Youth Voices
Sharing and Serving
Doing Good in Ghana
Joshua M. (left)
Here in Ghana, you’ll experience good culture, good food, and most importantly, good friendships with other people. Many of my friends are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and my best friend was baptized just a few years ago. She likes to joke with me and say, “Why didn’t you tell me to join the Church earlier?” And she is right! So now, I’m doing more to bring people to church, help them participate in activities, and help them see what it’s all about.
In my class at school, there are only two other members of the Church. What we believe is like a new world to some of my classmates. They often ask us questions about the gospel, and some are difficult to answer. If we don’t know the answer to a question, we discuss it together and seek guidance from our Church leaders. Once we know how to respond, we tell our classmates about what we know to be true. I have even invited some of them to come and see for themselves how we worship, and they’ve received good feelings about sacrament meeting.
I’ve also learned that the more good you do, the closer the Holy Spirit is to you. I often help people on the street if they are carrying lots of things. Recently, I saw this woman carrying some items on her head. I didn’t know the woman or anything about her, but I walked up to her and asked if I could help. She accepted, so I took some of the things she was carrying.
When we got to her house, I found out that she is a baker. At that time, I was not working, and I needed a way to save up some extra money. She didn’t know that I needed work. Out of the blue, she told me that she wanted someone to help her bake bread in exchange for pay. She offered me specific times that fit perfectly in my busy schedule. I don’t think it was a coincidence but a blessing from God for helping others. To me, this was Heavenly Father saying, “My boy, I see the good that you’ve been doing!”
I testify that Jesus Christ is the focus, and He is the path. We should serve Him and those around us.
Joshua M., 17, Greater Accra Region, Ghana
Likes to read and play sports, especially football (soccer).
A New Year’s Blessing in Argentina
I invited a friend to a New Year’s Eve party at the church. She isn’t a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but has a good impression of it. When she showed up, she was drunk. She started having a panic attack and opened up to me about difficulties she and her family were dealing with. I knew I needed to help her.
I took her to my dad. I asked him if he would give her a priesthood blessing. I told her a little about blessings, and she said she would like one. After the blessing, she stopped crying and was even smiling!
After this experience, she asked me some questions about the priesthood. Together with another friend, I shared how the gospel has blessed us and our families.
It felt good sharing the gospel with my friend. To me, a disciple of Jesus Christ tries to be like Jesus Christ and do the things He did, especially when we notice someone going through a hard time.
José J., 14, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Likes playing piano, riding his bike, singing, cooking, art, and music.
Class President Prayer
It was a cold January day when I was asked to serve as Young Women class president. It was my first year in the Young Women program, and though I was not expecting to be the class president, I was overjoyed. I smiled and nodded.
I was then told to start praying about who my counselors should be.
My happiness quickly melted into worry. I worried that I would choose the wrong people, or even worse, that I wouldn’t be able to decide at all!
Later that night, I told my mom I was worried I wouldn’t be able to make a decision. She told me to go to my room, say a prayer, and read a few verses from the Book of Mormon.
I went to my room, still worried. I said a prayer, asking Heavenly Father to help me make the right decision. Then I opened the scriptures to where I had left off and read the first verse I saw. It said: “And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me” (Moroni 7:33).
Once I had read that verse, I knew that Heavenly Father had answered my prayer. He was aware of me and wanted to help me. All I had to do was put my faith in Him, and He would help me know what to do.
I know that God is aware of us and that He will help us if we are willing to put our faith in Him.
Emmeline K., 14, Utah, USA
Loves writing, art, and music, including writing songs for the piano and guitar.