The Miracle of Prayer

About two weeks ago, my sister, her friend, and I decided to go on a trip up in Wyoming for a friend's wedding reception. It was going to be a four to five hour drive from our hometown in Utah, so we were going to stay the night and go back home in the morning. I could tell my mom was worried, and she probably should have been because this was the first road trip me and my sister had ever gone on alone. In all honesty, I was worried too, after all, I was still in high school and my sister and her friend were only freshmen in college; this was going to be a new experience for all of us. My mom had made a mental checklist for us and ran it by as we were walking out the door.

"Do you have coats?" she asked.
"I have two jackets and a thick sweatshirt," I replied and my sister responded with something similar.
"Blankets and sleeping bags?" she said counting off her fingers.
"We don't need them, they're going to have beds for us," my sister said, but my mom crossed her arms.
"You will take our two warmest sleeping bags, what if you were to get stranded somewhere and froze?" Slowly, we agreed to everything our mom told us to bring and we were on our way.

After we picked up my sister's friend we turned off the car and faced each other.
"Will you pray?" my sister asked me, and a nodded. My prayer was short and far from anything extravagant, I simply asked that we'd be protected on our journey and that we'd all return home safely. After we said amen, we started the car and drove away.

We'd were about an hour away from our destination, and I was half asleep in the back of our car, my ipod in one hand and my head leaning on the other. We were driving down a narrow two way highway in the middle of nowhere Wyoming going about sixty mph when suddenly the car jerked to the left. My eyes popped open and my head flew up as I felt the jarring impact of our car hitting a large semi truck. A wall of red flashed by my window and I heard someone scream, later I realized it had been me. Then, without time for me to comprehend what was happening we were swerving right and sliding down a snowy hill. Our smoking car came to a stop and I was vaguely aware of my sisters friend reaching over and taking the keys out of the ignition.

My hands were trembling as I looked around, examining the scene around me. My sister was in tears, her friend trying to reassure her, our windshield looked like a spiderweb, and I was grateful it hadn't shattered. We were missing the left side view mirror, and I couldn't open any of the drivers side doors. Later, when I got out of the car, I realized the damage was much worse than I had thought. The whole drivers side of the car was either crushed, dented, or twisted in some bizarre form. The front tire was so mangled I could hardly recognize it and I immediately knew the car was totaled. It was near zero degrees outside, well below freezing, and our once warm car was already starting to feel cold.

Many people stopped on the side of the road to help us, and it was then I was able to get the whole story of the crash from my sister.We had been coming around a bend in the road when we'd hit a patch of black ice. Our car slid over the line, into the oncoming traffic of the semi, and we should have hit him head on. Instead our car fishtailed and we moved enough to just hit his wheel, then our car was thrown in the opposite direction and slid down the snowy hill. Everyone we talked to was surprised we hadn't rolled because of the slope of the hill and we were just grateful.

As we waited in our freezing car for three hours for the policeman and the tow-truck to come, I started to count the miracles I'd seen.

1. We were alive and no one had been hurt, not even a single scratch or bruise. If we'd hit the semi head on, my sister and her friend would be dead, and I would either be with them or seriously injured. If we had missed the wheel and gone underneath the truck, we would have been crushed. It seemed to me that we hit the only place on which we could have received the least amount of damage and injuries and we didn't roll down a hill like we should have. I was not about to just leave it there and say it was luck, no, it was the first of my miracles.

2. While neither my sister nor I had ever been in an accident, our friend had and she knew what we were supposed to do. She helped to calm us down in a scary situation by remaining in control. She had us call our parents while she called 911 and reported the accident. She helped talk to all the people stopping and asking if we were okay and showed my sister what she needed for when the police officer came. It would have been a much more frightening situation without her.

3. Cell phone reception. In the middle of nowhere Wyoming, forty-five minutes away from the closest city, we had cell reception. At first this didn't seem like a miracle until everyone that stopped to help us couldn't find a signal. We were the only ones in the area that had reception, and without it we wouldn't have been able to notify our family or the police of our accident.

4. We had sleeping bags to keep warm. My mother had been inspired that afternoon when she'd told us to bring the sleeping bags. It was well below freezing and we had to wait in our car for three hours before help arrived. We all huddled in the back seat, the two sleeping bags unzipped with one on the bottom and one on the top. We had warm clothes too, but even with all that we could still feel the chill and our feet were so cold they hurt because we'd been walking out in the snow, but without my mom's inspiration to bring the sleeping bags, we would've been a lot colder.

5. We all got home safely. After the accident we'd called my dad and he'd left right away to come get us, but it was going to be a long drive. The tow-truck finally arrived three hours later and we met my dad in a small city forty-five minutes back towards home where we got into his car and completed the journey home safely.

This is a day I will never forget. I believe we were protected out there on that freezing day because of the prayer we'd offered before we'd left. After the accident, while we were waiting in our car, we'd offered a prayer of thanks and thanked our Heavenly Father for protecting us. I know that sometimes we feel unimportant, but in the eyes of our Father in Heaven, we are all precious, and he loves and cares for us. He cared enough to keep three young girls, a sixteen year old and two eighteen year old, safe from harm and returned us safely to our families. I know he's watching out for us, and knows who we are and what we're doing. He want to be a part of our lives and will help us in any way He can, if we only ask for that help. He is my Father, and I love and appreciate all He's done for me. I know prayer is a powerful tool and that we can all use it whenever we need it, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Counsel with the Lord

Alma 37:37: "Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good..."

My husband and I just got married eight months ago and were living on our own for the first time. I was at the time playing tennis for a university in utah and was on scholarship when my husband and I realized that we were running out of money quickly and that my job teaching tennis and his part time job would just not be enough to carry us through the winter months. We started praying for answers and help because we did not know what to do. An answer came that was very unexpected. The answer was that I should give up my scholarship and quit tennis. We were very surprised by this and we decided to go to the temple to seek more guidance when again the answer came to quit tennis. My family is a huge tennis family, all my siblings have had scholarships in tennis to help them get through school and when I told them they were unhappy to say the least, but my husband and I felt like quitting is what Heavenly Father wanted us to do. So I quit and started my search for a job. We were very confused why i still didn't have a job almost two months later, why had Heavenly Father told me to quit tennis and not let me find a job yet? When one day I was on the job hunt when I had the idea to apply for a paid internship with a company based out of Utah, it just so happened that the day I had this idea we found out that they were hiring for a new store they were opening and needed interns to leave in less than a month. We applied for the job and I got my first interview since the beginning of the job search. As we were waiting to hear back from the company to see if we got the job or not we realized that even if we didn't get the job that there was no possible way that we could stay in our apartment, we were going to have to move out. The day we started moving out we finally heard back from the company and they said that we got the job! We were ecstatic, finally our prayers had been answered we had a source of income that we could actually build up a savings from. We set off for Florida a week later for our new job.

After we had been in Florida for a month or so we started to wonder why Heavenly Father had wanted us to get this job? Why couldn't I have just got a job in Utah? We soon realized that the Lord had a reason for us being here it just took some time to realize what it was. We thought we had it all figured out, we would go home in the summer and just go to school in Utah. Heavenly Father however had a different plan for us. I began to think about my career path and if it was what I really wanted to do or if the schooling path I had in my plans was right. We started talking about our options limiting ourselves to schools in utah because of the high cost of out of state tuition. When I found a program that would let me get my master's degree in nursing in shorter time than other programs I was interested but put off by the fact that it was located in Hawaii, and that tuition would be so expensive. When we had the idea of applying for BYU hawaii and to complete our bachelor's degrees there so that we could gain residency and then tuition wouldn't be so expensive for the master's program. Because BYU hawaii is a church school, tuition would be the same cost as going to school in Utah. The accpectance rate at BYU hawaii is a very low 13% and most of the students there are international. We had heard how difficult it would be to get accpected but we had faith that if this was the route that Heavenly Father wanted us to take we would get accepted and beat the odds. We prayed and prayed about what we should do and if moving to Hawaii was really the right move for us to make. We got our answer but not through a big, elaborate feeling but more from the feeling of peace that we felt through the whole process. Our answer we felt was confirmed when we both got accepted!

Our lives these past couple of months have been a little on the crazy side but we know that because we asked for and followed the Lord's counsel even when we couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel that our lives are going in the direction that He has for us. I never thought that I would have the opportunity to be able to get a master's degree or live in Hawaii but since we listened to Heavenly Father we are more blessed now then we have ever been. This has been a huge testimony builder for me and my husband on the importance of praying and seeking the Lord's guidance. Without Him and the gift of the Holy Ghost I can't imagine the direction our lives would be going in. I'm so grateful we have these tools and these ways to communicate with our loving Heavenly Father because I know he wants what's best for us and I know if we "Counsel with the Lord in all our doings, he will direct us for our good." Even though sometimes we do things we know we're supposed to without knowing 100 percent why we are, it will always work out for the best.

Kingdom of God

This was written for a stake conference by Haily and is a great reminder - especially at this busy time of year. We would love to post any others from our readers (you can email submissions to particlesoffaith@gmail.com). Thank you Haily!

When Jesus Christ visited the Nephites in the America’s after his resurrection, he called twelve disciples to direct the work of the kingdom in that part of the world. After calling those twelve, Jesus began toteach the multitude. He hadn’t gone very far, however, when he again, “looked upon the twelve whom he had chosen” and gave them this advice in 3 Nephi 13:31-33. I have been thinking a little bit about these disciples and what thoughts must have been going through their minds as they were given these new responsibilities and what comfort this bit of advice must have given them. This scripture has also brought me comfort and perspective many times as I have sought balance with the different demands oflife, while striving to become a disciple of Christ.

We live in a very busy world. There are constantly many different things vying for our attention. How do we, then, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness while having faith that all these other things shall be added unto us? A few years ago when my oldest 2 sons were ages 1 and 3 and my husband had a busy calling, I often felt like I was the only one who was too busy to cope. I wondered how I could accomplish all that I felt I needed to, especially when it seemed like my husband was never home. Then, one day, in a conversation with a friend, she casually started talking about her husband’sbusy schedule. He worked late hours at his job and was attending school. My friend wasn’t complaining, she seemed to understand that everyone was busy and that we all did the best that we could. In talkingwith this friend I realized that I had been so caught up in my schedule that I had neglected my commitment to bear one another’s burden’s. My lack of focus had caused me to lose power in organizing my time and in searching for the peace and joy that I craved. When we are weighed down with responsibilities we tend to turn inward, focusing only on ourselves and forgetting the needs ofthose around us. We develop a condition that Elder Dallin H. Oaks refers to as an “excessive pre-occupation with self”. The cure for this condition is simple service, not in deed only, but also in attitude. As we come to understand that others struggle with busy lives as well, we learn to RSVP a no-thank-you to our self appointed pity parties and, putting our shoulder to the wheel, we begin to look for ways that we can organize our efforts and make the most of our time. We learn that serving others and striving to seek first the kingdom of God is about what the Lord wants for us, and not following our list of to-do’sbut the Lord’s list for us. Then we can truly feel the joy that is associated with becoming a disciple of Christ.

So we’ve discovered that we’re not alone in our busy state and that new thought gives uscourage and hope that we can balance our schedule successfully as others have before us. What’s the first step? What’s the key to feeling satisfaction that we’ve organized our lives in such a way that ourHeavenly Father knows that we seek first his righteousness? I’ve determined that the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit is the key. I remember, a few years ago, taking a walk in my neighborhood and walking by the home of one of my friends and thinking about her and wondering how things were going for her. This friend of mine is not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ and I found myself thinking that I was failing in my responsibilities as her friend and an example to her of a memberof our church. Almost immediately, upon thinking about her, I had new thoughts like: “How can I fulfill my duty toward her, when I have sisters that I visit teach that could use more care and love than I am giving them?” I started to think of not only my duties as a visiting teacher but my responsibilities in my other callings and responsibilities toward family and other friends, my home and my community! As you can see, I quickly became overwhelmed! It’s amazing how your mind can take one simple thought ofdoing more and run away with it! In our regional conference just three months ago, Sister Julie B. Beck taught us that “The ability to qualify for, receive and act on personal revelation is the single mostimportant ability that can be acquired in this life.” When we have the spirit as our daily companion these overwhelming thoughts that sometimes come can quickly be put into perspective as we re-examine our lives and do a quick mental check to see if we are following the Lord’s plan for us. When wefollow the Lords plan things that are most important seem to fall into place more easily. We feel peaceat the end of each day, knowing that, although we may not have accomplished everything on our list, wehave done our best with the Holy Spirit as our guide, and are therefore entitled to the love and approval of our Heavenly Father.

In order to have the Spirit with us constantly, Sis Beck suggests prioritizing our tasks into threecategories: essential’s, necessary’s and nice-to-do’s. She explained that she is amazed when she put’s the essentials first, how many necessary’s and nice to do’s she is able to accomplish. Remember thepromise? “…all these things shall be added unto you.” Sis. Beck also explained that when our priorities are out of order we lose power!

Since our goal is to know the mind and will of our Heavenly Father through the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, than our list of essential’s would include: prayer, scripture study, and temple attendance. If we live in families, especially with children at home than our goal as parents should include sharing that constant companionship of the Holy Ghost with our children and teachingthem to recognize the influence of God’s spirit. So our list would grow and include FHE, family prayer and family scripture study. Given the state of our world I’m sure you have all had experiences in whichyou felt the influence of Satan in your home and family. A few years ago my husband and I had an experience like this and I felt that our goal of an eternal family and life with God and our Savior was being threatened. No longer was family scripture study and family prayer considered simply, a good idea; it became essential. Without doing all in our power to seek first the kingdom of God how can we and those for whom we have stewardship have “hope for a better world, even a place at the right handof God”? (Ether 12:4)
While preparing for this talk, an article in this month’s Ensign caught my eye. It’s titled “All things in wisdom and order” by Elder John C. Taggart of the Seventy. He says: “To persist or persevere means to remain on the path. Those who do so find, to their delight, that the journey brings moments of surprising joy and great blessings, even as the way grows rocky or steep.” Brothers and Sisters, I testify that this is true because as we seek first the kingdom of God our natures change. We are able to eliminate the non-essentials not because we have to, but because we want to. Suddenly who’s getting kicked off our favorite reality show isn’t quite as important as spending a few more minutes in the scriptures or taking one more trip to the temple. I testify that God lives and that he loves us. His is the great plan of happiness. He knows of the joy that awaits us, but also of the joy and peace available today, in this life, if we choose to follow him in all things. This is made possible through the Atonementof our Savior Jesus Christ. I know he lives. I know that he stands at the head of this church and that he will come again. I pray that we may prepare ourselves for that day, in the name of Jesus Christ.

He Knows My Needs

Recently I've been struggling with "fitting in."  Now I know that sounds completely stupid as I'm married 11 years and have 3 kids.  For some reason I was feeling like I was having issues that I'd last faced 16 years ago in high school! 

I really wanted to feel better about my situation and began fasting and praying about it.  The day I fasted, I opened up the August 2010 Ensign magazine and found several articles that applied to my problem!

A week or so later an older woman who I'd seen previously at a meeting came by with cookies!  I've never had a real personal relationship with her, but something prompted her to reach out to me!  The kids and I later took her a thank you card and ended up having a lovely visit.

Then, I shared some of my concerns with another friend.  The next day, that friend called and said she was concerned about me.  Her compassion brought me peace and reminded me of what a wonderful friend she is.

A day or two later, I was on the phone with another friend.  We've had some miscommunications in the past and she felt she was supposed to call to make sure all was resolved.  Wow.  What a good example of courage.  I did not harbor ill feelings for our miscommunications, but felt her call really validated our friendship.

All of a sudden, I realized that her calling me, as well as the other examples above, were witnesses that Heavenly Father loves me and knows me by name.  He is concerned about my troubles, sorrows, and insecurities and wants me to work them out.  He prompts people to step into my life right when I need it.

I was so grateful for that witness.

Smooth Skies

I was unsuccessfully trying to convince myself that I was not totally insane as I watched my 3 and 5-year-olds carry heavy backpacks onto the airplane while I held my 10-month-old baby along with two other large carry-ons. I was going to be making the first leg of a long journey by myself with my three young children (one of which had gotten airsick on quite a few flights) and I was justifiably terrified. I had to get through the six hour trip by myself at which point I would meet up with family who would be able to help refill sippy cups, change diapers, and hold the baby. I knew that braver people had traveled with more and younger children, but it seemed daunting to me and I just wanted everything to be over.

But, despite the dozens of disturbing scenarios I had gone through before hand (usually involving various bodily functions), things really were pretty uneventful on this flight. Before we took off a sweet woman came and introduced herself to me and offered to help me if I ever needed it during the flight. This kind act helped me to calm down and it meant a lot knowing I had a little backup. During the flight the kids were relatively well behaved and the baby even slept for quite a while! Other than a wide array of food wrappers that marked our seats, I exited the plane tired but amazed at how smoothly everything had gone.

When I met up with my parents for the rest of the trip, ironically enough, the travelling sections felt a little more chaotic. Bags were misidentified, the baby cried much more, my little boy had some disgusting stomach problems, kids became exhausted, we missed a flight and had to stay overnight, and unfortunately the list goes on. Not that it was all bad - or that the kids were horrible - it just seemed much harder than that first leg. Admittedly, the kids were the most well-rested on that first plane, but I think that the real reason that things went as well as they did were the prayers that I know were offered up in my behalf. I believe that Heavenly Father knew what I could and could not handle and truly buoyed me up that day. I know it was just six hours, but it was a small miracle to me that things went as well as they did when I needed the most help. During that flight I know that I felt the comforting power of prayer. I am so grateful for a Heavenly Father who watched over me on that airplane and who continues to watch over each of us daily to give us the smooth parts of our journey when we need them most.

"And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my anme, which is right,

believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you."

-3 Nephi 18:20

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Just Ask!

I've always had a hard time understanding that if our Heavenly Father is omniscient and knows what we need, then why are we sometimes actually required to ask in prayer for something, rather than Him just giving it to us.

Yesterday, my little boy asked me if he could wear a sweatshirt instead of a jacket to school.  I knew perfectly well that it is about sweatshirt season, but forgot to tell him that.  All he had to do was ask.

I'm not saying our Heavenly Father is forgetful or anything, but the experience gave me a little insight on why we do need to ask sometimes.

My Medical Miracle

Swine flu, seasonal flu, pneumonia, bronchitis, strep throat, RSV, colds, colds, and colds. This is only a partial list of the many sicknesses that have been in our neighborhood since my baby was born. When we found out the good news that we were expecting and after some 9-month calculations, her due date in late August made me very nervous. A newborn at the beginning of fall was going to be so difficult to keep healthy and as everyone knows these "little" sicknesses in adults are very, very not little problems for tiny babies. So I prayed.

Everyday since my baby was born I have said prayers asking for her to stay healthy. Recently after she was born I was given a new calling and was subsequently set apart for my new responsibility by a priesthood holder in our congregation. In this priesthood blessing counsel was given and the blessing was extended that I would be able to remain healthy with the many sicknesses around so that I would be able to take care of my family. I felt very humbled and grateful in the words that I heard and hoped that they would be true.

Now our baby is almost 4-months-old and in that time my own little miracle has occurred: despite my "big" kids getting different sicknesses four or five times each and my husband also contracting some pretty bad colds, I have been able to remain healthy and so has our little baby! I know that so many parents, despite numerous prayers, have children who still get very sick, and I feel overwhelmed that we have been blessed to avoid this trial. I know that Heavenly Father is mindful of our family's needs and has helped strengthen me these last few months.

Not Too Hot, Not Too Cold

My son is two years old. He has never been a great sleeper. He consistently wakes up one or more times a night which means I get up one or more times a night. One of the problems is that we cannot seem to figure out the temperature in his room. It's either really, really hot or freezing cold, and often goes from one extreme to the other during the night. The other night I was saying my prayers and prayed that my son wouldn't get too hot or too cold during the night. It was something I hadn't prayed for before, but I didn't think much of it.

I had been asleep for a few hours and was in the middle of a dream when I was suddenly awake and felt like I should go check on my son. It took me a few minutes to convince myself to get out of my warm bed, but I am so glad I did. I went into his room and it was very cold. My little boy had kicked off all his covers and his poor bare legs (he went to bed in shorts) were icy cold. I covered his legs with his blankets and went back to bed. He ended up sleeping through the night. It was great!

I know that my prayers always get answered, but it is such a testimony builder when something small that you pray for is given to me. I feel like this was a tender mercy given to me from Heavenly Father, showing me that he loves me so much that my simple little request was granted. Heavenly Father is just waiting to give us blessings and all we need to do is ask.

"Therefore, ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for he that asketh receiveth; and unto him that knocketh, it shall be opened." 3 Nephi 27:29

Answered Prayers

Over the past few months I've been going through some rather hard trials mostly due to health issues. While I know it is temporary, I have been struggling with a lot of emotions while I've been sick as well. Mostly I've been feeling guilt over not fulfilling my family responsibilities which include caring for my two children, keeping with our tradition of family dinners and keeping our home tidy. I've felt worthless.

My prayers have been focused on begging Heavenly Father to help me feel better so that I can start functioning again. One particular night I finished a similar prayer and seemed to get even sicker. Sadly, I remember thinking "Why did He not answer my prayer?!"

The following morning a dear friend called. She said she was going to come over to help me around my house. I'm just not good at accepting service so I told her over and over not to worry about it...that we would be fine.

And then she said something that really struck me. She said, "You don't get to decide how Heavenly Father is going to answer your prayers."

And I knew she was right. My mind flipped back to my prayer the night before and I realized she was the answer that Heavenly Father was giving me. I am grateful He answered my prayer. He doesn't always answer our prayers in the ways we intend or in our time frame but I know he always answers our prayers- even in ways that we can't imagine at times.

The Priesthood: The Power of Healing

I knew it was going to be hard when my husband and I decided that the Army was for us, we just didn't expect the blessings and learning experiences that would come our way. We have two little boys (3 1/2 and 2) and our oldest is "special needs" -- so I knew it was going to be hard being a single mom while my husband was gone for 8 months of training. In a way, I had been preparing for it for a long time. What we weren't prepared for, was the physical trials my husband was going to endure in Basic Training (boot camp).

He has always been a physically active guy, and can run a mile or two in a cinch. We thought he would fly through Basic Training and that would be it! But fate had other plans. A couple weeks into training and my husband broke his toe -- had to be on crutches for a few days. He was so depressed because he felt he was missing out. Once he was off his crutches he did really well, though. That is, until a fateful run.

He was doing a long distance training march/ run and was doing great until he started to feel a sharp pain in his leg. At first he thought he must have strained a muscle, but the longer and harder he pushed on the stronger the pain in his leg. By the end of the run he was in so much pain he could barely move. His drill instructor rushed him over to the hospital where they ran some tests. In an MRI, it showed he fractured his hip bone. My husband was devastated when they told him the news and that they were probably going to have to send him home for a month to recover. He only had 3 weeks of Basic Training left! And now it was looking bad for him.

He called me with the news on Saturday and thought I was going to be disappointed in him -- but I wasn't. Instead, I told him he needed to do everything he could to get to the church the next day there and find some priesthood holders and get a blessing. I just knew we were doing the right thing and the Lord would help us. My husband, so far, hadn't had an opportunity to go to church while at training, and worried that they might not let him go, but promised me he would try.

After that call, I called all my family and friends and asked them to pray for his speedy recovery so he wouldn't have to come home. Everyone was more than supportive. I even fasted for him, and told the Lord in prayer, that whatever happened I would except it as his will.

I waited all week for Ben to call to tell me what was going on. No call. I have learned quickly that in the Army, no news is good news. Finally, on Sunday, over a week since I heard from him, he called me.

He told me that he had gone to church and the moment he walked through the door, he was blasted by the warm feelings of the spirit. He said he started to cry because he felt at home. The church services were wonderful and afterwords they asked if any one needed a blessing. My husband hobbled up to them on his crutches and told them he really needed one.

He said the blessing was amazing and lifted his spirits and gave him hope. The next day, when he woke up, he was feeling better. But he grabbed his crutches and went over to the hospital to get some follow up tests to see if he was going to get to stay or have to come home. When the doctors took his x-rays they were completely mystified. He no longer had a fractured hip. There was no sign that he ever did. My husband said it was funny to watch them trying to figure out what happened. He knew. He knew that the Lord had healed him.

They took his crutches and he walked out. He has been running and training ever since.

I feel so blessed to have the power of the priesthood in our lives and even more so for getting to see the miracles first hand in my family. I know that my Father in Heaven is mindful of us, all the time, and wants to help us. I am so thankful, that we get to have these trials, not only for the growth that we receive, but so we can also be part of His miracles.

And now for my next trick...

In the Book of Mormon there is a story of a prophet named Nephi who had been tied up with cords by his wicked brothers who were going to leave him to die in the wilderness. Nephi prays to the Lord to be delivered from his brothers and asks that he can have "strength that [he] may burst [those] bands with which [he] was bound" (1 Nephi 7:17). Nephi is a righteous man and has some serious faith so the Lord does in fact deliver him. What is interesting however is that he is not given the strength to burst these cords, but the Lord simply loosens the cords from off Nephi's hands and feet and his is free (1 Nephi 7:18).
I think life is like that a lot of times. In faith we will pray for something extraordinary to happen, like having the strength to burst some cords, but what ends up happening is something somewhat less remarkable, cords being loosened. Loosening cords is just as effective as bursting them if the goal is freedom, and perhaps even better because now Nephi has some perfectly good rope to use in the future. The real question is whether or not we recognize the hand of the Lord in those very effective, but somewhat less remarkable blessing we receive in life. Nephi could have rationalized that his brothers were pretty poor knot-tiers and that the cords sort of loosened on their own, but being the righteous man that he was I'm sure he recognized the hand of the Lord instead of just relying on his own strength or good luck. I know that the Lord is involved in every person's life and gives us blessings big and small. I pray that we can recognize those blessings and their divine source.

Joseph Smith, a True Prophet of God

I remember asking my mom many years ago, "What is the most important thing for me to know?" And I will never forget her answer. Without hesitating she said, "That Joseph Smith was a prophet of God." Through my teenage years and on into adulthood I have often pondered her simple but profound answer. If Joseph Smith was a prophet, then the Book of Mormon was true. If Joseph Smith was a prophet, then the church was true too. My mom had pointed out that by knowing this simple truth, my life would change and my testimony of the gospel would grow.

Now, I had always believed Joseph Smith was called of God, but I don't think I really KNEW until near the end of my mission. When I sent in my papers to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I had no idea what a mission it would be. First of all, I have a major handicap, I can't memorize to save my life! And when I got called to serve a Spanish speaking mission, I was terrified. The first thing they had us do when I got to the MTC (Missionary Training Center) was memorize the First Vision in the words of Joseph Smith in Spanish. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't do it. So I didn't.

When I got out into the field (Anaheim, California), I could hardly speak any Spanish I was so terrible, let alone teach the gospel. But as time went on I became more efficient and fluent in the Spanish language, and grew to love the people I had the opportunity to teach. But one thing didn't change, I couldn't teach the First Vision of Joseph Smith, and my heart ached. Luckily, all my companions had no problem teaching it instead. I almost got away with it... until I became companions with Sister Mietzner. I loved Sister Mietzner, and we quickly became friends, but it was only six weeks until she was scheduled to go home. It was really hard for her to want to work, and I couldn't blame her, she was really tired.

One day, we were set to go teach a young woman who was very pregnant and alone. We started off by teaching her about the Book of Mormon and then I turned the lesson over to Sister Mietzner to tell about Joseph Smith like I always did, but she remained silent. Her face looked a little green, and I realized that she was feeling sick. I asked her if she would teach the First Vision, and she said, "No." I was stumped! I panicked inwardly. I couldn't do it. I begged her, "Please!" and once again, "No." So I said a quick prayer in my heart and turned to the young woman. My mouth opened and my lips moved, but it wasn't my voice. The words were perfect, they were beautiful, they were divine. I said (in Spanish):

"I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me... When the light rested upon me I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake to me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other -- This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!"

By the time I finished there wasn't a dry eye in the room. Tears ran down our faces. The spirit of the Lord was so strong in that tiny room, I could hardly breath. It was at that moment that I KNEW without doubt, that it really had happened. God the Father and Jesus Christ did appear to Joseph Smith. He was in fact a prophet of God. My mom had been so right! It didn't matter how many times people told me it was so, I had to know for myself, it was true! That moment in time is forever burned in my heart, no one can shake the testimony I have for Joseph Smith, no one. All because of the witness I received that summer day.

From that day on, I never forgot the words of that First Vision. I taught the story of Joseph Smith with all my heart for the rest of my mission in the field, and I will continue to bear testimony of him and his divine mission until I die and forever after.

If you have doubts about Joseph Smith, I implore you to go to the Lord in sincere prayer, just like Joseph did so long ago, and ask Him if all this is true. He is our Father in Heaven, he will guide us and answer our prayers because He loves us so much. He wants us to find truth in this world, and above all he wants us to return to him someday.

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." James 1:5

Grapefruit in Minnesota

Prior to moving to Minnesota, where winter weather is discouragingly cold and dark, I hated grapefruit because they were too sour and bitter. I couldn’t understand why people would eat grapefruit, when any reasonable person would have to heap spoonfuls of sugar on top just to swallow. It was a rare, generous moment when I would even buy them at the grocery store for my husband.

But that all changed on some dark, cold day in the heart of my first Minnesota winter. On that day, I found myself looking at the fruit bowl on our kitchen table and, wonder of wonders, craving the last grapefruit that sat there amidst the bananas and apples. I gobbled it up, and immediately wanted more. It was delicious to me, and like all those crazies before me, I found myself squeezing it at the end to catch every drop of its goodness. It is my unscientific and unconfirmed theory that my summer-starved body was craving whatever sun-enriched nutrients the grapefruit contained. In short, I now eat grapefruit on a regular basis, and can hardly recall what it was like not to know and love its tart, rich taste.

This grapefruit conversion is to me a parable of what I have experienced in other areas of my life. It is an example of something once bitter becoming sweet due to the Lord’s hand in my life. I, like many people, unfortunately have divorced parents, which was a great challenge to me when I was young. I have therefore always identified with the account of Jacob (son of Lehi) in the Book of Mormon. Jacob’s father tells him, “[I]n thy childhood thou hast suffered afflictions and much sorrow. . . . Nevertheless, Jacob . . . thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.” (2 Nephi 2:1-2, p. 56)

I never envisioned my parents getting back together, necessarily, but it always felt to me that something was irretrievably lost. Quite simply, I was torn between two sides, because despite my great love for both of them, it was not possible for me to have Dad in one hand and Mom in the other. I do not wish to diminish the rich blessings I did have when I was young: I have been very blessed to have two parents who love me and who have made great sacrifices for my welfare and benefit. But I must acknowledge that for a long time, there was an uncured sadness wedged in my heart for my broken family. Casting blame, imagining what should have been, and leaving home were some of my coping strategies, none of which cured the hurt.

I am humbled to report, as I now reflect on it, that I feel none of that old ache – that indeed it has been swallowed up through the power of Christ’s atonement. Without going into all the details (though truly God was there in all the minute details), let me mention a few things that I have learned.

First, there is a fine line between faith in Jesus Christ and the works we must do to prove our faith. It was not enough for me to hurl my burden at Christ in tearful prayer, vigorously asserting that “I have faith,” and expect Him to take it away. True, “all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23), and it is by faith that you are “made whole” (Matthew 9:22). And there is always comfort on the other side of a faithful prayer. But I was never truly relieved from the burden I bore until I learned to share a yoke with Christ Himself. It has primarily been while losing myself in the course of service, including church service and a full-time mission, that I have found the most peace and reassurance through Christ. And just so you don’t worry: this yoke of obedience and discipleship is “easy,” and the burden “light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Second, it is a simple truth that God, who is Master of the universe and Father to our souls, will “not suffer [us] to be tempted above that [we] are able to bear; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that [we] may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13) I have never doubted, nor been given reason to doubt, that God knew my suffering, expected me to be faithful in spite of it all, and made it possible for me to bear my burden without disintegrating into despair and rebellion.

And third, the most wonderful, delicious fruits are borne of adversity, if we endure it well! Jacob’s father taught him that “it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things” so that we might know the bitter from the sweet. (2 Nephi 2: 11-15) And do we not all know the taste of bitterness?! But Christ’s miracle – which hopefully gives new life to our sometimes sad, sleepy, or stony hearts – is that joy is borne of bitterness, life springs out of barrenness, and weakness becomes strength. It happens in many ways. In my life, my family has been made whole in ways I never thought possible, as have I. Where there was anger and resentment, there have been new beginnings and feelings of peace, understanding, and hope.

I am forever grateful for Christ, grateful that He drank of the bitter cup and did not shrink. I marvel that, as grapefruit is delicious to me because it allows me to taste sunshine in the middle of winter, so are the fruits of my childhood heartache delicious to me because they have resulted in my conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is this fruit, which is "desirable above all other fruit," that most often is found in the midst of our longest, most bitter winters. (1 Nephi 8:12)

A Child's Faith

I have always tried hard not to burden the Lord with trivial problems. Sometimes, things just aren't important enough to pray about, I have often thought. How wrong I was! Yesterday, I learned a great lesson about the character of a loving Father in Heaven from my little boy, Sam.

Sam is almost 3 years old and is speeched delayed. About 80% of the time I have no idea what he wants. But one thing I do know, is that Sammy loves Thomas the Train. He loves everything about them! His favorite Thomas toys are the little take-along trains. They are just the right size to fit in his little hands. Yesterday, I let Sammy choose two of his trains to take with us to visit a few of our neighbors. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for Sammy to lose his trains on the playground. I was a little upset, because those toys aren't cheap, and after about an hour of combing the playground we only found one train.

It was getting dark and I had given up. I put the boys (I have a 16 mo. old too) in the wagon to walk home, and Sammy started to whimper a little for his lost train. I was halfway to our apartment when I stopped and thought, "It won't hurt to take one last look." Before I turned around, I paused and thought, "I guess a little prayer won't hurt either." So I went and stood by Sam and bowed my head (only after checking around to make sure no one was watching) and I said a quick prayer in behalf of my little son who has no voice for himself. It went something like this: "Father in Heaven, I know that this may seem very petty and trivial, but Sammy lost his little train. I know it isn't a big deal to us, but it means a lot to him. Please, Father, help us find his little train, and bless Sammy for his perfect faith. Amen."

We started back to the playground. Then to my utter amazement, when we got to the gate, there was his little train, sitting there as if waiting just for us! Tears of gratitude welled up in my eyes as I realized that finding Sammy's train wasn't a trivial thing to pray for after all. Why? Because it mattered to Sam, and if it matters to him, then it mattered to the Lord.

What a loving Father in Heaven! How blessed that we are to know that no matter what, he will be there for us, to help us, comfort us, and heal us, when we need him. Thanks to my little son, with his perfect faith, I know my Father in Heaven a little bit more. If it matter's to us, it matters to Him.

Answers to Prayers

In my spiritually immature mind I sometimes try to figure out why God answers some prayers immediately and others seem to go unanswered. A few months ago, at my husband's graduation, the camera slipped out of my hands minutes before he walked across the stage to receive his MBA diploma. And of course it broke. I was devastated and immediately prayed "Heavenly Father, I know you can fix this camera and I am begging you to please fix it so I can take pictures of this." I honestly believed that after my pleading I was going to take a picture and I would see something other than squiggly lines indicating it was broken. But I didn't. It was heartbreaking to me. I followed up my prayer thinking "OK, that's OK, I know you have answered other prayers and I know at least that you heard me." I do wish it had been fixed though. It was such a big moment for my husband and our family, a culmination of 3 years of hard work and diligence and I hardly have it documented.

Fast forward a few weeks after that. We were driving through Georgia on our move to Florida and it began to rain. We were on the freeway going 75mph and although the rain didn't seem like much I felt like it was starting to puddle a little on the road and I had the thought to slow down which I shared with my husband. As I began to slow down a car passed us on our left. Within seconds this car hydroplaned, began spinning circles in the middle of the highway, and hit the left side rail. The trunk flew open and the car jumped several feet into the air landing down hard on the road. Had I not slowed, this car would have spun right into our car. My husband called 911. I was in shock. It was the worst accident I have ever seen and we were seconds from being involved and seriously hurt. The thought of my two children in the back seat getting hurt brought me to tears and we had to take the next exit so that my husband could drive and I could stop shaking and crying. I then remembered the prayer we had so simply given hours earlier "Heavenly Father, we are thankful for all we have and for the safety we have had so far on our trip. Please bless us with safety again as we drive today." It went something like that at least. I KNEW without a doubt that God had answered our prayers.

If I had to pick, I would much rather have the prayer of safety answered than my silly broken camera. No matter what the outcome, I believe that we must show our faith by praying to God continually. I believe there is reason behind how our Heavenly Father answers our prayers. Whether or not we "see" an answer to our prayers, I know he hears us when we pray to Him because we are his children and he loves us. I hope to have the same magnitude of faith someday as the prophet Nephi did when he said--

"Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen."

--2 Nephi 4:35--