December 2007 Ensign - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

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64 Did Heavenly Father Really Love Me? By Carol C. Watts Usually I loved the music, activities, and excitement that accompanied the holiday season, but this season was different because our family had moved to a new town. I knew we needed to be there at that time, but I felt uncomfortable and out of place. I voiced my discontent to my husband, Rob. We had moved several times since our marriage, and he knew I had trouble with feelings of insecurity. Rob asked me, “Do you realize how much Heavenly Father loves you?” “Of course,” I replied. “But,” Rob persisted, “do you feel in your heart that He loves you?” Tears came as I realized that I did not. For as long as I could remember, I had felt that I was less than everyone else. Rob challenged me to pray and ask Heavenly Father to let me feel His love for me. That night I did so. A couple days later I went grocery shopping. In addition to purchasing the usual items, I had planned to buy some ground beef and a roast. I realized, however, that we did not have enough money to afford the meat. It would be another week before we had any money. We also
needed fuel for the car so we could travel to an out-of-town family party. We weren’t destitute, but I prayed about our situation, telling Heavenly Father that it would be nice if we could somehow buy the needed items. The next evening as I was preparing dinner, the As I was preparing dinner, the doorbell rang. When I opened the door, the only thing I found on the doorstep was a large paper grocery sack. doorbell rang. When I opened the door, the only thing I found on the doorstep was a large paper grocery sack. I reached down to pick it up and saw a $20 bill stapled to the top of the folded-down sack, with “Merry Christmas!” writ- ten in crayon across the front. Inside the sack were several packages of frozen ground beef, as well as a couple packages of steaks. I was dumbfounded. I had told no one that we were out of money until our next check, not even my husband. How could someone be so sensitive to the Spirit that he or she gave us not only the meat we needed but also almost the exact amount of money it took to fill up our car? During fast and testimony meeting, I expressed gratitude for the gifts, hoping that the person responsible was there. LATTER-DAY SAINT VOICES This experience was a turning point for me. Heavenly Father had answered my prayer. He did love me, He knew my needs, and He let me know by showing me. Since then I have sought to improve my ability to hear the whisperings of the Spirit. I often pray now that I might be an instrument in answering someone else’s prayer. ■ The New Recruit By Henny Rasmussen Ipicked up my husband’s memoirs and read, once again, his account of finding the Church more than half a century ago: “As a 20-year-old in 1951, I was at the school of sergeants at the Kronborg Castle [in Denmark]. On Christmas night I was on guard duty on the embankment that surrounds the castle. At one point I stopped, looked up to the stars, and felt that there was more between the sky and the earth than I had thus far thought. In other words, I began to believe that there was a God, which I had never really believed before. My parents were absolutely not religious, and they and I came to church only for baptisms, confirmations, weddings, and funerals. “When months later I became a sergeant, I got my own troop: 44 new recruits—or more exactly, 43 plus 1. This one was very different, and when I asked him what it was that made him different from the others, he said he would tell me in the evening inside my quarters. “There he told me about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints for five evenings in a row. On the sixth day, Sunday, I went to church. And with that my new life began. “The Church involved me completely. Little by little I became acquainted with the members of the Church. I found out that my recruit was not so much different than the overall membership. “I became convinced that the Church was true, that it was the Lord’s Church—and I was baptized. A truly magnificent day.” I am grateful that my husband, Orla, who died in 1998, included these words in his personal history. That long-ago Christmas night, when my husband first sensed that God truly did exist, and his conversations with the new recruit are responsible for our meeting each other, being sealed in the temple, and having five children—who have now brought grandchildren and great-grandchildren into our family. We have had a rich life in the Church and many blessings. I am grateful for that Christmas night and for the new recruit in Denmark those many years ago. ■ ENSIGN DECEMBER 2007 65
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T H E C H U R C H O F J E S U S C H
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T H E C H U R C H O F J E S U S C H
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34 USING THIS ISSUE Celebrating Chr
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6 the baby’s mind. And then God w
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8 The noble Roman mother responded,
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10 Not only is the story of the Sav
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The angel Gabriel was sent to Zacha
Page 16 and 17: 14 Ushering In a New Dispensation T
Page 18 and 19: 16 & QUESTIONS ANSWERS The holidays
Page 20 and 21: 18 works through others. He knows w
Page 22 and 23: 20 As I enjoyed my other children,
Page 24 and 25: 22 THE TRUTH TRUTH FOUND FOUND ME I
Page 26 and 27: 24 “How about one more door?” s
Page 28 and 29: PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT CASEY, POSED B
Page 30 and 31: 28 There Shall Be a Record Kept amo
Page 32 and 33: 30 LEARN MORE ABOUT CHURCH HISTORY
Page 34 and 35: 32 As today, ancient prophets like
Page 36 and 37: 34 The Joseph Smith Journals The Pr
Page 38 and 39: 36 The Prophet’s second Ohio jour
Page 40 and 41: 38 Below: The Prophet’s first Ill
Page 42 and 43: A Mother AND AN OVERFLOWING HEART 4
Page 44 and 45: Elizabeth Teaching John, by Ardith
Page 46 and 47: I testify that Jesus is the perfect
Page 48 and 49: 46 I testify that Jesus was, in fac
Page 50 and 51: 48 LESSONS FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT F
Page 52 and 53: 50 from the power of a fallen and d
Page 54 and 55: 52 BY STEFFANI R. PACKER For most c
Page 56 and 57: Below, from left to right: Purevsur
Page 58 and 59: Above: Odgerel (left), Ulaanbaatar
Page 60 and 61: 58 manages the one-room distributio
Page 62 and 63: INSET: PHOTOGRAPH BY HENRIK ALS, PO
Page 64 and 65: 62 Mother’s Christmas Mouse By Be
Page 68 and 69: Our Christmas Experiment When our c
Page 70 and 71: 68 INDEX for 2007 V OLUME 37 A AARO
Page 72 and 73: 70 Foundation for the Future in San
Page 74 and 75: 72 Mother’s Christmas Mouse, Bett
Page 76 and 77: 74 Meals and Memorization, Chantell
Page 78 and 79: 76 Elder Oaks Bolsters Members in A
Page 80 and 81: 78 Months of effort help make Templ
Page 82 and 83: 80 education program offered their
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