going to the temple can help build spiritual strength and bring peace in these situations. However, some people devote so much time and energy to these activities that they neglect other areas of their lives. They may believe that the more time they spend doing worthy activities, the more likely it is that the Lord will soften the heart of their spouse. Yet all things, even spiritual things, should be "done in wisdom and order" (Mosiah 4:27). Remember that it is up to the addicted individual to take the steps that will lead to overcoming the addiction. As spouses keep the following list in mind, they may be able to avoid making some common mistakes. Factors Spouses Cannot Control Their partner's behavior Their partner's desire to change Their partner's repentance process Their own spiritual progression Factors Spouses Can Control Their response to their partner's behavior Their ability to care for themselves Their willingness to forgive Trust Spouses often struggle to forgive their partners for addictive behaviors. Sometimes they mistakenly assume that extending forgiveness also means restoring trust. Yet trust and forgiveness are two separate issues. A person can repent and be forgiven long before he or she earns trust again. Spouses should remember that just as the problem may have taken years to develop, it will take time to resolve. I counsel spouses to keep in mind that being patient and understanding does not mean condoning, accepting, or enabling their partner's behavior. It is critical that they establish clear, healthy boundaries and that their husband or wife understands what kinds of behaviors will not be tolerated. Effects of Addiction on Others When spouses learn of a partner's involvement with an addiction--especially if that addiction involves pornography--they are likely to have diminished feelings of self-worth. They may feel responsible or guilty, and they may feel a deep sense of shame. They may question their ability to meet their partner's needs, and if the partner struggles with pornography, they may believe they are unattractive. They may ask themselves, "What is wrong with me?" If you find yourself in this situation, keep in mind that the sins of others always have a negative effect on those they love, but you did not commit the sin. Your partner's sin is not necessarily about you; it is about your partner's inability to manage emotions effectively or to use appropriate coping skills. Even though the addiction hurts you deeply and feels personal, it is not. As a spouse, you may have a minor role to play in the overall scenario, but you did not cause the individual to become addicted. The addiction was the result of choices your spouse made. Children are particularly vulnerable when their parents have an addiction, yet their needs are often overlooked. The nonaddicted spouse may need to set aside his or her own hurt and pain at times to help meet the needs of children in these situations. Children need love, assurance, and a sense of security. They need to know that even though their parents may be in a tense situation, things will be OK. Parents may want to ensure that their children get counsel or support from their bishop and perhaps a licensed therapist. If a parent is violent or abusive, the spouse should get help immediately. It is important not to remain silent. If physical abuse is occurring, the spouse should call an emergency telephone number immediately and then call the bishop. Families, friends, and shelters for women and children can also be resources during a crisis. The Lord Will Help These suggestions are not all-inclusive. Bishops can provide inspired counsel when one is dealing with a spouse's addiction. If necessary, licensed therapists with experience in treating addictions can provide suggestions that are specific to the situation. The gospel ensures us that change is possible. But hope is a prerequisite. While spouses cannot control their partner's behavior, they can hope for their partner's healing. More important, they can make the choice to place their ultimate hope in the Lord, knowing that regardless of their partner's decisions, the Lord can help them bear their burdens through the power of His Atonement. As He declares in 3 Nephi 9:14: "Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me." The Lord can give impressions and guidance as to what paths to take, and He can assure a couple of His love for both of them. He is the Master Healer and can change the hearts of all who are sufficiently willing and humble to follow Him. The words of Alma, speaking to the people of Zarahemla, may be applied here: "Have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers? Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has delivered their souls from hell? "Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God" (Alma 5:6-7). The Church has an Addiction Recovery Program (ARP), sponsored by LDS Family Services, to help Church members who desire to recover from addiction as well as to help family members and friends. For more information, visit www.ldsfamilyservices.org or contact the LDS Family Services office nearest you. The manual Addiction Recovery Program: A Guide to Addiction Recovery and Healing (36764) is available at Church distribution centers or at www.ldscatalog.com. NOTE 1. For more information on thinking errors, the book Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David D. Burns, M.D., (1980) may be helpful. A GREAT SPIRITUAL POWER OF REDEMPTION "The suffering you endure from resisting or from leaving a life-style of addiction or perversion is not a hundredth part of that suffered by your parents, your spouse or your children, if you give up. Theirs is an innocent suffering because they love you. To keep resisting or to withdraw from such a life-style is an act of genuine unselfishness, a sacrifice you place on the altar of obedience. It will bring enormous spiritual rewards. "Remember that agency, that freedom of choice that you demanded when you forsook your covenants? That same agency can now be drawn upon to exert a great spiritual power of redemption." President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, "Covenants," Ensign, Nov. 1990, 86. ;;;LESSONS FROM THE BOOK OF MORMON CHANGE AND THE VIRTUE OF THE WORD BY ELDER KEITH R. EDWARDS Of the Seventy Change comes from within as we are moved upon by the Holy Ghost. Because of "the power of the word of God" (2 Nephi 1:26), the scriptures teach us to "feast upon the words of Christ" (2 Nephi 32:3), to "experiment" on the word (Alma 32:27), to "hold fast unto" the word (1 Nephi 15:24), and to "live by . . . every word of God" (Luke 4:4). As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we, like Jacob in the Book of Mormon, are to "teach . . . the word of God with all diligence" (Jacob 1:19). In 1963 my missionary companion and I taught a young family of five in Albany, Georgia. After the third or fourth discussion, the wife told us that since we had started teaching them, she and her husband were closer and he was treating her better than at any other time in their marriage. As we concluded the next discussion, the husband shared an experience. "Today the people I work with wanted to know what has happened to me," he related. "When I asked them what they meant, they said, ‘You don't use the same language you used to use when you get angry, and you're more patient. You seem happier.'" The Book of Mormon helps us understand what Alma calls "the virtue of the word"and its power to help us change. When apostate practices had crept into the religious ceremonies of the Zoramites, they needed correction. "And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just--yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them--therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God" (Alma 31:5). The doctrine of the restored gospel reminds us of the same principle. President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, has taught: "True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior."1 As a bishop a number of years ago, I witnessed a dramatic change as the virtue of the word of God came into the life of a young man. Sometime during his early teens he had drifted from the Church. A friend from high school, serving a mission thousands of miles away, wrote to his former classmate, bore testimony of the power and influence of the gospel in his life, shared some missionary experiences, and encouraged his friend to reclaim the peace and joy of the gospel. That testimony, reinforced by the Spirit and good memories of living the gospel when he was young, touched the young man. Another letter from his friend served as a second witness. Within a short time the young man was in his bishop's office. He was eager to develop the traits that his friend had developed and to follow him into the mission field. The family we taught in the mission field and the young man who had strayed each experienced the virtue of the word. In individual ways they felt what the father of King Lamoni felt when he prayed, "O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee" (Alma 22:18). Nephi explained that the word, or the message of the gospel, goes directly to the heart: "When a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men" (2 Nephi 33:1). When Alma spoke of going to preach to the Zoramites, he mentioned the "powerful effect" of the word and concluded by saying that he and his brethren would "try the virtue of the word" (Alma 31:5). The strength and power of the word of the gospel is demonstrated by the virtues it helps us develop. In the lives of the people I've mentioned, the influence of the word was evident in their humility, submissiveness, gentleness, and willingness to act on the things they had been taught. The virtues of change came to the father as he developed a greater love and devotion for his wife and family and as he disciplined his tongue. The young man manifested the virtues of change by his desire to repent and serve a mission. Many years of Church service have taught me that no person has the power to change another. Change comes from within as we are moved upon by the Holy Ghost. Others may motivate us to change, but the determination to change is generated by personal desire as we yield "to the enticings of the Holy Spirit" (Mosiah 3:19). Change does not always come dramatically. For most of us, progress comes "line upon line" (D&C 98:12) in a process that seems almost imperceptible. My mother made the following observation years ago: "You haven't always been the way you are," she told me. "I like what you have become." The virtue and power of the word can have a profound influence on each of us as we study, pray, exercise faith, repent, and work "to do that which [is] just" (Alma 31:5). NOTE 1. "Do Not Fear," Liahona and Ensign, May 2004, 79. ;;;Visiting Teaching Message All Human Beings Are Created in the Image of God TEACH THE SCRIPTURES AND STATEMENTS THAT MEET THE NEEDS OF THE SISTERS YOU VISIT. BEAR TESTIMONY OF THE DOCTRINE. INVITE THOSE YOU TEACH TO SHARE WHAT THEY HAVE FELT AND LEARNED. What Do We Know about Being "Created in the Image of God"? Moses 2:27: "I, God, created man in mine own image, in the image of mine Only Begotten created I him; male and female created I them." President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008): "Our bodies are sacred. They were created in the image of God. They are marvelous, the crowning creation of Deity. No camera has ever matched the wonder of the human eye. No pump was ever built that could run so long and carry such heavy duty as the human heart. The ear and the brain constitute a miracle.. . . These, with others of our parts and organs, represent the divine, omnipotent genius of God" ("Be Ye Clean," Ensign, May 1996, 48). President Thomas S. Monson: "God our Father has ears with which to hear our prayers. He has eyes with which to see our actions. He has a mouth with which to speak to us. He has a heart with which to feel compassion and love. He is real. He is living. We are his children made in his image. We look like him and he looks like us" ("I Know That My Redeemer Lives," Tambuli, Apr. 1988, 6; Ensign, Apr. 1990, 6). How Does Knowing I Am Created in God's Image Make a Difference in My Life? Elder LeGrand Richards (1886- 1983) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: "There are many who think their bodies are their own and that they can do with them what they will, but Paul makes it plain that they are not their own, for they are bought with a price, and that ‘If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are' [1 Corinthians 3:17]" (A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, rev. ed. [1966], 380). Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: "We should come to ‘know . . . the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent' (John 17:3). ‘. . . To know God is to think what he thinks, to feel what he feels, to have the power he possesses, to comprehend the truths he understands, and to do what he does. Those who know God become like him, and have his kind of life, which is eternal life.' . . . He instructed his Nephite disciples: ‘What manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am' (3 Ne. 27:27)" ("Our Lord and Savior," Ensign, Nov. 1993, 7). Susan W. Tanner, recently released Young Women general president: "[Did] your mother or father ever [remind you] to ‘remember . . . that you are a child of God and must act accordingly'[?] Missionaries wear a badge as a constant reminder . . . to dress modestly and comely, to treat people with politeness, and to strive to have Christ's image in their countenances. . . . By covenant, we too have all taken upon ourselves Christ's name. His name should be engraven inwardly upon our hearts. Likewise, we are expected to act as worthy children of Heavenly Father, who, at least figuratively, has sent us to earth with the admonition ‘Remember who you are!'" ("Daughters of Heavenly Father," Liahona and Ensign, May 2007, 107). For additional study, see Job 7:17; D&C 110:2-3; Joseph Smith--History 1:17. ;;;Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet BY ELDER M. RUSSELL BALLARD Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles With new technological tools, you can further the work of the Lord by joining the ongoing conversation about the Church. I am in my 80th year. By some accounts that makes me pretty old. Actually, some folks think some of the Brethren may be too old to know what's going on in your world. Let me assure you we are very much aware. A Changing World In the span of nearly 80 years, I've seen many changes. When I began my mission in England in 1948, the most common way for people to get news was through newspapers and radio. How different the world is today. For many of you, if you read newspapers, the chances are you read them on the Internet. Ours is the world of cyberspace, cell phones that capture video, video and music downloads, social networks, text messaging and blogs, handhelds and podcasts. This is the world of the future, with inventions undreamed of that will come in your lifetime as they have in mine. How will you use these marvelous inventions? More to the poin