Recognizing Christ—3 lessons from witnesses of His Resurrection

My experience with ward service truly started on my mission. It was exciting because in our wards we were invited to ward council, and since there weren't as many active members, we got to participate in a lot. We were in charge of large parts of activities and would frequently be the setup crew as well as be in close communication with leaders to help include less-active members and investigators in the process. When I got home, I thought that this would be the way that every ward functioned.

After a reconnaissance mission in France during the closing years of World War II, Sergeant Benner Hall sat with his men along a small country road, waiting for his next assignment. A sudden feeling descended on Hall—a prompting to move his men out of danger.

Perhaps most recognizable from her role as the narrator of the popular documentary Meet the Mormons, Jenna Kim Jones is a stand-up comedian with her own podcast, #SorryNotSorry with Jenna Kim Jones. We recently chatted with her about life as a Mormon entertainer.

It was my first week in a BYU singles ward and I was called as Elders Quorum President. First item of business: fill all the callings.

President Hinckley had been speaking several minutes. He paused and explained that there was another person from the other side of the veil he had not mentioned. In a strong voice filled with emotion and joy, President Hinckley exclaimed, “Welcome, Father Lehi! Oh, how your heart must rejoice!”

When our lovely twenty-one-year-old daughter was hit by a truck, my husband and I and three of our children were in Brazil serving a mission. All the children living in the United States flew immediately to the Indiana hospital where Georgia lay fighting for her life. Those living in our home, understandably, left the house in great disarray as they rushed to find a plane. Dear neighbors spoke to one another about the situation, and the next morning, as the family was in Indiana trying to cope with Georgia’s passing, twenty-five covenant-keeping sisters gathered at our home in Salt Lake City.

Tithing, fast offering, supporting an active family, stockpiling a year’s supply of food, paying for braces: How do I make ends meet? As a young husband living on a teacher's salary and with so many other financial tugs pulling on our bank account, I often wondered how I'd ever be able to help my children finance their missions, if they chose to serve in that capacity.

The Book of Mormon is a key. The Bible is a door. It’s not enough for me to shelve them side by side. It’s not enough to read the one and then the other. I need to slot the key, turn the tumblers, and open the door.

Playing under bright lights in front of noisy crowds, dunking the basketball, chasing down loose balls, defending world-class athletes, knocking down threes, and getting paid in the process is a dream only a few can comprehend. It was a thrill.