God Cares

Wisdom from God he sought Searching the scriptures, intending to find The words of the verse were taught The Holy Spirit enlightening his mind

Acting on that desire to know In the grove he knelt in prayer Faithfully seeking a way closer to grow He received knowledge from a Heavenly Father who cares

His sins were forgiven and joy he found As the source of all joy, brought him to the ground His call wasn't easy and his burdens weren't light

But unshakable faith in the Father and Son Sustained him daily until his work on the Earth was done

Baylor Manley

Ask of God

Hundreds of years in darkness They starve for light and truth They reach and strain for the God that made them Pride leading so many away

A young boy lost in that darkness Looking for the light and truth He searches and strains for the God that made him Hoping not to be led away

Wars of words How they swirled and swirled Clever words by clever people with clever twistings Misleading, confusing, abusing

What could a young boy do? How could he guard his soul?
Fights and contentions For member growth and retention. Reasons and facts flew Who knew Who was right?

Then one night By candlelight A verse of scripture glued to sight Words burning hot and bright “Ask of God"

Far removed from opinions and constructions These simple instructions Ask of God
Which was right? How am I in God's sight? In a dark world, where is light? Determined to pray with all his might Ask of God

God smiled with the sun on that spring day Joseph knelt to pray Suddenly, to a dark force held captive He drowned in despair that sapped him Tempted that God he might foreswear Satan was there. Jealous of the Glory that would never be his own, Once again, he sought to end it before it could begin Jealous of the boy who wasn't even grown Satan was determined to finally win,

Then Joseph asked of God. Triumphant light cut through the shadows of satan Brilliant day dismissed all doubt and evil Because Joseph asked of God As was written, satan's power proved feeble

More glorious than the noon day, Brighter far than the blessings that would soon come our way, Beyond all possible description, God pointed to His son to say, “Hear Him!" And Joseph listened

A famine not of food, but hunger for the words of the Lord Ended by a Prophet who knew God's word. No longer would men seek the light in vain. Blessings would fall as life-giving rain. Him, humbly leading the way,

Conquering darkness with the power of God Because he asks of our God We can bring peace to a war of clever words “Simply ask of God" -our watchwords. Know who you are and where you stand Learn of God and follow His plan Hear His voice and see His face Only ask of God to receive His grace. Warmth, wisdom, light and love Gifts from our Father above

What Joseph began, We must continue. The restoration has yet to end, It lives within each of you. We will reap what has been sown With God we are never alone.

Micaela Furman

Holy Mother, Sacred Grove

The Grove
Curious that a grove, ancient, bawdy, symbol of sin and carnality,1 should come to be rev'renced, a sacred womb, untainted, from whence a holy work commenced.

Lucy
Yet fitting that that same vibrant figure of fertility, the greenness of infant life and timeless, fervent uprising, should depict the shaded forest first made sacred by a mother. 2

Joseph
Her son prayed as she had prayed, his well-fed faith watered and dunged and pruned and brought to bear under his gard'ner's careful craft, and to her it was that he first went when the heavens unfurled.3

Mary
He would write that before, and after, he had "pondered many things in [his] heart"—4 perhaps inspired by another mother in another age who so pondered5 and cultivated and nourished the roots of another Son.

Sources
1"Grove." Bible Dictionary, Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1979.

2 Smith, Lucy Mack. Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and His Progenitors for Many Generations. Liverpool: S.W. Richards, 1853, p. 54.

3 Joseph Smith—History 1:20. The Pearl of Great Price. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981.

4 Smith, Joseph. A History of the Life of Joseph Smith Jr. JS Letterbook 1, JS Collection, CHL. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ca. Summer 1832, pp. 1-3.

5 Luke 2:19. The Holy Bible: King James Version. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981.

Carl Grafe

I Believed Him

(Winning Entry)

I believed him that first night when he told us of the vision of our Father in heaven and of His Son Jesus Christ.
I believed him when he said the angel Moroni had appeared

to him three times during the night.
I believed him that day he brought home the golden plates

because his countenance shown bright.
I believed him when he gave me a copy of the Book of Mormon,

and implored me to pray with all of my might.
I believed him when the answer to my prayer came,
I knew that this path was right.
I believed him when the mobs came
and took him during the night,
I believed him when families were separated
and fought with all of their might.
I believed him that day he was killed along with our brother Hyrum,

I know they did what was right.
I believe him still even though he is gone,

I walked the long way west with my family to live in Zion.
I believe him, I know he spoke the truth,
I still remember his first vision, that special event he witnessed in his youth.
 

Jillian Werner