What’s Up?

“Modesty in dress and manner will assist in protecting against temptation.”
President Gordon B. Hinckley, “Stay on the High Road,” Ensign, May 2004, 114.

They Spoke to Us

Many of the general conference talks have messages directed to you, the youth of the Church. Here are just a few ideas of ways to apply the messages to your life. You can read all the conference talks in the May Ensign and Liahona magazines.

• President Hinckley tells about a dream Joseph F. Smith had when he was 15 years old. It changed young Joseph’s life, and it can change yours too. See “I Am Clean.”

• Read about some of the things Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin learned through playing football in “Life’s Lessons Learned.”

• “Now is the time to prepare for your decade of decisions,” says Elder Robert D. Hales. He gives a lot of great ideas that will help you make the decisions now that will shape your future.

To find more conference stories and quotes for youth, go online to the New Era in the Gospel Library at www.lds.org. You can also read, listen to, or watch these talks online at www.lds.org.

Recognizing the Power of God

The scripture passages below illustrate examples of the power of God and show what the priesthood can do. Read each passage and match it to the correct picture.

Genesis 1:1 __________

Mark 14:22–24 __________

John 11:39–44 __________

John 9:1–7 __________

3 Nephi 11:21 __________

Helaman 12:9–17 __________

Paintings by Walter Ranes, Ted Henninger, Del Parson, Greg Olsen, Paul Mann, and Robert Barrett

Keys to Success

Years of practicing the piano paid off for Stephen Beus when he took home first prize in the Gina Bachauer International Artists Piano Competition last September. His performance of Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto secured him the first-place award.

Stephen, who grew up in Othello, Washington, had to compete against people from all over the world, including Japan, Russia, and Germany, in this international competition, which is held in Salt Lake City.

However, this was not the first time Stephen has competed in the Bachauer competition. When he was 11, he took part in the junior division and placed fifth. Three years later, in 1996, Stephen competed again in the junior division and took first place. A few years later, Stephen put his piano career on hold for two years to serve a full-time mission in Finland. Read about why he did it in “Playing a Different Tune” from the August 2001 New Era.

Hardworking Texas Teens

More than 35 youth from the Austin Texas Stake recently joined forces with other youth from the Austin area to complete a beautification project at Pioneer Farms, a living history museum. As part of a service project organized by the stake, the teens planted 116 trees and shrubs and cleared away seven tractor-trailer loads of brush and debris.

“The teens worked hard and kept asking what more they could do to help,” said Angela Walters, the museum’s volunteer coordinator.

“It really felt like we helped to transform the farm,” said Rachael Long, a Laurel from the Pflugerville Ward who worked to plant trees. “After we planted the trees, it really changed the look of the park. It was hard work, but really fun at the same time.”

Sister Margaret Easthope, Young Women president of the Pflugerville Ward, said the youth had a good time working together and were excited to see the difference their efforts made. “The youth gained a greater appreciation of what hard work means, and what it takes to plant so many trees!” Sister Easthope said.

Photograph courtesy of the Van Cliburn Foundation

Photograph courtesy of the Austin Texas Stake