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Fine Linebacker

Jackie Allred, a priest in the Gadsden Ward, Birmingham Alabama Stake, has achieved success on the football field. His team went undefeated and won the NACA (National Association of Christian Athletics) National Championship. Jackie was chosen for the national tournament team and for the southeastern regional team. He leads in defensive scoring.

Jackie also enjoys other sports. He attends seminary and sings in the ward choir.

Youth in Talladega

The Talladega Branch of the Birmingham Alabama Stake has seen quite a change in their youth programs. With several families with teens moving into the branch and several more joining within the past year, the youth are making their presence felt.

Troy Haney, 17, is an honor student and an all-county cornerback on the football team. Billy Harris, 12, is on the honor roll and received special commendation for conduct at his school. Pam and Jill Irwin, 17 and 15, have both learned sign language to serve as translators for a deaf member of the branch. Pam is in honor society and is a rifle twirler in the school band. Jill has won the Presidential Academic Fitness Award.

Brian Knepp, 17, is an artist and enjoys sketching. Sarah Mashburn, 17, enjoys making her own clothes and is the color guard commander in ROTC. Craig, Darcianne, and Jason Cook, 16, 15, and 14, enjoy woodworking. Craig won an award for his art in a scholastic art show, and Darcianne enjoys writing poetry and song lyrics. Jason is interested in building bicycles.

Stand Out

Janie Bell Holland of Athens, Texas, has been a good example in many areas of her life. As an excellent student and member of the school yearbook staff, Janie Bell was selected as Student of the Month by the local Optimist Club. She was also chosen as Miss Teenage Athens to represent her community in the Texas Sesquicentennial celebration.

In addition, Janie Bell enjoys playing the piano and dancing. She has served as president of her Laurel class in the Athens Ward, Gilmer Texas Stake.

Outstanding Girl

Jenifer Gurr of the Craig First Ward, Meeker Colorado Stake, is busy in both church and school activities. She serves as president of her high school DECA club, secretary of the Future Homemakers of America, and senior class secretary.

Jenifer also served as second counselor of her Laurel class and has been active in Young Women camp.

In addition, Jenifer enjoys spending time at home with her seven sisters and one brother.

Signs of Talent

Gerberta Royce of the Torrance Fourth (Deaf) Ward in the Torrance California North Stake has put her talents to good use. She runs on her high school’s varsity cross-country team. She enjoys writing poetry, which has been published in the school paper, and is an accomplished artist.

Gerberta has performed in several musicals and plays and uses her sign language ability in her ward choir. She has known sign language since she was young, and she uses it to communicate with her parents, who are deaf.

Trained in Music

Maria Kelsey, 19, Wolverhampton Ward, England, has earned her degree in drama and English at Loughborough University, plus a postgraduate degree in teaching.

Maria is a talented musician playing and singing in concerts and at weddings. In school, Maria helped write and direct a musical version of the play Peer Gynt. She also trained the singers.

Maria’s ambition is to open a school of music and drama for autistic children.

First Aid

When her nine-year-old cousin rushed in, bleeding badly from an injured arm, Terri Edwards, 13, approached the emergency calmly and correctly.

The youngster had torn his arm severely on a piece of metal. Terri remembered the first-aid training she received at girls’ camp and used clean cloths to stop the bleeding. While she kept pressure on the boy’s arm, she told her sister to call for help. The boy was rushed to the hospital where he had emergency surgery.

Terri received a commendation from the Madison County sheriff for the correct manner in which she responded to the emergency. Terri is a member of the Rexburg Seventh Ward, Rexburg Idaho Stake.

In the Band

Martha Thompson of Tempe, Arizona, was one of over a hundred musicians selected nationwide to participate in the McDonald’s All-American High School Band. Two musicians from each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, were chosen to participate in the band. Selection was based on the director’s recommendation, the student’s achievements, and a taped audition.

Martha plays french horn and has received awards for her musicianship. Her fellow band members elected her as their president.

Martha is the Laurel president and serves on the seminary council in the Tempe Sixth Ward.

Loves Music

Brian Smith of Pocatello, Idaho, loves music. He began playing the clarinet in sixth grade and continued through junior high and high school. He has also learned to play bass clarinet, tenor and alto saxophone, bagpipe, and percussion.

Brian received some outstanding awards for his musicianship in high school, including top jazz player and top band member. He was also given the service award for contributing the most to the band.

Brian has served in many leadership positions in his quorums in the Pocatello 23rd Ward, Pocatello Idaho Alameda Stake.

Pioneer Trek

by Kevin Livingstone

We had all heard stories about the pioneers. We were told of their perseverance trudging through miles of mud, of their intense suffering crossing the barren plains, and of their ever present hunger and incredible sacrifices. Remembering them, we felt a variety of emotions: interest, excitement, a touch of fear. The reason? The Taber Stake of Alberta, Canada, would be participating in a pioneer trek.

The group, youth and leaders, were divided into “families.” Each family selected a handcart and assembled it, loaded it with gear, and left civilization behind.

The first few miles weren’t bad; then we began to get hungry and tired. A couple of miles later we considered rebellion, but then the handcarts ahead of us started singing songs the pioneers might have sung. We pulled some more.

After a day and a half of pulling a handcart, we arrived at base camp, where a variety of activities had been planned. It started to rain, but that didn’t dampen any spirits. We ate roast turkey, learned new games, made candy, and danced the Virginia Reel.

Sunday was a special day with church meetings and an afternoon devoted to quiet times alone in study or meditation.

After returning home to the prospects of hot water and soft beds, good-byes were said and promises made to keep in touch. And tears were shed. Tears for friends we had grown to love; tears for the experiences we had just been through; and tears for the strength of the pioneers. But most of all, we shed tears because we had come to know our Heavenly Father and his deep love for each of us as individuals.

Busy Girl

Shawnee Lynn Johnson earned the nickname “Shawnee Sunshine” because she usually has a smile for everyone. Shawnee is busy from early morning with good activities.

Serving as seminary and Laurel class president, she is also the president of her senior class at high school. She belongs to and holds offices in many clubs in school and in the community.

Shawnee maintains high grades and participates in the school media class that broadcasts school news every day over the school television station, and she acts as photographer as well as editor for the yearbook.

In the community, Shawnee has placed in several local pageants based on service activities, scholarship, appearance, and poise.

“My advice to other young people in the Church is to live gospel standards,” says Shawnee. “Be a loyal friend, and if you want to enter a competition or do something for self-improvement, go for it.”

Shawnee is a member of the Connersville Indiana Ward, Dayton Ohio Stake.

Appalachia Project

Thirteen young people from the Towson Ward, Baltimore Maryland Stake, spent a week of their summer vacation working on the Appalachia Service Project. The interdenominational project uses volunteer labor to make substantial repairs on the homes of the economically disadvantaged families in Appalachia.

“At the beginning I was uneasy because I didn’t know how to use building tools,” said Jennifer Swartz, “but I was happy to find that I could learn to use them.”

“The lady householder we helped was really interesting and a very nice person,” said Jennifer Chon. “She was very poor but very kind, and in addition to raising her own children alone, she took in other children when they needed homes.”

“I really learned how much I have and how much some others do not have,” said Brian Washburn.

The young people enjoyed meeting groups from other churches and working together with love in their hearts.

Many Avenues

Todd Hudson of Victoria, British Columbia, has many talents and interests that keep him busy. Not only a fine athlete and scholar, Todd has let his creativity guide him into some avenues just for fun.

During his senior year, Todd organized an effort at his high school to break the world record for the largest bowl of strawberries. The proceeds from selling helpings of the strawberries topped with ice cream were used to defray graduation expenses for his class. He was selected as valedictorian of his class and received the Governor of Canada’s Medal for the highest marks on provincial and scholarship exams.

In addition, Todd has volunteered for a year at a children’s hospital. In school he played varsity basketball and volleyball and won the best supporting actor award. He also served as seminary president.

Even though the closest temple is six hours away, Todd attends regularly to do baptisms for the dead. He also served as a stake youth missionary before entering college.

Todd is a member of the Sidney Ward, Victoria British Columbia Stake.

From the North Pole

Five seminary students in Barrow, Alaska, hold the distinction of being the northernmost seminary class in the world. The students live on the shore of the Beaufort Sea, 315 miles north of the Arctic Circle. The class consists of Anela and Selena Kapaka, Katy and Jacob Miller, and Lovee Kimball.

Shirts and Ties

The Bountiful (Utah) 42nd Ward wanted to give the shirts off their backs, but instead they arranged to buy some. New white shirts were purchased to be given to native missionaries entering the Chilean Missionary Training Center.

President Dave Lloyd, a member of the Bountiful Utah Mueller Park Stake, was serving as president of the Chilean Missionary Training Center. He and his wife returned to the United States while he underwent surgery. When President and sister Lloyd returned to Chile, they took the donated shirts and ties with them to aid missionaries entering the mission field in Chile.

Grand Champ

Jennifer Hayman, 15, of the Lafayette (Indiana) Ward has been rewarded for her hard work and for keeping the Sabbath day holy.

Jennifer and her four-year-old quarter horse, “Something Savvy,” won the overall grand champion gelding prize at the Indiana State Fair. Interested in training, Jennifer has shown horses since she was seven. She was once told by a trainer that she needed to show on Sundays; otherwise she would never have enough experience to make it to the top. Jennifer and her family chose not to participate in Sunday horse shows. “I guess we showed them it can be done,” said Jennifer.

Without labor nothing prospers.
—Sophocles

Jacki Allred

Left to right: Pam and Jill Irwin

Janie Bell Holland

Jenifer Gurr

Gerberta Royce

Maria Kelsey

Terri Edwards

Martha Thompson

Brian Smith

Shawnee Lynn Johnson

Todd Hudson

Jennifer Hayman and “Something Savvy”