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Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.

—Thomas Edison

Starring on the Silver Screen

When the Lakeview First Ward, Orem Utah Sharon West Stake, decided to hold a film festival, they went the extra mile—they also produced the movies.

Each Young Women class was assigned to work with their corresponding age group in the Young Men. Each group wrote a script, shot the film, and added a sound track. When the editing was done, the classes invited the ward to a special showing. Awards were given, and the deacons and Beehives walked away with best film honors. Their script was on several humorous reasons for not dating until age 16.

The experience of working together was a good fellowshipping opportunity, and the group has decided to make it an annual event.

Top Patrol

The Viking Patrol of Scout Troop 1171, sponsored by the Anaheim Ninth Ward, Anaheim California Stake, received the top score at the Southern California Camporal at the Los Angeles County Fair. For three days the patrols were judged on public relations, Scouting skills, camping skills, and personal care. The Viking Patrol gave continuous demonstrations on earthquake preparation.

She’s an Orator

Corinne Simmons took top honors at the Optimist Club Pacific Northwest District Oratorical Contest. She had previously won local and regional contests. She is from the Meridian Third Ward, Meridian Idaho Stake.

The Mormon Way
by Teena Kimble
(Bookcraft, $5.95)

New converts are sometimes bewildered by the whole new way of life that becoming a Mormon entails. Author Teena Kimble, herself a convert, understands that struggle well. She gives some delightful hints and explanations about living a Mormon life-style that lifelong members often take for granted. Her book is an introduction to the culture rather than the doctrine of the Church and contains many words of encouragement.

Award-winning Runner

School records in cross country and track both in the United States and in Europe belong to Mike Moffitt. He graduated from Pascagoula High School in Pascagoula, Mississippi, but for the preceding three years, he attended the International School of Brussels. He was named a United States National Track Award Winner, having earned eight letters in track during his four years of high school.

Mike is now from the Pascagoula Ward, Mobile Alabama Stake.

Temple Garment for Military Personnel

The First Presidency has approved a crew-neck top for the two-piece temple garment for men serving in the military forces. This top meets military requirements to wear crew-neck T-shirts. At present, these tops will be sold only to members serving in the military forces, including active duty, reserve, and National Guard due to limited quantities available. Certification of military status by the person’s military commander, bishop, LDS chaplain, group leader, or other military or Church official will serve as proof of military status when ordering the temple garment for military personnel. As soon as production permits, the top will be available for all members.

The new top is available through the Beehive Clothing distribution center only and may be purchased in person or by mail order as a special order item at Beehive Clothing, 1665 Bennett Road, P.O. Box 27287, Salt Lake City, Utah 84127. The cost is $2.65 each, plus shipping charges if ordered by mail.

Model UN Delegate

Mark Todd Bramwell of the Cascais Branch, Lisbon Portugal Mission was selected, along with high school students throughout the world, to attend a model United Nations at The Hague in the Netherlands. The group gathered to learn about the United Nations and debate current world problems.

Mark is the only member of the Church in his high school in Lisbon.

100 Percenters in Denmark

For four consecutive years, 100 percent of the monthly home study class in the northern part of the Aarhus Denmark Stake completed their seminary work. With 33 students in 1981, the group, scattered throughout five wards, met for a monthly lesson with their seminary supervisor Leif Klitgaard.

Jan Jensen, 17, of the Frederikshavn Ward says, “If people ask me what program for the youth I like best, I answer without hesitation, seminary.” Hella Skyrum Larsen of Herning comments, “I appreciate seminary for helping me progress in the Church and for teaching me the value of making right decisions.”

“When I started seminary,” says Kirsten H. Jensen, “I had not planned to be baptized for a long time. As I studied the scriptures and the seminary lessons, I gained a greater desire to become a member of the Church.” Kirsten was baptized two months after starting the seminary program.

National Wrestling Champ

At age 16, Ryan Western from Delta, Utah, was the national AAU wrestling champion in his heavyweight division. The following year, his senior year, he pinned every opponent he was matched against and took the state championship in his division. He was chosen as an All American. He went on to compete in the Junior Olympics.

Besides wrestling, Ryan is interested in football, Scouting, and Church activities.

President Kimball Speaks Out
(Deseret Book, $5.95)

If you have been enjoying the special series “President Kimball Speaks Out” in the New Era, now you can have all nine articles in one book. A new publication by Deseret Book entitled President Kimball Speaks Out is a compilation of the New Era articles on morality, testimony, service to others, journals, tithing, profanity, being a missionary, administration to the sick, and planning your life. It is timeless counsel for young people at a crucial time of life.

Youth Extractors: A Special Calling

by Alan Longstaff

Don’t tell the youth of the Sandy Utah Crescent North and Sandy Utah Granite stakes that extracting has something to do with a trip to the dentist. They know better, having been heavily involved in the genealogical name extraction program during school vacation.

Name extraction is an activity introduced by President Kimball which he described as “second-mile service.” In name extraction, parish registers are provided by the Church to stakes, and local members, after a short training session in deciphering the old handwriting, extract names and dates from these registers. This information is transmitted to the Church and temple ordinances are performed for each individual listed on the parish registers. Currently over 600 stakes are involved in this program and are providing 90 percent of the names that keep the temples operating at present capacities.

The Sandy Utah Crescent North Stake had two microfilms containing records from the German village of Beckum in the Rhineland. The records covered the years 1690 to 1824 and contained nearly 9,500 names. The Sandy Utah Granite Stake was assigned registers in French.

The stake youth became involved in this particular project during their summer vacation. At a fireside the project was explained to the young people who were enthusiastic about the assignment they received to help. After personal interviews with their bishops and stake presidents, special calls were extended to young men and women to labor in the youth name extraction program.

“We explained that they would need to consider their calling as a sacred responsibility,” said Mark Crookston, the high council representative of the Sandy Utah Crescent North Stake assigned to the project. “We emphasized to them the need to be prayerful and seek the Spirit since it is so vital that the entries be extracted correctly. We also expected them to labor at least eight hours per week without fail at the viewing machines because it was crucial that the project be completed before school started again.”

After a short training session in deciphering the old German and French script and some practice in filling out the cards, extracting work began.

“Our program was open to the youth extractors five days each week from 8:00 to 4:30,” said Violet Joosten, the program scheduler and one of the adult helpers. “These young people were totally committed to their calling and were so excited to be able to extract the names. We had two four-hour shifts each day and five machines going nonstop. It was difficult for us adult helpers to get home to put dinner on for our families because the youth wanted to work later than 4:30.”

“One reason for the excitement,” said Charlotte Evans, a 14-year-old extractor, “was that all of us immediately recognized that these 9,500 names were real people. We just couldn’t get away.”

“After all, they are Heavenly Father’s children with the same hopes and dreams as us,” chimed in Doug Jensen, 18. “The only difference is, they were born in another time frame when the gospel and its blessings were not available to them.”

“It was like they reached out to us,” said Tami Rasmussen. “It was so overwhelming and is hard to describe. We all knew that we were doing something really vital for these people of that little village by identifying them before the Lord in this extraction work.”

“I think that by helping in the extraction program,” said Dorrene Harman, “I have been helped to better understand the importance of genealogy work. I am glad that I had this opportunity to work in the extraction program, and I hope someday I will be able to meet these people.”

Conference Classics
by Thomas S. Monson
(Deseret Book, $3.95)

Elder Thomas S. Monson has an unforgettable way with words. Now in a new publication from Deseret Book, six of Elder Monson’s classic conference speeches are preserved. Based on intriguing analogies and scriptural references, Elder Monson’s speeches are a treat to read and reread.

Turning Points
(Bookcraft, $4.95)

What happens when your life reaches a turning point, when your decisions could have eternal consequences? Sixteen outstanding members of the Church who have accomplished much in both their occupations and their personal lives tell of those moments in their lives that have been turning points.

Starfire
by Gordon Allred
(Deseret Book, $6.95)

A new novel by Gordon Allred tells of a 12-year-old boy who discovers joy in hummingbirds and in the friendship of an adopted grandfather. A great lesson is learned from his relationship with a hummingbird he calls Starfire. Restricted by a painful hip disease, the boy struggles to conquer his fears.

A Tomato Experience

When the South Weber First Ward, Ogden Weber Utah Stake, had an unused field next to the chapel, they put it to good use. The youth of the ward grew tomatoes. They planted 13,000 tomato plants on the 2 1/2 acres of ground. The tomato plot was the result of a challenge given the young people of the ward by the bishop to raise money to support their own activities.

For many, raising the tomatoes was their first experience in gardening. The project, spearheaded by Annette Gardner, had the ward’s teens making arrangements with a local greenhouse for the plants, organizing the plot into rows, and preparing the soil. After the plot was planted, each teen was assigned a row to care for. They were in charge of weeding, nurturing, and harvesting their row. They often spent the time before youth activities each week in the tomato patch, with additional time throughout the week required to properly care for the tomato patch.

“The calloused hands and blisters from the hoes were eye-openers to many,” says Sister Gardner. “The youth are proud of their rows. Some have made signs to identify their rows.”

After the harvest, a party was held to present awards for the best row sign and for the biggest and funniest tomatoes.

The tomato plot had some unexpected side benefits. Often whole families showed up to help their son or daughter with his or her row. Younger brothers and sisters got involved. It turned out to be a good family project and ward members became closer.