THE ENSIGN OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS • AUGUST 2004 Love of Mother and Father, p. 8 Welcome to Relief Society, p. 14 Move More, Stress Less, p. 58 Seed of Faith, by Jay Ward Young mothers such as this one were among the Anti-Nephi-Lehies who, the scriptures say, believed the gospel and “never did fall away” (Alma 23:6). Their testimonies of Christ would lead their sons who fought with the 2,000 stripling warriors to say, “We do not doubt our mothers knew it” (Alma 56:48). AUGUST 2004 • VOLUME 34, NUMBER 8 2 FIRST PRESIDENCY MESSAGE Fathers, Mothers, Marriage President James E. Faust 8 GOSPEL CLASSICS Love of Mother and Father President Joseph F. Smith 11 Walking with Richard Eugene I. Freedman 14 Welcome to Relief Society LaRene Porter Gaunt 18 My Answer in a Hymn Rena N. Evers 20 BOOK OF MORMON PRINCIPLES Welcome to Be Strong and of a Good Courage 14 Relief Society Elder John R. Gibson 24 Worshiping at Sacrament Meeting Elder Russell M. Nelson 29 An Unexpected Healing Mary Whaley 32 Carry On! Carry On! Janet Peterson 38 Exceedingly Great Faith 42 Book of Mormon before Breakfast Betty Jan Murphy 44 Forgiveness: Our Challenge and Our Blessing Steve F. Gilliland An Unexpected 49 At Home with Missionary Work Healing Jane Forsgren 29 52 When Your Child Is Depressed Sean E. Brotherson 58 Move More, Stress Less! Larry A. Tucker 60 Knowing My Eternal Self Sheila Olsen 64 BOOK OF MORMON PRINCIPLES They Think They Are Wise Elder Richard D. May 67 VISITING TEACHING MESSAGE Feeling the Love of the Lord through Self-Mastery 68 LATTER-DAY SAINT VOICES When Your Child 72 RANDOM SAMPLER Worshiping at 52 Is Depressed Sacrament Meeting 74 NEWS OF THE CHURCH 24 AN OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE CHURCH Sally J. Odekirk, Adam C. Olson, Judith M. Paller, P.O. Box 26368, Salt Lake City, UT 84126-0368. OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS Rebecca M. Taylor, Roger Terry, Monica Weeks TO CHANGE ADDRESS: Send both old and new address THE FIRST PRESIDENCY: Gordon B. Hinckley, MANAGING ART DIRECTOR: M. M. Kawasaki information to Distribution Services at the above address. Thomas S. Monson, James E. Faust ART DIRECTOR: J. Scott Knudsen Please allow 60 days for changes to take effect. DESIGN AND PRODUCTION STAFF: C. Kimball Bott, SUBMIT MANUSCRIPTS OR ART TO: Ensign Editorial, Room 2420, QUORUM OF THE TWELVE: Boyd K. Packer, L. Tom Perry, 50 E. North Temple Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84150-3220, USA. David B. Haight, Neal A. Maxwell, Russell M. Nelson, Thomas S. Child, Colleen Hinckley, Tadd R. Peterson, Unsolicited material is welcome, but no responsibility is Dallin H. Oaks, M. Russell Ballard, Joseph B. Wirthlin, Kari A. Todd assumed. For return, include self-addressed, stamped envelope. Richard G. Scott, Robert D. Hales, Jeffrey R. Holland, MARKETING MANAGER: Larry Hiller E-mail: [email protected] Ensign can be Henry B. Eyring PRINTING DIRECTOR: Craig K. Sedgwick found on the Internet at www.lds.org. Click on “Gospel Library.” EDITOR: Jay E. Jensen DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR: Kris T Christensen Text and visual material in the Ensign may be copied for ADVISERS: E. Ray Bateman, Monte J. Brough, © 2004 BY INTELLECTUAL RESERVE, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. incidental, noncommercial church or home use. Visual material Stephen A. West The Ensign (ISSN 0884-1136) is published monthly by may not be copied if restrictions are indicated in the credit MANAGING DIRECTOR: David Frischknecht The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 50 E. line with the artwork. Copyright questions should be addressed PLANNING AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Victor D. Cave North Temple Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84150-3220, USA. to Intellectual Property Office, 50 E. North Temple Street, GRAPHICS DIRECTOR: Allan R. Loyborg Periodicals Postage Paid at Salt Lake City, Utah, and at Salt Lake City, UT 84150-3011; telephone: 801-240-3959; additional mailing offices. e-mail: [email protected]. They Think MAGAZINES EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Richard M. Romney MANAGING EDITOR: Don L. Searle TO SUBSCRIBE: By phone, call 1-800-537-5971 to order POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Distribution Services, 64 They Are Wise EDITORIAL STAFF: Collette Nebeker Aune, Susan Barrett, using Visa, MasterCard, Discover Card, or American P.O. Box 26368, Salt Lake City, UT 84126-0368, USA. Linda Stahle Cooper, Marvin K. Gardner, LaRene Gaunt, Express. Online, go to ldscatalog.com. By mail, send CANADA POST INFORMATION: Publication Agreement Sara R. George, Jenifer L. Greenwood, Carrie Kasten, $10 U.S. check or money order to Distribution Services, #40017431 FIRST PRESIDENCY MESSAGE Fathers,Mothers, Marriage BY PRESIDENT JAMES E. FAUST Second Counselor in the First Presidency n recent times, society has been plagued abandoned the children. In many societies, with a cancer from which few families have child poverty, crime, drug abuse, and family Iescaped. I speak of the disintegration of decay can be traced to conditions where the our homes. Immediate corrective treatment father gives no male nurturing. Sociologically, is urgent. In what I have to say, I do not wish it is now painfully apparent that fathers are to offend anyone. I affirm my profound belief not optional family baggage. that God’s greatest creation is womanhood. I Fathers need to do the best they can to be also believe that there is no greater good in all the primary provider for physical and spiritual the world than motherhood. The influence of support. I state this with no reluctance be- a mother in the lives of her children is beyond cause the Lord has revealed that this obliga- calculation. Single parents, most of whom are tion is placed upon husbands. “Women have In my opinion, mothers, perform an especially heroic service. claim on their husbands for their maintenance, members of the I hasten to acknowledge that there are too until their husbands are taken.”1 Further, “all Church have the most many husbands and fathers who are abusive to children have claim upon their parents for effective cure for our their wives and children and from whom the their maintenance until they are of age.”2 In decaying family life. wives and children need protection. Yet mod- addition, their spiritual welfare should be It is for men, women, ern sociological studies powerfully reaffirm “brought to pass by the faith and covenant and children to honor the essential influence of a caring father in the of their fathers.”3 As regards little children, and respect the divine life of a child—boy or girl. In the past 20 years, the Lord has promised “that great things may roles of both fathers as homes and families have struggled to stay be required at the hand of their fathers.”4 and mothers in the intact, sociological studies have revealed this home. alarming fact: much of the crime and many of Complementary Roles the behavioral disorders in the United States It is useless to debate which parent is PHOTOGRAPH BY MATT BARR MATT BY PHOTOGRAPH come from homes where the father has most important. No one would doubt that ENSIGN AUGUST 2004 3 a mother’s influence is paramount with newborns and correct principles which they are unable to controvert. in the first years of a child’s life. The father’s influence Others . not only recognize that woman’s status should increases as the child grows older. However, each parent be improved, but are so radical in their extreme theories is necessary at various times in a child’s development. that they would set her in antagonism to man, assume for Both fathers and mothers do many intrinsically different her a separate and opposing existence; and to show how things for their children. Both are equipped to nurture entirely independent she should be [they] would make her children, but their approaches are different. Mothers adopt the more reprehensible phases of character which seem to take a dominant role in preparing children to live men present, and which should be shunned or improved within their families, present and future. Fathers seem by them instead of being copied by women. These are two best equipped to prepare children to function in the extremes, and between them is the ‘golden mean.’ ”6 environment outside the family. One authority states: “Studies show that Use of the Priesthood fathers also have a special role to play in Many people do not understand our building a child’s [self-respect]. They are belief that God has wisely established a important too, in ways we don’t really under- guiding authority for the most important stand, in developing internal limits and con- institutions in the world. This guiding trol in children.” He continues: “Research also authority is called the priesthood. The shows that fathers are critical in the establish- priesthood is held in trust to be used to ment of gender in children. Interestingly, bless all of God’s children. Priesthood is not fatherly involvement produces stronger sexual gender; it is blessings from God for all at the identity and character in both boys and girls. It is useless to debate hands of the servants He has designated. It’s well established that the masculinity of which parent is most Within the Church this authority of the sons and the femininity of daughters are each important. No one would priesthood can bless all members through greater when fathers are active in family life.”5 doubt that a mother’s the ministration of home teachers, quorum Parents in any marital situation have a duty influence is paramount presidents, bishops and branch presidents, to set aside personal differences and encour- with newborns and in the fathers, and all other righteous brethren age each other’s righteous influence in the first years of a child’s life.