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THE MARCH 2002 COVER STORY: SOMETHING’S GOOD IN DENMARK, P. 2 0 GRATITUDE ATTITUDES, P. 3 6 THE PRIVILEGE OF TITHING, P. 4 2 The New Era Magazine hese Danes Volume 32, Number 3 really are March 2002 TTgreat. See “Three Faces Official monthly publication of Faith,” p. 20 for youth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Editorial Offices: New Era 50 E. North Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84150-3225 E-mail address: cur-editorial-newera @ldschurch.org To Subscribe: Send $8.00 check or money order for the New Era to Church Magazines Salt Lake Distribution Center P. O. Box 26368 Salt Lake City, UT 84126-0368 Subscription helpline: 1-800-537-5971 Credit card orders (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) may be taken by phone. Cover: Two sisters, Christel and Annelise Nielsen, set good examples of faithful LDS 42 4 teens in Denmark. See “Three Faces of Faith,” on p. 20. Cover photography: Laury Livsey (front), Jed Clark (back). 2 T HE N EW E RA C ONTENTS The First Presidency The Message: They’re Not Really Happy 28 Gordon B. Hinckley Elder Glenn L. Pace Thomas S. Monson Which Way Are You Facing? 4 James E. Faust Having fun is great, but putting Elder Russell M. Nelson The Quorum of the Twelve Facing upward provides a loftier fun ahead of what is right leads Boyd K. Packer L. Tom Perry perspective than facing right or to disaster. David B. Haight Neal A. Maxwell facing left. Russell M. Nelson Dallin H. Oaks Scripture Lifeline: M. Russell Ballard Joseph B. Wirthlin In Tune: Thanks, Candace 32 Richard G. Scott Catherine Loveland Robert D. Hales In That Holy Place 10 Jeffrey R. Holland Sally DeFord Her words were hard to understand, Henry B. Eyring but her child’s prayer was a powerful Editor The Beat of a Different example to me. Dennis B. Neuenschwander Advisers Drum 12 J. Kent Jolley The Extra Smile 35 W. Rolfe Kerr Timothy O’Hara Stephen A. West Being happy didn’t have anything Be Grateful 36 Curriculum Department to do with his music after all. Administrators Caroline H. Benzley Managing Director Ronald L. Knighton What happens when you follow Editorial Director Idea List: the prophet’s advice to be grateful? Richard M. Romney Graphics Director Tuning In 15 These LDS teens know. Allan R. Loyborg It’s time to listen to the words of our Editorial Staff leaders. Here are some suggestions for Managing Editor Of All Things 40 Larry Hiller making general conference even Assistant Managing Editor more interesting. Janet Thomas New Era Classic: Assistant Editor “Will a Man Rob God?” 42 Laury Livsey Q&A: Editorial Associates President Spencer W. Kimball Shanna Ghaznavi Matthew Baker Questions and Answers 16 Since the Lord gives us everything, Publications Assistant My best friend is not a member of the we need to be willing to give some Julie K. Kennard Editorial Intern Church, but recently she attended a few back to Him. Caroline Benzley activities with me and really enjoyed Design Staff herself. Lately I have been feeling that I Coming Home 46 Magazine Graphics Manager should talk to her about the Church. M. M. Kawasaki Jessica McAdam Art Director How can I do this without jeopardizing She only knew one member of the Bryan Lee Shaw Senior Designer our friendship or making her feel Church, but that one person helped Brent Christison uncomfortable? her find the way home. Printing Director Kay W. Briggs New Era Poster: Reader’s Guide 49 Distribution Director (Subscriptions) Pop to the Top 19 Kris T. Christensen We’ve Got Mail 50 Three Faces of Faith 20 © 2002 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Periodicals Postage Laury Livsey Poem: Paid at Salt Lake City, Utah, and at Three young women in Denmark additional mailing offices. I Eat the Rain 51 U.S. subscription rate $8.00 yearly, in demonstrate how faith has helped advance. Non-U.S. subscription rate is Lauri Ferrin Smith the U.S. equivalent in local currency. them stand for truth and righteousness. THE NEW ERA (ISSN 0164-5285) is published monthly by The Church Photo of the Month 51 of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 50 East North Temple, Salt Lake City, Out of This World 26 Laird Roberts Utah 84150-3225. Sixty days’ notice Holly K. Simmons required for a change of address. Include address label from a recent In the crowded, noisy hall, just Everything in the New Era may be copied for issue. Changes cannot be made unless old address, as well as new one, is putting on headphones and hearing incidental, noncommercial Church or home included. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcomed, but no responsibility is beautiful music speaking of Christ use unless otherwise indicated. Other uses assumed for them. Sufficient postage and self-addressed envelope must made my day. require permission of the copyright owner. accompany all manuscripts. Canada Post Information Publication Agreement #40017431 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Distribution Services, Church Magazines, P. O. Box 26368, Salt Lake City, Utah 84126-0368. M ARCH 2002 3 T HE M ESSAGE WHICH WAY ARE YOU FFacing?acing? God’s commandments spirit is starved, hunger persists for something more filling. Even when serve as a standard material success comes, there is a hollow ache if living well falls short of living against which priorities worthily. Inner peace cannot be found in can be measured. affluence accompanied by spiritual privation. Invitation to come to the Lord am reminded of military days long Members of The Church of Jesus ago when our platoon heard shouts Christ of Latter-day Saints invite all to I from a sergeant: “Attention!” “Right come unto Christ and enjoy the spiritual face!”I “Left face!” “About face!” We feast that His gospel provides. The Saints learned to respond to those orders with by Elder savor a sweet spiritual nourishment that instant precision. In retrospect, I don’t Russell M. Nelson sustains them through life. This recall ever having heard his command to of the Quorum of sustenance comes because they have “face upward.” Yet scriptures tell us to the Twelve made covenants to take upon themselves “look to God and live” (Alma 37:47). the name of the Lord and strive to obey In the first of the Lord’s Ten His precepts. Strength comes in Commandments, it says: “Thou shalt ven when recognizing and in being grateful for the have no other gods before me” (Ex. material Lord’s gifts of immortality and the 20:3). This commandment may be better EE success opportunity for eternal life. known than obeyed. May I share a comes, there is a suggestion that I have found useful in hollow ache if Loyal citizens testing my own allegiance to this living well falls These gifts are available to all. Citizens commandment? When confronted with a short of living of many countries claim membership in challenging choice, I ask myself, “Which the Church. Regardless of their flag or worthily. way do you face?” form of government, they find that We grow in the allegiance to the Lord does not preclude Life without God process of their being loyal citizens of their nations. Sadly, many individuals don’t know reaching up. Fidelity to God enables one to develop a where to find God, and exclude Him Facing upward more profound patriotic allegiance and from their lives. When spiritual needs provides a loftier become a better citizen. arise, they may look to the left, the right, perspective than or round about. But looking to other facing right or Representatives of the Lord people on the same level cannot satisfy left. I perceived such confusion in the spiritual shortages. When the immortal mind of a newspaper reporter who asked 4 T HE N EW E RA Illustrated by Cary Henrie M ARCH 2002 5 one of our leaders when a representative regarding chastity. Yet in our day those of such-and-such a country would commands have been attacked and become a General Authority. While that ervice to trivialized. The morality of self-discipline question was being answered, I thought neighbors with appropriate “denial or restraint has about our beloved General Authorities S takes on new been popularly depicted as unhealthy born in the countries of Asia; of Europe; S and dehumanizing.” The truth is, “it is stature when we of North, Central, and South America; dehumanizing to define ourselves by our first look to God. and of the islands of the sea. Though desires alone” (Report of the Ramsey these Brethren come from many nations From the right or Colloquium, Wall Street Journal, 24 Feb. and speak several tongues, not one of the left, we can 1994, A-18). them was called to represent his native only push or pull. Each human being is a child of country. Presiding quorums of the We can lift only God—created in His image—with Church are not representative from a higher natural appetites to control. assemblies. Each leader has been called plane. To reach it If we break God’s first command- to face the people as a representative of we don’t look ment, we cannot escape retribution. If the Lord, not the other way around. sideways; we look we allow any other person or cause to General Authorities are “called of God, up to our Master. come before allegiance to Him, we will by prophecy, and by the laying on of reap a bitter harvest. Paul foresaw hands by those who are in authority” “destruction” for those “whose God is (A of F 1:5).