We went on a hike up a steep hill that was slippery from snow and had trees and other woodland obstacles. My older nephew was able to make it up the hill more or less by himself, while my younger nephew required my help. So we hiked the hill hand in hand and followed the trail blazed by his older brother.

As I helped my younger nephew and called out for the older one to wait for us, or to be careful, I found myself in an allegory. The times we learn most in this life are often the ones that are most challenging. My young nephew came to a branch in the pathway and looked at me for help, but I told him he could do it. He tried and with some intense two-year-old effort, he made it. Heavenly Father is always there to help us, but often lets us try it ourselves: He wants us to realize what we are capable of.

At a point in my life where school work, decisions about my future, and being pulled in nine million different directions, it was a comfort for me to know that Heavenly Father was expecting me to figure a lot of these things out on my own. Not because he had given up on me or didn’t care, but because he wanted me to realize my potential and abilities.

Just like my nephews, in God’s eyes I need a lot of help, especially up those slippery hills. He’s there and let’s me learn from these challenges. As Parley P. Pratt reflected, his trials refined him into what the Lord wanted him to be. So thanks little nephew, for calling me.

- Dan Shirley, Industrial Design Major and Education in Zion Student Gallery Educator

On a particular stressful day with a very long list of things to accomplish, I was walking through the exhibit and began to read about Susa Young Gate’s life. The first line of her display says “Susa Young Gates was a prolific writer, adept educator, advocate for Women’s rights, leader in the LDS Church, early organizer of the Church’s genealogy program, and mother of thirteen.”

My first thought was “I think she had a much longer to do list than I’ve ever had!” I began to read on about all the accomplishments she made throughout her life despite the many trials she frequently faced. Her influence was spread all around her, changing the lives of everyone she came in contact with.

Reading about Susa really inspired me to press on even when life gets busy or overwhelming. Her story has helped me appreciate the difficulties and stressful things in life that we are all often faced with. I’m sure there were times that Susa felt she had too much on her plate, or that a task was just too difficult to endure. Fortunately she never gave up and went on to influence so many lives, especially in education.

I encourage anyone who is having a busy and stressful day to come read a story in our gallery like Susa Young Gate’s life story. I promise you will not regret it!

- Stephanie Adams, Math Education Major and Education in Zion Gallery Educator

My mother always taught me to respect the scriptures: never throw them, put them on the floor, or ignore them – so many people have sacrificed so much for us to have them.

Growing up I’d heard stories about such sacrifices. John Wycliffe being declared a heretic for translating the New Testament. William Tyndale being burnt at the stake for publishing the Old and New Testaments. Caroline and Mary Elizabeth Rollins rescuing the Book of Commandments manuscript from mobs. And Joseph and Hyrum Smith dying for their testimonies of the Book of Mormon.

But there are also some that are less known: George Q. Cannon and Jonathan Napela consecrated over two years to translating the Book of Mormon into Hawaiian. Thomas Howard struggled for 3 years in pioneer Utah to produce paper for the printing of the Book of Mormon out of rags. George S. Reynolds worked on the first concordance of the scriptures for eighteen years: he even worked on it while he was incarcerated for his beliefs.

Sacrificing for the scriptures isn’t reserved for people born before 1830 though. Today there dozens of people who sacrifice everyday so that we can have the scriptures wherever we go: Gospel Library App workers.  Much of the work done to make Gospel Library Apps is done by volunteers. They have developed four free downloads: Mormon Channel, Gospel Library, LDS Tools and Scripture Mastery. These apps have literally touched the lives of thousands: they have been downloaded over 800,000 times since they were first released in 2009.

So as I finish reading the scriptures I carefully mark my place, glance at my alarm clock and start to calculate:  4 hours till wake up. My nose peaks over the edge of the bed as I carefully put my scriptures back down on the top of my pile of books. I couldn’t skip reading, not even for a night and I’m grateful.  After all, like my mother always told me, so many people sacrificed so much so I could have them.

—Anna Silver, Theater Education Major and Education in Zion Gallery Educator

It’s quite easy – even expected – for us to question the need for something when we don’t fully understand the reason why it was created in the first place.  In a small, unobtrusive space in Education in Zion, the history of Family Home Evening is told.

First Presidency, 1915

In the dawn of the 20th century, Joseph F. Smith and other leaders saw a problem.  Children and teenagers had so many auxiliary church programs dedicated to their spiritual education and welfare that they were receiving more instruction there than they were in their own homes.

Additionally, many parents saw teaching in the home as supplementary to the instruction their families received at Church, instead of the other way around.  Sadly, this apathetic mindset is still common today as many LDS parents send their kids off to Young Men/Young Women or Sunday School, considering that to be sufficient for their family’s spiritual instruction.

President Frank Taylor, Granite Stake

In an effort to free up more time for parents to spend with their children, President Smith put together a committee charged with reducing the overlap of the Church’s teaching organizations.  In 1907 this committee recommended that certain programs be merged (out of which came the Primary program as it functions today) and that all auxiliary organizations of the Church place more emphasis on teaching in the home.

In 1909 a stake president named Frank Taylor (son of President John Taylor) set aside Monday evenings for Home Evening in an effort to follow the Church’s emphasis on strengthening the family.

By the spring of 1915, “Family Home Evening” as it came to be known, had become so successful in that stake that President Smith and the First Presidency officially adopted it church-wide, proclaiming the following:

“If the Saints obey this counsel, we promise that great blessings will result.  Love at home and obedience to parents will increase.  Faith will be developed in the hearts of the youth of Israel, and they will gain power to combat the evil influence and temptations which beset them.”

John S. Boyer Family

So what is the big deal?

For nearly 100 years now, families and prophets have testified again and again of the protection and blessings experienced from participating in Family Home Evening.  It represents one of the biggest “deals” of our faith, the deal we made to God to take care of His children as our own – or perhaps in the case of us young adults on campus, the deal we made to bear one another’s burdens and comfort those in need of comfort.

What better opportunity to keep our covenants in extending a loving hand of social and spiritual enlightenment than to attend and participate in Family Home Evening?

- Adam Watson, Communications Major and Education in Zion Gallery Educator

As a former kid, and a current gallery educator at Education in Zion (EIZ), I can tell you from personal experience that the best place to be for FHE is EIZ.

Education in Zion is now open from 10am to 9pm on Mondays. This gives you, your families, and your FHE groups the opportunity to experience much of what the gallery has to offer. Each Monday evening, there are two great gallery educators who are more than ready and willing to give tours, answer questions, and provide helpful insights so that your FHE groups get to enjoy the full EIZ experience. We also offer special programs with costumed storytellers on the 2nd and 4th Monday evenings of each month. We hope that you will leave EIZ with a greater appreciation for the Church, its educational system, and your own personal worth as a son or daughter of God, which is worth much more than money. Come make Education in Zion the place to be for your Family Home Evening.

- Ben Simmons, Psychology Major and Education in Zion Student Gallery Educator