The Bulletin Board

The building of a new temple in Preston, England, is creating a lot of curiosity about the Church. The youth in the Southport Ward, Liverpool England Stake, are preparing to satisfy that curiosity. They are learning how to answer questions and share their testimonies with their friends of other faiths by participating in a member-missionary training class.

Many of the members of this class have already given copies of the Book of Mormon to their friends and say they now feel more confident discussing the gospel because of what they have learned.

Setting a good example means a lot to young women of the Tullahoma Ward, McMinnville Tennessee Stake. They let their light shine in many ways.

Bassoon player Melody Anderson, 18, spent four weeks at the Governor’s School for the Arts. While there, she says, “I was able to share my testimony with people who are my friends but who aren’t members of the Church.”

Brenda Bates, 16, worked with her neighbors. “The husband is virtually blind,” she explains. “And the wife has respiratory problems. I did at least 30 hours of service weeding, planting flowers, and cleaning inside the house. But the most important thing is that I learned to love these people.”

Shara Jackson, 17, answered calls at a crisis line for teens with problems. Sisters Sarah, 14, and Kathy Long, 13, have given service through baby-sitting. Amber, 15, and Marietta Cyran, 13, stand up for their standards in theater.

Brittney Bates, 13, went on splits with the missionaries and had a discussion about eternal families with an elderly woman whose husband had died of cancer. Tiffany Argo, 18, and Emily Stovall, 14, talked about the blessings the temple has brought to their families.

No wonder Brie Sintic, 13, Tiffany Trowbridge, 14, and Amber Lepley, 17, say the light of the gospel shines in their ward. They agree with Angie Holman, 17, who says, “Everybody around me is a great example.”

Young women in Cincinnati, Ohio, joined with young women in Reading, England, to do something to comfort the families of 16 young children killed in a shooting at their school in Scotland last winter. But what could they do or say from so far away and with limited resources? They decided that a message of sympathy and a short testimony of the plan of salvation would be the very best gift they could give to anyone who was grieving, whether they were across the ocean or right next door.

“Helping out the families that lost their beloved children by writing small notes of sympathy was an experience that really strengthened my testimony of the gospel,” says Beehive Tara Swift. “It made me realize that I am very lucky to have the truth of the gospel, to know that I can be with my family forever and not just for a short period of time on earth.”

The town of Dunblane, Scotland, plans to tear down the gymnasium where the children were shot and put a memorial park in its place. The girls have pooled their loose change and sent the money to be donated in purchasing a memorial item, perhaps a tree or some flowers, to be placed in the park.

Youth in the Danville California Stake spent an entire summer getting to know more about the Restoration of the gospel when they performed Brother Joseph, a play about the life of Joseph Smith.

A few weeks prior to the performance, the youth took a three-part challenge to only say kind and positive things to others, to pray at least morning and night, and to keep the commandments and read their scriptures. This extra effort, in addition to their hours of rehearsals, made this a play to remember for both the audience and the cast.

My name is Jade Armes. I am 14 years old and go to Mount Barker High School in Adelaide, Australia. There are only two Church members in my school of about 800 students. I enjoy doing German as one of my subjects at school. My mother is German, and I had the opportunity to go to Germany and visit my relatives.

“I am the Mia Maid class president and I love being close to all the girls. I enjoy going to stake dances, which are held every month. I have just completed my first year of seminary and am looking forward to next year.

“One of my favorite things to do is spend time with my two nephews, Lincoln and Brayden. I also love to shop with my sister, Tara.”