The Power of Forgiveness: 15 Inspiring Stories of Love and Reconciliation (Guideposts spirit lifters)

Once Upon a Time. The Weakness Of Strength. Sammy Hits a Homerun. Raised by an Angel.

MBR: Reviewer's Bookwatch, January

Chocolate for a Teen's Spirit. How to Ruin Your Children's Lives. For the Love of God. More Than A Mile. It's a God Thing. Things Drunk People Say. The Stuff Ma Writes. Stories of Love to Warm the Heart. Poetic Stories from the Eyes of My Windows. Speed Bumps and Angels. Cherie Kirby Hill Wren. The Best Angel Stories.

The Best Angel Stories 2. How to write a great review. The review must be at least 50 characters long. The title should be at least 4 characters long. Your display name should be at least 2 characters long. At Kobo, we try to ensure that published reviews do not contain rude or profane language, spoilers, or any of our reviewer's personal information.

You submitted the following rating and review. A Book of Miracles. Chicken Soup for the Nurse's Soul: Seventeen's Shocking True Teen Stories. Seventeen's Terrifying True Teen Stories. From Lemons to Lemonade. Tough Times, Tough People. Teens Talk Tough Times. Nothing Is Impossible with God.

The ABCs of Baby 2. What I Cannot Change. Transitions of the Soul: True Stories from Ordinary People. If You Knew Suzy. Out of the Darkness. Are You a Spiritual Hypochondriac? Keep Your Kilt Pulled Down. Falling into the Lord's Hands. From Crack to Christ. The Beauty of Bipolar. A Dad's Guide to Buying. Who Else but a Mother? From Eulogy to Joy. Yet, in spite of the humiliation and intense pain he suffered on Calvary's cross, Jesus, with compassion, in Godlike mercy, prayed for his tormentors , "Fathe r forgive them; for they know not what they do.

Now with the Savior's great lesson fresh in our memories, may each one of us purge from our hearts any feeling of hatred, envy, or bitterness, so that we may with a clear conscience and utmost confid- ence approach our Heavenly Father and ask for forgiveness. Sunday afternoon, October 7, How comforting it is to note the esteem and concern the Lord has for his children.

As Latter-day Saints we believe that man is the spiritual offspring of God our Heavenly Father, created in his image and after his likeness. The poet Wordsworth, in a flash of inspiration, referred to this transition when he penned these beautiful lines: The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star, Hath had elsewhere its setting, and cometh from afar; Not in entire forgetfulnes s , and not in utter nakedness. But trailing clouds of glory do we come from God, who is our home". In that far distant past when plans for the creation of the earth were discuseed, it was proposed that those who would be privileged to come here to inhabit the earth must be tested and tried to prove whether they would do all things that the Lord would command them to do.

The faithful were to ". It is our conviction that we were present at that great council and had a voice in the decisions that were made. The Lord once asked the Prophet Job some pertinent questions pertaining to those import- ant events, when he inquired: Because of faithfulness in that former estate, we have been born into this world , bles sed with mortal bodies which house eternal spirits. Here we have opportunities to grow, progress, and gain experience in mortal and earthly things. The divinely inspired Declaration of Independence proclaims that every citizen of this glorious country is entitled to enjoy "life, liberty , and the pursuit of happiness.

An ancient prophet declared: As man travels down the pathway of this mortal life , trusting that his course will be such as to produce joy and happiness, he becomes aware of many obstacles in the road that interfere with his progress. The Lord designed this to be so, for he did not intend that this earthly existence should be easy, Adam was advised: In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread. The pathway was to be strewn with temptations and trials. Man was also to know good and evil and be allowed his free agency in choos- ing between the two.

He was to learn the law of opposites; that there is sorrow as there is joy; pain as contrasted to pleasure, sickness as opposed to health; he was to taste the bitter as well as the sweet. From this testing process would come benefits, for the Lord has promised ". And its milestones are the years; And now and then there is a toll gate, Where you buy your way with your tears. But at last it leads to a golden town Where the golden houses are. In this hour of sorrow, the following appropriate words of the poet might well come as a message of comfort to us: Some days must be dark and dreary.

We, too, will have our dark and dreary days in our search for that which brings joy and happiness. But always there is the assurance and promise that "every cloud has its silver lining. Tis not so; all is right! If we now shun the fight? And soon we'll have this truth to tell - - All is well!

The Redeemer comforted his listen- ers with this beautiful and assuring admonition: Keeping the commandments and living in harmony with the teach- ings of the Master will result in assurances of a righteous life, and a righteous life will bring joy and happiness to our souls. Then, even though "into each life some rain must fall, " into each life also will come peace and contentment. From what has been said, my dear brothers and sisters, we can see how interested in and concerned about life people of every age and clime have been. They have struggled to analyze it, to understand it, to evaluate it.

But its full meaning and purpose and duration cannot be comprehended except through the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. With the gospel to comfort, to assist, to inspire us, let us meet life head on; courageously, sincerely, and prayerfully, meet its joys, its sorrows, its rains and sunshine with full determination to keep all of God's commandments, which by so doing we know will bring us back into his presence to partake of that eternal joy he has in store for all his faithful children, for which I humbly pray, bearing you my testi- mony that I know that God lives, that the gospel is true, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Tributes were paid to President Moyle by his associates, re- counting his many acts of devotion, generosity, and service to God and his fellow men. President McKay in his eulogy remarked: Moyle was truly a great man. But more important still is the manner in which they linger and live in our memories; how well we remember their teachings and the way they have influenced our lives for good.

Well might we ask the question: Oft- times during this acquiring process, such men become self- cente red and lose sight of things spiritual and neglect opportunities to help others. The Lord, who is aware of the weaknesses of men, sounded a note of warning against these tendencies when he questioned: Then later he proclaimed: He then explained why they are not chosen, giving this reason: The possession of wealth and the things of this world are not ob- jectionable if used for righteous purposes.

The ancient Prophet Jacob made it clear when he gave this sage counsel on the proper use of wealth: In a word, to assist fellow men and to serve God. A man also has the responsibility of providing for his family. To earn a livelihood and at the same time live within one's income become both a challenge and a goal. But while doing these important things, does manhave no respon- sibility to his neighbor or to God? Can he not provide for this family and at the same time serve his fellow men? The leaders and workers are called from the ranks.

Every single member is a potential leader, and every day throughout the Church certain individuals are called and chosen to fill positions of importance. In accepting the se callings they are recognizing the words of the Savior, when he said: This attitude of humility was evidenced by a former Vice-Pres- ident of the United States who rose to great heights of prominence, even aspiring to become President, although uncussessfuUy.

In accordance with Senate protocol, he took his seat on the rear row. His associates and fellow Senators, over whom he had presided, offered him, out of love and respect, a desk on the front row. He modestly declined, uttering this classic statement: I am will- ing to be a junior and sit on the back row, for I had rather be a servant in the house of the Lord, than sit in the seats of the Mighty. When the Lord told Moses that he was the onechosen to become the leader of Israel and was to lead his people out of captivity and bondage , Mose s was startled and began to offer one alibi and excuse after another, stating that his people would not believe that he was the one that had been called to become their leader.

The Lord gave him many assurances, but Moses was still doubtful, and finally said, "O my Lord, I am not eloquent. Noting his reluctance after the many promises and assurances given, the anger of the Lord was kind- led against Moses, and he was instructed to call Aaron, his brother to assist and serve as his spokesman. During the Savior's ministry upon the earth, he thrilled and up- lifted those who listened to his teachings.

Many had a desire to follow and hear more of his inspired utterances. One disciple expressed his intention of following and gaining more information, but made the re- quest: Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus answered and said unto him: The Savior, while ". Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Here there were no questions asked, no alibis offered, no arguments given. Going on a little further, the Savior saw two other men, James and John, who were also fishermen.

They were assisting their father Zebedee in mending their nets. When he called them, they immediate- ly and without hesitation left their ship and their father and followed Jesus. See ibid, , 4: As calls come to us for church service by the Lord's represent- atives, it is natural for us to wonder why we have been selected.

The Lord has made it plain that every individual has been blessed and en- dowed with certain gifts and talents. And while these are many gifts, yet "To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby. Now it was intended that these gifts and talents should be shared with others, for the purpose of rendering service to fellow men and making their lives happier. Every week the Tabernacle Choir thrills, inspires, and uplifts us, their listeners, with beautiful music.

Just as the chorus today has thrilled us. Many of us are not blessed with musical talents, but there are other gifts that we do posses, and other services that we can render: The poet, Edward Everett Hale, aptly expressed this thought: But still I am one I cannot do everything, But still I can do something; And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

To every faithful member of the Church will come opportunities to serve in some capacity, for the need for service in the fields of missionary work, temples, home teaching, instructing classes, choirs, and musical groups , work on welfare projects , administrative positions, and many other octivities, still remains great. If we would meet the Savior's standard for greatness, we will 38 readily and humbly accept the calling that comes and become servants in the house of the Lord, remembering that "He gives best who serves most.

I testify from personal experience that joy and happiness have come to me through opportunities to serve in building up God's king- dom here upon the earth, and I humbly pray that this same joy and happiness can come to every member of the Church, all of which I humbly pray for in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carp- enter shop until He was thirty and then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never owned a home. He never had a family. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where He was born.

He never did one of the things which accompany greatness. He had no credentials by himself. While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth while He was dying, and that was His coat. When He was dead He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone and today He is the center piece of the column of progress. I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that were ever built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as has that One Solitary Life. In response to that invitation, he directed a communication now known as the "Wentworth Letter". This inspired document contained among other things, thirteen concise, comprehensive declarations of belief, familiarly called, "The Articles of Faith.

The Savior once said, emphasizing this point: What do we know about God, our Heavenly Father? We are actually his children. He is the Father of our Spirits. In our prayers, we properly address him as our Father in heaven. We are created in his image and after his likeness. He is a glorified, immortal, resurrected being, posses- sing a body of flesh, bones, and spirit. We once dwelt in his presence and may return to be again with him, provided we do the things required to achieve and merit this blessed privilege. To these truths the scriptures have attested, and inspired men have testified.

We have been admonished to "Love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, might, mind, and strength. And with this love also goes a deep respect and reverence for him. Jesus recog- nized this truth when he taught his disciples how to pray. As he ad- dressed the Father in prayer, he said: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. When Jesus regarded the name of the Lord as "hallowed, " can we do less? Should we in any manner profane that hallowed name? Moses, too, knew by revelation that the name of God is hallowed. And yet, everyday, we hear thoughtless, uncouth, irreverent persons violate this commandment as they blaspheme the name of our Heaven- ly Father in profane oaths.

Is it not a striking fact that in all periods of the world good men have held the name of God in highest reverence? Too often today individuals in fits of rage and uncontrollable anger profane the name of Deity, and too frequently they do it in ord- inary conversation. The Lord, through one of his prophets, warned that: However, through the exercise of self-control and by engaging in earnest prayer, it is possible to learn to govern one's speech or utterances.

In addition to taking the name of God in vain, profanity, cursing, and oath taking are also displeasing to the Lord.

We have been coun- seled to keep our speech clean and simple. The Lord loves a clean mouth as well as a pure heart. This is evidenced by one of the Master's own powerful statements in which he said: Swear not at; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne. A modern-day writer, Frank Crane, has made an interesting observation on the objectionable habit of swearing in these words, which I quote: They are holdovers from a for- mer century.

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And swearing will be a black mark against him in any job he may have. And if he wants to associate with the right sort of girl, he must keep his talk clean. The only place swearing fits is in the saloon. Your vocabulary is limited. It is a sign of ignorance. You will notice that forceful men, 41 whose words carry weight, use simple plain words. It is the petty refuge of the helpless. If you can help a thing, help it; if not, keep still; any- way, do not swear. It goes with ignorance, brutality, cruel- ty, drunkeness, licentiousness, viciousness, and anger.

And you can tell a habit by the company it keeps. You can be manly though clean, and you are not shoNOing any manliness by filthy talk Welker, Preparing for Marriage , Independ- ence, Mo.: Zion's Printing and Publishing. How would you regard them or what kind of opinion would you form concern- ing them, if they were guilty of such blasphemy? Try to form in your minds a picture of the mother of the human race, or the mother of the Savior, or your own mother sprinkling vile oaths through her speech.

You shudder to think of such a thing, but by the very laws of decency, it is no worse for them to do it than for you. The writer of Proverbs in referring to man declares: What is in our hearts and minds is reflected in our speech. A person who is striving to pattern his or her life after that of the Savior will be pure in thought and action.

His or her speech will then be clean, dignified, and worshipful. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. And a heart that is full of goodness, will utter good and kind thoughts through well chosen words, the sym- bols that represent one's thoughts. Now a word of encouragement to you, my young friends of the Church and the world: Make your speech pure and warm and dignified, devoid of villeness and profanity.

Let it be of such a nature and char- acter that the world will be attracted to you because of it. Make the Lord Jesus Christ your ideal and patternafter his speech and his ways. And as surely as you do this he will magnify you and make you mighty before your fellow men, which I promise you, and I testify unto you that God lives, that the gospel is true, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Temple dedications are solemn and thrilling occasions. This morning our hearts were lifted we were thrilled as President David O. McKay dedicated this houBe of the Lord. Leslie Stone was giving a report of the activities in connection with raising money for the temple, the construction of this building, and other activities that have taken place,! Well , that's the way it has always been in the Church from its very beginning. When the word of the Lord has come that a house of worship should be erected, regardless of the financial condition of the people, they have responded to that call without hesitation; they have gone a- head and raised the money, and the buildings have been constructed.

Temple building is an activity of the Church that has existed from the beginning of this dispensation. The Saints at Kirtland, then in the depths of poverty, responded when the word of the Lord came. Without hesitation they built that temple.

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Later, after they were driven out of Kirtland to other parts of the country, when the word of the Lord came for a temple in Nauvoo, without hesitation they proceeded to build it. We know the story. Once again they were driven out into the vast wilderness, across the plains, and into the Salt Lake Valley. Within just four days after the pioneers arrived in the valley, the Prophet Brigham Young announ- ced that a temple was to be built to the Lord. He had seen the temple in a vision, and there was no question in his mind as to what it would look like.

The Salt Lake Temple was commenced in April , less than six years after the Saints arrived in the valley. There were many interruptions; the builders were slowed by the crude tools they had to use, the arrival of Johnston's Army, and the construction of the rail- road, which employed many men. But they pursued the work as fast as they could with the means they had, and thirty-nine years after con- struction commenced, the time came for the laying of the capstone on the temple. This was done in connection with the general conference of April 6, The laying of the capstone was a great event for the Saints.

On Temple Square a speakers' stand was erected and the Saints assembled. The account says forty thousand members of the Church and their friends assembled on Temple Square and the surrounding area, prob- ably the largest assemblage of people in the state. It was a wonderful occasion.

On completion of the laying of the capstone, one of the Church Authorities made the motion that the Saints should attempt to complete the building and have it ready for dedication one year later. This seemed a tremendous undertaking because there was much to be done and a considerable amount of money to raise. The Church Auth- 43 orities also felt it wise to select a person to superintend the construc- tion. Winder, Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, and who later served in the First Presidency, was named general- superintendent of construction. The Saints responded willingly to the challenge, and the year was almost up when the First Presidency sent out an epistle to the Saints suggesting that they prepare themselves for the dedication.

In this letter they expressed their gratitude for the devotion of the people and suggested that if the people would cleanse their hearts, they would be prepared. The Saints' hearts should be filled with love and charity for one another; they should be at peace with each other and with God. They warned that sin unrepented still casts its odor about the sinner. They also said that bitterness and unforgiving coolness still existed in the hearts of many. There had just concluded an intense eighteen month long political campaign which had engendered much friction and hate. The brethren mentioned this in their epietle and said, "We feel now that a time for reconciliation has come; that before entering into the Temple to present ourselves before the Lord in solemn assembly, we shall divest ourselves of every harsh and unkind feeling against each other.

Talmage,The House of the Lord, p They desired all officers of the Church to follow their example. Well, the results were wonderful. Again, the account states that "Throughout the length and breadth of Zion there was a general cleansing of mind and soul; enmity was buried; bickering ceased; differences between brethren were adjusted; offenses were atoned and forgiven; a veritable jubilee was celebrated.

The building was completed and on April 6, was dedicated by Pres- ident Wilford Woodruff. Brethren and sisters, I am confident that all who have come to the temple and will come to the temple for these dedication services have prepared themselves in their hearts, because when we come to the house of the Lord we should come with such a feeling.

It would be my prayer that as we enter the House of the Lord that there may be a feeling of love and kindness and charity, one toward another. If there is any place in the world where the warm feelings of reverence, love, and kindness should exist, it should be here in the house of the Lord. I also would pray that you good people in this area will come to the temple often and, as you come to work for your kindred dead, that you will personalize the endowment ceremony and recall to your minds the time when you received your endowments and all the blessings that were promised.

This temple has been built on a beautiful site. Here on the side 44 Henry D. Tayior admires a model of a Samoan fala, or house, a memento of his work in Polynesia. All his life Elder Henry Dixon Taylor has followed Ihe self-made rule to "be strict uith myself and tolerant of others. He has been a General Authority since April He received a note in the audience that President McKay would like to talk to him after the Saturday afternoon session of conference, "President McKay informed me that vacancies existed in the Assistants to Featuring Our General Authorities the Council of the Twelve and that it was his desire and that of the brethren that I fill one of those vacancies.

His explanation of the call and his answer typify the attitude taught him and his brothers and sisters by his parents, "My father was a quiet man. Elder Taylor had five brothers and two sisters, and while the family had a home furnishings business in Provo. Utah to work at, his father secured a couple of farms to see that his sons learned the principle of work, "While father was a gentle man. We knew what was expected of us and we did it- Dad was short on words, but long on perfor- mance.

The farms the Taylors had were a fruit farm with 15 head of cows on the east bench of Provo. The Taylor boys were kept busy helping the full-time farmer who ran the property for the elder Taylor Elder Taylor joined his brothers after school at the farms, picking fruit, irrigating, weeding or niilking cows The principle of work wag learned- He carried the same kinds of teach- ings and principles over to his own four boys.

There are some who make mistakes, but we are put here to leam, and the Lord has given us the great principle of repentance. Follow their counsel and turn a deaf ear to the promptings of Satan. He stressed the point that it is important for a Church member to have a strong testimony, to build it and to feed it so it will grow. Every Latter-day Saint should be able to bear testimony to the truthfulness of this important and sacred event," he said.

Like Nephi of old. Elder Taylor was born of goodly parents. To them were bom four sons. Taylor Sister Taylor died July 6. Utah, a community es- uhlished by her great-grandfather Canute Peter- son under the direction o Bngham Young. Ethelyn Peterson Taylor grew up to realize one of her life's: When I tended my younger brothers and sister, I played school with them.

Her father told her that she'd never finish college unless she could work to help earn her way. She enrolled at Snow College where she studied business and gained skills so she could work as a secretary as she continued her i-dtu-jtum She worked pari time uhile attending Brigham Young University, and also was a secretary at Stanford and Northwestern universities. At the University of Denver, she worked in the counseling services and was a resident assistant.

With a strong emphasis in business, she became an instructor at BYU and was an assistant professor there in the College of Business when she married Elder Taylor in It was the second marriage for both of them. She became a widow just four months after her marriage to Orson Kenneth Taylor in Elder Taylor s first wife died in "It's so imptirtant for women to have an intere. Ability to Understand Cwithiued from page 5 community where people had real values - - those that are important.

I thought it was a terrible sin to smoke and never bad any friends who did that At Ihe Grand Canyon, a lot rf my associates smoked — and some of those people I liked. It was a great experience because 1 was able to see for myself the values of the teachings of the Church while gaining an appreciation for people with different backgrounds " Her contact with nonmembers during her summer employment helped prepare her for a mission to Switzerland after her first husband's death.

She described an experience she had as she relumed to Switzerland with Elder Taylor on a Church assignment. UTAH Athole and Amanda Milne look back over 75 years together and credit two simple ingredients for making their marriage successful. Sept 19, with many family members gathered for the occasion The Milnes now have 20 grandchildren.

We had a rule against quarreling and to this day, we've never had a real argument. We had planned to marry in the St George Temple but because of the president's aeath, they closed the temple, ' Amanda explained "In those days, the whole community was invited to a wedding and we had prepared a great amount of food for our guests We asked the bishop and stake president if we should delay the wedding until the temple opened and they advised us to be married on the 19th Nobody wanted to see alt that food spoil, ' she quipped A few days later on Sept Amanda Milne, 93, sttll does family wash.

If you got there late, you sure had bad tastmg water," Amanda said A form of ash was used in the collector barrel to help purify the water, she added When Athole changed jobs and went to work m the mines in Amanda's work pace accelerated also "He was away most of the lime and I had to milk cows, chop wood, feed pigs, cut lucerne with the scythe to feed the cows. They don't realize it comes from hard work and achievmg Young people have it too easy," Amanda stressed In Athole, then 21, made his first tnp to Salt Lake City where he saw his first automobile and telephone He was 33 when he saw his first airplane To this day, Amanda has never had an electric washing machine All the wash has been done by hand.

But she still fixes the meals, does her washing and reads without glasses She was a Rehef Society teacher for 45 years. Athole's bishop said he has always been one of the ward's most faithful tithe payers and still is. The Milnes had been regular temple goers until poor health prevented him from attending. They are members of the Washington Second Ward.

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Utah, has been appointed as an LDS chaplain in the U S Navy and will be stationed with the Third Marine Division on Okinawa, upon completion of chaplain's school Brother Stubblefield, who will enter the Navy with the rank of lieutenant 'j g. He has been an instructor in the Church seminaries and mstitutes system for the past two years. He was bom in Omaha, Neb. He served a mission in Argentina, and has served as an elders quorum president, branch mission leader, and as a Sunday School tcacher. Ohio, who arranged for the filming of the other three Standard Works. The second and third copies were given to President N.

Surely it is like a city that is set on a hill that cannot be hid. I think the same thing is true of us, brethren and sisters. If we re- member the covenants we have made in this house and other houses of the Lord that have been dedicated and are true to those covenants, we too may become beacons on a hill, for our lives cannot easily be hid. I am grateful to be here today.

We are so grateful to have Pres- ident and Sister McKay. I am sure the President has been blessed. I bear witness, brethren and sisters, that God lives, that the gospel is true. I am grateful to live in a day and age of the world when the gospel has been restored and is upon the earth in its fulness and we have all the blessings that come to us, all the promises that come through having temples. I bear this witness and pray for our Heavenly Father's blessings to be with us , in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. His part shall be the first and best Of all the ten with which I'm blessed; 'Tis the Lord's part, 'tis the Lord's part, A tenth of all I gain.

And then the Lord God said: Eve was then created and given to Adam as a companion and wife. The poet Longfellow beautifully expressed this relationship of husband and wife in the following verse; As unto the bow the cord is, So Unto the man is woman; Though she bends him, she obeys him Though she draws him, yet she follows; Useless each without the other!

The Lord's declaration, "It is not good that the man should be alone;. A babe born in- to this world is a helpless creature, dependent on its parents. Then as his life's cycle expands toward matur- ity, many other people affect the course of his life. Association with other youth and participation in their activities, schools, movies, tel- evision, radio, and other media also influence the individual.

One of the most vital forces in this teaching or training process is that of the Church. Someone has estimated that a boy fourteen years of age, raised in the Church, would have had approximately twenty-five auxiliary and priesthood teachers and leaders who provid- ed more than a thousand hours of gospel instruction for his benefit. Added to this the re probably would be another twenty- five persons cur- rently engaged in bringing the full program of the Church to him.

Although one is born alone and dies alone and is free to live, think, feel, and act by himself, he needs help in reaching his highest possible potential. He cannot do it fully by himself. As members of the Church, we are traveling along the same high- way, each one working out his own salvation, with exaltation and eter- nal life in the celestial kingdom as the goal. Yet in this striving pro- cess we are not alone; we gain and give strength and encouragement to each other. It has been aptly stated: Such persons claim, for instance, that it is not necessary to attend church meetings and mingle with others.

They suggest that they can worship alone in the mountains, in the canyons, in the out-of-doors.

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It is true that mementous events have transpired out in nature. Moses heard the voice of the Lord from the burning bush on the hill- side and also received the Ten Commandments on Mt. The spirit of worship was 46 surely present on those hallowed occasions. The Savior taught that sec- ret prayer is efficacious when he suggested: Even though Moses, Joseph Smith, and the Master all worshipped as individuals and prayed secretly, yet each indicated the need for group worship. The Lord had Moses set up the magnificent Tabernacle in the wilderness; the Prophet Joseph was directed to build churches and temples and establish a group educational system; and the Savior established his church organization for the purpose of "perfecting.

We have re- ceived from God many commandments that require participation to- gether as church members. The Lord has said: Also remember the instruction: Many blessings come from assembling with other members of the Church. On fast day we are inspired and uplifted as we hear fervent testimonies borne. In Sunday School and other meetings we profit by the experiences and expre s sions of others.

Then also consider the val- ue of the warm smile and hearty handclasp as we associate together, giving us a feeling of brotherhood and unity, a sense of belonging- -be- longing to one another and to the kingdom of God. The joys we feel are many, many times greater than if we attempted to work and worship alone. It was not meant that we should stand alone. No one is an island.

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We need to be in fellowship with the Saints. By them our lives can be made better and richer.

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Recently I heard of an incident which illustra- tes this point. A boy was extended an invitation to visit his uncle who was a lumberjack up in the Northwest. For months the boy had looked forward with anticipation to this trip as an exciting adventure. Finally the time came for his journey to the vast timber empire of our country. His uncle nxat himat the depot, and as the two pursued their way to the lumber camp, the boy was impressed by the enormous size of the trees on every hand.

There was a gigantic tree which he observed standing all alone on the top of a small hill. The boy, full of awe, called out ex- citely, "Uncle George, look at that big tree! It will make a lot of good lumber, won't it?