“The Nephites Learn of the Sacrament: How Does Partaking of the Sacrament Help Me Remember My Baptismal Covenants?” Friend, July 2000, 34
Following His resurrection, Jesus Christ appeared to the Nephites on the American continent and taught them many gospel truths. During this visit, He taught the people how to prepare and partake of the sacrament.

The Savior broke the bread, blessed it, and commanded that the disciples who were with Him partake of it. He said, “And this shall ye always observe to do, even as I have done, even as I have broken bread and blessed it and given it unto you.

“And this shall ye do in remembrance of my body, which I have shown unto you. And it shall be a testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you.” (3 Ne. 18:6–7.)

The Savior also blessed the wine (we use water now—see D&C 27:2) and commanded the disciples to drink of it. When they had partaken of it, Jesus said, “And this shall ye always do to those who repent and are baptized in my name; and ye shall do it in remembrance of my blood, which I have shed for you, that ye may witness unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you.” (3 Ne. 18:11.)

Jesus Christ taught the disciples that when they partook of the sacrament, they were renewing their baptismal covenants to always remember the Savior, to take His name upon them, and to keep His commandments.

Today, we participate in the same sacramental ordinance that Jesus taught then. It is important to remember that each Sunday we have the opportunity to renew our covenants and to think about our Savior while the sacrament is being blessed and passed. Because we are given this special opportunity, we should show Heavenly Father our gratitude by being reverent.

Ten-year-old Jesse Brewster of Lakeview, Oregon, made a step toward keeping his baptismal covenants by following the commandment, “Thou shalt not steal.” (See Mosiah 13:22; Ex. 20:15.) While Jesse was at the store with his mother, he saw a candy bar he really wanted but did not have any money to buy it with. He knew that his brother had some money saved in his room, and when he got home, he took some of that money, went back to the store, and nearly bought the candy. He realized at the last minute how wrong that would be. He put the candy bar back and bravely confessed to his brother.

By being honest, Jesse showed that he was willing to live by the covenants that he had made when he was baptized. He learned from this experience that “following what I know is right is always better than a candy bar.”

Color the flannel-board figures, then mount them on heavy paper. Cut them out and use them to retell the story “The Nephites Learn of the Sacrament.”

Jesus passing the wine to the Nephites after blessing it; Partaking of the sacrament; Jesus passing the bread to the Nephites after blessing it.
(Illustrated by Beth Whittaker.)

I Can Receive Answers to Prayer
By Laurel Rohlfing
Friend, Sept. 1989, 44

Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers (D&C 112:10).

Laurel Rohlfing, “Sharing Time: I Can Receive Answers to Prayer,” Friend, Sept. 1989, 44
It is a wonderful blessing to know that you can pray to Heavenly Father and that He will always answer your prayers. Sometimes He will answer yes, sometimes He will answer no, and sometimes the answer might not come for a long time. But prayers asked in faith will always be answered.

Answers from Heavenly Father usually come very quietly. You will seldom hear them with your ears. They come as warm, peaceful feelings in your heart or as thoughts in your mind. (See D&C 8:2.)

To help you prepare to receive answers to your prayers, Heavenly Father has given you these steps to follow (see D&C 9:8–9):

1. Study the situation and think about your choices.

2. Decide which choice you think is best.

3. Ask Heavenly Father if your choice is right.

4. Listen with your heart and mind. If the choice is right, you will feel good inside.

5. If the choice is wrong, you won’t feel good and you should make a different choice.

You can make a mobile to help you remember the steps for receiving answers to prayers. Instructions: Cut out the shapes, mount each on heavy paper, and trim. Punch a hole in the top of each shape, then thread yarn or string of different lengths through the holes. Tie the strings in different places on a wire coat hanger, bent as desired. Hang the mobile in your room.

The people in the following stories used these steps to receive answers to their prayers. In each blank, write the number of the step that was used. Then read the sentences in their correct order.

Sammy wanted to know if the Book of Mormon was true.

____ Sammy decided that the Book of Mormon must be true.

____ He read the book and thought about it. He liked the stories and the things that he learned.

____ He prayed to know if his decision was right.

____ “My chest felt like it was burning, so I knew that it was true. I felt it in my heart,” Sammy said.

The brother of Jared was told to prepare barges to take his people across the great water to a promised land. He wondered what his people would do for light inside the dark boats. (See Ether 2:19, 22–25; Ether 3:1–6.)

____ He decided to prepare sixteen stones as clear as glass. If the Lord touched them, they would shine forth in the darkness.

____ The brother of Jared studied the problem. He knew that he couldn’t have windows or fire because the barges would be underwater some of the time.

____ The Lord stretched forth His hand and touched the stones with His finger. The brother of Jared knew that he had made a good choice.

____ The brother of Jared prayed to know if his plan was a good one.

Amanda had many friends who watched videos after school. Some of the videos had scenes that Amanda wasn’t sure Heavenly Father or her parents would like, and she wondered if she should watch them.

____ Being with her friends was fun. The videos weren’t that bad, and she would be a part of the group. If she didn’t watch the videos, she might not have anything at all to do after school.

____ Amanda chose to watch the videos with her friends.

____ She prayed to know if her decision was right.

____ Amanda felt uneasy about her decision to watch the videos.

President Spencer W. Kimball was concerned because not all men in the Church could receive the priesthood.

____ One of the Brethren said that there was a sacred feeling in the room. The Spirit of God was there. The Holy Ghost gave President Kimball a special feeling that what he had prayed for was right. Everyone there knew the same thing by the power of the Holy Ghost. They didn’t hear a voice with their ears, but the Spirit whispered to their minds and hearts that the choice was right. (See Ensign, October 1988, pages 69–70.)

____ He spent many hours and days praying and thinking about the situation. In the temple, he asked the Brethren what they thought.

____ President Kimball decided to ask Heavenly Father whether the time was right for all worthy men to hold the priesthood, and he led the Brethren in prayer.

The Holy Ghost Can Help Me
By Karen Ashton
Friend, July 1997, 36

Put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit (D&C 11:12).

Karen Ashton, “Sharing Time: The Holy Ghost Can Help Me,” Friend, July 1997, 36
Who speaks in a still, small voice that is sometimes felt more than heard?

Who can bring a feeling of comfort and peace when you are sad, lonely, or frightened?

Who brings a warm, sweet feeling into your heart when you think about Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father?

Who can help teach you right and wrong?

Who encourages you to do good deeds for others?

Who can help you understand and remember the scriptures?

The answer to all of these questions is the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead. He has a body of spirit rather than of flesh and bones. Because He is a spirit, you cannot see Him. But you can feel Him with you. The Holy Ghost has many names. Some of them are the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of the Lord, and the Comforter.

After you are baptized, you are confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and you receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Having this glorious gift means that if you live righteously, you can have the Holy Ghost with you always.

When you have special friends, you want to be with them. You might invite them to your home. You might prepare for their visit by cleaning your house. You might plan to do things to make them feel comfortable and welcome. When your friends arrive, you listen carefully to them. You probably tell them how glad you are to be with them.

The Holy Ghost is a special friend to you. To invite the Holy Ghost to be with you, you can sincerely pray and ask Heavenly Father to send Him. You can prepare for Him by remembering Jesus Christ, choosing the right, keeping the commandments. The Holy Ghost can bring feelings of warmth, love, peace, joy, and wanting to do good. (See Gal. 5:22–23; D&C 11:12–13.) When you feel the Holy Ghost with you, thank Heavenly Father for this blessing. The Holy Ghost is one of the greatest gifts Father in Heaven can give you.

Instructions
Remove page 37 from the magazine and cut out the invitation on the solid line. Fold it in half along the horizontal broken line, then along the vertical broken line so that page 1 is on the front. Place the invitation where you can look at it each day. It will remind you how to invite the Holy Ghost to be with you.

“I Can Pray to Heavenly Father Anytime, Anywhere,”
Sydney S. Reynolds, Friend, Aug. 2003, 24

My young brothers and sisters, can you think of the last time you received an answer to your prayers? Was it when you lost something? Was it when you were scared? Maybe you were sick or someone you loved was sick. I have prayed in those times, too.

Where were you the last time you prayed? I have prayed in many places. I have prayed on the beach, in the mountains, in church, on the playground. I have prayed in my house, in an airplane, and at the hospital. I know that I can pray to Heavenly Father anytime, anywhere. I know He hears me.

Let me tell you a story about two children—a boy who was about six years old and a girl just over seven. They went for a ride one hot summer day with their dad in their grandpa’s old Jeep. They drove for an hour and a half, and the Jeep started making funny noises. It died completely as they rolled into a gas station in the next town. “We can fix it,” the attendant said, and he directed them to walk across town to a parts store. Once inside the store, the children found lots of things to look at, and they didn’t notice their dad go into the back with the manager. All they knew was that they couldn’t see him. They looked outside and saw a man down the street who was wearing a hat like their dad’s. He was just turning a corner, so they ran after him crying, “Dad! Dad!”

By the time they figured out it wasn’t their dad, they were lost. They couldn’t find the store, they didn’t know where they were, and they didn’t know anyone in that city. The girl wanted to go this way; the boy thought they should go that way. How could they find their dad, or at least the Jeep? She said, “We need to pray.” He felt self-conscious about praying in public, but after they prayed, they both started walking in the same direction. They found the gas station, crawled in the back of their Jeep, and waited. After a little while—it seemed like a long time to them—their father came. He had also been praying that he’d find them and find them quickly.

In the scriptures there are many stories of answers to prayer. Do you remember these? Nephi was told how to build a ship and where to find food; Daniel prayed for protection from the lions; Enos prayed all day and into the night that his sins would be forgiven; Hannah prayed that she could have a baby. My favorite story about prayer is the story of a young boy who wanted to know something. He wanted to know which church he should join. His friends and his family were finding churches to join. He just didn’t know which church was right. He was only 14 years old.

One day Joseph Smith was reading in the Bible, and this is what he read: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). That scripture was so powerful to him! He’d never prayed out loud before, but he needed an answer and he believed the scripture. Humbly, he went to a wooded area close to his house, and he knelt down and began to pray. This was such an important prayer that the powers of darkness threatened to overwhelm this strong, young farm boy, but he cried out to God for help. As he did, a light descended and the darkness went away. Joseph saw two personages standing in the light. One of them said to him, pointing to the other, “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” (JS—H 1:17). It was God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

When I think of that story, I think of my children. All of them served in missions outside of the United States. They each needed to learn a new language. One of the things they learned to share in their new languages was the story of Joseph Smith’s prayer. Why did they learn that? Because the people they were teaching needed to know that Heavenly Father and Jesus chose Joseph Smith to be the prophet who would restore the gospel and the Church of Jesus Christ to the earth once more. And the people needed to know that just as Joseph Smith received an answer to his prayer, they could pray to Heavenly Father and receive answers to their prayers. He will answer your prayers, too. I know we can pray to Heavenly Father anytime, anywhere, and I’m so grateful that we can.

Here is my testimony on the fingers of one hand:

1. I know that God is our Father in Heaven and that He loves us.

2. Jesus Christ is His Son, our Savior and Redeemer.

3. Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. He translated the Book of Mormon by the gift and power of God.

4. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s Church on the earth today.

5. The living prophet is President Gordon B. Hinckley.

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

“Friend to Friend: The Word of Wisdom: A Blessing of Strength,”
Jan Pinborough and Darwin B. Christenson,Friend, Feb. 2003, 8

When I was a little boy, I lived on a ranch in Firth, Idaho. I had fun doing all the things a little boy could do on a ranch—feeding the chickens and petting the sheep, ducks, rabbits, and pigs.

My parents had often warned my older brother and me to never play with the farm machinery. But one day we started playing near the combine, which is a big machine that cuts grain. My brother discovered the crank that made the blades move to cut the grain. While he turned the crank, I started putting grass and leaves in the machine and watching the blades cut them.

Then I saw something shocking. Lying among the grass and leaves was my own finger! The very sharp blades of the machine had cut my finger off. My finger hurt a lot, and so did my conscience. I knew that I had lost my finger because I had disobeyed my mother and father.

Just as our parents give us guidance to keep us safe, so does Heavenly Father. As a young man, I was in the National Guard. I went to Fort Knox, Kentucky, to learn all about tanks and helicopters so that I could be an officer in an armored cavalry unit. While I was there, I made friends with a soldier who was not a member of our church. My friend often teased me because I did not drink or smoke, as he did. I told him about the Word of Wisdom and about other Church teachings.

One day our troop had to run a special kind of race. Every so often along the ten-mile course, we had to stop and pass a test. For example, we might have to figure out why a tank wasn’t running, adjust a machine gun, or do something else we had been learning in our training. My friend and I agreed that this race would be a good test of whose lifestyle was healthier—his or mine.

The men started the race one at a time in alphabetical order, with about a minute between each man. My friend’s last name started with A and mine with C, so he started the race a few minutes before I did. About a third of the way through the course, I saw a truck with a red cross on its side. Inside the ambulance was my friend. Because he did not take good care of his body, he was not physically fit and could not finish the race. I finished in good shape because I had always lived the Word of Wisdom.

I am so grateful that the Lord cares for us so much that He tells us how to take good care of our bodies and our spirits. Living the Word of Wisdom will truly give you strength. It will help you run and not be weary and walk and not faint—all because the Lord loves you.

When I was a young man, I went on a mission to Brazil. While I was a missionary, I served as Primary president. The branch had only about eight children, and the missionaries would pick them up and give them a ride to Primary on their bicycles. We would have a lesson, and we sang without accompaniment because we didn’t have a piano. The children were beautiful with their big dark eyes and beautiful skin, and they were so lovable and willing to learn the gospel.

Heavenly Father wants all His children to return to Him. And He has placed temples on earth to help us prepare to return to Him. What wonderful experiences we have in the new Brazil Recife Temple. That temple is beautiful, with lots of marble and Brazilian mahogany wood trim. Through President Hinckley, the Lord is providing temples throughout the world. It is especially wonderful to see children dressed in white who come to be sealed to their parents or do baptisms for the dead. You will want to be ready to go to the temple in the future.

Children, you are beautiful and precious to the Lord. He wants you to live a full life, serve others, and return to Him.