Feedback

The turning point

I am writing to thank you for the New Era, which I have found to be spiritually uplifting, and to share with you my little miracle. At a point in my life when I had become totally inactive and thought that life was no longer worth living, I started to receive the New Era. I don’t know who paid for the subscription, but I will be eternally grateful because it helped to bring about the turning point in my life. I am now back on the right road, and I know that life is worth living. I have a lot of steps to climb and a lot of praying and learning to do, but I know that my Heavenly Father is beside me all the way.

Terri Whitting
Perth, Australia

Goals and priorities

I would like to thank you for a truly great magazine. The New Era has really been inspirational to me and has helped me a lot in the past year. Though not instrumental in my conversion, the New Era has really helped me establish my spiritual and personal goals and priorities in life and has really strengthened my testimony.

It also helps me to feel closer to all the Saints of the world, especially those whose articles appear on its pages, those who are subjects of the articles and stories, and most of all, those whose letters appear on the Feedback page.

Kenneth John Mecklem
Rujudh, Saudi Arabia

The best magazine ever

I read the New Era every single month. I like to read Feedback and Mormonisms. I first started to get the New Era about a year ago. In the first issue I ever got there was an article that really impressed me. It was called “A Celestial Missionary.” Thanks for the best magazine ever.

Erika Boortz
Spring Valley, California

In tune

I am writing to thank Jeanne Newman and Dan Carter for the beautiful song “To My Savior” in the December New Era. Sister Butterfield and I were asked to sing this song at our quad-zone Christmas conference. During the performance and the practices, I could feel the spirit in which this song was written, and it is through songs like this that I have come to know that we can only be in tune with the Savior if we listen to worthy music.

Elder David Tanner
Ohio Columbus Mission

One additional suggestion

In a recent Scouting Magazine this question was asked: “What can be done to encourage full and correct uniforming?” Many good and apparently useful suggestions were offered. After receiving the December issue of the New Era, I have one additional suggestion to make: Don’t let Scouts see the cover of the December magazine depicting two Scouts so obviously improperly uniformed. Inasmuch as Scouting is being stressed and our prophets have told us that there never has been a time when Scouting was more urgently needed, can’t we show better examples than those? I really feel that the New Era has done a great disservice.

Albert Klein
Salt Lake City, Utah

My world and my blessings

I would like to thank you very much for the New Era magazine. It helps me teach my sisters in my Young Women class. Every article has been an added inspiration to each day of my life. In the September issue I enjoyed the article “A Bishop, a Dad, a Sailboat” by David Hammond. It helped me a lot. I showed the article to my sister before she got her mission call. She has learned and grown so much from the doctrine of the gospel and the goodness of it through the magazine. I wish I could share my world and my blessings with all the members around the world through this magazine.

Josephine Hetarihon
Jakarta Selatan, Indonesia

One of the 30,000

Well, here is a letter from one of the 30,000. I need a little help with one of our investigators, so I figured I’d call in the New Era and the Ensign. (Enclosed please find some money for a gift subscription to both.) They’ve helped me personally many times, and I’m sure they will do the same for these people. Before I close, I just want to say thanks. The New Era is great. It is the right medicine for every situation. It is a unique shelter when the clouds of life are pouring rain, and yet it is also as refreshing as a rain shower on a hot day. Keep it up!

Elder Davey Conley
Germany Munich Mission

Time flies

Not only has the New Era built up my testimony, it has also made time fly. You see, I am waiting for a special missionary to come home. Thanks to “The Only Way to Be Happy” by Ardeth Kapp in the April New Era, I now know how to make a long wait seem short.

Wendi Truswell
Salt Lake City, Utah

Many of the same problems

I’m a 17-year-old boy with many of the same problems most young men my age have. But many of my problems have been solved through stories in the New Era. Before my parents gave me a subscription to this wonderful magazine, I never read my scriptures, but now I do. And I didn’t know what prayer could do for a person. I am glad to be a part of this church.

Ed Barron
Bradely, California

On behalf of the “half dressed”

As the father of two sons who went through Scouting and as a former Assistant Scoutmaster to a troop of 45 boys, I would like to speak on behalf of the “half-dressed Scouts” on the December cover. Scout clothing and equipment, while of high quality, is expensive! And used clothing of proper size is not always available. I encouraged the boys to get at least the shirt and neckerchief if possible, but I recognized that the financial demands of school and Church activities placed a heavy burden on the large families in my area. I believed the boys’ participation in Scouting was more important than whether they had complete uniforms. Insistence on complete uniforms would have only served to embarrass the boys and possibly drive them out of Scouting.

I agree that where possible complete uniforms are the ideal, but we must not forget that it is the boys who are the most important. I’m still proud of my troop, which was the largest and most active in the district.

H. Parkhurst
Provo, Utah

I’m a Johnny-come-lately

I want to say how much I enjoyed the January–February issue of the New Era. It brought back many memories. I can remember reading most of the articles in their original issues. For me it wasn’t too long ago. I’m a Johnny-come-lately as far as reading the New Era goes, and I’ve spent many hours reading back issues to get caught up. I’m all in favor of more of these types of issues. I’m going into teaching next year and many of these articles are kept in my teaching file. Thank you for the help.

Kelly L. Johnson
Orem, Utah

Louise speaks out on bookmarks

I was so impressed by President Kimball’s article on personal journals in the December New Era that I made a list of his recommendations and keep it as a bookmark in my journal.

Louise Wrathall
Tucson, Arizona