Reporter: Hello, this is Mary Primary reporting live for KLDS.  We’re here at the palace in Shushan, the capital of Persia, with hopes of an interview with the queen.  She should be passing by here any moment.  In fact, here she comes now.  Oh queen, queen!  Good morning your highness.  I appreciate your recognition of me and ask for time to interview you.

Esther: Your request is granted.

Reporter: Thank you.  My first question is concerning your place as queen of Persia.  You are a Jew, is that right?

Esther: That is true.

Reporter: How is it that a Jew managed to become the queen of Persia?

Esther: Well, my adopted father, Mordecai, who was working in the palace as a servant, suggested that I go before the king’s servant who was the keeper of the women.  I was blessed to be included in the group of fair maidens that were presented to the king for selection of his new wife.

Reporter: According to my background check your adopted father, Mordecai, is actually your cousin - isn’t that true?

Esther: Yes.  After my parents died he took me in and has treated my as his own child ever since.

Reporter: Now isn’t he the guy that caught two of the kings chamberlains plotting to kill the king - and exposed them?

Esther: That is correct.

Reporter: Now, I’m just guessing, but I take it the king didn’t know you were a Jew when you were chosen.  Is that right?

Esther: I did keep it from him at first because of the direction of Mordecai.  He felt is would be best to wait to tell the king.

Reporter: Now, before when you said “new wife”, it made me think that the king had a wife before you.

Esther: That is exactly right.  Vashti was his first wife.

Reporter: Can you tell us what happened to her?

Esther: Well, he divorced her because she disobeyed him.  During a time of great celebration and feasting, he called for her to come and present herself to the people to show her great beauty and she refused.
Reporter: So, she lost out because of that?

Esther: The king cannot allow anyone to show disrespect- especially not his wife.

Reporter: And, knowing that he was that strict, you wanted to be the next queen?

Esther: I consider it a great blessing and opportunity and in fact, I’m sure that I wouldn’t have been able to save my people if I hadn’t been chosen as the queen.

Reporter: Whoa! Wait a minute.  Save your people?  The Jews?  Save them from what?

Esther: The command to have all Jews put to death.

Reporter: I’m sorry but I’m not familiar with this event.  It sounds like something the people watching out there would want to hear about.  Do you have time to tell us this story?  Would you be willing to?

Esther: I would be glad to.  You see, as I told you, I was chosen from a group of maidens because the king thinks I’m beautiful and I was very pleasing to him.

Reporter: Well, I have to say I agree with him there!

Esther: That’s very kind of you.  So, Mordecai was still serving at the palace.  It wasn’t long before a man named Haman was promoted to be prince above all the other princes.  He was a very wicked man.  Mordecai keeps the commandments very closely and so he doesn’t believe in worshipping anyone but God.  Haman required all others to bow down to him to reverence him.

Reporter: Don’t tell me, Mordecai refused to do so?

Esther: Yes.  He refused to and it made Haman very angry.  So angry that he not only plotted a way to have Mordecai killed, but also all of the Jews.  So he went to the king and told him that the Jews had odd laws and might not obey the king.  He said that all the Jews should be done away with.  He got the king to send out a decree that on the 13th day in the 12th month all the Jews should be killed.  Haman was so pleased with himself that he went out and had a huge gallows built to hang Mordecai.

Reporter: So how did you find out about it?  And what did you do?

Esther: Well, all the Jews began to mourn and Mordecai went out into the streets and was mourning in the way of the Jews .

Reporter: That would be wearing sackcloth and ashes - right?

Esther: Right.  And when my maids heard him, they came and told me.  So I sent my servant to find out what had happened.  Mordecai told him of the decree and asked him to tell me that I had to go in to the king and plead for all our lives.
Reporter: This is amazing!  That was a lot to ask wasn’t it?  I mean, isn’t it true that anyone who just goes in before the king without being invited to do so would be killed?

Esther: That is true, except that if the king holds out the golden scepter then the person is considered “invited” and their life is spared.

Reporter: So you agreed to give it a try?

Esther: Well, not at first.  I was very frightened to do so.  I sent back a message to Mordecai that I was too afraid.  But he sent another message that reminded me it was wrong to save my own life and not help my people.  And he told me that perhaps that is why the Lord had made it possible for me to be chosen to be the queen.  I thought he was right.

Reporter: So, is that when you went in to the king?

Esther: Not right away.  I first sent another message to Mordecai to ask all the Jews to fast with me for 3 days.  Even my maids fasted with me.  I told Mordecai that then I would go in to the king, even though it was against the law.

Reporter: You thought you might have a chance because of the fasting?

Esther: Well, I hoped I would.  But I told Mordecai “If I perish, I perish.”

Reporter: Wow!  That’s a tremendous amount of courage.  So, what happened when you went in to the king?

Esther: I obtained favor in the sight of the king and he held out the golden scepter to me.  I went forward and put my hand on it as you must do.  Then he asked what I wanted and told me I could have anything  - even as much as half the kingdom.

Reporter: So, is that when you told him you are a Jew?

Esther: No, I wanted to expose Haman for the wicked man he was so I invited the king to a special dinner and asked that Haman come also.

Reporter: This is great stuff!  What a plan!

Esther: So, I prepared the dinner.  In the mean time, the king had remembered the deed Mordecai had done - saving him from the plot of the chamberlains.  He sought to reward Mordecai.  The night before the dinner, Haman was feeling very proud because he thought he had gained favor in the sight of the king since he was the only other one invited to the dinner.  But, when he was commanded to bring Mordecai to the king, give him royal clothing, and seat him at the banquet with us, I think he began to doubt himself.  It was then that I revealed the evil plot and told the king that it was Haman who had plotted against me and all the Jews.

Reporter: What was the reaction of the king?  And did Haman try to deny the charges?

Esther: Well, Haman was very humiliated - there was no way for him to deny the plot and he did beg for his life.  But, it was too late.  The king ordered for Haman to be hanged on the very gallows he had built to hang Mordecai.  And later, all of Haman’s sons were also put to death.

Reporter: So who got all of Haman’s riches?

Esther: The king gave them to me, but I set Mordecai over Haman’s household.  When I told the king that Mordecai was my adopted father the king gave him his special ring.

Reporter: So that’s the end?

Esther: Not yet.  I still had to go in to the king again to ask for the lives of all the Jews to be spared.

Reporter: Again you risked your life?  But I suppose you felt more confident this time?

Esther: A little.  He held out the golden scepter to me again and I asked that he would send out a decree that all the Jews were not to be killed after all.  He told me that Mordecai and I could write what we wanted and sign his name and stamp his ring on the papers.  So we did and the Jews were all saved.

Reporter: Well, that’s quite a story and it sure shows that you are more than just beautiful but also very faithful and courageous.  Thank you for your time and your words.

Reporter: We take you now to a different time.  We’re here just outside the walls of Zarahemla.  Approaching us is a very unique and interesting man.  Let’s see if we can speak with him.
Sir!  Oh Sir!  Good afternoon sir. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions for the people watching out there?

Samuel: Why no.  Not at all.  In fact, I’ll take advantage of any opportunity to speak to the people.

Reporter: You appear to be a lamanite - is that true?

Samuel: Yes.

Reporter: Well, why would a lamanite come to a nephite city?

Samuel: I was preaching the word of God.

Reporter: Ah, yes.  That was quite a speech you gave up on the wall just a while ago.  You spoke like you had authority to be there.  Who gave you the authority to speak that way and wouldn’t it be better to just go among the people and speak to them in small groups?

Samuel: Well, actually, I did try that first.  I was told by God to call the Nephite people to repentance.  I spent several days preaching here but was not well received.  I became discouraged and figured that no one would repent, so I actually left Zarahemla and was on my way home when the voice of God came to me again and told me to return.

Reporter: So you felt you had more preaching to do?

Samuel: Yes, the instructions from God were very clear.

Reporter: But was it really necessary to climb upon the wall?

Samuel: Well, I was about to tell you that I came to the city gates and was not allowed into the city again.  So, that’s when it occurred to me that I could climb the wall and that I would then have everyone’s attention.

Reporter: Yah, I’ll say you had their attention.  It seems rather miraculous that none of their arrows or stones hit you.  I mean it looked like they were out to kill you!

Samuel: That was not a concern to me.  I knew the Lord had commanded me to speak those words and I didn’t doubt that he would protect me until I accomplished his commandment.  And as it turns out, many people did repent and went to Nephi to confess their sins.  In fact, when the people saw that they couldn’t harm me, many came to the realization that the Lord was protecting me and they also believed my words and repented.

Reporter: Again, I have to say that I am surprised that you had such success.  That was some amazing information you gave out there - I mean, this stuff about Jesus being born in 5 years and all the signs of his birth and death.  Nights that appear as days, days that appear as nights?  Horrible destruction?  Do you really expect the people to believe all that?

Samuel: Of course I do.  I do because it is absolutely true.  I’m very sure of the truthfulness of all the words I spoke, for I received them by the power of revelation.  Repentance is necessary and no one will want to be found with sin in the day that the Lord comes to this land.  I know He will come just as I have spoken.

Reporter: You speak those words with such power that I can’t help but believe you.  So, now what will you do?

Samuel: I will return to my own people and continue to preach to them - exhorting them to continue in righteousness - and I say the same to all within the sound of my voice.

Reporter: You are a great man indeed.  I wish you the best and thank you for your time.
This has been Mary Primary, reporting live for KLDS.  And now, back to you in the primary room.

Reporter:  This is Mary Primary once again reporting live for KLDS.  We're down in the wilderness where Lehi has brought his family.  A peculiar instrument
was found by these people and we have one of the sons of Lehi, Nephi standing by.  Tell us what this instrument is.

Nephi:  This brass ball, called the Liahona, was given to us by the Lord to point which way we should go in the wilderness.

Reporter:  So the Liahona guided you in the right direction.  I understand that the Liahona only works if your family is faithful, diligent, and obedient, is
that correct?

Nephi:  Yes.  We traveled for many days in the wilderness following the directions of the Liahona. We hunted for food with our bows and arrows.

Reporter:  Was it important that you have your bows and arrows?

Nephi:  Yes, very important.  We relied on these bows and arrows to provide most of our food.

Reporter:  Isn't it true that your bow was broken and your brother's bows lost their strength?

Nephi: Yes, we weren't able to kill animals for food so we were very hungry.  My brothers were angry, but I felt that the Lord would help us if we kept the
commandments and followed him.

Reporter:  So did the Liahona guide you to food as well?

Nephi:  I made a bow out of wood and asked my father where I should go hunt.  He received directions in the Liahona.  I followed those directions and found some animals.

Reporter:  How did your family feel when you brought home food for them to eat?

Nephi:  They were happy to see the food.  They were also sorry that they had been angry and they thanked God for blessing them.

Reporter:  You are a faithful man and a great example, thank you for taking time to share this story with us.  I'm Mary Primary and I've just reported to you live
from the wilderness.  Now back to you in the Primary room.