THE JULY 2001 COVER STORY: “MISSION POSSIBLE,” P. 3 0 REASON TO SMILE, P. 4 THE DEBT YOU OWE, P. 8 The New Era Magazine ow Volume 31, Number 7 reward- July 2001 HH ing can a service project be Official monthly publication when you don’t for youth of The Church of Jesus Christ even meet those of Latter-day Saints who benefit? See “Doing the Hard Jobs,” p. 30. 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: Teens in San Antonio, Texas, aren’t afraid of work. See 4 20 “Doing the Hard Jobs” on p. 30. Cover photography: Janet Thomas (front), John Luke (back) 2 T HE N EW E RA C ONTENTS The First Presidency Words of the Prophet: The Extra Smile 35 Gordon B. Hinckley Thomas S. Monson The Spirit of Optimism 4 James E. Faust President Gordon B. Hinckley Of All Things 36 The Quorum of the Twelve Lift your eyes. Stand on your feet. Boyd K. Packer L. Tom Perry Be positive. Think of what great things David B. Haight Neal A. Maxwell are occurring as the Lord brings to Fiction: Russell M. Nelson Dallin H. Oaks pass His eternal purposes. Go Fiche 38 M. Russell Ballard Joseph B. Wirthlin W. Dave Free Richard G. Scott Robert D. Hales Remembering 7 Who knew that a trip to the Family Jeffrey R. Holland The early pioneers made such a History Center would be a line Henry B. Eyring significant sacrifice for the gospel that to the past? Editor Dennis B. Neuenschwander we simply must not forget. Advisers L. Lionel Kendrick Idea List: Yoshihiko Kikuchi The Debt You Owe 8 Starting John M. Madsen Elder Jeffrey R. Holland Curriculum Department We are all blessed by the faith of Family History 43 Administrators Getting to know your relatives can Managing Director the pioneers and owe them a Ronald L. Knighton bring eternal blessings. Editorial Director debt of gratitude. Richard M. Romney Graphics Director New Era Classic: Allan R. Loyborg Everyday Heroes: Editorial Staff Taking the Next Step 12 Elder, They Will Love You 44 Managing Editor Elder LeGrand Richards Larry Hiller Jane Forsgren Assistant Managing Editor People love missionaries because Janet Thomas David Eves of St. George, Utah, rolled Associate Editor along with enthusiasm as he served of what the missionaries bring them. Linda Stahle Cooper Assistant Editor a full-time service mission. Laury Livsey Editorial Associates Changing Places 46 Shanna Ghaznavi Q&A: Matthew Baker Matthew Baker Questions and Answers 16 When I went from being in the Design Staff majority to one of the minority, I Magazine Graphics Manager I’m not exaggerating when I say M. M. Kawasaki could understand how others feel. Art Director that there are no LDS young people Bryan Lee Shaw to date in my area. Wouldn’t it be Senior Designer Brent Christison all right to date nonmembers? Reader’s Guide 49 Printing Director Kay W. Briggs We’ve Got Mail 50 Distribution Director New Era Poster: (Subscriptions) Don’t Be a Dummy 19 Kris T. Christensen Poem: © 2001 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. A Temple of Our Own 20 Mary’s Oxen 51 All rights reserved. Periodicals Postage Paid at Salt Lake City, Utah, and at Matthew Baker and Laury Livsey Mary Jo Westenhaver additional mailing offices. U.S. subscription rate $8.00 yearly, in Having a temple closer to their homes advance. Non-U.S. subscription rate is has made teens more focused on the U.S. equivalent in local currency. THE NEW ERA (ISSN 0164-5285) is staying temple worthy. Photo of the Month 51 published monthly by The Church Welden Andersen of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 50 East North Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150-3225. Sixty days’ notice Prayer Was the Key 28 required for a change of address. Include address label from a recent Christian Neumann issue. Changes cannot be made unless old address, as well as new one, is The answer to his prayer unlocked included. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcomed, but no responsibility is a way to increase his faith. assumed for them. Sufficient postage and self-addressed envelope must accompany all manuscripts. Doing the Hard Jobs 30 Canada Post Information Janet Thomas Everything in the New Era may be copied for Publication Agreement #1604813 POSTMASTER: San Antonio, Texas, teens faced incidental, noncommercial Church or home Send address changes to Salt Lake Distribution Center, soaring temperatures, long hours, and use unless otherwise indicated. Other uses Church Magazines, P. O. Box 26368, blisters, but their service was needed. require permission of the copyright owner. Salt Lake City, Utah 84126-0368. J ULY 2001 3 W ORDS O F T HE P ROPHET THETHE SPIRITSPIRIT OFOF I am asking that we stop world. This is the greatest age in the history of the earth. seeking out the storms We have every reason to be optimistic in this world. Tragedy is around, yes. and enjoy more fully the Problems everywhere, yes. You can’t, sunlight. you don’t, build out of pessimism or cynicism. You look with optimism, work with faith, and things happen (from here never was a greater time in Ensign, June 1995, 4). the history of the world to live TT upon the earth than this. How Truth will triumph grateful every one of us ought to feel for I suppose you have heard the story of being alive in this wonderful time with all the absent-minded professor who went the marvelous blessings we have. And shopping and lost his umbrella. by President on top of all that is the Restoration of the Discovering his loss, he retraced his Gordon B. Hinckley gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with all of steps. At the first three stores on which the keys and authority, with all the gifts he called, the clerks denied having found and blessings, with all the organization his umbrella. At the fourth store the clerk and doctrine of all previous dispensations handed him the missing umbrella. He all brought into one. And you and I are grumbled, “Thank goodness for an partakers of that marvelous restoration honest man. The other three told me (from Church News, Aug. 14, 1999, 7). they didn’t have it.” I see so many good people I am inclined to think that everywhere—and there’s so much of notwithstanding the gains we see in the good in them. And the world is good. work of the Lord, notwithstanding the Wonderful things are happening in this reformation we see in the lives of many 4 T HE N EW E RA ptimismptimism people, we are prone to emphasize the great confidence in our young people as problems and disregard the progress. a whole. I regard you as the finest I [am] an optimist concerning the generation in the history of the Church. I e all work of the Lord. I cannot believe that compliment you, and I have in my heart a worry. God has established His work in the great feeling of love and respect and But the earth to have it fail. I cannot believe that appreciation for you (from New Era, WW Lord has told us it is getting weaker. I know that it is Sept. 1993, 4). getting stronger. I have little doubt that many of us are to lift our hearts I have a simple and solemn faith that troubled with fears concerning ourselves. and rejoice. right will triumph and that truth will We are in a period of stress across the Cultivate an prevail. I am not so naive as to believe world. There are occasionally hard days attitude of there will not be setbacks, but I believe for each of us. Do not despair. Do not happiness. that “truth crushed to earth will rise give up. Look for the sunlight through Cultivate a spirit again” (from Improvement Era, Dec. the clouds. Opportunities will eventually of optimism. 1969, 97–98). open to you. Do not let the prophets of Walk with faith. gloom endanger your possibilities (from Be happy Ensign, Apr. 1986, 4–5). I have a great and compelling sense of The Lord has said: “Wherefore, lift up gratitude and optimism about the youth thy heart and rejoice, and cleave unto the of the Church. In saying this, I do not covenants which thou hast made” (D&C wish to imply that all is well with all of 25:13). them. There are many who have I believe He is saying to each of us, be troubles, and many who live far beneath happy. The gospel is a thing of joy. It the high expectations we have provides us with a reason for gladness. Of concerning them. course there are times of sorrow. Of But even considering these, I have course there are hours of concern and Illustrated by Scott Greer J ULY 2001 5 In a dark and troubled hour the Lord said to those He loved: “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). These great words of confidence are a beacon to each of us. In Him we may indeed have trust. For He and His promises will never fail (from Ensign, Apr.