To all my LDS friends

Dear Liahona Magazine Reader,

My name is Victor Cave. I work alongside the staff of the Church magazines in Salt Lake City, Utah. One of our good editors, Melissa Merrill, works for the Liahona Magazine.

She is writing an article, for the adult members of the Church, about strengthening young men and young women ages 12¬- 18, by helping them have their own spiritual experiences.

For this article, she would be pleased to receive stories from parents, readers of youth, and youth themselves about times when they felt the Spirit, gained their own testimony, found a solution in the scriptures, received an answer to prayer, etc.

Melissa is very interested in receiving practical ideas about things leaders and parents can do to foster an environment where youth can discover and build their own testimonies. In other words, what can a parent or leader do not to force a young person to obtain a testimony but to guide the youth and facilitate a testimony-building experience? Are there things they can do at home? In classes on Sunday? At youth activities?

Please feel free to use as many or as few words as you need to tell your story. It can be written in any language, and sent directly to Melissa Merrill by e-mail at melissa@ldschurch.org by August 1, 2011.

If you have any questions, please contact Melissa directly.

Thank you so very much for your help.
Victor Cave
Curriculum Department

P.S. You may also forward this e-mail message to other parents or leaders of youth, inviting them to participate in the same way.