“The Spirit was so so strong and we invited them to come join us at church this past Sunday. They said they would be there! And for the first time in 19 years Juan came back and felt that same special Spirit he remembered as a kid and was able to help his family feel the same!” -Elder Hoffman

“The only thing keeping us from receiving His blessings is our own unwillingness to align our plan with His. When the still, small voice of the Spirit tells you what to do then, my advice is simple: listen, whether it's in your plan or not.” -Elder James Cole Dennis

Meet Elder Huffaker from the Glens Falls NY who is currently serving a mission in the México Querétaro Mission.

10 year old Evie with the Albany 1st share her experiences with attending the Albany NY Stake Primary Event

“A person may not be able to list all the prophets of the church, name all the books of scripture, or know the words to popular hymns. However, a person can live the gospel when all they do is simply live like Christ did. Living like Christ did and following the restored gospel principles of love, service, and faith are great ways in which we can show ourselves and others that we have a testimony of this church.”

“The opportunity to serve the Lord in Las Vegas and to teach His wonderful sons and daughters has helped me to understand just a little bit more how much our Heavenly Father loves and cares about each one of us. When we are motivated by love, we will not be afraid to share the gospel, because we know it is God's message to His children. “

Women from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints this past spring joined forces with Catholic Charities to help support families at the Schoharie Valley domestic violence shelter.

“So as I strive to be the best that I can be to serve others I am sending out a call to all those who are on the fence about going on a mission saying, DO IT! You won’t regret it. Just keep on pushing forward and let the Lord guide you.” Elder Joshua Fugal

“Frequent close interaction while serving with others will not only bless those we serve but also create bonds of propinquity that will help us deal positively with our differences.”

“It's been a beautiful time for our family as we’ve helped him prepare.“

‘You never know when a little prompting will lead to something so much more than you expect.”

“Seminary taught me a lot about discipline and about waking up early, of course, but it also helped me learn to accept the fact that my life is only as in control as God will allow it which also allows me to trust more in Him and let Him guide me more in my decisions. And it’s also really strengthened my testimony even more so to the point where I have absolutely no doubt that I'm in the correct place I need to be and I feel that the knowledge I've gained is irreplaceable. It is probably the best four years I’ve had despite all the numerous trials that I’ve had and I would do it all again if I could.”

“My testimony has been strengthened by my participation in seminary over the past 4 years by just the little things. I’ve enjoyed the constant studying of the gospel and applying it in my life each day. It really helped me know how to live the gospel, to know how to see personal revelation and see Christ work in my life. I found He worked within me the same as He worked in the lives of those in the scriptures, and that helps me with my testimony of the truth of those scriptures and the truth of the church. “

“My participation in seminary has helped me strengthen my testimony by further studying the scriptures like the New Testament, Doctrine & Covenants, Old Testament, and The Book of Mormon. It helped me not only understand the doctrine but to live the doctrine and apply it in my life. And as I live the doctrine from the examples in the scriptures I was able to improve myself and strengthen my testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ”.

“Once you know something through the Spirit you are able to figure it out for yourself and understand the parts that are really personal to you and what really the gospel means to you.”

“Participating in seminary every day has allowed me to enjoy many spiritual experiences. I've been able to feel the Spirit and not only been able to learn but also apply the doctrine that I've learned from all the different books of scripture into my life. Seminary has also given me a foundation for the gospel knowledge that is essential for the other aspects of my life and for my preparation as a full-time missionary in Buenos Aires, Argentina for the next two years. Participating in seminary has given me the opportunities to strengthen my testimony and gospel understanding on a daily basis.”

I developed a strong relationship with the Lord as I have gotten to know Him when we would just read small scriptures or even a long verse of scripture. It was just the little words that would stand out to me. After a long school day, I would go back and learn more about it. It's always fun to take something away from seminary, and then going back to seminary I would get something different again. It was just really fun.

And I have definitely been strengthened by the friendships I have made. It was great to get to know everyone as a person. It was just a really good experience and I would definitely recommend staying in seminary.

“I know that He knows us more than we know ourselves. He knows our capacities and abilities to overcome trials and challenges. We can overcome everything as long as we have faith in Him and trust in His plan.”