Helping in the Country

When dawn breaks at Carlene C.’s house in Benjamin, Utah, everyone hurries out to the chicken coop to help gather eggs. Sometimes nine-year-old Carlene beats her four brothers to the henhouse. She has raised a few chickens herself. Last year at the county fair, her chickens and their eggs won two blue ribbons.

Carlene’s mom says there’s nothing this country girl can’t learn to do. “Developing Talents” is Carlene’s favorite section of the Faith in God booklet. She has learned to knit, bake bread, sew, play the piano, and paint. Last year she made and decorated her own three-layer chocolate birthday cake.

Carlene loves being at home with her family. When her dad gets home from work, she greets him at the door with a smile and a hug. She is very close to her four brothers—McKay (15), Josh (12), Kyle (8), and Wade (6). They say Carlene is athletic, smart, and really fun. Kyle says she is his best friend, and Wade appreciates it when she helps him with schoolwork and mends his clothing. Carlene says helping her younger brothers helps her practice being a good mom.

Carlene feels a special appreciation for the Prophet Joseph Smith. When she was invited to go on a trip to Nauvoo with her mom, grandma, and great-aunt, Carlene did everything she could to prepare. She enjoyed reading about Church history. She even named her pet lambs Joseph and Emma!

Carlene helped pay for the expenses of the trip by baking and selling her delicious bread. Every week she made about 10 loaves. She also sold her dollhouse. Finally she had enough money to pay for her own plane ticket.

In Nauvoo, one of Carlene’s favorite experiences was attending the plays and pageants the missionaries put on. She dreams of being a performing missionary one day.

• doing math with her dad

• drawing and painting pictures of horses

• playing kickball

• eating sloppy joes

• helping her brother learn how to read

• going to Primary and reading the Book of Mormon