Making the Most of This Issue

December 2003

Family Home Evening Ideas

• New at holding family home evening? Or think the children aren’t paying attention? Or don’t have kids in the home anymore? Other families share their encouraging experiences in “Testimonies of Family Home Evening,” page 26.

• Talk about tithing. Members from around the world tell how their lives were blessed by living this principle. See “Not Room Enough to Receive It,” page 46.

Especially for Christmas

• Surrounded by strangers, this family loaded up their little red wagon and moved some hearts. See page 42.

• Lunch with a minister, a Christmas blessing, a trucker’s gift—see three heartwarming stories beginning on page 60.

The Journey Home

She had been excommunicated 20 long, bitter years ago. Was it still possible to gain a testimony and return to the Church? See “Could I Come Back?” page 13.

Simplify Your Holidays

It’s easier to have a more spiritual Christmas season if it’s also a more relaxing season. You’ll find helpful ideas in Random Sampler on page 65.

Avoiding Shipwreck

Like John of old, we live in a time of growing darkness and spiritual danger. Elder H. Ross Workman of the Seventy tells how the light of the Spirit and a love of God and fellowman safeguard us. See “Safely Anchored by Love,” page 56.

Blueprint for Competent Children

The ability to make good decisions is one of the most important skills a young person can have. Learn what parents can do to help children develop this capability. See “Building for Their Future,” page 38.

Missionary Minded

One ward’s experience shows how taking missionary work more seriously can bring gratifying results. See “Catching the Vision of Missionary Work,” page 20.

Speaking of Christmas and Missionary Work …

There’s a wonderful gift you can give friends and neighbors of other faiths, one that will help you share your testimony in a powerful way. See the sidebar article on page 19.

Home Teachers, Visiting Teachers

Find the monthly messages on page 2 and page 52.

Did You Know?

You could pay to have a gourmet treat delivered to a friend or loved one once a month for a year. But for far less money, you could send a far more valuable and spiritually nourishing Christmas present—a gift subscription to one of the Church magazines. That friend at work who occasionally asks questions about the Church? That less-active family you’ve been visiting? That child or other family member who needs strengthening? They are all perfect candidates for a gift subscription. Every month the magazine will be a wholesome, inviting presence in the home.

Gift subscriptions are available through your ward magazine representative or your local Church distribution center. In North America you can order by phone at 1-800-537-5971 using Visa, MasterCard, or American Express. Or order on-line at ldscatalog.com.