THE ENSIGN OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS • JULY 2004 One Million Milestone in Mexico, p. 34 Searching Out Young Adults, p. 56 Choir: 75 Years on the Air, p. 68 The Beautiful, by Al Rounds Today, as in 1846, a temple overlooks Nauvoo, the “City Beautiful.” Built on the site of the destroyed Nauvoo Temple, the Nauvoo Illinois Temple was dedicated in June 2002 by President Gordon B. Hinckley. JULY 2004 • VOLUME 34, NUMBER 7 2 FIRST PRESIDENCY MESSAGE Miracles of Faith President Thomas S. Monson 8 Be Strong in the Lord Elder M. Russell Ballard 16 Protecting Your Child from Gang Influence Dennis J. Nordfelt 18 Outnumbered Paolo Martin N. Macariola 19 BOOK OF MORMON PRINCIPLES Earthly Choices, Eternal Consequences Protecting Your Elder D. Chad Richardson 16 Child from Gang 22 Book of Mormon Times Influence at a Glance, Chart 2: Alma through Mormon and Moroni 29 Parties, Picnics, and Potlucks 34 One Million in Mexico Don L. Searle 43 How Could This Happen to Me? Name Withheld 46 Edward Hunter: Generous Pioneer, Presiding Bishop How Could This LaRene Porter Gaunt 43 Happen to Me? 52 BOOK OF MORMON PRINCIPLES Submitting Our Will to the Father’s Elder Benjamin De Hoyos 56 Search and Rescue Shanna Butler 61 VISITING TEACHING MESSAGE Feeling the Love of the Lord Be Strong through Prayer in the Lord 62 LATTER-DAY SAINT VOICES 8 66 RANDOM SAMPLER Search 68 From the Crossroads of the West 56 and Rescue Lisa Ann Jackson 74 NEWS OF THE CHURCH 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, Paul VanDenBerghe, TO CHANGE ADDRESS: Send both old and new address Monica Weeks THE FIRST PRESIDENCY: Gordon B. Hinckley, information to Distribution Services at the above address. Thomas S. Monson, James E. Faust MANAGING ART DIRECTOR: M. M. Kawasaki Please allow 60 days for changes to take effect. ART DIRECTOR: J. Scott Knudsen 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, DESIGN AND PRODUCTION STAFF: C. Kimball Bott, Thomas S. Unsolicited material is welcome, but no responsibility is Dallin H. Oaks, M. Russell Ballard, Joseph B. Wirthlin, Child, Colleen Hinckley, Tadd R. Peterson, 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 Stephen A. West The Ensign (ISSN 0884-1136) is published monthly by material may not be copied if restrictions are indicated in the MANAGING DIRECTOR: David Frischknecht The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 50 E. credit line with the artwork. 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]. From the 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, 68 Crossroads 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 of the West Sara R. George, Jenifer L. Greenwood, Carrie Kasten, $10 U.S. check or money order to Distribution Services, #40017431 FIRST PRESIDENCY MESSAGE Miracles of Faith BY PRESIDENT THOMAS S. MONSON I remember as though it were yesterday First Counselor in the First Presidency President Clark asking me to read to him ome 50 years ago I received an invita- several of these accounts while he sat tion to meet with President J. Reuben back in his large leather chair and listened. SClark Jr. (1871–1961), a counselor in That was a day in my life never to be the First Presidency of the Church, a states- forgotten. man of towering stature, and a scholar of President Clark asked me to read aloud international renown. My profession then the account found in Luke concerning the was in the field of printing and publishing. man filled with leprosy. I proceeded to read: President Clark made me welcome in his “And it came to pass, when he was in a office and then produced from his old roll- certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who My heart fills with top desk a large sheaf of handwritten notes, seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought gratitude to the Lord for many of them made when he was a law him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst His divine intervention BY FRANK ADAMS BY student long years before. He proceeded make me clean. to relieve the suffering, O JESUS, to outline for me his goal of producing a “And he put forth his hand, and touched heal the sick, and raise harmony of the Gospels. This goal was him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And im- the dead. I grieve for achieved with his monumental work Our mediately the leprosy departed from him” the many, similarly Lord of the Gospels. (Luke 5:12–13). afflicted, who knew not In my library is a personally inscribed, He asked that I continue reading from how to find the Master. leather-bound copy of this classic treatment Luke concerning the man afflicted with palsy of the life of Jesus of Nazareth. As I have and the enterprising manner in which he was perused its pages, I have paused at the presented for the attention of the Lord: ONE SICK OF PALSY IS LOWERED THROUGH THE ROOF T IS LOWERED ONE SICK OF PALSY section entitled “The Miracles of Jesus.” “And, behold, men brought in a bed a man ENSIGN JULY 2004 3 which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to His Help Is Near bring him in, and to lay him before him. So it is today. In our lives, sickness comes to loved “And when they could not find by what way they might ones, accidents leave their cruel marks of remembrance, bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the and tiny legs that once ran are imprisoned in a wheelchair. housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his Mothers and fathers who anxiously await the arrival of a couch into the midst before Jesus. precious child sometimes learn that all is not well with “And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, this tiny infant. A missing limb, sightless eyes, a damaged thy sins are forgiven thee” (Luke 5:18–20). brain, or the term “Down syndrome” greets the parents, There followed in the scriptural account snide com- leaving them baffled, filled with sorrow, and reaching out ments from the Pharisees concerning who had the right for hope. to forgive sins. Jesus silenced their bickering by saying: There follows the inevitable blaming of oneself, the “What reason ye in your hearts? condemnation of a careless action, and the perennial “Whether [it] is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; questions: “Why such a tragedy in our family?” “Why or to say, Rise up and walk? didn’t I keep her home?” “If only he hadn’t gone to that “But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power party.” “How did this happen?” “Where was God?” “Where upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the was a protecting angel?” If, why, where, how—those re- BRIAN CALL BY ILLUSTRATED palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and curring words—do not bring back the lost son, the per- go into thine house. fect body, the plans of parents, or the dreams of youth. “And immediately he rose up before them, and took up Self-pity, personal withdrawal, or deep despair will not that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glori- bring the peace, the assurance, or help which are needed. fying God” (Luke 5:22–25). Rather, we must go forward, look upward, move onward, When I had read these scriptural stories aloud, Presi- and rise heavenward. dent Clark removed from his pocket a handkerchief and It is imperative that we recognize that whatever has wiped the tears from his eyes. He commented, “As we happened to us has happened to others. They have coped grow older, tears come more frequently.” After a few words and so must we. We are not alone. Heavenly Father’s help of good-bye, I departed from his office, leaving him alone is near.