LATTER-DAY SAINT VOICES

MAKE OUR HOUSE INVISIBLE t the end of World War II, when A I was 19 years old, enemy troops came to occupy my hometown in Europe. One evening my parents and I were sitting at our table when we heard a loud noise. We looked out through the blackout curtains, hung so that bombers couldn’t detect our

66 Ensign house at night, to see enemy troops— The next day I learned from a the Spirit, but my heart was touched. along with their motorcycles, trucks, distraught friend that the soldiers had When I returned to , and tanks—coming into our village done terrible things in every house I missed that feeling very much. I from two different directions. I was she knew of. When I told her that they remembered how my life was when very frightened. had not come to our house, she was I went to church and lived gospel My father, always a faithful man, shocked. She said she had watched teachings. I realized what was missing, said simply, “Don’t be scared.” In the them go in our direction and that she but there was no church and no mis- face of what was just outside our knew of no homes in our sector that sionaries where I lived, so I thought I house, that was an extraordinary state- they had not entered. Our house was would never have that feeling again. ment. We all knew that the soldiers the only one the soldiers had left alone. About four years later, however, would likely invade the neighborhood I know that Heavenly Father some missionaries knocked on my to pillage people’s homes. Father sug- hears our pleas and answers them. door. I was so happy to see them. gested that we kneel next to the couch Sometimes it seems that we might not While they were out working, they and pray for Heavenly Father’s pro- ever receive an answer, and we wish had listened to the Spirit, which led tection. He prayed, “Father in Heaven, that He would answer sooner. But I them to my house. I’m so grateful please blind those soldiers. Make our know that in our home 65 years ago, they were obedient. I was baptized house invisible so they won’t see it.” He answered right away. ◼ and confirmed soon afterward. After he prayed, my mother Alice W. Flade, Utah, USA Since then I have been sealed in prayed. Then I prayed. Afterward, the Temple to my we returned to the table and cau- husband, a returned missionary who is tiously looked out the window. We I MISSED from Russia. And now there’s a watched soldiers storm into every FEELING THE in Kyiv. We plan to attend regularly. house on our street. Ours was the last The temple is the most amazing one on the street. They approached SPIRIT place on earth. It is a place where our house but then passed our front hen I was 16, I participated you can be close to Heavenly Father. gate and went to the next street. We Win a student foreign-exchange I feel so grateful that in the temple we watched them enter every house that program for a year. I went from my can receive one of the greatest gifts we could see from our window. home in Ukraine to a small town in given to us by Heavenly Father: to be After an invasion of about two Arizona, USA, where I stayed with a sealed as families for eternity. hours, someone blew a loud whis- Latter-day Saint family. I had never I am grateful to the members tle, and the soldiers returned to their heard of Latter-day Saints before. of that Latter-day Saint family who vehicles. As they slowly left, we were The exchange program didn’t helped me feel the Spirit, starting tremendously relieved and knelt allow the family to preach to me, and me on a journey that would lead me again, thanking Heavenly Father for I wasn’t allowed to meet with the to a family of my own that is sealed His kindness and protection. missionaries. But I chose to attend together forever. ◼ church with my host family and par- Victoria Mikulina, Russia ticipate in all Church activities. We looked out through the blackout Note: To see an inspiring video about the curtains to see enemy troops coming I felt the Spirit with that family, and I youth cultural celebration for the Kyiv into our village from two different felt much love at church. At that time I Ukraine Temple, visit LDS.org and search

ILLUSTRATIONS BY BJORN THORKELSON ILLUSTRATIONS directions. I was very frightened. didn’t know that what I was feeling was for “ video.”

August 2011 67 Fortunately nobody was hurt in the accident. But the trailer hitch was bent like a pretzel, the windows were all broken, and our belongings were scattered everywhere.

On Sunday morning I found the local meetinghouse and sat down on the back row of the chapel just as sacrament meeting was starting. I prayed for the Spirit to be with my family at this difficult time. At the conclusion of the meeting, one or two people introduced them- selves to me, and I briefly explained what had happened. I then returned to where we were camped and spent the rest of the day helping clean GO TO CHURCH! things up. uring my junior year of high the outside and the inside of the trailer On Monday morning we had Dschool, I met a Latter-day Saint were a complete disaster. The trailer started to clean again when all at once girl in my art class. She had a great hitch was bent like a pretzel, the win- members of the ward I had attended influence on my life, and I was bap- dows were all broken, and our belong- started arriving, offering help. The tized a member of the Church. ings were scattered everywhere. owner of a local window store said After I graduated from high school, The highway patrol arrived and he would replace all of the trailer Mom and Dad decided to move from called a tow truck. Mom and Dad windows at no charge, and a welder our home in California to Idaho, USA. didn’t know what to do. The little offered to straighten the hitch for free. We hooked our trailer to our truck money they had went to the towing My father said little but was obvi- and headed north. We had just passed company. At this moment I felt the ously amazed, Mom shed tears of through Lovelock, Nevada, when I overwhelming impression that I should gratitude, and my sister and I were started driving too fast down a small go to church the following day, Sunday. thankful for the help. By the end of hill. Because there were no stabiliz- Dad, who was not a member of the the day, we were ready to continue ing bars to keep the trailer in place, Church, thought I was crazy. We had our trip to Idaho. it started whipping from side to side. to gather our belongings and fix the As a result of this experience, I I slammed on the brakes, and the trailer, and since he was crippled and learned that the promptings of the Spirit trailer jackknifed, sending us through in poor health, I was the main worker. are real. I also know that our prayers a borrow pit and leaving the truck But the impression to attend church are frequently answered by other peo- tipped over one way and the trailer persisted. I asked Mom to talk to Dad ple and that trusting the Lord will bring tipped over the other way. for me. She did, and surprisingly peace and joy to our hearts. ◼ Fortunately nobody was hurt. But he consented. Dwight LeRoy Dennis, Utah, USA

68 Ensign Latter-day Saint Voices

true today as they were in 1998. SHOULD WE SELL OUR How happy we are that we fol- DREAM HOME? lowed the counsel of the prophet n 1998 the Spirit was nudging me to we moved into our new home, which and the promptings of the Spirit. We Isell our dream home, which we had had a much lower monthly payment. no longer have any mortgage debt, completed and moved into just four President Hinckley’s words did and we are happy to see our children years earlier. As our older children indeed prove prophetic. The follow- living within their means. were beginning to graduate from high ing year the U.S. stock market peaked We look forward each general con- school and leave home, it became as the dot-com bubble burst. Several ference to the counsel of our Church apparent that our house was larger years of low interest rates then fol- leaders. We know that we will be and more costly than we needed. I lowed, which we used to our advan- blessed if we heed their direction. ◼ had just gone through a job change tage to pay down our mortgage debt. Sullivan Richardson, Nevada, USA that showed me how vulnerable my Now a new economic crisis is upon NOTE income was to possible disruption. many countries throughout the world. 1. Gordon B. Hinckley, “To the Boys and to the Men,” ­Liahona, Jan. 1999, 65; ­Ensign, When I attended the priesthood President Hinckley’s words are just as Nov. 1998, 53. session of general conference that October, I was struck by the words of When I attended the priesthood President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910– session of general conference, I 2008). Speaking of our finances, he was struck by President Gordon B. Hinckley’s counsel, which I shared told priesthood holders, “The time with my wife. has come to get our houses in order.” Then he warned, “There is a portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed.” Later in the talk he said: “It may be necessary to borrow to get a home, of course. But let us buy a home that we can afford and thus ease the payments which will constantly hang over our heads without mercy or respite for as long as 30 years.” 1 I told my wife about President Hinckley’s counsel, adding that I felt we should sell our house. To my sur- prise, she agreed. Over the ensuing months, we prepared to sell our house and buy another one. It was a long, drawn-out process that involved much prayer and a family fast. Finally, a year later

August 2011 69