Reader’s Guide

Creative ideas for using this issue of the New Era.

Family Home Evening Ideas

• Read aloud the testimonies of the First Presidency starting on page 4. If appropriate, ask your parents, grandparents, or brothers and sisters to bear their testimonies during family home evening. With everyone’s permission, consider recording their testimonies to keep with your family history. The words of testimony from those you love can become a valuable treasure in the future.

Young Men and Young Women Activity Ideas

• With your leaders’ approval, prepare as a group to sing the song “My Testimony” on page 14. To learn the song, you might include it in your opening exercises on Sundays or in Mutual during the week. Contact your ward music director for assistance or to see if there might be a time to perform the song for the ward.

Seminary Devotional

• Come prepared with a tape recorder and a tape you have made ahead of time with several 10-second clips of harmless popular songs or commercials. Avoid inappropriate selections. Ask the class members to identify on a piece of paper each song or commercial as it is played. Then play several 10-second clips of the prophet and General Authorities speaking in last general conference. Ask the class to identify each speaker. Then ask the class which voices of those you have played are the most significant for us to recognize and to follow. Read together D&C 1:38.

Personal Improvement

• If you are wondering if you really “know” your scriptures, follow the advice given to the author of “How Can You Know?” on page 26. Decide to pray before you read your scriptures each day so that you will understand the things you are reading and studying.

• You’ve heard others say that bearing your testimony helps strengthen it. Review the advice in Idea List on page 44. Next time you have an opportunity to bear your testimony, overcome your fears and speak from your heart. You’ll not only help strengthen your own testimony, but you might help someone else.

• Read Q&A on page 16 about having doubts. Take comfort in the fact that having questions and searching for answers can be a wonderful experience. Write down your questions and carry them with your scriptures. Then as the subjects come up in Sunday School, seminary, or family home evening, you can discuss them with your teachers or parents.

• Carefully remove the poster on page 19 and put it on a wall where you can see it often. Read the story of Thomas in the New Testament in John 20:24–29. Also read Alma 32:21.