Index for uplifting, faith-building stories and vignettes
I have categorized the following stories into “RELIGIOUS” and “SECULAR”. The listing of the religious stories is first, followed by the secular listing. If you have some uplifting stories and would like to have them included on this page, please send me them to me. I will be delighted to add them to the listings, giving credit to you by name. You can email me at [email protected]. Also, there is a wonderful website hosted by Harold Rust that contains many great stories from the scriptures, from General Conference talks, and other sources. It can be found at www.characterqualitystories.com. You can email Harold at [email protected] also.
** RELIGIOUS stories or experiences **
- “All your life!”: Elder Marvin J. Ashton’s quest to gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon
- An Address: a 1907 declaration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Apostates: the action of apostates, by Joseph Smith
- Beehive Requirements from 1916: if you thought earning your Beehive award was hard, read this!
- Blueprint for life: the shortest, best, high school graduation talk ever given, by Aubry Alldredge
- Book of Mormon: “I, for one,…”, by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
- Book of Mormon: the most unusual book in all the world, by Elder Glen L. Rudd
- Bullying at church: thoughts about dealing with bullying, especially in the Church
- Call of Duty: a great lesson learned from the training of champion Arabian stallions
- Cherokee Legend: a fascinating recounting of how young Cherokees became men
- Children, dear children: what Heavenly Father might say to us if he were to write us a letter
- Christmas Initiative: Light The World, sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Christmas Wish List: President Hunter’s inspired Christmas suggestion from 1994 — a classic!
- Christopher Columbus: Christopher Columbus, The Book of Mormon, and the Gathering of Israel, by Robert Starling
- Clothes Encounters: what low-riding pants do or don’t do for your image, by Judith Rasband
- Companionship of the Holy Ghost: wonderful insights by Elder David A. Bednar
- Confessions of a Mormon bishop: things that one bishop learned from his ward members
- Confidence: 10 ways to boost your confidence, from the August 2019 Ensign magazine
- Confidence in Marriage: a beautiful and meaningful explanation of the aspects of ‘Confidence’
- Courage in the face of adversity: Elder John Taylor defies a mob
- Courage in the face of peer pressure: an inspiring story of a courageous youth, related by Brother Steve Owen
- Courage in the face of persecution: two young men risk their lives for the Prophet Joseph Smith
- Dedication to the Gospel of Our Lord: Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball leave their families to serve missions
- Desks and Patriotism: read this touching true story about a very wise teacher and the lesson she taught her pupils
- Diamonds: a lesson about life from a diamond salesman
- Donuts and the Atonement: a poignant and unforgettable Seminary lesson
- Earth statistics: amazing facts and figures about our planet and its inhabitants in 2022
- Easter: The Bunny or the Lamb: the symbolism of Easter and Christman, by David Kenison
- Egyptian Language and the Book of Mormon: some fascinating reflections on the Book of Mormon by a native Egyptian
- Eight Ways God Can Speak To You: a wonderful BYU devotional talk by President Dallin H. Oaks
- Ellen Neibaur: hardship and a pair of shoes
- Enthusiasm: the very foundation of a productive life
- Evil – Does it really exist?: did God create evil, is God himself evil?
- Eye-sight miracle: a wonderful story of a healing miracle, at the hands of Elder Harold B. Lee
- Faith: The answer to fear and doubt, by Ralph Beebe
- Family Crucibles : highlights from an article by E. Jeffrey Hill, helping us to find peace in trying times
- Fifteen Invitations: 15 invitations from General Conference, October 2022
- Five Finger Prayer: a sweet reminder of who and what we should pray for.
- Five Things to Remember: wonderful advice from Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf
- Flee to Zion: should Latter-day Saints move as close to Salt Lake City as possible?
- Foolish Bird, The: a poignant parable by Elder David A. Bednar
- Funeral of President Gordon B. Hinckley: a wonderful example of the importance of families in the LDS church
- George Albert Smith’s Creed: President Smith truly lived by this beautiful creed
- Glass for the St. George Tabernacle: a remarkable story of faith and answered prayers
- Goals: basic spiritual goals for families and individuals
- God DOES exist!: a beautiful analogy
- God vs. Science: an atheistic university professor meets his match
- Good Sportsmanship: a moving account of an event in which sportsmanship was valued more than winning
- Grandpa’s Hands: lessons from my grandpa’s hands
- Gratitude: a remedy for all things that currently plague our world, by President Russell M. Nelson
- Gratitude: some wonderful quotes on an important Christ-like quality
- Green Thing: an elderly woman explains that the ‘green thing’ did not exist back in ‘her days’
- Guidelines for a happy and fulfilling life: wonderful suggestions from Elder George I Cannon
- Happiness: ‘…most putts don’t drop…’; achieving happiness; wonderful thoughts from President Gordon B. Hinckley
- Happiness Bank Account: old age is like a bank account; we can only withdraw what we have put in
- Hinckley, Gordon Bitner: the story behind the hymn that was sung at President Hinckley’s funeral, by Janice Kapp Perry
- How Will I Be Remembered?: by Elder Tad Callister
- Immigration: a Church statement on immigration, issued in June 2011
- “It is well with my soul” and Horatio Spafford: the touching story of the words to this famous hymn
- John Glenn’s hero: a touching story about astronaut John Glenn and his wife
- Joseph Smith and the Devil: Parley P. Pratt’s humorous dialogue between Joseph and Lucifer
- Joseph Smith, his martyrdom: the reflections of Captain Dan Jones on the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum
- Judging Others: a story about Harvard and Stanford and gross misjudgment of character
- Kentucky Derby or a mission, the: the true story of Johnny Burton’s sacrifice for the Lord
- Kolob Theorem: some interesting thoughts from Lynn M. Hilton concerning ‘eternity’
- Led by the Spirit in the Dominican Republic: Sister Flavia Salazar Gomez and Elder Glen L. Rudd
- LeGrand Richards proposes: Elder Richards proposed to his future bride in a unique but heart-warming way
- Lehi’s transoceanic voyage: questions by Dr. John L. Sorenson
- Lincoln and Kennedy: fascinating similarities in the lives of these two Presidents
- Lothropp, John: a timeless prayer offered by the Reverend John Lothropp, a courageous Separatist in England in the 1600’s
- Love: show and tell your love to your family, by George D. Durrant
- Making A Difference: even the smallest act of service can have dramatic results
- McKay, President David O. McKay: three stories about this remarkable prophet
- Memorial Day: inspiring thoughts for the month of May, from Dr. Charles Brimhall and his staff
- Men, God Give Us: Josiah Holland’s stirring lines about the type of men we need today
- Mindfulness: Could people really walk past a world-class violinist and not appreciate his music?
- Most Putts Don’t Drop: happiness; wonderful thoughts from President Gordon B. Hinckley
- New Years’ Resolutions: here are some great resolutions if you need help with your list
- One Century Ago: what a difference a century makes! Some statistics from 100 years ago.
- One For The Money: a classic talk by Apostle Marvin J. Ashton concerning wise financial and fiscal principles
- Open Grave, The : a Samoan young man is literally raised from the dead; a story of faith
- Pain: comments about physical pain the family of Bret Riggle included on the program at Bret’s funeral, 2024
- Parables of Jesus: some basic considerations concerning Christ’s parables
- Prayer in America: Andy Rooney’s perspective on prayer in America (and the rest of the world, for that matter)
- Prayer, Andy Rooney’s thoughts on: an interesting perspective on today’s agnosticism
- Prayer, the power of: a miraculous rescue during the Korean War, resulting from a prayer of faith
- President Eisenhower and Elder Ezra Taft Benson: a sweet story from President Benson’s life
- President Kimball: unfazed by disturbance
- President Monson’s Letters: two letters from Elder Monson change a man’s life forever
- Privilege of Obedience: a young Heber J. Grant puts the Lord in his debt through obedience and faith
- Prophet’s Wife, A: Sister Kimball’s timeless quote about being married to a prophet
- Raised from the dead: a Samoan young man is literally raised from the dead; a true story of faith
- Relationships, 21 wonderful ideas regarding: ideas for healthy relationships
- Religious freedom: five reasons why President Camille N. Johnson cares deeply about religious freedom
- Religious liberty: the cornerstones of religious liberty, shared by Elder Robert D. Hales
- Remember and Give Thanks: an uplifting poem by Jace Southwick
- Revelation: Elder Bednar’s five points of emphasis concerning ‘Revelation’
- Ridges, Joseph: Joseph Harris Ridges and Luke Syphus
- Rock, The: a story with an expected ending, displaying the importance of obedience and persistence
- Sacraments of daily living, The: a wonderful poem by Helen Lowrie Marshall
- Sacrificing for a Mission: a young man parts with his most prize possession to finance his mission
- Safeguards: The Five Safeguards to spirituality; the Five T’s
- Santa Claus: no Santa Claus? Humbug!
- Search, The: a young boy rescued by a diligent search; our scripture study should involve intense searching also
- Service in a field of beets: a story of grief and gratitude
- Snowman: What if we built a snowman? A sweet story of service.
- Socialism: a sobering look at a failed system through the eyes of a college professor
- Suffering: Why does God allow suffering?
- Temples: LDS temples share the blame! Why do Utahns live so long?
- Ten Things: Ten things the Devil does not want you to know, by Robert Starling
- Test: Is this mortal life a ‘test’? Interesting Elders’ Quorum experience
- Thanksgiving: President Lincoln’s ‘Thanksgiving Message’ of 1863
- The Lord Looketh on the Heart: a remarkable true story about tithing faithfulness and the ‘outward appearance’!
- The Open Grave: a remarkable story of faith from the islands of Samoa
- The Sow to her Wallowing?: an engraver’s mistake humors a missionary’s family
- The Touch of the Master’s Hand: a beautiful poem about the worth of a soul
- Things I have learned since joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by Jim Young
- Three Marbles: the touching story of a modern-day Good Samaritan
- To Hear the Voice of the Lord!: Elder Harold B. Lee silences a critic
- Tragedy or destiny: could the Lord prevent all sorrow and heartbreak? President Spencer W. Kimball answers the question
- Twelve lessons learned in my life: by President Dallin H. Oaks
- Two Horses: good friends are not always seen, but they are always there
- Wayward children: have I failed as a parent if my children go astray?
- When They Are Learned: a brilliant, yet obedient brother stops asking questions and joins the church
- Wilford Woodruff raises his wife from the dead: an exceptional account of faith, obedience, and love
- Wilford Woodruff’s personal testimony: his testimony of Joseph Smith and the Restoration
- Wiramu Karaka stops flooding water: Wiramu Karaka (Wi Clark), a faithful Maori priesthood holder, commands flooding water to divert
- Wreckers, The?: do I lift or tear down?
** SECULAR, COMICAL, or POLITICAL stories, articles, or experiences **
- Anagrams: these word-rearrangements will surprise you!
- Bicycles: wise advice from bicycles to humans!
- Changing the world: would you change the world for the better? Admiral McRaven of the U.S. Navy gives ten ways to do it!
- Cheating death, by the numbers: extending or diminishing your life expectancy
- Condensation: if all the world’s population was condensed into 100 people…
- Core beliefs: try a new kind of fitness resolution
- Creation, The: my apologies to Australia
- Death of America, The: a sobering political commentary
- Eiffel, Gustave: meet Mr. Eiffel, the ultimate engineer
- English language: reasons why English is such a difficult language to master
- Garbage truck: the Law of the Garbage Truck
- Government woes: a depressing report on government spending
- “I am a Cougar fan, sir…”: a slight revision of the words to the Utah Fight Song, penned by Michael Taylor
- Irena Sendler: a sobering reminder about a remarkable woman
- Moving to St. George!: a hilarious viewpoint about life in St. George
- My Road to Cancellation: Professor Joel Peterson tells a sobering story of his dismissal from Stanford University; ‘wokeism’
- Noah’s Ark: lessons to be learned from Noah and his ark
- Ronald Reagan: the media’s treatment of President Reagan, then and now
- Sarah Palin: a very sobering story about a very good woman
- Scoutmaster, The: a tribute to Scoutmasters!
- Studying: how to study effectively, by Robert of Sorbonne, 13th Century wisdom
- Twenty-first century: a tongue-in-cheek jab at our current state of affairs
- Utah: some interesting facts about Utah
- Wet Pants!: might we always see the opportunities all around us to do good
- What have we learned?: according to Cicero, NOT MUCH!
- Words from Wise Men: where are these wise men when we truly need them!
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