cover story: walking the walk, p. 20 10 things ......tornado stand in their way. tonga: true to the...
TRANSCRIPT
J U L Y 2 0 0 2
COVER STORY:WALKING THEWALK, P. 20
10 THINGS TOKNOW BEFOREYOU GO, P. 4
TV GUIDANCE,P. 38
T H E
2 T H E N E W E R A
The New Era Magazine
Volume 32, Number 7
July 2002
Official monthly publication for youth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Editorial Offices:New Era50 E. North TempleSalt Lake City, UT 84150-3225
E-mail address:[email protected]
To Subscribe:Send $8.00 check or moneyorder for the New Era toChurch Magazines Salt Lake Distribution CenterP. O. Box 26368Salt Lake City, UT 84126-0368
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Cover: This young
woman from
Westminster, Colorado,
got a taste of what it was
like to be a pioneer at
Martin’s Cove. See
“Walking in
Remembrance” on p. 20.
Cover photography:
Caroline H. Benzley
(front), Eleanor S. Carter
(back).
4 28
hey got
closer to the
handcart
pioneers.
See “Walking in
Remembrance,”
p. 20.
TT
C O N T E N T S
J U L Y 2 0 0 2 3
The Message:
Ten Things to Know
Before You Go 4President James E. Faust
Before you head out on a mission,
there are some things you should know.
Idea List:
More Than Silence 9Reverence is more than not
making noise. Here are some ideas
from young women in Merced,
California, on how to show reverence
in our thoughts and behavior.
Watch Out! 10Elder Adelson Parrella
If we don’t constantly pay attention
to the words of the prophets, we
become desensitized, and we don’t
recognize the dangers of the world.
Be Clean 12Caroline H. Benzley
What are you doing to follow the
prophet’s counsel to be clean? Find
out what other teens have done and
what they have learned from
doing it.
Q&A:
Questions and Answers 16Every time I ask my friend a tough
question, he answers by saying I need
to pray about it. He says he receives
immediate answers to his prayers, but
it just doesn’t work for me. What am I
doing wrong?
New Era Poster:
Search and Rescue 19
Walking in Remembrance 20Caroline H. Benzley
Why would teens choose to give up the
comforts of home and walk as far as 30
miles under the hot Wyoming sun?
Service with a Twist 26Aaron J. Tolson
These teens in Oklahoma wouldn’t let a
tornado stand in their way.
Tonga: True to the Faith 28Janet Thomas
The youth in Tonga get a lot of support
from other Church members. But they
still must do the studying and praying
to gain their own testimonies.
Mirror Image 34Julie K. Kennard
I knew the Lord didn’t care what size
dress I wore. He cared that I was
clean and worthy.
The Extra Smile 37
A Question of Time 38
Elder F. Burton Howard
Does TV prevent you from doing things
that you should do? If it does, do you
think it’s really your friend?
Of All Things 42
Speaking of Miracles 44
Shallin Duncan
I knew I wasn’t much of a translator.
But with the Spirit, I was able to help
my Venezuelan friend in the temple.
New Era Classic:
Of the Most Worth 46President Ezra Taft Benson
Missionaries are engaged in the
greatest work in all the world—
saving the souls of our Father
in Heaven’s children.
Reader’s Guide 49
We’ve Got Mail 50
Poem:
Taste Summer 51Callie Taggart
Photo of the Month 51Niel Hayes
Everything in the New Era may be copied for
incidental, noncommercial Church or home
use unless otherwise indicated. Other uses
require permission of the copyright owner.
The First Presidency
Gordon B. HinckleyThomas S. MonsonJames E. Faust
The Quorum of the Twelve
Boyd K. PackerL. Tom PerryDavid B. HaightNeal A. MaxwellRussell M. NelsonDallin H. OaksM. Russell BallardJoseph B. WirthlinRichard G. ScottRobert D. HalesJeffrey R. HollandHenry B. Eyring
Editor
Dennis B. Neuenschwander
Advisers
J. Kent Jolley W. Rolfe KerrStephen A. West
Curriculum Department Administrators
Managing DirectorRonald L. Knighton
Editorial DirectorRichard M. Romney
Graphics DirectorAllan R. Loyborg
Editorial Staff
Managing EditorLarry Hiller
Assistant Managing EditorJanet Thomas
Assistant EditorLaury Livsey
Editorial AssociatesShanna GhaznaviMatthew Baker
Publications AssistantJulie K. Kennard
Design Staff
Magazine Graphics ManagerM. M. Kawasaki
Art DirectorBryan Lee Shaw
Senior DesignerBrent Christison
Printing Director
Kay W. Briggs
Distribution Director(Subscriptions)
Kris T. Christensen
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THE NEW ERA (ISSN 0164-5285) ispublished monthly by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 50East North Temple, Salt Lake City,Utah 84150-3225. Sixty days’ noticerequired for a change of address.Include address label from a recentissue. Changes cannot be made unlessold address, as well as new one, isincluded. Unsolicited manuscripts arewelcomed, but no responsibility isassumed for them. Sufficient postageand self-addressed envelope mustaccompany all manuscripts.
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T H E M E S S A G E
By PresidentJames E. FaustSecond Counselor in theFirst Presidency
10THINGS TOKNOW BEFORE
YOU GOWhether you’re gettingready or already serving,follow this checklist tomake your mission all itshould be.
bove all,
remem-
ber that
you represent and
serve the Lord
Jesus Christ.
AA
TT hese are 10 things I would like theChurch’s wonderful young men toknow before they leave on their
missions.1. You will be under call from the
Lord Jesus Christ. What a marvelous thingit is to have the confidence of the Lord,your bishop, stake president, all of theGeneral Authorities, and PresidentGordon B. Hinckley to honor you with acall. You will be a servant of the livingGod and an ambassador of the Church.
Most missionaries are young andinexperienced in the ways of the world.Nevertheless, the Lord said: “He that isordained of God and sent forth, the sameis appointed to be the greatest,notwithstanding he is the least and theservant of all” (D&C 50:26).
Despite our shortcomings and ourinadequacies, we need to be remindedthat the God who called you to serve isthe “possessor of all things; for all thingsare subject unto him, both in heaven andon the earth, the life and the light, theSpirit and the power, sent forth by thewill of the Father through Jesus Christ,his Son” (D&C 50:27).
4 T H E N E W E R A
2. Your mission president is theLord’s representative. Do not criticize ordemean him, privately or publicly. If youwill respect his authority, be obedient,humble, teachable, and follow themission rules, you will be a successfulmissionary. For instance, one of thehardest rules to follow is to get up in themorning when your mission presidentdirects. Many young men think thebest time to sleep is in the morning.I’m grateful to my obedient seniorcompanion, Elder William GrantBangerter, who would set the alarmclock to get up early. When the alarmwent off, it would jangle my nerves.In the winter it was dark, damp, andcold, and we never had any hotwater for bathing or showering. Hewould cheerfully shower in thatcold water; I would start to shiver assoon as he got out of the shower. Icould not do anything but follow hisexample, but I have to confess that Iwas not quite as cheerful because myteeth were chattering.
3. Hard work is more importantthan intellect. Remember the Lord’swords in the Doctrine and Covenants:“Wherefore, I call upon the weak thingsof the world, those who are unlearnedand despised, to thrash the nations bythe power of my Spirit;
“And their arm shall be my arm, and Iwill be their shield and their buckler;and I will gird up their loins, and theyshall fight manfully for me” (D&C35:13–14).
Illustrated by Scott Greer
J U L Y 2 0 0 2 5
6 T H E
orget
yourself in
His service.
Don’t let anything
get in the way of
your important
message. Also,
never permit
contention in
your companion-
ship. Work as a
team.
FF
President Ezra Taft Benson once said:“One of the greatest secrets of missionarywork is work. If a missionary works, hewill get the Spirit; if he gets the Spirit, hewill teach by the Spirit; and if he teachesby the Spirit, he will touch the hearts ofthe people; and he will be happy. Therewill be no homesickness, no worryingabout families, for all time and talentsand interests are centered on the work ofthe ministry. That’s the secret—work,work, work. There is no satisfactorysubstitute, especially in missionary work”(Missionary Guide, 32).
4. Forget yourself in His service. TheLord said, “He that findeth his life shalllose it: and he that loseth his life for mysake shall find it” (Matt. 10:39). If you willlose yourself in missionary service, youwill find indescribable joy.
Nothing you do as a missionary shouldget in the way of your importantmessage: not your dress, not your hairlength, your attitude; not yourdeportment; and not your girlfriend athome.
You young men are properlyconcerned about finding your place inthis unsettled world. However, when youare called as a full-time representative ofthe Lord, you should “serve him with allyour heart, might, mind and strength,
N E W E R A
that ye may stand blameless before Godat the last day” (D&C 4:2).
5. Never permit contention in yourcompanionships. Some of yourmissionary companions will be your life’sdearest friends. Be the kind ofcompanion you would like to be with.Be unselfish in your relationship withyour companions. When there iscontention, the Spirit of the Lord willdepart, regardless of who is at fault.
Each of us is an individual withunique strengths and talents, differentfrom any other person in the world.Each of us has weaknesses. In aharmonious companionship, there isteamwork—where one is weak, theother is strong. As a boy, I learned todrive a team of horses. If one horse wasbalky, the other could not pull the loadalone. So it is in a missionarycompanionship. Each must pull his shareof the load.
6. Keep your bodies clean andhealthy and your living quarters clean.It is very important that you eat properlyand get adequate sleep so that you canmaintain good health. If you become ill,
ake care of
your body.
Eat
properly and get
enough rest. Be
clean and neat.
Study, ponder,
and teach from
the scriptures,
especially the
Book of Mormon.
TT
not only can you not do the work, butyou will also become a burden on yourcompanion. Remember, also, thatkeeping your person and your livingquarters neat and clean is conducive toenjoying the Spirit.
As a representative of the Lord, yourpersonal appearance is very important.You, the Church, and your message willbe judged in part by your cleanlinessand neatness. People will be reluctant toinvite you into their homes if you areunkempt.
7. Learn to love and serve the peopleamong whom you work. You shouldpray daily for them that the Lord will fillyou with love as you serve them. If youdo not love them, you will have difficultyteaching them.
8. Study, ponder, and teach from thescriptures, especially the Book ofMormon and the New Testament. Knowthe truth so well that you can state itclearly. Elder B. H. Roberts wrote, “To beknown, the truth must be stated and theclearer and more complete thestatement is, the better the opportunitywill the Holy Spirit have for testifying tothe souls of men that the work is true”(New Witnesses for God, 2:vii). You
cannot convert people beyond your ownconversion. The Book of Mormon,together with your testimony of it, is apowerful instrument of conversion.
Elder F. Burton Howard of the Seventyacquaints us with a strong testimony ofthe converting power of the Book ofMormon: Sister Celia Cruz Ayala of thePuerto Rico San Juan Mission decided togive the Book of Mormon to a friend. Shewrapped it in attractive paper and set outto deliver her present.
On the way she was attacked by abandit who stole her purse and with itthe wrapped copy of the Book ofMormon. A few days later she receivedthis letter:
Mrs. Cruz:Forgive me, forgive me. You will never
know how sorry I am for attacking you.But because of it, my life has changedand will continue to change. That book[the Book of Mormon] has helped me inmy life. The dream of that man of Godhas shaken me. . . . I am returning yourfive pesos for I can’t spend them. I wantyou to know that you seemed to have aradiance about you. That light seemedto stop me [from harming you, so] I ranaway instead.
J U L Y 2 0 0 2 7
8 T H E
our
personal
testimony is
the strongest
arrow in your
quiver. If you
have the Holy
Spirit resting
upon you and
you speak by
that Spirit, God
will ratify your
message in the
hearts of those
who are hearing
you.
YY
I want you to know that you will seeme again, but when you do, you won’trecognize me, for I will be your brother. . . . Here, where I live, I have to find theLord and go to the church you belong to.
The message you wrote in that bookbrought tears to my eyes. SinceWednesday night I have not been able tostop reading it. I have prayed and askedGod to forgive me, [and] I ask you toforgive me. . . . I thought your wrappedgift was something I could sell. [Instead,]it has made me want to make my lifeover. Forgive me, forgive me, I beg you.
Your absent friend (Church News, Jan6, 1996, 16).
Such is the conversion power of theBook of Mormon.
9. You must know that Satan willoppose you, and be prepared for hisopposition. Do not be surprised. Hewants you to fail. Discouragement is oneof the devil’s tools. Have courage and goforward. Recognize that the gospel hasbeen preached with some pain andsorrow from the very beginning of time.Do not expect that your experience
N E W E R A
will be otherwise. 10. Your own personal testimony is
the strongest arrow in your quiver. Ihave often related that in the early daysof the missionary work in Brazil, wherewe now have over half a million membersof the Church, we did not have the Bookof Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, orthe Doctrine and Covenants translatedinto the Portuguese language. All we hadwere the Bible, a few tracts, our personaltestimonies concerning the Restorationof the gospel and the Joseph Smith story,and our testimony of the living prophet.The harvest was not great. However,some of those who were baptized havefor three generations remained faithfulbecause they were touched by thepowerful testimonies of humblemissionaries almost 60 years ago. Now,you cannot be responsible for whether ornot those you teach will accept yourtestimony and join the Church. Do notfeel that you must obtain a quota ofbaptisms to be successful. An old sayingteaches that you can count the numberof seeds in a single apple, but you can’tcount the number of apples in a singleseed. The harvest is the Lord’s. Yourresponsibility is to thrust in the sickle.
If you have the Holy Spirit restingupon you, and you speak by that Spiritthe words of the Lord as contained in theholy scriptures and as outlined by Hisliving prophets, God will ratify yourmessage in the hearts of those who arehearing you.
Now, my dear young friends,missionary work is not easy. In fact, it isoften quite difficult, but the Lord is thegreatest paymaster in the world.Dedicated missionary service is one oflife’s most fulfilling experiences. This is inlarge measure because of the divineagency which flows so richly from theLord to His humble and obedientservants to bless the lives of others. Iknow this because I have seen itmanifested in the lives of thousands andhave felt it in my own life. NE
Adapted from an April 1996 generalconference address.
I D E A L I S T
Ideas by the YoungWomen of the MercedCalifornia First Ward
ilenceilenceMORE THANMORE THAN
lder M. Russell Ballard, of theQuorum of the Twelve, definesreverence as “a profound respect
mingled with love and awe. Other wordsthat add to our understanding ofreverence include gratitude, honor,veneration, and admiration” (Ensign, May1988, 57). If we respect and love God, itwill show. Here are some ideas fromyoung women in Merced, California, onhow to show reverence in our thoughtsand behavior.
◆ Always keep in mind the goal ofattending the temple.
◆ Take time to appreciate the beauty ofnature.
◆ Dress modestly. Be neat and clean.
◆ Listen to hymns and other upliftingmusic. Sing a hymn if your thoughts arewandering into dangerous territory.
◆ Express gratitude to your HeavenlyFather and others often.
◆ Eliminate Sunday activities that are not inkeeping with the spirit of the Sabbath day.
◆ Read the scriptures to set the mood ofyour day. Pray before you read, and readdaily.
◆ Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you toright decisions and to be your constantcompanion.
◆ Speak to your family and friends usingkind words. Anger or yelling is sure todrive away the Spirit.
◆ Use your energies and time wisely toprepare for a mission, improve in yourschoolwork, serve others, and accomplishother worthy goals.
◆ Have a strong desire toplease and obey HeavenlyFather.
◆ Clean your room. Ifyour surroundings areclean, it’s easier to be atpeace.
◆ Be around friends whohave the good values youwant to emulate.
◆ If you are in a temple or chapel, besure to practice self-discipline andreverence. NE
EESS
J U L Y 2 0 0 2 9Painting In His Constant Care by Greg Olsen
1 0 T H E N E W E R A
WWAATTCHCH
By Elder Adelson ParrellaArea Authority SeventyBrazil South Area
UT!UT!
he
explosions in
the heart of
the city were so
frequent that,
pretty soon,
everyone was
used to them. But
that didn’t make
them less
dangerous.
Some of the scary thingsout there are even moredangerous because it’seasy to get used to them.The safest thing to do?Keep your eyes on thepeople who offer safety.
TT
AA s a group of engineers beganconstruction of a new buildingin the heart of our city in Brazil,
there was a need to blast the bedrock toopen room for the building’sfoundation. A siren was installed at theconstruction site, and the neighborswere informed that the siren wouldprecede the explosions, and theduration of the siren would indicate theintensity of the explosion.
At first, the power of the explosionscaught me by surprise. It felt like thebuilding I was in would come down onour heads. However, as days went by,the siren and the explosions were sofrequent that we became desensitized,and the danger became acceptable.
Knowing our great capacity to adaptand become careless, the Apostle Paultaught: “But ye, brethren, are not indarkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all thechildren of light, and the children of theday: we are not of the night, nor ofdarkness. Therefore let us not sleep, asdo others; but let us watch and be
Prop by Shauna Mooney Kawasaki. Photography by Ellie Carter
sober” (1 Thes. 5:4–6).Both prophets of old and living
prophets have reminded us of thespiritual sirens the Lord gives us in orderfor us to be always watchful. In the April1987 general conference, President EzraTaft Benson (1899–1994) declared that“The record of the Nephite history justprior to the Savior’s visit reveals manyparallels to our own day as we anticipatethe Savior’s Second Coming” (Ensign,May 1987, 4).
In those days, the Nephites’ conditionsincluded prosperity, industriousness,many cities connected by roads, strongcommerce, navigation, and constructionof buildings, just to mention a few. Onthe other hand, there was abundantpride, rejection of the prophets,dishonesty, immorality, secretcombinations, and a horrible division insocial classes (see 3 Ne. 6:12, 15–16).
Clearly, the similarities between ourtime and the time of the Nephites aregreater than the differences. Even thoughwe do not have an alarmist attitude, weneed to be on guard, continuallywatching and praying (see Mark 14:38),so our ability to adapt to conditions doesnot allow us to become desensitized.
Satan’s plan for men is to lead “themby the neck with a flaxen cord, until hebindeth them with his strong cordsforever” (2 Ne. 26:22). He will “pacify”them and “lull them away into carnalsecurity” so that he can lead them“carefully down to hell” (2 Ne. 28:21).
Our sure defense against Satan’spower is to live our lives under theinfluence of the Holy Ghost, with thefirm purpose to imitate the perfectexample of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Asoverwhelming as the task of becomingmore like Christ may seem, the steps aresimple: keep all the commandments;study the scriptures consistently; andkeep our eyes on the living prophets,especially our beloved prophet, PresidentGordon B. Hinckley.
By giving the principles of the gospelpractical application in our lives throughpersonal and family prayer, scripturereading, family home evening, attendanceat church meetings, partaking of thesacrament, temple attendance, and givingChristian service, we may take thechallenge to “work out [our] salvationwith fear before God” (Alma 34:37). NE
J U L Y 2 0 0 2 1 1
1 2 T H E N E W E R A
Be
CLEANCLEAN
By Caroline H. Benzley
hoose your
friends
carefully,”
President
Hinckley
counseled.
One young
woman reports
that leaving
unwholesome
friends was very
difficult, but it
became a
defining moment
in her life. “I
think differently,
and most
importantly I act
differently
because of my
change of
friends.”
What happens when youapply the prophet’scounsel? Here are reportsfrom some teens.
CC“
WW e live in a world that is filledwith filth and sleaze, a worldthat reeks of evil,” President
Gordon B. Hinckley said in hisNovember 2000 fireside for youth (seeNew Era, Jan. 2001, 4). “You cannotafford that filthy poison to touch you.Stay away from it. Avoid it.”
Although it is not easy to avoid theevil of this world, many youth haveincreased their efforts to be clean sincePresident Hinckley’s talk on the six B’s.
Media and entertainmentMany young men and young women
have started avoiding the inappropriatethings found on television, in movies, inmusic, and on the Internet. MonicaPeterson, from Mesa, Arizona, and herfamily have tried to specifically avoidunclean television shows.
“For family home evening, we choseto work on Be clean. We wrote downtelevision shows that weren’t appropriateto watch. A show that makes me feeluncomfortable I know shouldn’t bewatched. Now, when that show comeson, I have a feeling to change it. It washard at first, but Heavenly Father helpednot only me but my family also.”
“
Photography by Matt Reier and Robert Casey
The music we listen to can also havean effect on our lives. Listening touplifting music will help us keep ourthoughts and actions clean.
Tania Finn from Pocatello, Idaho,wrote about her experience of changingthe kind of music she listens to.
“While on my drive to school everyday, I played some instrumental musicthat allowed me to clear my thoughts andreceive revelation for my life from myFather in Heaven. It was a testimonybuilder for me because I knew I wasstarting off every day feeling the Spirit.
“As I look back on the month ofDecember (2000), I can see the Lord’shand guiding me through my life. I knowthat it was because my spirit wasprepared to listen to the Holy Ghost. Iknow what an important part the HolyGhost plays in our lives, and I was glad toknow that I was able to have theinfluence of the Holy Ghost in my life bychoosing good music.”
Avoid evil talkWhen we are careful to avoid unclean
media and entertainment, we will bemore likely to develop good habits. Oneof these habits is using clean language.“Avoid evil talk,” said President Hinckley.“Do not take the name of the Lord invain. . . . It is not a mark of manhood tocarelessly use the name of the Almightyor of His Beloved Son in a vain andflippant way, as many are prone to do.”
Even though one young womanstruggled with swearing, PresidentHinckley’s talk helped her change.
J U L Y 2 0 0 2 1 3
1 4 T H E
he counsel
regarding
such things
as tattoos and
multiple earrings
was a challenge
for some, but they
found peace in
following the
prophet.
Others report that
they have turned
away from
problems with
pornography or
with drugs and
have become free
from things that
were enslaving
them.
TT
“When I heard President Hinckleytalking about the six B’s, the one thatstuck out to me the most was Be clean—not only in keeping your body clean, butyour spirit. Since that day I have not saidone bad word.”
Chose your friends carefullyOur friends have a great influence on
our habits and on our ability to stayclean. President Hinckley warned theyouth to “Choose your friends carefully.It is they who will lead you in onedirection or the other. . . . While youshould be friendly with all people, selectwith great care those whom you wish tohave close to you.”
One young woman had an experiencesoon after President Hinckley’s firesidewhen she began to question herfriendship with some people.
“As I approached this group of peoplethat I called my friends and that I hadspent half my life with, their aura seemeddifferent, confusing, and unappealing.They were taking turns telling bad jokesand the spirit that I encountered therewas one I did not want to be a part of. Ihesitated to leave my friends and stayedfor half a joke and then made up mymind to not be a part of this demeaningsituation.”
She went on to explain that althoughit was difficult leaving her group offriends, it was well worth it.
“As I look back on that minute in time,that thought of walking away wasprobably the hardest thing I have everhad to do. Now I find it to have been thesingle most important event in my life. Iam now in a different crowd of people. I think differently, and most importantly Iact differently because of my change offriends.”
Clean in body“Did you ever think that your body is
holy?” President Hinckley asked in histalk. “You are a child of God. Your body isHis creation.”
President Hinckley asked all the youthto avoid tattoos, the young men not tohave earrings, and the young women tohave no more than one earring in eachear.
This counsel from the prophet helpedone young man make an importantdecision.
N E W E R A
“Themonthbefore thistalk came outI was strugglingwith the decisionof getting a tattoo,” he wrote. “I knewthat it wasn’t a choice thing to do, but Istill wavered in the thought of it being asin. When the talk came out I knewthere would be a wise purpose behindnot getting a tattoo. I am so thankful theLord would care enough about myfriends and me that He would send aprophet to give us this message.Because of that talk I now enjoy having abody with no markings, and I have noregrets.”
Many young women around the worldfollowed the prophet by taking out theirmultiple earrings. For some it wasdifficult, but they discovered the peacethat comes from following the prophet.
“How truly beautiful is a well-groomed young woman who is clean inbody and mind,” said President Hinckley.“She is a daughter of God in whom herEternal Father can take pride. Howhandsome is a young man who is wellgroomed. He is a son of God, deemedworthy of holding the priesthood ofGod. He does not need tattoos orearrings on or in his body.”
Keep yourselves from evilPresident Hinckley went on to discuss
with the youth the importance of stayingaway from pornography and sexual sin.About pornography he warned, “Stayaway from it. It is exciting, but it willdestroy you. It will warp your senses. Itwill build within you an appetite that youwill do anything to appease.”
Later in his address PresidentHinckley spoke of sexual sin. “I pleadwith you to be careful, to stand safelyback from the cliff of sin over which it isso easy to fall. . . . Keep yourselves cleanfrom the dark and disappointing evil of
till others
report that
choosing
the right kind of
music has helped
them invite the
Spirit into their
lives.
SS
sexual transgression.”One young man was very impressedwith the prophet’s counsel to avoid suchsins. The inspiring words of the prophethelped him begin the process ofrepentance.
“My life has been full of sexualtransgression and pornography,” hewrote. “So when I saw the fireside of theB’s, I felt the prophet was talking rightto me. I needed to change my life; it wasnot going the way it should. Thiscounsel, and my willingness to changeand come unto the Lord, was very great.So I did.”
You will become their slaveDrugs will also destroy those who are
trapped by their influence. “You willbecome their slave,” warned PresidentHinckley. “Once in their power you willdo anything to get money to buy more. . . . There is no need for anyLatter-day Saint boy or girl, young manor young woman, to even try them. Stayclean from these mind-altering andhabit-forming addictions.”
President Hinckley’s words inspiredone teen to stop using illegal drugs.
“Not too long ago I was deeplyentrenched in the underground ravescene. With my involvement in this not-so-wholesome activity came abuse of adrug known as ecstasy. My life got to thepoint where I was rolling every weekendand spending all my money on illegaldrugs. It wasn’t until the prophet spokeout against illicit drug use to the youthof the Church that I realized I was in bigtrouble. Listening to his counsel to beclean, however, helped motivate me andgive me courage to stop using drugs.”
The most powerful of humaninstincts
Concerning relationships betweenyoung men and young women,President Hinckley warned the youth:“You are dealing with the most powerfulof human instincts. Only the will to livepossibly exceeds it. . . . Steady dating atan early age leads so often to tragedy.”
After President Hinckley’s fireside oneyoung woman decided to stop steadilydating a close friend.
“It was one of the hardest things Ihave had to do,” she writes. “But myunderstanding of why we are counseled
to not steady date has been increased. Iknow we did the right thing and that weboth needed that experience. I don’tknow if I would be as happy as I am nowwithout that experience to help mytestimony of the prophet and the gospelgrow.”
Walk in the sunlight“Walk in the sunlight of that peace
which comes from obedience to thecommandments of the Lord,” saidPresident Hinckley.
As we follow the prophet’s counsel tobe clean we will have the strength toavoid the dark things of this world. Withthis evil behind us we can turn our heartsto the light of the gospel. NE
J U L Y 2 0 0 2 1 5
QQ&&AAYou must not onlyask, but you must askwith faith.
Do all you can to findan answer to yourquestions before youpray.
Study your questionby reading yourscriptures and talkingwith people you trust.
Live worthy to receivean answer.
Everyone receivesanswers in differentways.
Don’t give up. If youtry to live your life asyou should, and praywith faith, the Lord willguide you.
Q U E S T I O N S & A N S W E R S
RR E A D E R S
It seems every time I ask my friend a tough question, he answers by saying I need to pray about it.
He says he receives immediate answers to his prayers, but it justdoesn’t work for me. What am I doing wrong?
NN E W EE R A
The Restoration of The Church ofJesus Christ of Latter-day Saints beganwith the prayer of a 14-year-old boy.Looking closely at the scripture thatinspired Joseph Smith to pray may giveyou some insight into how you can getanswers to your prayers:
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him askof God, that giveth to all men liberally,and upbraideth not; and it shall be givenhim.
“But let him ask in faith, nothingwavering. For he that wavereth is like awave of the sea driven with the wind andtossed” (James 1:5–6).
You must not only ask, but you mustask with faith. Joseph was also activelystudying and looking for the true churchwhen he prayed. Likewise, you should doall you can to find an answer to yourquestions before you pray. Study yourquestion by reading your scriptures andtalking with people you trust. Also, youmust try your best to live worthy toreceive an answer. No one is perfect, butif you are trying to improve your life,God will help you.
1 6 T H E N E W E R A
Imagine that you are onthe phone with a friendwho is asking your advice,and every time you try toanswer, your friendinterrupts you withanother question orcomment. Before you know it, it’s timeto hang up, and your friend didn’t getan answer to anything. When you arepraying, don’t just hurry througheverything. Stop and ponder after eachquestion.
Ray Hullinger, 12
Riverton, Utah
Sometimes you have to domore than just ask—youhave to try to find theanswer on your own. Trustin the Lord’s timing and inHis love for you. If you’reasking a valid thing, andyou have faith, then Hehas promised to answer you.
Anna Hansen, 15
Salt Lake City, Utah
Photography by Robert Casey. Posed by models J U L Y 2 0 0 2 1 7
NN E W EE R A RR E A D E R S
on’t be
discouraged
if the
answer to your
prayer does not
come immediately.
Study, ponder, and
pray, sincerely
having faith, and
live the
commandments”
(Ensign, Nov.
2000, 23).
—Elder
Joseph B. Wirthlin
Of the Quorum of
the Twelve
DD“
People receive answers in differentways. Chances are you won’t receive avision, and maybe your answers won’tcome in the same ways as your friend’seither. Your answer could come in theform of a Sunday School lesson, a talk ingeneral conference or sacramentmeeting, or a scripture you find duringyour daily studies.
“The Lord will hear your prayers intime of need,” said Elder Richard G. Scottof the Quorum of the Twelve. “He willinvariably answer them. However, Hisanswers will generally not come whileyou are on your knees praying, evenwhen you may plead for an immediateresponse. . . . You are asked to look foran answer to your prayers, then confirmthat it is correct. Obey His counsel to‘study it out in your mind’ (D&C 9:8).Often you will think of a solution. Seekconfirmation that your answer is right.His help can come from prayer and frompondering the scriptures, at times by theintervention of others, or from your owncapacity, through the guidance of theHoly Ghost.
“At times the Lord will want you toproceed with trust before you receive aconfirming answer. His answer generallycomes as packets of help. As each pieceis followed in faith, it will unite withothers to give you the whole answer. . . .At times the Lord will give you an answerbefore you ask. This occurs when you areunaware of a danger or may be doing thewrong thing, trusting that it is correct”(Ensign, Nov. 2001, 88).
Don’t give up. God wants what is bestfor you, and He will answer your prayers.He knows your needs. If you try to liveyour life as you should, and ask in faith,He will guide you. NE
Answers are intended for help andperspective, not as pronouncements ofChurch doctrine.
1 8 T H E N E W E R A
I have found that answerscome in many ways. Youshould be ready to receiveinspiration and guidance.Remember that prayers arenot always immediatelyanswered. It always helps tolisten to things like church talks, readyour scriptures, talk to your parents, andlisten for promptings from the Spirit.
Rachel Welling, 14
Beaverton, Oregon
Just because you don’t getimmediate answers likeyour friend doesn’t meanyou are doing somethingwrong. Remember to askwith faith and be patient,and you will receive youranswer.
Elder Eze Chinedu, 21
Ghana Accra Mission
If you are not gettinganswers to your prayers,maybe you are notlistening closely enoughfor answers. Also, answerscan come in hidden ways.So be righteous and watchand listen closely.
Karin Rowan, 12
Merced, California
WHAT DO YOU THINK?Send us your answer to the questionbelow, along with your name, age,and where you are from. Pleaseinclude a snapshot of yourself that is 11/2 by 2 inches (4 by 5 cm) or larger.
Q&A, New Era50 East North TempleSalt Lake City, Utah 84150.
QUESTIONMy Sunday School teacher told us weshould pay an honest fast offering. Butmy honest offering isn’t enough to makemuch of a difference. Do I really needto pay a fast offering if I give so little?
Please respond by September 1, 2002
J U L Y 2 0 0 2 1 9
SSEEARCHARCHANDAND
RESCUERESCUE
MILLIONS ARE WAITING TO BE FOUND.
SOME OF THEM ARE WAITING FOR YOU.
(See Ezek. 34:11–13.)
Photography by Jed Clark
2 0 T H E
Walking in REMREM
By Caroline H. Benzley
These teens get a taste ofhandcart pioneer lifeand gain new respect.
oth the
young man
from
Colorado Springs
(above) and the
cousins attending
a family reunion
(right) will carry
with them life-
long memories of
their visit to the
Mormon
Handcart Visitors’
Center in
Wyoming.
BB
WW hat do you picture in yourmind when you think ofWyoming? If you are driving
through this part of the United States,you will not see a lot of big cities.Instead, you will see a big, beautiful sky,prairie, lots of rocky mountains, andantelope darting through the vastlandscape.
But if you are driving nearIndependence Rock, Wyoming, duringthe summer, you may notice on thehorizon something a little unusual—aline of handcart pioneers walking along adry, dusty Wyoming trail. On closerexamination, these “pioneers,” eventhough they are dressed in the style ofthe 1850s, are really very modern teensand their leaders. Despite the intenseheat, the young men have on longtrousers and long-sleeved shirts. Many ofthem are also wearing hats to keep thesun off their faces. The young women arein equivalent attire—long dresses,aprons, and sunbonnets.
In our day of automobiles andairplanes, it’s hard to imagine why thesepeople have chosen to haul their food,water, and other supplies in woodenhandcarts. But there they are. Theseyoung people have chosen to take timeoff from their summer jobs and otheractivities to give up the comforts of their
N E W E R A Photography by the author
and Layne Benzley
J U L Y 2 0 0 2 2 1
EMBRANCEEMBRANCE
2 2 T H E
utting on
pioneer
clothes
and reenacting a
day or two in the
lives of their
ancestors gives
those who visit
this historic spot a
new way to think
about Church
history. Teens
pictured here are
from the Pueblo
Colorado Stake
(above and far
right, inset),
Colorado Springs
Colorado Stake
(right), and the
Westminster
Colorado Stake
(right, inset).
PP
homes and to walk as far as 30 milesunder the hot Wyoming sun—all for onereason. They think it’s worth it just tohave a taste of what some pioneers wentthrough in the early days of the Church.
A walk through historyIn 1855, Brigham Young counseled
converts who were unable to outfitthemselves with teams and wagons towalk the 1,300 miles across the plainspulling handcarts rather than delay, wait,and work to earn enough to buyexpensive wagons. In all, 10 handcartcompanies traveled this way, 8 of whichwere very successful and had fewcasualties. However, two handcartcompanies, led by James G. Willie andEdward Martin, experienced sufferingand heartache as they left too late in theyear and ran into unexpectedly earlysnowstorms. Both companies were ingrave danger of not surviving. The WillieCompany was a few days ahead of theother company and was rescued first bywagons sent from Salt Lake City. Those inthe company were frostbitten andstarved. Sixty-eight of 404 in the companydied.
The Martin Handcart Company,however, was forced by the storm to stopin a small valley on the side of amountain with very little shelter. Afterwading through deep snow up to thispoint, the pioneers stopped in a cove,formed by rock outcroppings. Treesprovided protection and fuel. There theywaited for help and supplies from SaltLake City. In just five days, 56 of the 145total who died in the crossing perished.But thanks to heroic rescue efforts ofChurch members sent by Brigham Young,the majority, 431 of the Martin handcartpioneers, survived the trip.
Today the Mormon Handcart Visitors’Center, near Martin’s Cove, is a reminderof not only the ill-fated handcartcompanies but also a tribute to the manypioneers who traveled with handcartsacross the plains. Each summer hundredsof visitors come to learn more aboutthese people, many of whom left theirhomes and relatives behind, bringinglittle more than the clothes on theirbacks. The pioneers sacrificed much inorder to bring themselves and theirfamilies across the plains to Utah wherethey could live in peace, without
N E W E R A
persecution.While some Church members today
have direct pioneer ancestry, many donot. Yet all of us are indebted to thepioneers who helped establish theChurch in its early days, and theirsacrifices are part of every member’sheritage.
Walking in remembranceThis debt is part of the reason the
youth of many area stakes come toMartin’s Cove to walk miles through thehot desert dressed as pioneers, pullingtheir camping equipment and food inhandcarts.
For many teens from the PuebloColorado Stake, for example, walkingwhere the pioneers walked helped themrealize the dedication and sacrifice of theearly pioneers. Hearing the stories of thepioneers and the experiences they wentthrough helped strengthen thetestimonies of those who walked just asmall part of the trail.
Other groups walking the trail at thesame time had similar experiences.Christine Johnson from Orem, Utah,reflected upon the experience of theSaints as they traveled: “I wonder whatthey would have thought when they werelooking around and saw just miles andmiles of nothing.”
Adam Pinegar, also from Orem, saidhis trek gave him a feel for how difficultit was for the handcart pioneers.Although it was tough, Adam said hewould do it again. “It was worth it. Ithought of my ancestors who actuallycame across with the Martin Company.They suffered so much to get to the SaltLake valley, so I could live where I do andhave the gospel.”
Erin Woodward’s sixth great-grandfather walked across the plains.Erin, from Westminster, Colorado,thought of this grandfather and his familyas she participated in the trek with herstake.
“Now I feel like the silliest girl in thewhole world,” she said. “I mean, I havebeen so into my materialistic things.Seriously, I have a curling iron in mypocket. I even have makeup andeverything. I feel horrible because thereal pioneers didn’t live as well as I do.Before this I never really understood howblessed I am.”
J U L Y 2 0 0 2 2 3
2 4 T H E
n this place,
the Martin
and Willie
Handcart
Companies
suffered terribly
from the cold. But
now, hats and
long sleeves
protect from hot
summer sun.
Teens pictured
here are from
Orem, Utah
(above), Powell,
Wyoming (right),
and Roy, Utah
(right, insets).
II
Shelter from the stormThese young men and women walk
through the desert with a backdrop ofsignificant Church history sites—Devil’sGate, Independence Rock, and Martin’sCove.
For many, Martin’s Cove is a sacredspot. It is beautiful, with many trees. Thefeeling is peaceful and calm. Thepioneers camped on one side of the coveand buried their dead in shallow snowgraves on the other. As the youth walkthrough the area, they take off their hatsand whisper out of respect for those whodied.
Tiffany Campbell from the Pueblostake said the cove made her think a lotabout those people and their determina-tion to get to the Salt Lake valley.
The teens from Christine’s Orem wardwalked to the cove last, after they hadalready walked the majority of their trek.“Once we got up there it hit us that thiswas really the place where they couldn’tgo anymore, where they had to stop, andwhere so many died. It was amazing tobe up there after doing the rest of ourtrek. It was kind of quiet and peacefuland spiritual.”
The end of the journeyAs their journey was ending, Stephanie
Stewart, also from Pueblo, describedwhat she learned from the miles andmiles of walking: “I am going home witha better understanding of how hard itwas and what the pioneers did so that wecould be free of persecution.”
Many other youth echoed her feelings:“I just think it is really neat to see whatthey did and what they gained from it,”said Michael King from Roy, Utah. “Ofcourse we can get a little taste of it, youknow, but we cannot fully understand.”
After visiting Martin’s Cove, theseyoung people freely admit they cannotcompletely comprehend what the earlyhandcart pioneers went through. Buttheir reenactment experience haschanged their attitudes. They know theyface storms of another kind in modernlife. But learning to survive is a lessonthat was taught by those who havesuffered before us. These modern teensalso learned that we can all follow theexample of faith and determination setby the pioneers. The handcart companiespassed their tests. Now it’s our turn. NE
N E W E R A
J U L Y 2 0 0 2 2 5
It was like looking for aneedle in a haystack—a big, dirty, dangerous,smelly haystack.
The scene was not easy tocomprehend. People walked in a daze through their former
neighborhoods. Not a house stood in any direction. The smell of rottingrefrigerator contents made an almostunbearable stench, and broken glass,nails, and other dangers wereeverywhere. But the young men andyoung women of the Norman OklahomaStake never complained or quit. After themost deadly and destructive tornado inOklahoma in 50 years, the youth wereready to work.
“This is my grandma’s house. She’s 71 years old,” said a woman who wasoverseeing the beehive of activity whereher grandma’s house once stood. “She’sstill so confused by it all. I didn’t evenbring her out here. All she wants to find
SERVICE WITH ASERVICE WITH A
2 6 T H E N E W E R A Illustrated by Richard Hull
T
is her cat, purse, wedding ring, and a coincollection.
“I’m so grateful you all came,” shecontinued. “It’s too big a job for me.”
“How did your grandma get out?” we asked.
“Don’t ask me how,” the woman said,slowly shaking her head. “She crawled outof there.” She pointed to a pile of junk,and we all knew that Heavenly Father hadpreserved her grandma’s life.
We got to work. “Found some coins,”someone yelled. I watched as the youngmen and women dug on their hands andknees through the rubble. The Ardenbrothers said something about needles inhaystacks, which was a pretty accuratestatement. We started filling a couple of boxes with papers, birth certificates, and anything else that looked important.
The youth and their leaders werecovered in grime and dust, but no oneseemed to give it a second thought.
“Found a ring and some pictures,” said another girl. She handed it to the woman.
“That’s it! She’ll be so happy to have her ring back. I don’t know that we’ll find the cat, but if we
could just find that purse it would be
such a comfort to her.”We started silently praying that we
could locate her purse. “It has to be in
there somewhere,” called the woman
anxiously. The sun was starting to set.
The longer we worked, the more grateful
we became for the comfortable homes
we would return to that night.“This looks like it might be
important,” said Kendall Michaelson,
holding a piece of jewelry. You could tell
the granddaughter was trying to save
everything she could, trying to recover
71 years of her grandma’s memories.Finally, someone pulled out a battered
purse buried in the debris. “Is this it?”
she called out, holding up the symbol
of our efforts.“That’s it! That’s the purse!” Thewoman almost tripped as she walked
over boards to get the purse. Sheopened it, rummaged around, and then
happily called her grandma on a cellular
phone. “I have it. We found the purse
and everything is still in there,” she said excitedly.It was only a small thing, but we had
made a difference. The woman wasobviously happy, and so were we. NE
he tornado
cut a wide
path of death
and destruction.
All that remained
was rubble. How
could an elderly
widow recover
her few small
treasures from
what was once
her home?
By Aaron J. Tolson
J U L Y 2 0 0 2 2 7
TT
T TWIST TWIS
2 8 T H E N E W E R A
TTOONNGGAA::T R U E T O T H EF A I T H
T R U E T O T H EF A I T H
he island
nation of
Tonga is
isolated in some
ways, but young
people like
Asinate Makoni
(left) and Loto’a
Fa’aoso (above)
enjoy freedom
and safety as
they build the
foundation of
their testimonies.
Luseane Kupu
TT
Surrounded by membersand living on theirbeautiful islands, teensin Tonga are thriving.
IImagine living in a place wheregraduating from seminary is causefor a big celebration—a huge party
not just for your family or seminary classbut for practically everyone in your wardand neighborhood. Imagine a placewhere seminary graduation is time for afeast, where the food is amazing and it’sall for you and your fellow graduates.
After you eat, there will be dancing—big dances held in every stake center.Everyone will be so proud of you, and toshow how pleased they are with yourgraduation from both high school andseminary, they will pile leis around yourneck so high you can hardly see overthem. And they’re not just leis made offlowers but leis made of candy.Graduation from high school is a bigtime for celebrating, but graduating fromseminary is equal in importance.
Photography by the author
There is a place where this happens,and it’s Tonga, a nation of Pacific islandswhere nearly half the population belongsto The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In every school, everybusiness, everywhere on the islands,these teens get lots of support from otherChurch members. But they still must dothe studying and praying to gain theirown testimonies. No matter how strongtheir parents or friends are, they still haveto learn for themselves the truthfulness ofthe gospel. Seminary helps give them afirm foundation in learning the gospeland understanding the scriptures.
Tonga, in general, is a religious societywith Christian beliefs helping the peopleto be modest, kind, and giving. Living in aplace where religion is so important,Tongan youth are not harassed or madefun of when they choose to follow theteachings of the Church.
Becoming convertedAt the top of last year’s graduating
class of Liahona High School, LuseaneKupu of the Liahona First Ward, explainshow she knows that God lives.
“Whenever I go to church or am with
gets help from
her mother
(left, inset) in
arranging her
graduation leis.
By Janet Thomas
J U L Y 2 0 0 2 2 9
3 0 T H E
or Salote
Mataele
(above)
and ‘Amanaki
Kamisese Jr. and
Leroy Lavaki
(opposite page,
right), the slow
pace of life
gives them time
to enjoy the
beauty of God’s
creations.
FF
T
mTspmfttytaTbYtb
pe‘hettr
my family, there is a spirit I feel. I don’tfeel it any place else. That’s when I knowthat God lives. I don’t see Him, but I feelHis presence there. I can’t deny it when Ifeel His Spirit.”
Luseane hopes to attend BrighamYoung University—Hawaii campus. Shewants to become a doctor so she canserve her country, but no matter whathappens in her studies, she is determinedto marry in the temple and hopes to havemany children. At graduation, she advisedher fellow classmates. “Obedience bringsblessings. Obedience is better thansacrifice. It brings unity, humility, andhappiness.”
‘Aisake Lavaka of the Liahona SecondWard, also a top graduate, looks around atthe people he knows who have stayedclose to the gospel teachings. He likeswhat he sees in their lives and wants thesame. “I look at the Church in the lives ofthe people. It’s brought joy and happiness.There are no bad fruits from their labor inkeeping the commandments and followingthe doctrines of the Church. I plan tocontinue on that same road.”
N E W E R A
onga’s advantagesTonga’s relaxed pace of life is one thing
ost of the teens recognize as an advantage.hey also like feeling safe all the time. Theyee and hear about the dangers in otherarts of the world on television and inovies, but on their own lovely islands, they
ind they have little to fear. Everyone seemso enjoy a family feeling and uses it to helpake care of each other. Luseane says, “Hereou can just go to any neighbor and askhem for something or talk to them. Theyccept you. You just feel like you belong.hat’s what I’ll miss. You mind your ownusiness when you go out into the world.ou don’t talk to people unless you knowhem. You have to knock on their doorsefore entering their homes.”
One way this caring feeling spreads fromarents to children is in family homevenings and in reading scriptures together.
Amanaki Kamisese Jr. says his family helpsis testimony grow. “Sometimes we get uparly and read scriptures. It’s pushing myestimony to grow up. My favorite section ofhe scriptures is in 1 Nephi 3:7. I’m gettingeady to go on my mission. I can’t wait.”
issionaries
at the
MTC
(below) wear
traditional dress
as a show
of respect while
serving their
missions. ‘Aisake
Lavaka (above)
will soon be
joining the
missionary ranks.
MM
They enjoy the freedom offered intheir country. They appreciate theimportance of choosing wisely. Andmany LDS teens choose to be Christlikeexamples. Mumui Tautua’a of theTokomololo Second Ward said his dadgave a family home evening lesson onthe sacrament. It had a big impact onhim. Mumui says, “Whenever I take thesacrament, I take upon me the name ofChrist. Whatever I do, I am representingHim. From that day on, I always tried to be a gentleman.”
Two temptations overcomeTongan teens are fortunate that two
temptations which exist in other placesreally are not much of a problem for them.The first is modesty. Even though they liveon tropical islands where it can be hot, theydon’t wear immodest clothing. The othermajor religion on the islands, WesleyanMethodist, also encourages modesty, soessentially everyone, including adults,chooses to wear conservative clothing.Students are also required to wear uniformsto school. But after-school clothing choices
J U L Y 2 0 0 2 3 1
3 2 T H E
appy to
have a
temple in
their country,
LDS teens make
regular trips to
participate in
baptisms for the
dead. Fualupe
Wilma Tangi
(above) has set
a goal to be
married in the
temple. As a
Beehive, Rosita
Tangi (right) is
following the
good example set
by the older girls.
HH
are casual shirts with long shorts. ‘Aisakesays, “You can be yourself. There is no peerpressure to keep up with modern styles ifthey are immodest.”
The missionaries, both elders andsisters, serving in Tonga stand out by theclothing they wear. They wear traditionalformal clothing, with the elders in whiteshirts and ties, a black tupenu (like a longskirt) and a ta’ovala (woven mat) tiedaround the waist with a string belt called akafa. The sisters wear a puletaha (dresswith long sleeves and high neckline) andtupenu with a kiekie (woven strips) overthe top. By dressing in thisformal way, they
N E W E R A
show respect for the message they teachand for the people they meet. Most of themissionaries serving in Tonga are fromTonga. They often are assigned to otherislands or other towns than the oneswhere they live.
The other area of temptation that is notmuch of a problem in Tonga is keeping theSabbath day holy. In Tonga, it is written intothe country’s constitution that businessesmust close on Sunday. What does everyonedo on Sunday? Lesila ‘Alatini of the Ha’ateihoFirst Ward says, “We go to church. We eatand walk around. It’s nice just to relax.”
However, one small crack is developingin the Sunday-closure law. Bakeries are
allowed to remain open. Lesila explains,“It’s hard for us Church members to
stay away. We have to help eachother make right choices.”
Turning to the LordEven though they live in a
wonderful part of the world, theteens in Tonga face many of thesame dilemmas as teensanywhere in the world. And liketeens everywhere, they mustlearn to turn to the Lord forhelp and guidance. They mustlearn where to place their faith.Fualupe Wilma Tangi of theNuku’alofa First Ward says,“Although we don’t see theLord, there are Church booksand prophets and scripturesthat have explained there is a
living God. We don’t see Him,but we feel Him. Every singletime I go through hard paths
and hard decisions, I wouldalways bow my head and ask for
help, and I would always feel thiswarm feeling. I know it’s true, and
someone is there for me all the time.” NE
SETTING THESTANDARD
very Saturday afternoon, withoutfail, the young people of theMatangiake Ward of the Liahonastake show up at their chapel to
prepare it for Sunday. They know what todo. They’ve done it faithfully for morethan four years, ever since they made thecommitment to do all the upkeep on thebuilding and grounds themselves. No onehas to call with assignments anymore. Theolder boys teach the younger ones how tohandle the mowers and edging equipment.The girls know all the nooks and cranniesthat need to be dusted and cleaned. Theflowerbeds are immaculate. And they dowindows too.
“It started with Bishop Sioeli Unga,”said stake president Howard Niu. “Hewanted something to keep the kidsactive and involved in all aspects ofChurch responsibility.” And the youthrose to the challenge.
But their service did not stop withtheir own chapel and grounds. They haveconfidence that they can do any job givento them. They take care of the widows intheir ward. In fact, they help out anyonein need. They have even gone so far asto build small homes, under the directionof their priesthood leaders, for families intheir ward in desperate need of housing.The younger boys in Primary lookforward to their 12th birthdays, whenthey are old enough to officially help withthe projects the Aaronic Priesthood youngmen undertake. The younger girls oftengo with their older sisters, and they learnto serve.
Instead of being too hard for them,these projects have proven to these teensthat they can do just about anything bylearning from their leaders and beinggiven the opportunity.
EE
J U L Y 2 0 0 2 3 3
By Julie K. Kennard
hated looking
in a mirror. I
hated meeting
old friends. I
hated myself. I
was stuck in a
downward spiral
of self-loathing.
II
MIRRORIMAGEMIRRORIMAGE
3 4 T H E
I’d been taught that ourbodies are temples, but I sure didn’t feel that wayabout mine.
II t was stuck, completely, 100 percentstuck. I couldn’t pull the knee braceup any farther, but I also couldn’t pull
it down to get it off. The doctor came backin, and I had to explain my predicament.
“You’re bigger than I thought,” was his comment.
After successfully wrestling the nextlarger size up my leg, I was ready to leave.The doctor’s nurse stopped me andapologized for the doctor’s comment.
“I told him you just don’t say things like that to girls. He meant you are tall.”
“That’s okay,” I said. “I get it all the time.”
I used to like being tall. Then I got tojunior high school. I became very self-conscious about my height andconsequently my weight. Ialways felt fat andout of
N E W E R A Illustrated by Greg Newbold
shape in gym because I was moreawkward than everyone else. I wasn’tskinny growing up, but I wasn’t fateither. I was just big. Polite peoplewould tell me I had large bones.
My senior year in high school Ibecame obsessed with my weightbecause the senior choir I was in had ashow-choir program at the end of theyear where we sang and danced toBroadway tunes. We learned dances forall of our songs, and I was taller thanevery boy in choir. Because I was taller,I felt bigger too. I felt I couldn’t eat infront of anyone because they’d think Iwas too big already. Somehow Isurvived that experience. But myweight issues weren’t over.
During my third year of college I gotsick. Not just the flu-for-a-couple-of-weeks sick. I couldn’t get better.
I was finally diagnosedwith a chronicillness.
J U L Y 2 0 0 2 3 5
n the celestial
room of the
temple I felt
beautiful. In those
mirrors I could
appreciate what a
beautiful gift my
body was.
II
The doctor gave me medications thatwere supposed to help, but this was areally bleak and depressing time for me.It was then I noticed my clothesgetting tighter, but I figured that wasbecause I was sleeping all the time. Ihardly ever walked to class. I knew assoon as I started to feelbetter, I’d be up andabout on campus again.
After several months,I started feeling betterand walked to campusregularly. But theweight kept coming. Ieven popped the zipperon my pants one day at work.
My doctor discoveredthat one of themedications had mademy body hold onto thefat. I stopped taking it, but the damage was already done.
I hated looking in amirror. I hated buyingclothes. I hated runninginto people I knewbefore I got sick. I hatedmyself. I was stuck in adownward spiral of self-loathing. I was alsostruggling to accept thefact I couldn’t doeverything I used to do. Isimply didn’t have thehealth to do everythinganymore. I hated thisbody I had that hurt allthe time and kept gettingsick. I felt I was stuckwith a fat, ugly, sick body.
We hear all the time inYoung Women that ourbodies are temples. Andone day I had a flash of understanding. Itdidn’t matter if my body was fat or skinny,it was a temple. I’ve never heard anyonemake fun of the way the temples look, sowhy do we do that to our personaltemples—our bodies? I realized thatevery time I felt bad about my body,
3 6 T H E N E W E R A
I was being ungrateful for anddisrespectful to a temple. I rememberedthat one-third of the hosts of heavendidn’t even get mortal bodies.
I thought of the scripture in the NewTestament, when devils begged theSavior to let them enter the bodies of
swine, just to have abody (see Mark5:1–13). I was blessedwith a physical body tohouse my spirit whileI’m on this earth, abody patterned aftermy Heavenly Father’s.
Since thatrealization, I haven’tmiraculously felt likemy body is perfect. It’shard to change oldhabits andperceptions. Instead ofwishing I hadsomeone else’s body, Itry to remember thatmy body is a temple.
Recently I was ableto go to the templeand receive myendowment. In thecelestial room withmy family andfriends. I noticedmirrors oppositeeach other thatreflect forever,representing eternity.One of the things Iwill always rememberand cherish is in thatroom I felt beautiful.It wasn’t a turn-someone’s-headpretty. I just feltbeautiful. I knew theLord didn’t care what
size dress I wore. He cared that I wasclean and worthy. I had kept my owntemple pure. In those mirrors I couldappreciate what a beautiful gift mybody was.
I am not stuck with my body; I amblessed with it. NE
J U L Y 2 0 0 2 3 7
Ryan Stoker
T H E E X T R A S M I L E
Val Chadwick Bagley
Val Chadwick Bagley
“Need a little helpwith that tie there,
Elder?”
“He followed ushome. Can we keep
him?”
“We were out of creamof broccoli, cream of
mushroom, and creamof potato, so I used
cream of wheat.”
3 8 T H E
By Elder F. Burton HowardOf the Seventy
he things
you give
your time,
attention, and
money to are
the things most
important to you.
Would the Lord
agree with your
choices?
TT
A UESTIONOFO
TIMETIME
Got a friend who alwaystells you what to thinkand do, when to eat orsleep? Is that really ahealthy relationship?ho is the most important personin your home? How do you tell
who is important? Is it the personwho earns the most? Is it the person whohas the best room? Is it the person youlove the most? Is it the one who gives youthe most of his or her time? Who is themost important person in your home? Youmight say, “Everybody is important in ourhome.” I wonder if that’s really true.
Let me ask you another question. Howis the TV treated in your home? Does ithave its own room? What about thecomputer? Do you like it better than yourbrother? How about your mother? Do youlike it better than your great-grandfather?Does it get much rest?* Do your parentsspend more time with it than they dowith you? Do they spend more money onit than they do on you?
Do you follow the TV’s opinions morethan your parents’ ideas? Does it tell youwhat to eat for breakfast? Does it come todinner? Often? When it does, does it getthe best seat? Do you have to keep quietwhen it is talking? Does it ever causefights in your house? Do you ever get
WW
* Introductory questions taken from Marilyn Burn, I Am Not a Short Adult, 90.
N E W E R A
sent downstairs when it does? Who’s theboss in your family? Is it the TV? Does ittell you when to get up and when to goto school? Does it tell you what to do?How about on Saturday morning? Does ittell you what to do then? Does it tell youwhen to go out and play? Does it talkduring prayers? Does it tell the hometeachers when it’s time to go? Does itever keep you from going to church?
How about on Super Bowl Sunday?Is the computer your best friend? Would
you be lonely without it? Would you cry if itbroke? Would you miss it more than yourbrother? If your house were on fire and youcould save one thing, would you save theTV? What if you could only save two things?Could you live without TV for a week? Howabout a month? Who is your favoriteteacher? Is it the TV? Do you like TV betterthan Mutual? How about Sunday School?Does TV teach the same things as yourSunday School teacher? Does it teachdifferent things? Does TV agree with yourSunday School teacher? Who is right?
Does TV make you want things youdon’t have? Does this make you happy?Does it ever make you mad at yourparents? What about when they won’tbuy you something you have seen on TV?Who do you want to be like when yougrow up? Does TV always tell the truth?Somebody once said TV was chewinggum for the eyes. You think about that.
Where your treasure isJesus said in the Sermon on the
Mount, “Lay up for yourselves treasures
Photography by Welden Andersen.
J U L Y 2 0 0 2 3 9
4 0 T H E
s the TV
your favorite
teacher? Is the
computer your
best friend? Do
they prevent you
from doing things
you should do,
like being a better
friend or family
member? Then
they are not your
friends. Maybe the
Savior would want
you to find better
company, at least
some of the time.
II
in heaven, . . . For where yourtreasure is, there will your heart be also”(Matt. 6:20–21). This means that thethings you give your time and attentionand money to are the things that to youare really important. Unless these thingsare important to the Lord, too, theyaren’t going to count for very much inheaven.Does TV prevent you from doingthings that you should do like being abetter friend, or helping with the dishes,or doing work for your great-grandfather? If it does, do you think it’sreally your friend? Maybe it’s not yourbest friend. Maybe the Savior wouldwant you to try to find better company,at least some of the time.
A great playwright named Henrik Ibsenwrote a play called Peer Gynt. Peer Gyntis the story of a young Scandinavian manwho grows old on the stage. He lives hislife by doing whatever he wants to do.Near the end of the play he’s beingchased by a button molder who is goingto melt his body down and make buttonsout of it so he can be used over again forsomething worthwhile. He runs across
the frozen ground, trying to get awayfrom this man. As he does, some
small tumbleweeds get underhis feet. He starts to talk tothem, and he says: “Get out ofmy way. Off with you. You blockmy path.” And then somethingvery interesting happens. The
weeds talk back to him and say:“We are thoughts. You should
have thought us. Feet to run on youshould have given us. We should have
soared up like clangorous voices, andhere we must roll along as weeds.”
He kicks them out of his way andkeeps running. After a while he steps onsome leaves. The leaves start to talk tohim and say: “We are a watchword. Youshould have proclaimed us. Your dozinghas riddled us. Worms have gnawed us inevery crevice, and we have never beenable to bear fruit.”
Then the wind blows in his face. Itwhispers to him and says: “We’re songs.You should have sung us. A thousandtimes over you have cowed us down
N E W E R A
and smothered us. Down in theheart’s pit we have lain and waited, butwe were never called forth.”
Peer becomes angry over theseaccusations, and he says, “Poison you.Have I time for verse and stuff? I amrunning for my life.” Then he bumpsinto a tree. There are dewdropsdripping from the branches. They speakto him and say, “We are tears unshedforever. Ice spears sharp and wounding.We could have melted. Now our barb isin the bosom. The wound is closedover and our power to help is gone.”Peer doesn’t like that either, but hekeeps on running. Finally, he trips oversome straws and falls on his face. Ashe’s getting up the straws start to speakand they say: “We are deeds. Youshould have achieved us. Doubt thethrottler has crippled and torn us. Onthe day of judgment, we’ll come aflockand tell the story, then woe to you.”
“We are thoughts. You should havethought us.” “We are words. You shouldhave proclaimed us.” “We are songs. Youshould have sung us.” “We are tears. Youshould have shed us.” “We are deeds.You should have achieved us.” “And onthe judgment day, woe to you.”
PrioritiesOne of the great cries of modern man
is we don’t have time to do the thingswe should do. We don’t do ourgenealogy because we don’t have time.We don’t love our neighbor because wedon’t have time. And yet we spendmore time watching television than anyother single elective thing in this world.I don’t believe the excuse is going tohold any water with the Lord. I don’tbelieve that we can ever say we didn’thave time. I think all we’ll be able to say,rather lamely, is that our priorities werenot the same as the Lord’s.
May the Lord bless us all to magnifythe things we know, to seek to knowmore, and to order our priorities so asto lay up treasures in heaven. NE
Adapted from an article printed in the September 1979 New Era.
J U L Y 2 0 0 2 4 1
WRITEWRITEAAWWAAY!Y!
he New Era wants tohear your Mutualsuccess stories. Write
and tell us about great ideasthat have worked for yourward’s Mutual activities so wecan share them with others.Send your submissions to:New Era50 East North TempleSalt Lake City, Utah, 84150
TT
THE BOOK OF COMMANDMENTSTHE BOOK OF COMMANDMENTS
¿SE HABLA¿SE HABLAESPESPAANN
~~OL?OL?
hen the U.S.Army came toPuerto
Maldonado, Perú, it broughtdoctors, medicine, and othermedical help for residents ofthe area. Communicatingwith the people the Armywas trying to diagnose andtreat, however, was trickierthan pulling teeth (whichthey also did). Somissionaries from the PerúLima Central Mission, withpermission from theirmission president,volunteered to play a key roletranslating between the Armyand its patients. More than8,000 residents received themedical aid they needed atthe Army’s health clinic overa 10-day period.
WW
4 2 T H E N E W
he Book of Commandments,published in 1833, was much likeour modern-day Doctrine and
Covenants, except it included fewerrevelations. The Prophet Joseph Smithhad received more than 60 revelations forthe Church, and they were recorded, butonly a few people had access to them. Aconference was held in the office of theEvening and Morning Star atIndependence, Missouri, on May 29, 1832to dedicate the printing establishment.Bishop Edward Partridge offered thededicatory prayer (see Journal History,May 29, 1832). With the establishment ofa printing press, it was possible to publishthe revelations so more of the Saintscould have access to them.
TT
E R A
On July 20, 1833, during the printingof the Book of Commandments, mobstrying to force the Saints out of Missouridemolished the printing press. The mobnearly destroyed all the unbound sheetsof the Book of Commandments that hadbeen printed. Fortunately, Caroline andMary Elizabeth Rollins, sisters who were12 and 14, saved some of the unboundsheets that they saw the mob throw onthe ground outside the printing office.They grabbed as many of the sheets asthey could and ran, escaping from themob through a gap in a fence andrunning into a cornfield. Later, the savedcopies were bound, and each of the girlsreceived her own copy of the Book ofCommandments.
Painting Saving the Book of Commandments by Clark Kelly Price
O F A L L T H I N G S
LEADERSHIPLEADERSHIPTIPTIP::
ITSABOUTLOITSABOUTLOVEVE.ORG.ORG
THE FTHE FAITH AITH OF THE PIONEERSOF THE PIONEERS
t is good to look to the past to gain appreciation for thepresent and perspective for the future. It is good to look uponthe virtues of those who have gone before, to gain strength for
whatever lies ahead. . . . Their tremendous example can become acompelling motivation for us all, for each of us is a pioneer in hisown life, often in his own family, and many of us pioneer daily intrying to establish a gospel foothold in distant parts of the world”(Ensign, July 1984, 3).—President Gordon B. Hinckley
II“
J U L YPaintings Christ Calling Peter and Andrew by Harry Anderson and Entering Winter Quarters by Scott Snow
esus believed in Hisfollowers, not alone forwhat they were, but for
what they had the possibilitiesto become. While otherswould have seen Peter as afisherman, Jesus could see himas a powerful religious leader”(Ensign, Aug. 1979, 6).—Spencer W. Kimball(1895–1985)
As a leader you can inspirethose around you to be better.Expect people to do goodthings, believe in them, andhelp them to accomplish theirrighteous goals.
JJ“
new Web site from LDS FamilyServices provides valuable helpfor unwed birth parents. The
site, www.ItsAboutLove.org, offersinformation about how to contact LDSFamily Services and how it can help make
important decisions about an unplannedpregnancy.
LDS Family Services gives free and privatecounseling services, helps birth parentsplace their children for adoption, andprovides education, among other services.To find out more about LDS Family Servicesread “What’s Best for My Baby” (New Era,Nov. 2001, 40) or log onto www.lds.org tosee the LDS Family Services Web site.
AA
2 0 0 2 4 3
4 4 T H E
She spoke noEnglish. But as we tried tocommunicate,we discoveredthat we had athird languagein common.
SPEAKING OF
II t was late in the evening, and I had justbegun to work on homework due thenext day. The phone rang while I was
in the middle of a particularly difficultcalculus problem. The call was for mydad, as most of our calls have been sincehe was called as our ward bishop. Ihanded the phone to him and sat downagain. I was so engrossed in my workthat I was not aware of his conversation.
“Shallin,” my dad said, bringing me outof my deep concentration, “do you knowanyone in the ward who speaks Spanish?”
“Nope,” I answered.“Well, someone from the temple just
called and asked if a Venezuelan girl whospeaks only Spanish could do baptisms forthe dead with our ward tomorrow night.They want me to find someone totranslate for her,” he continued.
“I can’t think of anyone,” I said.“Neither can I. Do you think you could
help her?”Immediately I started to explain that
N E W E R A
taking Spanish in high school did notexactly make me a fluent speaker. Butbefore I could think of any more excuses,I remembered some of the wonderfulexperiences I have had at the temple. Idid not even know the girl, but Iimagined how anxious she must be tocome to the temple and I knew I couldnot let her down.
“I’ll try,” I responded.As we left for the temple the
following day, I became really nervous. Icould hardly remember any Spanish atall. I wanted so badly for this youngwoman to have a wonderful experience,and to feel the spirit of the House of theLord. I said a silent prayer that she and Iwould be able to understand what wasnecessary and that her expectationswould be met.
At the temple, a beautiful young womanwaited for us, already dressed in white.She was calm and glowed with happiness.I explained to her in broken Spanish that
ranslate?
Me? My high
school Spanish
was so shaky. How
could I possibly
help this young
woman have a
good experience
in the temple?
By Shallin Duncan
TT
MIRACLESMIRACLES
I was a sorry excuse for a translator. Shesmiled and expressed her gratitude for myefforts. I offered one more silent prayer,and I immediately began to feel thepowerful Spirit of the Lord.
In the baptismal chapel waiting forthe rest of the group, I opened a set ofscriptures. Not looking for anythingparticular I turned to Doctrine andCovenants 6:32: “Verily, verily, I say untoyou, as I said unto my disciples, wheretwo or three are gathered together in myname, as touching one thing, behold,there will I be in the midst of them—even so am I in the midst of you.”
Throughout the next hour, I felt theSpirit help us communicate. We laughedat my many mistakes, and she was patientwith me as I tried to understand andanswer her questions. When the templetrip was over, it was hard to say good-bye.We knew we had shared a small miracle.
Later that night, I began my dailyscripture study, as always, with a prayer.
Illustrated by Lauren Uram
After I prayed to understand what Iwould read, the words meant more to methan ever before. I realized the samemiracle that happened in the templetakes place in my bedroom each night. Ithought of the words of Moroni as heprayed for the ability to write, and Isympathized with his “stumbl[ing]because of the placing of [his] words”(Ether 12:25). He feared the Gentileswould mock his weakness in writing andthat the power of the Lord would be lost.This was similar to the way I felt aboutbeing a Spanish translator at the temple.
But just as the Lord helped mecommunicate with someone from a distantland, I know He will help me understandHis words recorded in distant times. Theprophets of old and I are also “gatheredtogether in [His] name.” And though I havelittle in common with the valiant men of thescriptures, I am better able to understandthe words of God because He is, as Hepromised, “in the midst of [us].” NE
J U L Y 2 0 0 2 4 5
N E W E R A C L A S S I C
4 6 T H E
OF THE OF THE MMOOSST T WWOORRTTHH
By President Ezra Taft Benson(1899–1994)
t is notenough just tobe members
and go tosacramentmeeting. TheLord expects us tobe missionariesand to help buildup His kingdom.
II
issionaries are engaged in thegreatest work in all theworld—saving the souls of
our Father in Heaven’s children. Thereisn’t anything so important, so precious,so enjoyable, so soul-satisfying. Throughthe Prophet Joseph Smith the Lordproclaimed, “The thing which will be ofthe most worth unto you will be to declarerepentance unto this people, that youmay bring souls unto me” (D&C 15:6).
As members of the Lord’s Church, wemust take missionary work seriously. Ifyou are laboring as you should, if youlove this work, you will be helping tosave the souls of the children of men.
No person can read section one of theDoctrine and Covenants, realizing thatthe Church accepts it as the word of theLord, and ask why we send missionariesinto all parts of the world. Theresponsibility, and a major one it is, fallssquarely upon the membership of theChurch, for “the voice of warning,” saysthe Lord, “shall be unto all people, by themouths of my disciples, whom I havechosen in these last days” (D&C 1:4).
One of our best missionary tools is thesterling example of members who livethe gospel. This is what the Lord meantwhen He said to the Church, “Zion mustincrease in beauty, and in holiness; . . .Zion must arise and put on her beautifulgarments” (D&C 82:14). The Lord willsustain members in their missionaryresponsibility if they just have the faith totry.
MM
N E W E R A
What the Lord expectsIt is time to raise our sights, to get a
vision of the magnitude of this greatwork. The Lord expects it of us. It is notenough just to be members of theChurch and go to sacrament meeting.That is good—but that is not enough.The Lord expects us to be missionaries,to live the gospel—yes, wholly, and tohelp to build up His kingdom.
You will not be an effective missionaryuntil you learn to have sympathy for all ofour Father’s children—until you learn tolove them. People can feel when love isextended to them. Many yearn for it.When you sympathize with their feelings,they in turn will reciprocate goodwill toyou. You will have made a friend.
How long has it been since you haveinvited a neighbor to sacrament meeting
Photography by Jed Clark
J U L Y 2 0 0 2 4 7Pastel The Lord’s Harvest by Marilee Campbell
4 8 T H E
o succeedin sharingthe gospel,
whether as full-time missionariesor as membermissionaries,you must have aburningtestimony of thedivinity of thiswork. Your firstobligation is toget thattestimony.
TT
or to a stake conference, or to come intoyour home for a home evening? Howlong has it been since you had a realgospel conversation? These are choiceexperiences.I encourage you not only to read thebiblical account of Christ’s Resurrection,but to read and share with a nonmemberacquaintance the Book of Mormonaccount of Christ’s personalmanifestation to those in Americafollowing His Resurrection. Give them orlend them a copy of the Book ofMormon, even your own copy ifnecessary. It could bless them eternally.
The Book of Mormon is the greatstandard we are to use in our missionarywork. It shows that Joseph Smith was aprophet. It contains the words of Christ,and its great mission is to bring us toChrist. All other things are secondary.The golden question of the Book ofMormon is, Do you want to learn moreof Christ?
The Book of Mormon is for bothmember and nonmember. Combinedwith the Spirit of the Lord, the Book ofMormon is the greatest tool which Godhas given us to convert the world. If weare to have the harvest of souls, we mustuse the instrument which God hasdesigned for the task—the Book ofMormon.
Better-prepared missionariesAnd reading the Book of Mormon is
one of the greatest persuaders to get uson missions. We need more missionaries.But we also need better-preparedmissionaries coming out of the wards and
N E W E R A
branches and homes where they knowand love the Book of Mormon. We needmissionaries who have a burningtestimony of its divinity, and who, by theSpirit, can challenge their investigators toread and ponder its pages, knowing withcomplete assurance that the Lord willmanifest the truth of it to them by thepower of the Holy Ghost. We needmissionaries to match our message.
Give me a young man who has kepthimself morally clean and has faithfullyattended his Church meetings. Give me ayoung man who has magnified hispriesthood and has earned his Duty toGod Award and is an Eagle Scout. Giveme a young man who is a seminarygraduate and has a burning testimony ofthe Book of Mormon. Give me such ayoung man and I will give you a youngman who can perform miracles for theLord in the mission field and throughouthis life.
Remember, young women, you mayalso have the opportunity to serve a full-time mission. I am grateful my eternalcompanion served a mission in Hawaiibefore we were married, and I ampleased that I have had granddaughtersserve full-time missions. Some of ourfinest missionaries are sisters.
To succeed in sharing the gospel,whether as full-time missionaries or asmember missionaries, you must have aburning testimony of the divinity of thiswork. Your first obligation is to get thattestimony through prayer, throughfasting, through meditation, throughstudy, through appealing to the Lord togive you the testimony, and throughresponding to calls when they come toyou. You must know that God lives; thatJesus is the Christ, the Redeemer of theworld; that Joseph Smith is a prophet ofGod; and that the priesthood andauthority of our Heavenly Father is here.
Not only should sharing the gospel beregarded as a priesthood duty, but weshould all look forward to this experiencewith great joy and anticipation. The realpurpose in sharing the gospel is to bringsouls unto Christ, to teach and baptizeour Heavenly Father’s children so that wemay rejoice with them (see D&C 18:15)in the kingdom of our Father. NE
Originally printed in the June 1989New Era.
R E A D E R ’ S G U I D E
Index of Topics
Book of Mormon 46Chastity 12Decision Making 38Entertainment 38Faith 28, 44Jesus Christ 4, 46Martin’s Cove 20Mission
Preparation 4Missionary Work 46Pioneers 20Prayer 16Reverence 9Resisting Sin 10Self-worth 34Service 26Temple Work 44Temptation 10Testimony 4, 46Time, Use of 38Tonga 28Worthiness 12
Creativeideas forusing thisissue of the New Era.
Family Home Evening Ideas■■ Does the television interrupt your
family life too much? Read together “AQuestion of Time” on page 38. Brainstormways the family can decrease consumptionof television and other media, perhaps byholding a “television fast” for a week ortwo. With your parents, make a list ofactivities family members can participate ininstead of turning on the television, andpost it in a prominent place, perhapstaped right to the television screen.
Young Men and Young WomenActivity Ideas
■■ As a class or quorum presidency, readPresident James E. Faust’s article on page4 about missionary preparation. Use hischecklist as the basis for planning severalactivities. Be sure to balance practicalpreparation such as ironing, cooking, andhousekeeping with spiritual preparationsuch as scripture study and testimony.
Seminary Devotional■■ Bring a telephone to class and set it
up in front without plugging it in. Asksomeone to make a call. Have him or herexplain to the class why it will not work.Compare the phone to prayer. We need tobe “plugged in” to the right source, thenwe will never get a busy signal. Read Q&Aon page 16 and outline for the class whatwe should do to be in communicationwith the Lord.
Personal Improvement■■ Do you honor and respect the fact
that you are one of our Father in Heaven’smost important creations? Do yousometimes say things to yourself youwould never dream of saying to others?Read “Mirror Image” on page 34, thenwrite in your journal about things you aregrateful your body can do. Also make apoint of sincerely complimenting others to help them feel better about them-selves.
■■ President Ezra Taft Benson remindedus in the article, “Of the Most Worth,” onpage 46, that as Church members we are charged with the responsibility ofsharing the gospel. Prayerfully select afriend, neighbor, or family member topresent with a copy of the Book ofMormon. Don’t forget to write a noteexpressing your testimony in the front ofthe book.
Value Project■■ For the youth in Tonga, seminary
graduation is a big deal (see page 28). Inaddition to the planned graduationceremony or fireside, ask permission tohonor the graduates in your seminaryclasses. Ask other students what theythink would be an appropriate way torecognize such an importantaccomplishment. It might be fun to take acue from the Tongan tradition and make alei for each graduate.
J U L Y 2 0 0 2 4 9
W E ’ V E G O T M A I L
“I love theNew Erabecause Idon’t have tosee all theimmodestclothes andread thevulgarlanguagethat is sopopular inthe world.”
Keeping modesty in mindThank you so much for sharing the
experience of the Red Bridge Young Womenand its Evaluate project (Jan. ’02). I have goneshopping with my mom searching for a promdress for my sister and know what a hassle itcan be. Now that I’m looking for a promdress, I will keep modesty in mind. Thanks forthe inspiration to aspire higher and to notsettle for something less modest.
Katie HickmanPhoenix, Arizona (via e-mail)
Differences in magazinesI am a sophomore in high school who
loves to read the New Era. I took a clothingclass this last semester. We had to lookthrough many magazines, and then cut outdifferent styles of clothing for differentassignments. I was very appalled by some ofthe clothing I saw. I love the New Era becauseI don’t have to see all the immodest clothesand read the vulgar language that is sopopular in the world. I also love readingQuestions and Answers because I can relate tothe questions. Thank you for being here forme and the other youth in the Church.
Jessica MooreThermopolis, Wyoming
Can’t we have both?I love the New Era! I’m upset, though, that
you replaced the fiction stories each monthwith classic stories. Can’t we have them both?
Hannah SaxtonKrum, Texas
Reverse this decisionI am writing to express my disappointment
concerning the apparent elimination of thefiction stories each month in the New Era. Asfar as I can tell, there has been no explanationof this elimination. I believe Church-relatedfiction helps young people to betterunderstand the principles of the gospel. Iwould strongly encourage you to review thisdecision and reverse it.
Michael R. GosnellCrestwood, Kentucky
5 0 T H E N E W E R A
An important articleThank you so much for your article in
Questions and Answers (Jan. ’02). It talkedabout what to do if you sometimes feel sadand unhappy, and it also gave some greatadvice on what to do if you feel “over-whelmingly sad all the time.” It said to tell atrusted adult who will be able to get yousome professional help. My 16-year-old sonsadly ended his life last year. Our son was anice, shy, worthy priesthood holder who wasactive in the Church. He didn’t tell anyonehow sad he was feeling, and we didn’trecognize the subtle signs we now know werecaused by depression. Instead, we brushedthem off as him just going through theteenage years. We later learned that untreateddepression is the number-one cause ofsuicide. The organs of our bodies, like ourhearts, lungs, or kidneys, can become ill. Wesometimes don’t realize that another organ,the brain, can also become ill. Depression is achemical imbalance of the brain that canusually be successfully treated with medi-cation and therapy. Maybe if our son wouldhave read your article he would have receivedthe courage he needed to ask for help. I hopethere is someone out there who reads thisarticle and then asks an adult for help.
Stacy HonePayson, Utah (via e-mail)
We love hearing from you. Write us at New EraWe’ve Got Mail50 E. North TempleSalt Lake City, Utah 84150
Or e-mail us at
Submissions may be edited for length and clarity.
P H O T O O F T H E M O N T H
B
Taste SummerBy Callie Taggart
Taste the summer sea;its cool luscious juice willlinger on your tongue.
Taste the summer air,and smear the raw sunon top of your tanned skin.
Taste a summer rain;whisper in its singing mists as thehoney spray moistens your face.
Taste the summer sky;let the pastel blue creamdrip freely down your chin.
Taste a summer day. It will be sweet and deliciousuntil, finally, it is gone.
J U L Y 2 0 0 2 5 1
y Niel Hayes
40
22
29
47
00
06
22947 Jul 02
“It hit us that this
was really the
place where they
couldn’t go
anymore, where
they had to stop,
and where so
many died.”
See “Walking in
Remembrance,”
p. 20.