My Favorite Things

Pictures from Spain

storywriter@rondagibbhinrichsen.com (Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen) — 2012-03-05T05:18:08Z

My husband and I went on an extended trip through Europe last year. Here is a picture from our 2011 trip to Seville, Spain.

Alcazar in Seville

The Hidden Kingdom now Available

storywriter@rondagibbhinrichsen.com (Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen) — 2011-10-26T04:11:11Z

"The Hidden Kingdom," Book 1 of my chapter book series "Heroes of the Highest Order," is now available as an ebook at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords. A paperback edition will soon be available.

Free Sample: The Hidden Kingdom Chapters 1 and 2

storywriter@rondagibbhinrichsen.com (Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen) — 2011-10-06T17:49:23Z

THE MAGIC PLAYGROUND

Speedy Dan glared out the car window. The playground Mom had parked next to was nothing like the one he used to play in before his family moved. This one had only two tree swings, one merry-go-round, and a slide with four steps.

Worse than that? It was way too small. Dan would never be able to run faster than the wind, faster than lightning, even faster than a superhero before he reached the back fence.

Mom took her hands off the steering wheel and looked over her shoulder at Dan. “Your sister’s almost at the slide. Don’t you want to go with her?”

Dan squirmed within his seat belt. “Not really.”

“Are you sure? Your dad and I used to love to play here when we were kids,” Mom said.

Dan slipped his hand into his pants pocket and squeezed the hard, gold medal. “Fastest Boy in Mrs. Peabody’s Class,” it said. He’d won it last month before school ended.

“I’m sure,” he said.

Mom sighed, opened her car door, and stepped outside.

Dan watched her through the window. Any minute now, she would call Page back, and the three of them would return to the house where Grandpa lived before he disappeared. It was the same house he and his family now lived in.

Mom glanced down at Dan. “You’ll like it here,” she said.

“No I won’t,” Dan said.

Mom cocked her head to one side. She smiled the way she did when she hid a Christmas or birthday present behind her back. “Try the swings first, Page,” she called to Dan’s sister. “They’re amazing.”

Page turned and waved.

Dan undid his seatbelt. He opened his door. “What’s so amazing about the swings?”

Mom smiled her secret smile again. “You’ll have to find that out for yourself.”

“Oh, all right.” Dan climbed out of the car.

“Race ya, Dan!” Page called. She started running.

Dan ran too. Within seconds, he zipped past Page and jumped onto the first tree swing.

“Take care of your little sister,” Mom called.

Why? They weren’t going anywhere. “All right,” Dan called back. He then pushed his air-light sneakers into the sky.

Page jumped onto the tree swing next to his. She kicked off her sandals.

“Look! I’m higher than the other trees!” Dan said.

“So am I,” Page said.

“Now I’m higher than the Rocky Mountains.” Dan pumped his swing higher, but when it also went faster, he gritted his teeth. He clenched the swing chains.

“What’s happening?” Page yelled.

“We’ve got to jump off these swings!” Dan said. Then he jumped.

Clouds whisked past him. Wind whooshed like the inside of a hollow tunnel. The playground . . . then Mom . . . disappeared.

THE HIDDEN KINGDOM

Dan landed on his stomach with his face pressed flat against the ground.

“Are you all right?” Page whispered.

Dan moaned. He wanted to say, “I don’t know. Are you?” But his mouth was full of dirt.

“I think so,” Page said. “Nothing hurts.”

That’s weird! Dan thought.

“What is?”

Dan spit out the dirt. “Page?” he thought again. “Are you moving your mouth when you talk?”

“No,” Page answered. “Are you?”

“No. All I do is think the words and you hear them.”

“Same with me. Cool, huh?”

“Cool. And strange. Have you opened your eyes yet?”

“Nope. I’m afraid to look. When we jumped, I couldn’t see the playground anymore.”

“Me neither,” Dan said. “Let’s both open our eyes at the same time. Okay?”

“Okay. On the count of three. One . . .”

“Two. . .”

“Three,” they said together. Both opened their eyes.

“Where are we?” Page said.

Right in front of them, Dan saw a tall, rocky mountain. It went straight toward the sky.

“I don’t know,” he answered. “Mom said we would be surprised. Do you think this is what she was talking about?”

“Maybe.” Page frowned.

“Your voice is wobbling,” Dan said. “Are you all right?”

“I feel like I did the first day I went to Kindergarten.”

That’s how Dan felt too—all scared inside—but he didn’t want his sister to know. He wanted her to think he was brave. So he looked over his shoulder away from her.

“AAAAAAAH!” Page screamed. “We’re on the edge of a mountain!”

“Don’t look down!” Dan grabbed her hand. “We’ll be all right. Let’s climb away from here.”

Inch after inch, Dan and Page climbed up the face of the rocky mountain until it flattened into a large, green field. The grass was sprinkled with tiny gold and purple flowers.

They crawled a few more feet into the field then stood. Safe again.

Page squeezed Dan’s hand tighter. “Are we still in the Rocky Mountains?”

Dan looked around him. He saw a circle of sharp, jagged mountains with a valley in the middle. The mountains were covered in thick, moss-like grass and lots of tall, bushy trees.

Some of the trees were dark green. Some were deep red. And some were bright gold. A shimmering castle stood on top of the tallest mountain on the other side of the valley.

“I don’t know where we are,” Dan said.

“You are in the Hidden Kingdom,” said a gravelly voice.

The Hidden Kingdom (A Chapter Book)

storywriter@rondagibbhinrichsen.com (Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen) — 2011-10-02T06:20:42Z

Along with my suspense novels, I've decided to enter the e-publishing world with my Chapter Book series for ages 5-8. The series is titled Heroes of the Highest Order, and Book 1 is The Hidden Kingdom. It will be born this month under the name R.K. Hinrichsen. For more information, check out my new websites: Heroes of the Highest Order and R.K. Hinrichsen.

Becoming His

storywriter@rondagibbhinrichsen.com (Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen) — 2011-03-25T17:09:00Z

A number of years ago, my husband and I had a difficult time getting along with one of our neighbors. Not even quick fixes, like cookies at the door, seemed to solve our grievances (although the cookies didn’t hurt J). To make matters more difficult, we were in the same ward, and the wife and I were serving in the same organization. Needless to say, we frequently felt offended and angry with one another.

Eventually, our bishop called my husband and me in to talk with him about the situation. After listening to our side of the story, we discussed possible solutions, including “cookies-at-the-door,” but ultimately, he said something like, “Read the scriptures, and when you find your answer, tell me about it.”

Several weeks later, I found my answer in Doctrine and Covenants 38:27, “I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.”

Prior to this, I knew I needed to turn the other cheek and love my “enemies”—Isn’t that what the cookies were all about?—but when I read that scripture I realized I had to do more than try to show love; I had to become united with my neighbors or I wouldn’t belong to Christ. That knowledge stung. Worse, how could I accomplish it?

Although I’m still working on becoming “one” with others, over the ensuing years, I’ve come to know that being offended has nothing to do with the offense or the person who committed that offense. Instead, it has everything to do with ourselves and how we handle the situation. I’ve also learned there are four truths—albeit personal assessments—I’ve had to make on my continuing journey to become one with Christ.

1) 1) Am I choosing to not be offended? In a recent conference address, Elder Bednar stated: “To be offended is a choice we make; it is not a condition inflicted or imposed upon us by someone or something else.

"In the grand division of all of God’s creations, there are things to act and things to be acted upon (see 2 Nephi 2:13-14). As sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, we have been blessed with the gift of moral agency, the capacity for independent action and choice. . . To believe that someone or something can make us feel offended, angry, hurt, or bitter diminishes our moral agency and transforms us into objects to be acted upon. As agents, however, you and I have the power to act and to choose how we will respond to an offensive or hurtful situation.”

2) Is my testimony based on Jesus Christ, the Book of Mormon, and His church—the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—or on some other thing or person? If it is, then I must keep these truths from 3 Nephi in mind: “For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.

“Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

3) Am I striving to become like Christ? Again, from Elder Bednar: “The Savior is the greatest example of how we should respond to potentially offensive events or situations.

“And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men” (1 Nephi 19:9).

4) 4) Do I fully trust Christ? While sometimes I might forget I know I can trust Christ, the truth is, I do know that I can. A few years after the event I mentioned at the beginning of this article, my family and I faced another, even more difficult challenge which involved lawsuits, large monetary loss, and great fear and distrust. After several years of trying to resolve the issue, I felt very angry and bitter. I knew these feelings were wrong, and yet no matter how hard I tried to get over them, I couldn’t do it.

One day, as I was folding laundry and feeling overwhelmingly upset, I prayed, “Heavenly Father, please help me! I can’t do this on my own.” Suddenly, just as the people of Alma had their burdens lightened so they could not feel them (Mosiah 24:14), I, literally, could no longer feel the burden of my anger and bitterness. I then knew the Lord was carrying that burden for me while I worked through my feelings. Christ does visit us in our afflictions.

A final note. I believe life is a laboratory, where each person has the opportunity to become more like Christ. Because of, or perhaps in spite of, that fact, we often find our own wills and weaknesses at odds with the wills and weaknesses of others. While such experiences may hurt us, they also provide the challenging friction that adds to our refiner’s fire and offers the double-edged opportunity to be saviors ourselves. I mean, through what other experiences can we better develop love and forgiveness for “enemies” who are, in fact, our beloved brothers and sisters—people we once, desperately, wanted to bring back home?

Attention Library Lovers!

storywriter@rondagibbhinrichsen.com (Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen) — 2011-02-04T16:02:00Z

February is Library Lovers Month, and I'm celebrating. If you purchase a copy of one of my novels, MISSING or TRAPPED, during the month of February, send a copy of your receipt to my email address at rondagibbhinrichsen@gmail.com, and I'll enter you in a drawing to have a free copy of TRAPPED sent to the library of your choice.

Copyright Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen

TEMPLE ATTENDANCE: A SACRED AND PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

storywriter@rondagibbhinrichsen.com (Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen) — 2011-01-11T04:10:00Z

Like the paying of tithes and offerings, temple attendance is a deeply sacred and personal action which brings divine blessings to us and our families. As such, our leaders have counseled us to go to the temple as often as our circumstances allow. However, because we don’t always recognize when we’ve received these blessings, being more like the righteous Lamanites who were “baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost and they knew it not (3 Nephi 9:20),” we might wonder if we are attending often enough to secure them.

Each of us must answer that question for ourselves, taking into consideration our available time, abilities and family situations, but I have learned there are some common “signs” (the fruits of the devoted temple attendee’s labors) or blessings—we can use as a gauge:

1. Strengthened family relations, even with less active or non-member relatives. There are
several examples of this in the Ensign, but I also want to go on record as stating that due to my own and some of my other relatives’ temple attendance, I have seen marked improvement in my relationship with a less-active family member. Those miracles have come gradually, almost imperceptibly, but they have come.

2. A testimony of the temple burns inside them like an ever-present flame. Under the term, “Tabernacle,” the Bible Dictionary describes the portable temple the Israelites carried with them as they wandered through the wilderness. Inside it, the Holy of Holies “contained only one piece of furniture: the Ark of the Covenant, or the Ark of the Testimony” which housed sacred objects, like the two tables of stone. As I read this description, I immediately thought of a friend of mine. She, a mother with children ranging in ages between grade school and college, attends the temple every week so she can “stay sane.” In consequence, whenever we discuss problems we have with our families or our callings, she immediately says, “we need to go to the temple.” She, like the Ark of the Testimony, carries inside her bodily temple an ever-present testimony of the powerful priesthood blessings which come through temple attendance.

In her 1999 conference talk, Carol B. Thomas, then the First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, noted these additional blessings:

1. “Going to the temple often provides balance in our lives. After returning home, we have an increased sense of well-being; the influence of the Spirit can shield us from the frustrations of the world. Listen to this promise by President Hinckley: “If there were more temple work done in the Church, there would be less … selfishness, less … contention, less … demeaning [of] others. The whole Church would increasingly be lifted to greater heights of spirituality, love for one another, and obedience to the commandments of God” (Teachings, 622).”

2. “The spiritual atmosphere of the temple curbs our appetite for worldly things. When we attend frequently, we no longer have such a need to wear the latest fashion, and we are not so easily drawn to the entertainment of the world.”

3. “The temple is a place of revelation. Many years ago I was walking into the temple and in my mind I heard the words, Learn public speaking. I thought to myself, When will I ever have need for public speaking? Over several months’ period of time I tried very inadequately to conjure up some enthusiasm to obey the prompting I had received. I even checked out a tape from the local library by a public speaker who admitted that his goal was to someday speak in the Mormon Tabernacle. I thought at the time, I’ll never be speaking in the Tabernacle!"

4. “In the temple the Spirit of the Lord provides comfort and peace, especially during moments of despair. Recently I met a 35-year-old woman in the temple. As we visited, I asked if her husband was with her. With a look of tenderness in her eyes, she shared with me that he had died of a brain tumor three months ago. The temple is her anchor; the Spirit found in the temple gives her comfort and peace, and perhaps her husband was there.”

Finally, the October 2010, special issue of the Ensign on Temples beautifully testifies of their purposes and importance, but what I most love about this issue is its testimony of the temple’s power. It’s no secret that we live in a troubled, almost upside-down world, where Satan is working beyond overtime to destroy God’s work and His children. But what we members of Christ’s church sometimes forget is that God has not left us alone or without protection. The temple covenants and the lessons we learn there are the fortifications we and our children need. Thankfully, my children encourage me to attend the temple, so I know they have acquired testimonies of it, but whether our children say anything to us about the temple or not, or whether or not they know of the blessings they’ve received through our attendance, is not the most important thing. What matters is we have gone to the temple, and we continue to go to the temple, thereby securing the crucial priesthood strength and power we need in our families as we struggle to withstand the evils of these last days. President Boyd K. Packer describes this principle this way:

                        "Our labors in the temple cover us with a shield and a protection,
                         both individually and as a people. So come to the temple—come
                                         and claim your blessings. It is a sacred work.”

My Peace Give I Unto You

storywriter@rondagibbhinrichsen.com (Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen) — 2010-12-13T18:10:00Z

When I was a child, Christmas Eve was a magical night of lying in bed and rapidly kicking my legs and feet between my sheets because I couldn’t contain my excitement; morning held the promise of long awaited dreams coming true. One particular year, I imagined the large box under the tree, addressed only to me, would be something expensive and wondrous, something like an elaborate dollhouse.

But as sometimes happens on Christmas morning, when I opened the box, instead of a dollhouse, I found a children’s novel buried under wadded newspaper. Although disappointed, I accepted the gift and read the book. It wasn’t until years later that I, with older and somewhat wiser eyes, realized the book was actually the better gift. As a child, had I played with dolls? Not much. Did I read books? Yes. The novel, though not what I’d thought I’d wanted, turned out to be the better gift.

Now, Christmas means so much more to me than temporal gifts. Besides being a time of giving, it’s also a time of gratitude for answered prayers and a time of rejoicing in God’s never-ending love and involvement in our lives. Actually, Christmas is becoming more like Thanksgiving to me, in that I enjoy the traditions that go along with the holiday, but like giving thanks for blessings, the deep and lasting, Eternal impressions that fill my heart and lift my sights closer to heaven are gifts that are always with me. I believe cherishing these spiritual witnesses is the real secret to keeping Christmas in my heart all year long.

However, just as that long ago holiday brought me disappointment, Heavenly Father’s gift of life to us also brings tribulations and heartache. Years ago, my husband and I faced an enemy—a hardship—from which we couldn’t walk away nor eliminate. We dealt with it as best we could, relying on the Lord for help, but we still couldn’t find relief. Eventually, I felt very bitter against “the enemy,” and though I knew I had to forgive, I couldn’t seem to find a way out of that bitterness. Finally, one day as I was folding laundry and feeling overwhelmed by my emotions, I prayed, “Please help me, Heavenly Father. I can’t do this on my own.” Instantly, my burden was gone. Literally. I knew the bitterness and the associated problems were still there somewhere, but I couldn’t feel them, and I knew then as I do now that the Lord had taken my burden for me and carried it as I struggled through the situation. This experience happened to me during the summer, but my joy and amazement felt like Christmas.

That is why this Christmas I’ve chosen to share with you a few gifts of comfort that only Christ can give during some of this life’s greatest trials. I don’t know whether or not I’ve chosen the right quotes that will lift you in your circumstances, but if I haven’t, please know the answers—the peace—you seek is out there and can be found through the mouths of our prophets and the whisperings of His Spirit to your soul. I know this to be true. Merry Christmas.

Suicide:

“I feel that judgment for sin is not always as cut-and-dried as some of us seem to think. The Lord said, ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ Does that mean that every person who kills will be condemned, no matter the circumstances? I feel the Lord recognized differences in intent and circumstances: Was the person who took his life mentally ill? Was he or she so deeply depressed as to be unbalanced or otherwise emotionally disturbed? Was the suicide a tragic, pitiful call for help that went unheeded too long or progressed faster than the victim intended? Did he or she somehow not understand the seriousness of the act? Was he or she suffering from a chemical imbalance in their system that led to despair and a loss of self-control?

“Obviously, we do not know the full circumstances surrounding every suicide. Only the Lord knows all the details, and he it is who will judge our actions here on earth.” (Russell M. Ballard )

And . . .

“we have our ‘second estate,’ which is the mortality we are now experiencing and our sojourn in the spirit world following death (italics added,Pres. Marion G. Romney )

Victims of Abuse:

If you struggle with abuse, you may want to read this article in its entirety. Here’s a snippet:

“Satan uses your abuse to undermine your self-confidence, destroy trust in authority, create fear, and generate feelings of despair. Abuse can damage your ability to form healthy human relationships. You must have faith that all of these negative consequences can be resolved; otherwise they will keep you from full recovery. While these outcomes have powerful influence in your life, they do not define the real you.” (Richard G. Scott)

To Those With Heavy Burdens:

You who may be momentarily disheartened, remember, life is not meant to be easy. Trials must be borne and grief endured along the way. As you remember that “with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37), know that He is your Father. You are a son or daughter created in His image, entitled through your worthiness to receive revelation to help with your righteous endeavors. You may take upon you the holy name of the Lord. You can qualify to speak in the sacred name of God (see D&C 1:20). It matters not that giants of tribulation torment you. Your prayerful access to help is just as real as when David battled his Goliath (see 1 Sam. 17). . . “For with God all things are possible” (Mark 10:27)-- Russell M. Nelson

“These are the reasons for the continual trials with which we are all faced. We need these experiences so that we might draw closer to the Lord and learn to depend on him for everything.” –Bishop H. Burke Peterson

“The fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ brings great comfort in stressing times of mortality. It brings light where there is darkness and a calming influence where there is turmoil. It gives eternal hope where there is mortal despair. It is more than just beautiful doctrine. It is a reality in our lives that if we can be obedient and obtain the eternal rewards that God grants us, if we will draw nigh unto Him and embrace the eternal doctrine, we will be blessed.” Robert D. Hales

12 Days of Gratitude AND Thanksgiving

storywriter@rondagibbhinrichsen.com (Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen) — 2010-11-19T05:56:00Z

In preparation for this year’s holiday season, I experimented with what I called “The 12 days of Thanksgiving.” For twelve consecutive days (I actually went 15), I kept track of any “extra” blessings that came that day or “things” for which I felt especially or unusually grateful. The results amazed me. Every single day, I received answers to prayers, or "saw" amazing-to-me blessings. And you know what? As soon as I recognized them, I felt gratitude.

After this experiment, I began to ponder on and study the words “thanksgiving” and “gratitude.” I went to LDS.org first, and to my surprise, while the word “thanksgiving” is frequently found in the scriptures, the word “gratitude” is not there at all. Neither is “grateful.” How could this be? Haven’t our leaders frequently taught us gratitude is a commandment from the Lord? That it’s a means to humility, the “mark of a noble soul and a refined character”, and “the foundation upon which repentance is built ”?

While these statements about gratitude are correct, through further study, I’ve come to see that not only is there a slight difference between the meanings of “Thanksgiving” and “gratitude,” but there is also an increased power that comes from combining the two.

The dictionary defines gratitude as a “feeling” of thanks and thanksgiving as an “act” of thanks, such as through prayer, acknowledgement, or praise. A feeling versus an action. Hmmm. To me, that sounds very much like sorrow for sins versus confessing and forsaking those sins, or even more profoundly, Nephi’s faithful “I know” compared with “I will go and do." Each, like the joining of gratitude and thanksgiving, are spiritual laws where obeying the individual commandments increases righteousness, but obeying its companion at the same time opens the windows of heaven.

One of the greatest scriptural examples of this principle is contained in the book of Luke:

“And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

“And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

“And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

“And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
"And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks and he was a Samaritan.

“And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

“There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

“And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.”

In this Biblical account, ten deathly ill men obeyed the Lord and were healed from their disease. It is reasonable to me that each must have felt some measure of happiness, wonder, and perhaps even gratitude for the relieving of their suffering, but only one—the one who returned and physically thanked the Lord for His merciful gift—received the greater blessing.

Elder Merrill J. Bateman said, “As part of the great miracle of the Atonement and the Savior’s power to mend broken hearts, to heal from within, the parable of the ten lepers takes on new meaning. Luke describes Jesus meeting ten lepers. Upon seeing the Savior, they cried, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” Jesus responded, “Go shew yourselves unto the priests.” As they went their way, they were cleansed. One returned, fell on his face at the Master’s feet, and gave thanks. Jesus said, “Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?” And then the Lord said to the one who returned, “Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole” (see Luke 17:12–19). In becoming a whole person, the grateful leper was healed inside as well as on the outside. That day nine lepers were healed skin deep, but only one had the faith to be made whole. The tenth leper was changed eternally by his faith in the Savior and the healing power of His Atonement.”

Modern scripture also reiterates this truth: “And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more (D&C 78:19).”

After studying this principal, I began to wonder. During my 12 Days of Thanksgiving, did I allow heaven’s greater blessings to come into my life as well as perhaps bless the lives of others by immediately expressing thanks when I recognized them? In some instances, I’m sure I did, but in all cases? I don’t know. I simply can’t remember. But what I do know is now—right now—I have some thanking, some praising, and definitely some praying to do. For I am grateful.

The Parable of the Strawberry

storywriter@rondagibbhinrichsen.com (Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen) — 2010-10-04T12:00:00Z

My family lives on a small farm. We raise hay, cows and goats, but we also try to raise a garden. I say try because over the years I’ve learned that animals and gardens don’t necessarily mix. Take my strawberry “patch” for instance. Strawberries are among my favorite fruits, so every year I try to grow them. Before we became farmers, I was successful at growing them, but when adversity—i.e., goats—entered my life, I discovered that they, too, like to eat strawberries. Not a good thing.

Because goats are so prone to finding ways out of their pens and then making a beeline for the garden, every year for the past several years, I’ve tried to outsmart them by planting new strawberry plants in hidden or remote areas of our yard. But without fail, and no matter how hard we try to maintain their pens, the animals manage to break out, find my strawberries, and eat them either before or just after the plants have begun to bear fruit. Two years ago I finally, dejectedly, gave up my quest to grow strawberries.

And then a new spring arrived. While I was weeding the flower garden and preparing it for a new year, I found a single strawberry plant growing amid the other perennials. I was SOOO excited. It had survived not only the goats but also my neglect--I hadn’t even known it was there.

At first, I considered digging it up and moving it, yet again, to a new location, but I eventually decided to leave it where it was. I also told my husband about it, and he, knowing the struggles I’d had, directly put up a metal panel fence around the flower bed. I wasn’t sure it would be enough protection, but I hoped, and nourished, and watched. After a few months, it began to bear a few berries. I thought they were among the most delicious berries I’d tasted, but before the season had ended . . , yup! You guessed it. The goats escaped, went straight for the flower garden, and ripped the top right off the strawberry plant.

Again summer, fall, and winter passed into a new spring—this spring--and I began to prepare the flower garden for the coming season. To my delight, I found I not only had one living strawberry plant, but FIVE! Strawberries are prolific, and such growth is not uncommon, but after all the adversity I’d had with them, I felt those five were the most miraculous plants in the world.

One righteous person has the same thriving, fruit-bearing power. Over the course of time, the world has faced innumerable hardships and conflicts, but in spite of them, righteous men and women have stepped forward and changed the course of man’s downward spiral. While the scriptures overflow with powerful examples of such people, like David fighting Goliath, Esther saving the Jews, and Captain Moroni raising his coat of freedom and leading others against a wicked king, these righteous people are not the only ones who’ve stood—or now stand—for righteousness and make a difference in this struggling world.

In fact, if we are watching, we’ll see that in spite of the world’s growing degradation and perniciousness, modern LDS youth and adults have increased their devotion to temple attendance, scripture study, and kindness.The trouble is, they don't always see the results of their efforts. However, in the July, 1985 Ensign, Gail Argetsinger, costume director for the Manti pageant, did see the results of one good man living his religion:

When I decided to make the armor for the pageant’s “Moroni and the Title of Liberty” scene out of leather, I visited several dealers in New York City. One place, in a rough section of Manhattan, had exactly what I was looking for.

The store was run by a blunt but friendly man who introduced himself as “Sam.” My husband, Jerry, and I explained what we were looking for and that we represented the Hill Cumorah Pageant, sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Sam lit up like a candle. “The Mormons! Well, come right in, make yourselves at home.”

Jerry and I looked at each other. Usually our introduction drew no response except, “So? You got cash?” This leather dealer was actually glad to see us!

He gave us advice on selecting hides and how to cut them to best advantage. Then, as we worked, Sam began to talk about his experience with Latter-day Saints.

When he had joined the United States Air Force at the outbreak of World War II, his basic training had been at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. It was his first time out of New York City. Like many good Jewish boys, he had been raised in fear of the gentiles. He had never seen a Latter-day Saint. But as he got to know the many LDS airmen in his group, he learned to love them. “I don’t believe I’ve ever been treated better by anyone,” he said. “But the reason I’ll always love the Mormons is for something that happened later in the war.”

In 1942 Sam was flying bombing missions over North Africa. His commanding officer, Major Hawkins, was a Latter-day Saint from Salt Lake City.

As Passover approached, Sam and the other Jews in camp discussed how they would celebrate it under combat conditions. To start with, there was no unleavened bread. They thought they would have to use soda crackers.

On the night before the Passover celebration, when Major Hawkins returned from a combat mission about midnight, he went to Sam’s tent and awakened him. “Sam,” he whispered, “I just heard you boys have no unleavened bread for Passover.”

“That’s right,” Sam told him.

“Well, come on,” said the major, pulling Sam to his feet. “There’s still time. I’ll fly you to Tel Aviv to get some.” So Sam and the major squeezed piggyback into the cockpit of a small plane and flew all the way to Palestine.

“I still can’t believe it,” Sam told us. “I asked myself what kind of a man would understand the importance of our sacred rituals. This was the middle of a war, and we didn’t exactly own the skies at that point. He risked his life to get us that unleavened bread. The Mormons are something special, all right!”

Sam gave us a good price break on the leather. And it was all because forty years before a righteous man had lived the teachings of the gospel.

When we went back to his store the next year, Sam was unable to give us the same price break on his leather. I told him it was quite all right. We greatly appreciated his generosity the first time, but to expect such a deal the second time would be taking advantage of him. We expected to pay a fair price.

He smiled. “A Mormon would understand that.” Then he told us the whole story of his war experience again. “The Latter-day Saints are something special,” he kept repeating. “I really love them.”

Thank you, Major Hawkins, wherever you are!

I agree. Thank you to Major Hawkins and to everyone else who lives the principles of the gospel. Like a strawberry plant, righteousness has the power to spread and grow good fruit that leads ourselves, our families, and our nations back to Christ. Remember Joseph from the Old Testament? After being sold into slavery, taken far from his family, and imprisoned through false accusations, his faithful obedience eventually spread so far and bore enough good fruit that he saved himself, his family, and his people from starvation. Not only that, but he also restored peace and goodness to his family. Isn’t that what we all want?