FYI:
For Your Information

BYU Summer Workshops Planned

Each year Brigham Young University sponsors a variety of summer workshops on its Provo, Utah, campus for the youth of the Church. The workshops last from four days to two weeks and many are offered at two or more times during the summer. This year’s workshops include family backpacking, baseball, basketball, a beauty workshop for girls, college preparation, debate, football, golf, gymnastics, medical laboratory experiences, modern dance, music, cheerleading and dance drill team, publications, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, theater, track, volleyball, and wrestling. In addition, several youth conference type workshops are held, including one for the deaf. For complete information, write: Conferences and Workshops, 242 HRCB, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602.

The Show Goes On in Hermosa Beach

The young people in the Hermosa Beach Ward, Torrance California North Stake, have been singing and dancing their way into other people’s hearts for five years now. What had its roots as a Beehive class service project has blossomed into an entertainment group that performs monthly for convalescent homes, senior citizens’ groups, veterans’ hospitals, and other civic groups and organizations.

Former Beehive adviser Elsie Leach has been honored at the Good Samaritan Awards ceremony in Los Angeles for her efforts in organizing and directing the group, which has as its primary goal taking entertainment to senior citizens and shut-ins at least once a month. Many nonmembers as well as ward youth participate in tap and ballet routines, comedy acts, and other types of musical and dance numbers.

“It’s a fine missionary tool,” said Sister Leach. “Because we work so hard together, we really get to know and respect each other.”

They have shared many memorable experiences, including one special evening at the veterans’ hospital in Long Beach. Sister Barbara Dodge concluded the program with a medley of songs from each of the armed forces. As she played “From the Halls of Montezuma,” the veterans from the marines stood at attention. As she in turn played songs from each of the other branches of the service, those veterans also stood at attention. “It was a beautiful moment, unexpected and therefore all the more memorable,” said Sister Leach.

There have also been some humorous moments, such as when the group performed on a linoleum floor that was made of a material that deadened the sound. “There we were,” remembered Sister Leach, “tapping away, and not a sound coming out!”

Those who have participated through the years have forged deep friendships and have known the joy of developing and sharing their talents. And perhaps most important of all, they have come to know the meaning of President David O. McKay’s counsel, “If you would be happy, render a kind service, make somebody else happy” (Conference Report, Oct. 1936, p. 105).

A Leader in Barcelona

Fifteen-year-old George Ventura had a special reason for standing in front of the congregation at Sunday School two years ago. He was the president. A member of the Barcelona Branch, Spain Barcelona Mission, George was called as president of the Sunday School two months before his 16th birthday. He has now filled this position for nearly two years, often having as his counselors men three times his age. As in other fast-growing areas of the Church, these two years have often included the challenge of training recent converts to be teachers and counselors in the Sunday School organization.

Although George was the only member of the Church at the Barcelona International High School, he was chosen senior class president and valedictorian. Besides Spanish, English, and French, George is also fluent in Catalan, the native language of his area of Spain.

Winning More than Just a Championship

“The ward that plays together, stays together” might be the motto of the Potomac Ward Mutual in the Washington D.C. Stake. Last year, the Beehive basketball team was undefeated as it won the stake championship; the Mia Maid-Laurel team won the stake and region championships and then placed second and received the sportsmanship trophy in the Atlantic North Central Area. (The region and area competitions were held by special permission and are not recommended in most areas.) The Young Men’s team won stake, region, and area championships, as well as the stake sportsmanship trophy. This is the third straight area championship won by the young men’s team.

But more important than the teams’ winning records is the spiritual impact the basketball programs have had on the ward youth. Bishop Ralph Hardy said that “in addition to obtaining an enthusiastic participation from the youth and keeping ward members physically fit, the programs have been of great help in reactivating members and fellowshipping nonmembers.”

Because of the large geographical region covered by the ward, young members come from five different high schools, and there are virtually no inactive members in the Mutual. Fifty-six individuals, including nine nonmembers, played on the various teams during the past year.

The Young Men’s team included every priest in the ward, except two who were ineligible because of involvement in varsity sports at their high schools. Brent Wells, captain of his high school varsity basketball team, also served as assistant coach of the ward team. He was baptized into the Church about a year and a half ago by another team member. Three nonmembers played on the team last year, two of whom regularly attended all Church meetings, including early morning seminary. In addition, every Church member who has played on one of Brother Daniels’s teams who is of missionary age is either already serving or is in the process of being called on a mission.

An added attraction last year was the annual mother-daughter game, played the same evening as the young men’s and senior men’s teams played. This proved to be one of the social highlights of the year, with almost the entire ward involved in either playing on the court or cheering from the sidelines.

Six Cousins Serve in Canada

Six of the descendants of John Alexander Nelson, Sr., served missions in eastern Canada at nearly the same time. Two of the cousins discovered they were related after serving as companions for several weeks, while the others were already aware of their similar ancestry. The elders serving in the Canada Halifax Mission were Mark Atwood of Las Vegas, Nevada; Howard Nelson of Great Falls, Montana; Dean Harvey of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; and Daniel Daines of Seattle, Washington. Wade Nelson of Calgary, Alberta, and Bruce Nelson of Las Vegas completed Canada Montreal missions. Three of the cousins currently attend BYU, and one is at Ricks.

Putting Her Talents into Action

Robin Gallagher has more silver and gold than a lot of the prospectors who hoped to hit it rich back in the big mining days of the 1840s. During three years of competition in various Special Olympics competitions in Ohio, she has collected four gold medals, three silver medals, one bronze medal, and 25 ribbons, as well as a few aching muscles and a lot of satisfaction.

Robin, a member of the East Liverpool Branch, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Mission, took first place in the 50-yard dash in her age group at the Ohio State Joseph P. Kennedy Special Olympics in 1977. She was one of 14 students chosen to compete from Columbia County. During last summer’s competition at the Columbus State Special Olympics, she again took first place in the 50-yard dash, placed third in the long jump, and raced with a team that achieved second place in the 440-yard relay. In addition to Special Olympics, Robin also enjoys music, sewing, woodworking, and participating in the Young Women program.

Latter-Day Prophets and the Doctrine and Covenants
Compiled by Roy W. Doxey
Deseret Book Company $15.95, 4 vols.

Living prophets today receive direction from the Lord in the same manner prophets of old did. “To what better source may Latter-day Saints go,” Brother Doxey asks in the introduction of Latter-day Prophets and the Doctrine and Covenants, “than to the living oracles for instruction and edification?”

The handy four-volume reference set is designed to help the reader do just that—to refer easily to comments made by Latter-day prophets concerning passages of the Doctrine and Covenants (and principles discussed in those passages). Sections from the Doctrine and Covenants are reprinted as they appear in the standard work, followed by the statements of the prophets. These are listed according to verse number, with complete references for the original source of quoted material. The format places each revelation in its proper historical context and offers valuable insights into the meaning of the Doctrine and Covenants.

Its comprehensive listings and accurate research make this set a commendable addition to the library of scriptural reference works.

Mormons Making Mention

The student-body president at Lodi High School in California is a priest from the Lodi Second Ward, Stockton California East Stake. Paul Charles is also one of two students elected to the Lodi Unified School District School Board, the third largest school district in California. Paul has maintained a straight A grade average, attended California Boys State, was editor-in-chief of the school newspaper during his junior year, and was on the track team for two years. He earned his Eagle Scout award at age 13, has received 84 merit badges and his Duty to God award, and has been assistant to the president of the priests quorum.

Michael Christiansen and Jeff Christensen of the Richfield Seventh Ward, Richfield Utah Stake, have mastered the formula for successful teamwork. The two Richfield High School graduates won the state 2A doubles tennis championship for the second year in a row last year. They also were Eagle Scouts; held leadership positions in their priests quorum; played Church softball; were starters on the high school basketball team; and were members of the singing group, “Sound Celebration,” that performed in San Francisco at the National School Board Convention.

A Flight They Won’t Forget

by Judy Knight

Kidnapped! Many of the members of the Vacaville First Ward, Fairfield California Stake disappeared on the evening of May 27th! Where did they go? What happened? Who was responsible?

The circumstances leading up to their strange disappearance can be explained by the Vacaville First Ward Laurel class and their plans for an unusual, fun-filled evening.

Shirley McMurdie and Missi Bartanen spearheaded the advertising by printing airline tickets for Zion Airlines bound to Hawaii, which included an authentic luau dinner and entertainment.

As the guests arrived at the church in their gala Hawaiian attire and in a festive mood, they were asked to be seated in the waiting room until the departure of their flight. After the last call for boarding had been given, they entered the foyer between the chapel and cultural hall, which had been decorated to simulate the interior of an airplane. Nine-year-old David Knight had provided the artistic renditions of scenery along the way, including detailed U.S. Navy ships and submarines and groups of frolicking whales.

Two stewardesses, Lori Gould and Carrie Budge, gave out flower leis and pineapple tidbits, while the pilot welcomed everyone aboard and explained details of the flight. Suddenly, two hijackers, armed with water guns, appeared, speaking rapidly in Portuguese and demanding the plane change its course. The ward members had been hijacked to Rome, Italy!

The surprised passengers found themselves guided into the Relief Society room, which had been cleverly changed to a Roman cafe. A gourmet Italian meal was provided, beginning with antipasto trays covered with cheese, salami, olives, relishes, marinated mushrooms, and cauliflower. The second course was an Italian salad and breadsticks, followed by delicious Bolognese spaghetti and garlic bread. People laughed and lingered over a pretty Palermo Cassata dessert.

As the last dishes were cleaned and put away, the exhausted Laurels agreed it had been so much fun it ought to become a tradition!

“Sing!”

The youth of the Lethbridge Alberta East Stake in Canada spent seven months last year planning, rehearsing, traveling, sewing costumes, building sets, and painting and assembling props. And then it was over in just two evenings. Only not really, because the camaraderie and friendships they developed and the skills and talents they discovered and cultivated will last much longer. It all came about as the result of preparing for and presenting an exciting musical evening called “SING,” the major stake youth cultural event of the year.

Audiences totaling more than 1,000 persons watched as nearly 180 young men and women (under the direction of stake specialists Bill and Carol Laycock) performed a variety of song and dance numbers from the stage of the Yates Memorial Theatre. Assisting Brother and Sister Laycock were a youth committee of eight and music specialists from each ward.

The diversity of the evening’s numbers kept the program lively and entertaining. A solo of “Send in the Clowns” (complete with dancing clowns); a comic performance to Dr. Seuss’s “I Could Cry a Pint”; a line of hungry Beehive girls presenting their plight in “Food, Glorious Food”; teachers and Mia Maids dancing the Charleston; and a lively barbershop chorus of 16 young men singing a Gay 90s medley were among the evening’s favorites.

The entire cast gathered onstage in the grand finale as they assured the audience that there is “Something to Sing About, This Land of Ours.” As the cast began singing “O Canada,” two rows of flag-bearing Boy Scouts came down the aisles and onto the stage. The audiences gave standing ovations to both performances, an extra reward to an already very memorable experience.

Young and Enthusiastic

Youth is a time of energy and ambition, of setting goals and accepting challenges. It has been described as a “state of mind … a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions … the freshness of the deep springs of life” (Samuel Ullman). On the following pages we’d like to share with you some of the accomplishments of a few enthusiastic young Latter-day Saint men and women representative of Latter-day Saint youth everywhere.

When Earlet Phillips from the Dearborn Ward, Dearborn Michigan Stake, is asked to participate in a ward talent show, her only problem is that she may already be performing somewhere else. A second-year Beehive, she has won more than 700 trophies for dancing, modeling, and baton twirling, including three international titles in competition in Hawaii and two silver medals in the International Festival held in France. She is a member of the first United States Twirling Team that toured Europe last summer and will be performing in the Orient this year. In addition, Earlet is a nursery worker in the ward Primary, and the first counselor in her Beehive class presidency.

This coming fall when Paul Fisher stands in line to purchase textbooks for his freshman year of college, he may already have another book tucked under his arm—one he wrote. The first assistant to the bishop in the priests quorum in his ward, Paul has written a children’s novel called The Ash Staff that will be published in September. It is a fantasy for older children and teenagers that is based on a story he originally wrote in the sixth grade. It is about a boy who finds a sword and proceeds to overthrow an evil magician. Paul is a member of the Edgemont Sixth Ward, Provo Utah Edgemont Stake.

After receiving the highest marks on music examinations given to students in New Zealand, Rossanna Hall was awarded a special grant from the Trinity College of Music in London for further music studies. She has recently completed her courses at the Church College of New Zealand, which is the equivalent of a combined high school and junior college education. Rossanna began taking piano instruction at the age of 11 and plans to someday become a secondary school music specialist. She is a member of the Auckland Eighth Ward, Auckland New Zealand Mt. Roskill Stake.

Twenty-four out of twenty-five! They had tied! In a five-shot free throw playoff, Ray Swanson, a deacon from the 18th Ward, Pocatello Idaho West Stake, edged out his Indiana opponent to be declared the national winner in the 12–13 year-old division of the Elks Hoop Shoot contest. (He received a 2 1/2-foot-high trophy for his efforts and was greeted at the airport by schoolmates, city officials, and a pep band when he returned home.) To become eligible for the basketball free throw competition held in Kansas City, Missouri, Ray also won local, district, state, and Northwest Region titles. Since he began competing four years ago, he has won every local and district title in his age group and three state titles also. Ray is the teachers quorum secretary in his ward.

When Alan Carroll of the Crescent Sixth Ward, Draper Utah Stake, was a Cub Scout, he was the only boy in his pack to earn all 15 activity badges. And that was only the beginning! An enthusiastic response to the Scouting program, as well as excellence in Church, community, and school activities, earned him the honor of being chosen as the top Explorer Scout in the nation last year. Alan’s first official duty was representing the nation’s 1.4 million Explorer Scouts in reporting Scouting activities to President Jimmy Carter and members of Congress in Washington, D.C. He is now a freshman at BYU and preparing for a mission in the fall.

Brad Wilcox, like many BYU freshmen, earned the money to pay for his own tuition expenses. What’s unusual, however, is that Brad’s funds are part of a $4,000 scholarship he received for winning first place in the Guideposts magazine national youth writing contest. His story was based on a time when his mother was hospitalized and tells of some of the lessons he learned as a result of new responsibilities, including how to communicate his love to his ill mother. In addition, Brad has had an article (“My Toothless Teacher,” May 1978) published in the New Era, and was an honorable mention winner in the 1978 New Era poetry writing contest. He is a member of the Provo 17th Ward, Provo Utah North Stake.

“Although traditional home economics skills are important to me, the challenge I feel is to help family members learn to manage their interpersonal resources so they can build strong homes,” said the national 1978 Home Economics Student of the Year, Rebecca Price. Becky, now a freshman at BYU, received the honor at the American Home Economics Association annual meeting in New Orleans last summer. As the national winner, she received a $2,500 scholarship and was featured in the September–October issue of CO-ED Magazine. A member of the Edgemont Eighth Ward, Provo Utah Edgemont Stake, Becky is a past national winner in both the Singer Sewing Contest and the Make-It-Yourself-with-Wool contest as well.

There aren’t too many high school freshmen who have been quoted on the floor of the United States House of Representatives. One who has been, however, is David Harmer of the Roseville Third Ward, Roseville California Stake. The occasion was when Representative Barry Goldwater, Jr., a member of the Committee on Public Works and Transportation, read to the members of the House a prize-winning essay David had written discussing the importance of railroads. It had won second place in the Railway Express Institute’s annual essay contest for Scouts. David was again a winner in last year’s contest, taking first place honors for which he received a $2,000 college scholarship. He will use it at BYU this fall.

Shauna Squires, formerly of the Crescent First Ward, Sandy Utah Crescent South Stake, and her horse Poplar’s Lightning had been together through many rodeos and competitions, and winning was familiar to both of them. Still, being crowned Miss Appaloosa America for 1978 was an unexpected honor for Shauna. And of course, Poplar’s Lightning, who had been judged the champion performance horse in both the Utah and Arizona state competitions, was with her. Shauna was a freshman at BYU when she received the honor over 27 other girls in national competition in Billings, Montana. Last September, however, she relinquished her title for another one when she became Mrs. Mike Smith in the Salt Lake Temple.

Paul Charles; Michael Christiansen; Jeff Christensen

Earlet Phillips; Paul Fisher; Rossanna Hall; Ray Swanson

Alan Carroll; Brad Wilcox; Rebecca Price; David Harmer; Shauna Squires and Poplar’s Lightning