Of All Things

In 1898, President David O. McKay (1873–1970) was Elder McKay, and he was homesick while serving as a missionary in Scotland. He had been in the city of Stirling for a few weeks and was discouraged. One day, on their way into town, he and his companion noticed an unfinished building. “Over the front door,” President McKay later said, “was a stone arch, something unusual in a residence, and what was still more unusual, I could see from the sidewalk that there was an inscription chiseled in the arch.

“When I approached near enough, this message came to me, not only in stone, but as if it came from One in whose service we were engaged: ‘Whate’er Thou Art, Act Well Thy Part’” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1956, 91).

Elder McKay took this message to heart, and he made his mind up to act his part well as a missionary and throughout his lifetime of service.

Today, the original stone from Scotland is in the Church Museum of History and Art in Salt Lake City, Utah, while a replica is in the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah.

Do you know who any of your great-great grandmothers were? Have you ever done baptisms for the dead? The New Era wants to hear about your experiences while doing family history and temple work for the dead. Send your true stories to:

New Era

50 East North Temple

Salt Lake City, Utah 84150

or e-mail us at

newera@ldschurch.org

If you haven’t already memorized the Articles of Faith in Primary, now would be a good time to do that. But even if you have, these questions might be tricky to answer.

1. Why did Joseph Smith write the Articles of Faith?

   1. As a summary of Latter-day Saint beliefs to be added to the Pearl of Great Price.

   2. As a response to Church critics in Missouri who requested a statement of beliefs.

   3. As a response to a request from a newspaper editor in Chicago.

2. In what year did the Prophet write and publish the list that is now known as the Articles of Faith?

   1. 1842

   2. 1847

   3. 1880

3. Which Church newspaper first published the Articles of Faith?

   1. LDS Messenger and Advocate

   2. The Evening and The Morning Star

   3. Times and Seasons

4. In what year were the Articles of Faith added to the standard works of the Church?

   1. 1842

   2. 1880

   3. 1924

5. How many words long are the Articles of Faith?

   1. About 250 words

   2. About 400 words

   3. About 550 words

Answers:

“There is a power in [The Book of Mormon] which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called ‘the words of life’ (D&C 84:85), and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon. When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance” (Ensign, Nov. 1986, 7).
—President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994)

When their bishop challenged them to read the Book of Mormon in a year, the youth of the Spring Creek Ward in Mendon, Utah, got right to work—building a temple. For each five chapters they read, each young man or woman would write his or her name on a craft stick to be attached to a model temple built of foam board. The Young Men and their leaders completed two of the walls, the Young Women and their leaders completed the other two, and the bishopric covered the roof. They all got together to celebrate finishing the Book of Mormon and the temple at the end of the year.