Ensign

January 2004

Volume 34, Number 1

Contents

• First Presidency Message: The Keystone of Our Religion

  President James E. Faust

• Testimonies of the Book of Mormon

• Power in Principles

  Todd B. Parker and Jared T. Parker

• Book of Mormon Times at a Glance, Chart 1: Ether and 1 Nephi through Mosiah

• Book of Mormon Principles: Favored of the Lord

  Elder Carlos C. Revillo

• Book of Mormon Principles: The Sweet Fruits of Obedience

  Elder Steven E. Snow

• Too Young to Be a Widow

  Kareen Landsem Harrison

• Singles and the Proclamation on the Family

  Cynthia Doxey

• The Perpetual Education Fund: A Bright Ray of Hope

  Elder John K. Carmack

• “I Beheld a Tree”

• Joy in the Journey

  S. Michael Wilcox

• The Fallen Sparrow

  Robert K. McIntosh

• Heber J. Grant: A Prophet for Hard Times

  Sherrie Mills Johnson

• The Gospel and the Single Parent

• Visiting Teaching Message: Feeling the Love of the Lord Daily in Our Lives

• Random Sampler

• Latter-day Saint Voices

• News of the Church

• Making the Most of This Issue

Cover: The Light of His Countenance Did Shine upon Them, by Gary L. Kapp.

Inside front cover: They Did Treat Me with Much Harshness, by Walter Rane. On the ship journeying to the promised land, Laman and Lemuel became angry with Nephi, saying, “We will not that our younger brother shall be a ruler over us.” Nephi records, “Laman and Lemuel did take me and bind me with cords, and they did treat me with much harshness” (1 Ne. 18:10–11).

Inside back cover: Las Vegas Temple, by Mitch Johnson. Temples are places where Latter-day Saints worship so that in due time they may come to the Father and receive of His fulness (see D&C 93:19). The building of temples in our day is the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy that “in the last days … the Lord’s house shall be established … and all nations shall flow unto it” (Isa. 2:2).