Youth
Alma
Alma the younger is one of the more interesting personalities in all of scripture.
Alma was born the son of a prophet–the son of a very spiritual, energetic, and dedicated prophet. Yet, somehow in his youth, his father’s teachings, training, and example failed to sink in or to impress him.
Child Heroes
I am impressed with the story about Tilly, a 10-year-old girl on vacation with her parents in Thailand in 2004. Two weeks previously she had learned in her geography class about tsunamis, and the signs that precede them. When she saw the bay in front of her hotel begin to froth as the tide unexpectedly began to go out, she knew what was happening. She knew what was coming. She ran to tell her parents. She was frantic, and plead for them to believe that a tsunami was coming. She and her parents cleared the beach and told everyone to evacuate vertically by going to the upper floors of the hotel. The tsunami killed 200,000 people up and down many coasts of many countries, but none at that beach. Ten-year-old Tilly’s knowledge and timely warning saved a hundred lives.
Read MoreThe Deacon’s Quorum President
By Danny Kerns,
About his son, Chance, the quorum president
The twelve-year-old boy walked into Sacrament meeting and yelled, “He’s a bully!” His ward didn’t think twice about the outburst, and the parents soon had him calmed down. His name is Sterling, and he is autistic. During that meeting one of the bishop’s counselors noticed Sterling’s parents looked more haggard than usual. Out of concern, he later mentioned it to the bishop. The bishop explained that they were becoming more concerned with his increasing outbursts. The counselor had sat in on many Deacons Quorum and Sunday School classes with Sterling and his father, who was always quick to curb any outbursts or off-topic tangents. However, the counselor noticed that everyone, including himself, walked on eggshells around Sterling. The result of which was zero interaction between him and his peers.
Teenage Greatness
A three-year-old boy was playing with an awl in his father’s harness shop when it slipped and penetrated his eye. The resulting infection blinded him in both eyes. The boy was French. His name was Louis Braille.
Read MoreWhat I’ve Learned as a Patriarch
Last night I still had not a clue what to say to you here tonight. As I got into bed I knelt and prayed for the inspiration that would give me a starting point for my talk. The little voice in my head said, “Tell them what you’ve learned as a patriarch.”
Read MoreWhy Are You Good?
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph were all good men living in environments not conducive to inspire one to be good. How did they do it? Why did they do it?
Abraham’s own father offered him to be killed for his goodness. Abraham didn’t subscribe to the idol worship of his father and community, so he was bound and put forth as a candidate for idol sacrifice.
A Stunning Time
I first became aware of the passage of time when I was in the first grade. I suppose that before then there were no milestones to mark the passage of time, so I was unaware. But that school year provided a milestone, and those nine months of the first grade were really, really long.
Read MoreTo This End Was I Born, #2
As Jesus stood before Pilate, Pilate asked Him: “Art thou a king?”
Jesus answered, “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.” (John 18:37).
Power of the Priesthood
Matt, suggested that I should gather my young grandsons and conduct a Priesthood preparation session. He wondered if that should be expanded to include all of my grandsons. I wondered if perhaps it should be expanded to include all of my Melchizedek Priesthood sons as well.
Read MoreBut She Is Pure!
With the whole world on lock down because of the COVID 19 pandemic we aren’t allowed to go to church. We have permission to hold sacrament meetings in our homes where we bless and pass the sacrament, and give talks in our families.
Read MorePure Youth
The scriptures tell us that no unclean thing can be in God’s presence. That being the case, what does this say about the Father and the Son appearing to the boy, Joseph Smith? Kneeling there in that sacred grove, a place of solitude, was a pure 14-year-old boy. He went there with a burning desire to know, to be forgiven of his sins, to obtain direction, and to be good. He went there repenting. He was clean. He was pure, or God could not have come to him.
Read MoreA Long Shot
Elder Carl B. Cook, of the Presidency of the Seventy, came from a broken home. When he was six, his father left his mother with five young children. She had to go to work, get a second job, and obtain an education. There was little time for nurturing, but with the help of grandparents, uncles, aunts, bishops, home teachers, and Carl’s priesthood quorums, she managed to raise a future general authority.
Read MoreSalamanders
Marjorie went out to feed the cat yesterday, and immediately came back in to tell me to go look at what was in Aspen’s dish.
Read MoreComparisons
Thoughts at Aaron’s missionary farewell. 23 May 1999. When I was 19, I knew nothing about the gospel.
Read MoreIsaac
Isaac leaves tomorrow for his mission. I have had the opportunity to get very close to this boy since he graduated from high school in May.
Read MoreTemple Conversations
Serving as ordinance workers in the temple, we’re told to be consistently reverent. We’re not to discuss politics, sports, or business.
Read MoreA Sin-resistant Generation
Inspired men and women have flooded the earth with products and materials that are resistant to all sorts of harmful things.
Read MoreThe Early Christmas Present
Zack Wright was a 14-year-old boy in Idaho with a passion for snow boarding. Christmas was coming, and more than anything, he wanted a snow board.
Read MoreTroubled Young Men
When I think of Enos’ account of his hunting expedition, I read between the lines. I don’t think of him going into the forest to look for animals, but rather of what was really happening on that occasion.
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