The Parable of the Pebbles
- Written by Author Unknown
The old man was very weak and his reply was short - “I am beyond help but thank you. I will give you some advice though – Collect as many stones and pebbles as you can before you cross the next river.”
The Earth and Man
- Written by Dr. James E. Talmage
Let us not try to wrest the scriptures in an attempt to explain away what we can not explain. The opening chapters of Genesis, and scriptures related thereto, were never intended as a text-book of geology, archaeology, earth-science or man-science. Holy Scripture will endure, while the conceptions of men change with new discoveries. We do not show reverence for the scriptures when we misapply them through faulty interpretation.
Somebody's Child
- Written by Frederick Douglass
The iron rule of the plantation, always passionately and violently enforced in that neighborhood, makes flogging the penalty of failing to be in the field before sunrise in the morning, unless special permission be given to the absenting slave. “I went to see my child,” is no excuse to the ear or heart of the overseer.
Ten Things Not to Do on Your Mission (That I Did on Mine)
- Written by Jerry Johnston
This is an open letter to Derek: 10 things not to do on a mission, that I did do on mine. To the relief of many—and disappointment of others—I won’t include winking at women or sampling the local wines, though some might say the mistakes I made were just as grave.
What Are the Blessings of a Mission? Can Ye Tell?
- Written by Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone
When I interviewed this elder, I asked him how he was doing financially. His eyes clouded up, and he said was really trying, but his folks weren’t sending him quite enough. He said, “President, I haven’t been wasting. I haven’t eaten anything for three days, trying to cut back.” Then he said, “Even my little sister is helping. She received a one-dollar bill for her birthday, and she put it in an envelope and sent it to me because she thought I needed it more than she did.” Then he wept openly.
Speech in the Tabernacle
- Written by John F. Kennedy
Tonight I speak for all Americans in expressing our gratitude to the Mormon people - for their pioneer spirit, their devotion to culture and learning, their example of industry and self-reliance. But I am particularly in their debt tonight for their successful battle to make religious liberty a living reality…
Angel on a Doorstep
- Written by Shirley Bachelder
“She was a pretty woman,” he said, “with six children and another on the way. She was always saying, ‘I’m going to pay you soon, when my husband gets a second job.’ I believed her. What a fool I was! I thought I was doing a good thing, but I’ve learned my lesson. I’ve been had!”
The Gift of the Magi
- Written by O. Henry
Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks with the powder rag. She stood by the window and looked out dully at a gray cat walking a gray fence in a gray backyard. Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a present.
An Encounter in India
- Written by My Father
He was a little taller than my waist and very dark skinned. He was also thin as a bone. I noticed that his little arm was only about as big around as my thumb. My heart went out to him and I gave him another 10 rupees which he gladly accepted with a smile then caught my eye and motioned for me to look at his feet. I was shocked...
Tragedy or Destiny
- Written by Spencer W. Kimball
The daily newspaper screamed the headlines: “Plane Crash Kills 43. No Survivors of Mountain Tragedy,” and thousands of voices joined in a chorus: “Why did the Lord let this terrible thing happen?”