Comment

Nonmember Friends

I wish to express my appreciation for the Ensign. My compliments! Your choice of topics, themes, art, and format are superb. You wonderful people have a work of lasting art in today’s modern media. Please let a Catholic thank you.

Robert Ray McCann
Portland, Oregon

Another year of the Ensign means another year of continuous spiritual food. These publications coming every month can only be likened unto a stream of living, fresh, pure water, which has its source from the Eternal Fountain of Life. I am a nonmember coming nearer to becoming a “Saint” and “sister” each year.

Mrs. Adrian Schweitzer
Osborne, Kansas

Thee and Thou

Concerning the article, “The Language of Formal Prayer,” I find it interesting that the various forms of thou, when current in our language, were used only in the most intimate relationships—between members of the family or with the closest friends. To the modern speaker, these forms come less naturally. But perhaps in asking us to use them anyway, the Lord is reminding us that with the proper effort, we can build an especially close parent-child relationship with Him.

Christopher Larsen
Annandale, Virginia

Noisy Babies

For those of us who are hard of hearing, the coos, calls, cries, etc., of all the children around us are a detriment to hearing the message coming from the pulpit. It wouldn’t be in poor taste, would it, for some of the younger parents to realize that they have a need to keep their children as quiet as they can. My son, a psychology major, has two babies, ages six months and three years. I sat through Church with them a few days ago. The three-year-old did not say one audible sentence in the whole meeting. He whispered twice. The child behind talked continuously, showing the parents his drawings and discussing them in his normal speaking voice. Our six-month-old vocalized a few times, as all infants do. But on every occasion that he did so, an adult hand was placed quickly over his mouth—or when appropriate, a bottle was placed in it. Six, months old, and he already knows that it is well not to vocalize in Church! The two infants behind vocalized continually, with no response from their parents except patting or an occasional “Shh!” Those fine parents, and many like them, just do not understand psychology and how they are conditioning their children, training their children, to be noisy in Church, even though the parents have the best of intentions.

Naida Dickson
Newhall, California

Prayer

I have never been so impressed and deeply touched by any issue as I have been by the January issue on prayer. It has helped me feel closer to my Heavenly Father than I have ever felt before.

Mrs. Jack D. Thompson
Escondido, California

Photographs of Temples

President Spencer W. Kimball has suggested a number of times to the Saints to obtain a picture of a temple and place it in their homes and children’s bedrooms so that they will think of going there. How do we obtain beautiful photographs of our temples?

Dan and Janis Harrison
Sacramento, California

Over the past half-dozen years, the Ensign has published several issues having to do with the temples. Perhaps you could cut from those issues the temple pictures you wish to diplay. There are also other options: at visitors centers near temples (to which you can write), a booklet, Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is generally for sale, with full-page, full-color photographs of all the temples. Some bookstores handling Church books also have printed photographs for purchase.

Spanish-speaking in Australia

I have enjoyed your articles supporting President Kimball’s counsel that members should be missionaries. While living in Rio de Janeiro, we used to go with the missionaries to the marketplace to help tract and contact people. In 1969, we moved to Australia, and it has been a great thrill to help found a large group of Spanish-speaking Saints. In our home in Australia, we have had investigators from Portugal, Spain, South America, and Mexico. The Church is truly international—especially here in Australia.

Rita Perez
Macksville, NSW, Australia