Stories
Relate the story Sister Amy Wright told of her son's law school interview
"After years of diligent effort, Eli received an invitation for an interview with one of his top choices for law school. He pronounced, “Mom, I was asked 10 questions. The final question was, ‘Where do you derive your moral compass?’ I stated that throughout history humankind has derived systems of morality by patterning their lives from archetypes. The archetype of morality I strive to pattern my life from is that of Jesus Christ. I stated if all of humanity abided by the teachings of Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount, the world would be a better, more peaceful place.” Then the interview ended, and he thought to himself, “There go my childhood dreams. No one in secular academia wants to hear about Jesus Christ.”
Two weeks later, Eli was admitted with a scholarship. Before committing, we visited the campus. The law school looked like a castle and was set high on a hill overlooking a beautiful lake. Remarkably, as we walked through the magnificent library and stately corridors, we found on banners and carved in stone attributes from the Sermon on the Mount."
"I invite you to receive, either for the first time or to a greater extent than ever before, the magnificent realisation that you truly are God’s beloved child."
Elder Patrick Kearon
Elder Neil L. Andersen
"Life is a most precious part of our Father’s perfect plan, and by His decree we cherish and preserve life."
Elder Dale G. Renlund said, "With His loving assistance, He expects us to become the ____ version of ourselves. That we may start with differing abilities is _________ to Him. And it should be to us."
Best
Irrelevant
What movie was the toy car Elder Kearon referred to in his talk from?
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
What was the name of the man described as "a piece of work" in the story Elder Steven J Lund told?
Alan
"Jesus Christ loves each of us. He offers that opportunity to draw closer to Him. As with a loving friend, you will do it in much the same way, by communicating through prayer to Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ, listening for cherished guidance from the Holy Ghost, and then serving others for the Savior cheerfully. Soon you would feel that blessing of drawing nearer to Him."
President Henry B. Eyring
President Russell M. Nelson
"As we diligently seek to have charity and virtue fill our lives, our confidence in approaching God will increase."
Confidence in the presence of God/Charity/Virtue
Elder Ronald A. Rasband said, "Whatever is on your to-do list, give ____ time, not ____ time, to the Lord in personal scripture study, family study of Come, Follow Me, prayer, Church callings, ministering, partaking of the sacrament, worshipping in the temple, and pondering the things of God."
equal
spare
Which General Authority was told they "had no idea what [they] were doing" by Elder Neil L. Andersen?
Elder Steven D. Shumway
What was the story Elder Renlund told of a farmer?
"In the poem, Paavo was a poor farmer who lived with his wife and children in the lake region of central Finland. Several years in a row, most of his crops were destroyed, whether through the runoff from the spring snowmelt, summer hailstorms, or an early autumn frost. Each time the meager harvest came in, the farmer’s wife lamented, “Paavo, Paavo, you unfortunate old man, God has forsaken us.” Paavo, in turn, stoically said, “Mix bark with the rye flour to make bread so the children won’t go hungry. I’ll work harder to drain the marshy fields. God is testing us, but He will provide.”
Each time the crops were destroyed, Paavo directed his wife to double the amount of bark that she mixed into the flour to ward off starvation. He also worked harder, digging trenches to drain the ground and decrease his fields’ susceptibility to a spring runoff and an early autumn frost.
After years of hardship, Paavo finally harvested a rich crop. His wife exulted, “Paavo, Paavo, these are happy times! It is time to throw away the bark, and bake bread made only with rye.” But Paavo solemnly took his wife’s hand and said, “Mix half the flour with bark, for our neighbor’s fields have frosted over.” Paavo sacrificed his and his family’s bounty to help his devastated and destitute neighbor."
"You are not the voice in your head or the mistakes you have made. You may need to say that out loud too. Tell Satan, “Not today.” Put him behind you.
Feel that pull, the godly sorrow that turns you toward your Savior, and watch His grace enter into your life and the lives of those you love. I promise that the minute we bring a broken heart courageously toward Him, He is immediately there."
Sister Tamara W. Runia
Elder Steven D. Shumway
"Callings and other ways we embark in God’s work uniquely prepare us to meet the Savior."
Sister Camille N. Johnson said, "Sisters and brothers, the answer is yes, we can be spiritually _____, even while we wait for physical and emotional _______. Wholeness does not necessarily mean physical and emotional restoration in this life. Wholeness is born of faith in and conversion to Jesus Christ and in letting the light of that conversion shine."
Whole
Healing
What funny story can we relate to when bringing a new friend to church that Elder Uchtdorf shared?
As the sacrament meeting began, I thought about my friend experiencing this for the first time, and I couldn’t help but notice things that made me cringe a little. The singing, for example, didn’t exactly sound like the Tabernacle Choir. Restless, noisy children could be heard during the sacrament. The speakers did their best, but they were not skilled at public speaking. I sat uncomfortably through the meeting, hoping that maybe Sunday School would be better.
It wasn’t.
All morning I worried about what our friend must think of this church we had taken her to.
Afterward, as we drove home, I turned to talk to our friend. I wanted to explain that this was just one small branch and it didn’t really represent the Church as a whole. But before I could say a word, she spoke up.
“That was beautiful,” she said.
I was speechless.
She continued, “I’m so impressed with how people treat each other in your church. They all seem to come from different backgrounds, and yet it’s clear that they genuinely love each other. This is what I imagine Christ wanted His Church to be like.”
Elder S Mark Palmer told of a story of a "majestic" tree in his yard. What was it?
"We once lived in a home surrounded by majestic trees. Next to the entrance was a beautiful willow tree. One sad night a mighty storm blew, and the willow came crashing down. It lay on the ground with its roots pulled out and was a sorry sight.
I was ready to rev up the chainsaw and cut the tree up for firewood when our neighbour came running out to stop me. He chastised me for giving up on the tree, and he emphatically urged us not to get rid of it. He then pointed to one root still in the ground and said that if we propped the tree up, cut off its branches, and nourished it, the roots would take hold once again.
I was sceptical and doubted how a tree so obviously fallen and in trouble could possibly survive and come back to life. I reasoned that even if it did begin growing again, it would surely not survive the next storm. But knowing our neighbour believed the tree still had a future, we went along with the plan.
And the result? After some time, we saw signs of life as the tree began to take root. Now, 12 years later, the tree is vibrant and full of life, with strong roots, and once again contributing to the beauty of the landscape."
"In a world of great beauty, there are also enormous challenges. As we turn to Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, He rescues us from the storms of life through His Atonement in accordance with the Father’s plan."
Elder Quentin L. Cook
Elder Ricardo P. Giménez
"Dear brothers and sisters, I hope you can feel and see the importance of connecting our actions with our love for the Savior."
"I love our Savior. This is the real and most powerful reason why I do what I do."
Love/Intention/Desire
Elder Ulisses Soares said, "_________ for sacred things is the greatest manifestation of a vital spiritual quality; it is a by-product of our connection to holiness and reflects our love for and proximity to our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is also one of the most elevated experiences of the soul."
Reverence
Which General Authority sat on a cactus in an attempt to pull off a prank on his father with his young men's quorum?
Elder Scott D. Whiting
What was the story Elder Gary E. Stevenson told of going through U.S. customs?
"She then reached for Lesa’s papers. Devoid of emotion, head down and focused on her work, she methodically thumbed through the pages with an expert eye, focusing on the details of the documents in front of her. We were somewhat surprised when she suddenly stopped, lifted her head, and made eye contact with Lesa in a deliberate and warm upward gaze. With a tender smile, she gently stamped Lesa’s passport and handed the documents back to her. My wife smiled in return, accepted the documents, and exchanged warm parting words.
“What just happened?” I asked incredulously.
Lesa then showed me what the agent had seen—a small card with the image of the Savior. It had accidentally slipped from Lesa’s purse into the folds of her passport. This is what the customs officer had found. This is what had changed her whole demeanor."
"I have attempted to summarize basic elements of the most important and glorious “good news” any person anywhere in the world can ever receive—the message that the Lord Jesus Christ has restored His gospel and Church in the latter days.
I invite all to learn about and prove this message. I promise that individuals “who prayerfully study the message of the Restoration and act in faith will be blessed [through the power of the Holy Ghost] to gain their own witness of its divinity and of its purpose to prepare the world for the promised Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” As you pray earnestly with the expectation to both receive and act upon an answer from God, as did young Joseph Smith, your capacity to recognize and respond to that divine witness will be increased."
Elder David A. Bednar
Elder D. Todd Christofferson
"What does worshipping God mean for you and me?"
"May we, as the ancient Nephites and Lamanites, “fall down at the feet of Jesus, and … worship him.” May we, as commanded by Jesus, “fall down and worship the Father in [the] name [of the Son].” May we receive the Holy Spirit and yield our hearts to God, have no other gods before Him, and as disciples of Jesus Christ, emulate His character in our own lives."
Bishop Gérald Caussé said, "When circumstances beyond our control prevent us from fulfilling the righteous ________ of our hearts, the Lord will __________ in ways that allow us to receive His promised blessings."
Desires
Compensate
What was the funny story President Holland told of his grandchildren?
"Now, there are obviously some infantile inclinations we don’t encourage. Twenty-five years ago, my then-three-year-old grandson bit his five-year-old sister on the arm. My son-in-law, caring for the children that night, frantically taught his daughter all the lessons on forgiveness he could think of, concluding that her little brother probably didn’t even know what a bite on the arm felt like. That ill-conceived fatherly comment worked for about a minute, maybe a minute and a half, until there was a window-rattling cry from the children’s bedroom, where my granddaughter calmly called out, “He does now.”"