After a lot of thought and consideration for the young women in my ward, I decided that the spiritual experience needed to be a surprise element at camp that the YCL’s didn’t plan. I felt that even they needed spiritual experiences to help their faith in our Savior grow. I decided to provide this experience by planning and carrying out a “Faith Walk.” One YCL had mentioned that she had never done a faith walk in the dark before and that she had always wanted to. I had no idea how to plan a faith walk or even where to begin! But one thing I knew for certain was that a faith walk in the dark was important to this young woman and that it was her last year at camp, so I needed to make it happen.

Over the next several weeks, I spent many sleepless nights trying to figure out what to do and how to make this faith walk spiritual. After a lot of pondering and even more praying, I decided that the faith walk needed to be based on our Savior, Jesus Christ. I also knew that I had to make this faith walk safe, especially considering there had been bear sightings in the area the week before. I couldn’t just turn the girls loose on the mountain in the dark! But at the same time, I didn’t want the distraction of flashlights. As I thought about how to make this a meaningful spiritual experience, I felt like I was left completely in the dark. But as I pondered and thought about each girl, thoughts slowly began to form. And little by little, the ideas built on each other and became a guide to creating the faith walk.

I decided to have the girls make a lantern out of a jar shortly after they arrived at camp. Once their lantern was complete, I gave each young woman a battery-operated tea light candle to light their lanterns. What they chose to do with their lantern or their light was up to them. After a couple more activities (and while the young women ate dinner), I set up for our faith walk in the dark. 

I had twelve tall posts that I placed in the ground. Some posts were farther apart than others and not all were placed evenly apart or in a straight line. Each post had a different photo depicting the events leading up to the crucifixion of our Savior, Jesus Christ. With each photo was a quote or a small description of what happened in the picture, along with an analogy of how it applies to our lives today. On each post, below each photo and the description, was a lantern with a tea light candle. The lanterns matched the lanterns that the young women had made earlier in the day. The only difference was that the tea lights that were placed in these lanterns burned slightly brighter than the tea lights that I gave to the young women. But there was a purpose for this. Each lantern lit the posts and the photos of Christ, representing how He stands as our beacon in the dark.

After dinner each young woman grabbed her lantern and turned on her candle. Some candles let off a bright light because the young women carefully tucked their lanterns away in their tents, while other girls had used their lanterns and the candles burned a little dimmer. Each young woman lined up in a single file line anticipating her turn to walk on the path in the dark. One by one the girls began their faith walk, their lanterns lighting their way and each post standing like a beacon in the dark guiding the young women to where they needed to go. When one girl began walking to the second post, another girl began the faith walk, walking the trail alone to the first post where the beacon of light awaited her. The following posts weren’t as easy to see as the first and second posts as the path wasn’t straight and sometimes the posts were further apart making them difficult to see, thus representing the path that we take in this life.

As each of the girls walked the path on the faith walk, a funny thing happened. The young women whose lights were dim because they made foolish choices regarding their light, were unable to see the path. Not because they didn’t have light, but because they were too focused on how little of light that their lantern let off. So when they needed their lanterns they noticed how dim their lanterns were and looked to their feet instead of looking up to the beacon that was guiding their path the entire time. But the young women who made wise choices regarding their lanterns didn’t notice where they stepped. They knew that there was a brighter light guiding them. They knew their lanterns were there when and if they needed it, but these girls looked up to the light on the posts as their guide or their beacon in the night. And while their lanterns were important to staying on the path, their lanterns became insignificant as it was a greater light that they sought after.

Oftentimes we feel alone on our path in life and we’re not sure where to go or where to turn as we face difficulties and challenges. We might feel like our light is dimmed because of our choices, and we might not always see our path clearly as it appears distorted in the dark. We might look down at our feet trying too hard to focus on the steps that we take rather than looking up toward the light, realizing that our path is brighter because there is a beacon in the dark guiding us to where we need to go. Psalm 119:105 reads: 

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

What would happen if we stopped focusing on our lack of light and where we stand? What if, instead we sought out a different light? A light that always burns bright and stands as a safe harbor like that of a lighthouse?

Our Father in Heaven gave us a Savior who died for us so that we could be forgiven of our sins, and Who by the grace of God will save us so that we can return to live with our Father in Heaven and receive immortality and eternal life someday. But our Heavenly Father didn’t just provide us with any Savior. Our Savior Jesus Christ willingly gave Himself unto us! He willingly suffered and died for us so that He can understand the pains that we will face in our mortal life. And He chooses to stand as a beacon in our darkest nights directing us back to safety.

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Yet before we can be directed back, we need to quit looking down at our feet and worrying about where we stand, but instead look up! Look to the Lord, for He is our beacon in the night! When we look to our Savior and follow His plan, His words and teachings will be like a lamp to our feet, guiding our steps and thus lighting our path, guiding us safely back to our Father in Heaven. Our own lantern will burn brighter, but will still be insignificant when compared to the bright beacon that our Savior provides, as that is the light that we will rely on. Thomas S. Monson, former prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, taught:

“Anxiously we ask, “Is there a way to safety? Can someone guide us? Is there an escape from threatened destruction?”

 

The answer is a resounding yes! I counsel you: Look to the lighthouse of the Lord. There is no fog so dense, no night so dark, no gale so strong, no mariner so lost but what its beacon light can rescue. It calls, ‘This way to safety; this way to home'” (Thomas S. Monson, “The Lighthouse of the Lord,” New Era, February 2001).

The night of the faith walk, some of the young women were slightly scared to walk alone in the dark on the mountain. But once they began the faith walk and learned about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and of His love for us individually, they realized they were never alone. Not on the mountain and not in this lifetime. While we may feel like we’re lost on a mountainside from time to time, know this: regardless of the mistakes that we make or the hardships we face because of our choices, there is no fog dense enough to block the light provided by the beacon of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He didn’t die for us so that we can walk this path alone with a dim light, but so that He can stand beside us, side by side and guiding us to safety. Jesus Christ is our Savior, the solid foundation on which we stand. He is our safe harbor, our beacon in the night.

Marie Yvonne

Marie Yvonne is a motivational and devotional speaker for teens and young adults. In her devotionals, she shares her personal testimony and journey of learning to accept herself as God created her. Her journey can also be found on social media and her personal blog and website, TheConfidenceToShine.com.

www.theconfidencetoshine.com

The next day, July 6th, we headed to the hospital so that I could be induced. Upon arriving at the hospital, I was dilated to six centimeters, so slightly farther along. The doctor immediately started an IV, broke my water and started a Pitocin drip to encourage contractions and labor. After several hours of hard contractions and labor, I was no further along in my labor than when I had walked in the door. On top of not making any progress, my baby was showing signs of distress. My baby’s heart rate had dropped to 58 beats per minute and was slowly dropping further as the minutes passed despite my doctor’s and nurse’s best efforts to raise my baby’s heart rate. When my baby’s heart rate dropped below 50 beats per minute, my doctor said that he would be back in a few minutes because he was going to prepare for delivery.

Because I was nowhere close to delivering, I knew that this meant that I would need a c-section. The thought was terrifying to me! I didn’t want a c-section, and the thought alone didn’t feel right. But at the same time, I couldn’t bear the thought of having to tell my older two daughters that we wouldn’t be bringing our baby home from the hospital. While the doctor and nurse were gone, I asked my husband for a priesthood blessing, which he agreed to and willingly gave. A couple minutes after the blessing, my nurse returned to my room. Instantly I felt a pain that didn’t feel normal. I told my nurse and she assured me that everything was okay and that she had just checked me and that I was still dilated to 6 centimeters. After a minute the pain subsided, then came back a minute later. I again notified my nurse about the pain. She decided to check me since I had an epidural and shouldn’t have been feeling any pain. Upon examination, my nurse discovered that I was dilated to ten centimeters and was ready to deliver. My nurse immediately paged my doctor and within a couple of minutes, my doctor was in my room and ready to deliver my baby. But he didn’t come alone — additional nurses and someone from respiratory accompanied him.

Approximately twelve minutes later, my daughter was born. She was blue, not crying nor responding, and nearly failing her one minute Apgar test. My daughter was immediately handed over to the other medical professionals as they worked to clear her airways and sustain her breathing and oxygen levels. My doctor continued to work on me since I had hemorrhaged. My focus wasn’t on myself, but on my daughter as I watched the respiratory therapist and nurses work on her. It felt like an eternity until we heard the sound that every parent hopes to hear and my daughter’s cries echoed in the room. Fireworks lit up the sky the night our daughter was born. We often refer to her as our “firecracker” as she came into this world with a bang — but was that bang necessary?

So many times we go into something or face a difficulty assuming that everything will be fine and that we don’t need God’s help. When I went in to deliver my third daughter, I assumed everything would be just fine — but it wasn’t. Prior to going to the hospital, I didn’t ask for a priesthood blessing and didn’t pray asking for everything to be okay. Honestly, the thought had never crossed my mind! I had a blessing prior to the births of my older two daughters, but I didn’t with this one. I just assumed that everything would be fine and didn’t even think about it. But when it came down to the reality of the situation, I realized that I needed God’s help. 

Suppose for a moment that I had asked for a blessing prior to going to the hospital… Would things have been different? Possibly, but I’ll never know since I can’t go back in time. But one thing is for certain — I would have had peace of mind. Peace of mind knowing that whatever was to come was strictly in God’s hands. I would have had peace of mind knowing the doctor’s hands and mind would be directed by God providing the absolute best care for my daughter and I. And I would have had peace of mind knowing that my Heavenly Father was watching over me. And while I had this peace of mind once I received the blessing, I could have had it all along had I had prayed or received a blessing beforehand. I’ll never know if things could have been different, but I do know that I could have had peace of mind and comfort all along.

Daniel in the lions’ den

In the Bible we learn of Daniel, who was an honest, obedient, and faith-filled man. Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes because of the excellent spirit that was in him (Daniel 6:3). Daniel loved and followed God. Many men were jealous of Daniel and didn’t like him — and because of their jealousy, they wanted Daniel killed. These men assembled together and convinced the king to pass a law that if anyone was caught praying, they’d be cast into a den of lions. 

Despite the new law, Daniel continued to pray day and night. He consistently prayed and communicated with God on a daily basis. Daniel prayed before his trial ever began; in fact, he prayed multiple times a day just to simply communicate with God. Daniel continued to be obedient to God and didn’t allow these men or this new law to shake his faith in God. Daniel’s prayers didn’t come only in moments of despair or fear, but in times of happiness and gratitude. He knew the power of prayer and how important it was to pray at all times — not only in times of need, but in joyous occasions as well.

One day, Daniel was found praying and was brought before the king. The king told Daniel that if his God was real, He’d deliver him from the lions’ den. Daniel was then thrown into the lions’ den. During a time when he should have been filled with fear, Daniel was protected from the lions. The lions’ mouths were shut and they did not harm him. The next day, God delivered Daniel from the lions’ den when the king went to check on him. Upon discovering that he was still alive, the king let him out. He was delivered from the lions’ den.

Like Daniel, in life we’re going to face difficulties, challenges, and troubling times. It’s part of our earthly experience. Even a joyous occasion like the birth of a baby can be a trying time. Today we’re faced with great adversities just as we face day-to-day life. Then throw in the confusion and fear from the COVID-19 pandemic and it only complicates things further as our faith in God is put to the test — just as Daniel’s faith was tested. While we will probably never physically be cast into a lions’ den, oftentimes our fears mentally and emotionally put us there. We fail to recognize that had we prayed from the beginning before our troubles ever began and before our fears set in, our own personal lions would be hushed and we’d have peace of mind to see God’s helping hand. We’d find it easier to hand our fears over to God knowing and having faith that He will cease our fears and deliver us from our troubles, giving us peace of mind regardless of the adversity we face. Isaiah 41:10 reads:

‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee” — God is there! He is there to ease our fears and provide comfort and peace of mind. He is there to deliver us from our own personal lions’ den. Our Father in Heaven wants to hear from us always — not just during our times of need, but in joyous times as well. And just like it was important for Daniel to pray and communicate with God at all times, it’s equally important for us as well. 

God is there for us always and patiently waits for us to ask for His help and place our trials into His helping hand. And while our Father in Heaven may not immediately answer our prayers, He does hear them and will strengthen us and silence our own personal lions.

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We just simply need to ask and allow God to help us and place our troubles in His hands, even if it’s not the answer that we want to hear or the way that we want Him to help us. When my daughter was born, it wasn’t the way that I wanted it to happen. I had longed to hold my baby right after birth since I didn’t get that opportunity with my second daughter. But it didn’t happen that way. However, our Father in Heaven silenced my fears as a C-section was avoided and He provided the comfort and peace of mind that I needed as the doctors and nurses worked on my daughter and me. The next day after my daughter was born, the doctor said that he didn’t know how he got the internal fetal monitor to stay on my daughter’s scalp because she had so much hair! We were very well cared for — and not just by the medical professionals, but by our Father in Heaven. Prayers were answered, even if it wasn’t in the way that I had wanted. And I couldn’t ask for a better place to leave my troubles, my fears and my adversities than in God’s hands.

Lead image via LDS Living.

Marie Yvonne

Marie Yvonne is a motivational and devotional speaker for teens and young adults. In her devotionals, she shares her personal testimony and journey of learning to accept herself as God created her. Her journey can also be found on social media and her personal blog and website, TheConfidenceToShine.com.

www.theconfidencetoshine.com

I remember that for a brief moment, time seemed to stand completely still as if the world stopped spinning. It was an uncomfortable stillness as my heart sank. I remember how the phone seemed to echo as the counselor continued to speak. I was overcome with feelings of anger, sadness, frustration and confusion, plus so much more. I had so many feelings going on all at once that I could barely speak, much less process anything. I was angry that my daughter would want to end her life or even think about it, much less attempt it. I was frustrated because I didn’t see any warning signs and felt like I had missed something. My daughter had seemed so happy! She had so many friends, she was on the school’s color guard team, and she absolutely loved life! I was so confused! Why would she want to take her own life? She had so much to live for! But above all, I was filled with sadness. It broke my heart that she hurt so much inside that she’d want to take her life to end her pain. I didn’t understand! But at the same time, I did.

Growing up, I had been teased and made fun of relentlessly — for things that I had absolutely no control over! I remember the emotional pain that I went through and could somewhat relate to how my daughter felt, despite her having friends where I did not. And back when I was my daughter’s age, I thought, “Why me?!” I wondered why I had to go through that pain and why I had to feel rejected time and time again. And this time, the same questions instantly flooded my mind: “Why me? Why did I have to face this trial as a parent? And why her? Why does life seem so unfair?!”

The “Why me?” questions often time pops into our minds when we’re faced with adversity or a trial that seems too difficult or too uncomfortable to bear. We often feel that life seems unfair and that we don’t deserve the hardship that God has placed before us. We fail to realize that our Father in Heaven will never give us a trial that we can’t endure. And we also fail to recognize our own strength that God has given us, the very strength that helps us to press forward as we face difficulties in our lifetime. While this was ultimately my daughter’s trial to bear, the weight of her infirmity rested heavily on my shoulders. Henry B. Eyring of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave us this assurance:

“You were tutored by Him before you came into this life. He helped you understand and accept that you would have trials, tests and opportunities perfectly chosen just for you. You learned that our Father has a plan of happiness to get you safely through those trials and that you would help bring others safely through theirs” (Henry B. Eyring, “Daughters in the Covenant,” April 2014).

When facing our own adversities, we often get wrapped up in asking why we should have to endure our trials. As a teenager, I never imagined that the trials and insecurities that I faced would someday be for my own good. Little did I know that my own inadequacies and feelings of worthlessness would someday help me understand my own teenage daughter and her feelings as we coped with her suicide attempt. Little did I realize that my trial would later help me guide my daughter safely through her hardship. Oftentimes the infirmities that we experience in this life are for our own good and will help us develop the strength that we need to press forward in a future trial. Instead of asking “Why me?” what if instead we asked “Why not me?” 

Our Father in Heaven gives us adversities that are specific to our needs. While we certainly may not enjoy our hardships, we would also never wish them on our worst enemy. I once heard that if we all wrote down our trials on little pieces of paper and tossed them into a pile in the center of a room, then were told to pick which trials we wanted to endure, we’d pick our own trials from the pile. We’d do this because the trials that we have are what we’re comfortable with. They’re trials that our Father in Heaven specifically picked for each of us individually. We may not enjoy the experience, but who better to withstand the adversity than the person that God gave the strength to endure it?

Our Father in Heaven is well aware of our struggles and the insecurities that we might have as we face our hardships. But on the contrary, He is very aware of our strengths and will never give us an adversity that we can’t withstand. Growing up, I didn’t enjoy being made fun of by my peers and I’d never wish that pain on anyone, but I’m grateful that I went through it. Because of my experience, I was able to better understand my daughter’s pain. And although my daughter didn’t experience exactly what I did and I didn’t experience exactly what she did, I could at least relate to her pain and somewhat understand her feelings. God gives us our own trials to help strengthen us and give us experience for unforeseen circumstances that may lay ahead — circumstances that will shape who we are and who we are capable of becoming, just as my experiences shaped who I am and how I was able to handle my daughter’s  suicide attempt. Thomas S. Monson, former president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, said:

“There are times when we will experience heartbreaking sorrow, when we will grieve and when we may be tested to our limits. However, such difficulties allow us to change for the better, to rebuild our lives in the way our Heavenly Father teaches us, and to become something different from what we were — better than what we were, more understanding than what we were, more empathetic than what we were, with stronger testimonies than we had before” (Thomas S. Monson, “I Will Not Fail Thee, nor Forsake Thee,” October 2013).

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The day that I received that phone call was by far the worst day of my life! I couldn’t imagine my child trying to take her own life. I have never experienced so much heartbreak and sorrow as I did that day. But later, I was grateful. Grateful that I went through the challenges that I did as a child. While I would never wish for anyone to go through the pain and heartache that I went through back then (and definitely not as a parent), as my daughter faced her own adversity, it was all for a purpose. It helped me be more empathetic and understanding toward others, including my daughter. Because of this, I was able to understand her and relate to her feelings. And while I’d never wish for anyone to attempt suicide, for my daughter, it was a moment of growing and learning of our Father in Heaven and Savior’s love for her. It is because of this love that she’s been able to realize her own strength and that our Heavenly Father will never give her a trial that she can’t endure.

And so it is with each of us. God is well aware of what we can and can’t do. Our Father in Heaven loves us each individually as His child, and will never make us go through something that we can’t endure. He is always there for us,  and has given us the strength to withstand our trials and the strength to endure — and not just in this lifetime, but for eternity. So before we ask “Why me?” let us ask “Why not me?!” 

Marie Yvonne

Marie Yvonne is a motivational and devotional speaker for teens and young adults. In her devotionals, she shares her personal testimony and journey of learning to accept herself as God created her. Her journey can also be found on social media and her personal blog and website, TheConfidenceToShine.com.

www.theconfidencetoshine.com

When I first married my now ex-husband, we struggled to make ends meet. He worked graveyards and wanted to be the sole provider for our household. While I appreciated his effort and the work that he put in, I knew that we were struggling to pay the bills. After bills and rent were paid, we had approximately $40 a paycheck, twice a month for groceries. And although this was twenty years ago, an $80 grocery budget wasn’t much and definitely didn’t leave room for any extras. At the time, we were working to go through the temple, which meant that we needed to pay 10% of our income in tithing to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

Paying our tithing was definitely a time of trial for us. On top of it, we wanted to start a family but knew that our finances didn’t allow room for one. Our health insurance wasn’t the greatest and we didn’t qualify for government assistance. The money that we paid in tithing, we could have easily used to provide for a baby. But we still paid our tithing, placing our complete trust in God that things would work out and prayers would be answered if we ever were blessed with a child despite months of trying to become pregnant. At church and in our temple classes, we had been taught that when we pay a full tithe, we’ll be abundantly blessed. Malachi 3:10 reads:

“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

We held onto this hope that if we simply paid our tithing, everything would fall into place and blessings would be poured out from heaven. At first we didn’t see the blessings, nor did we realize just how abundantly we would be blessed. Shortly after being sealed together in the temple, I felt the need to get a job, but I was limited on where I could work because we only had one somewhat reliable car. And living in a small town, my options were even more limited, especially considering that I might have to walk to work. Since I had limited choices, I decided to walk up to the local grocery store and apply for a job. About a week later, I was hired as a cashier. 

A couple of weeks after working as a cashier, I received a knock on our apartment door. To my surprise, when I answered the door there was a man from the electric company standing on my doorstep. He was there to repair my electric meter. He had noticed that it had quit working and needed some parts replaced. The entire year that we had lived in the apartment, we had never paid over $15 a month for electricity, oftentimes paying as little as $5. Ironically, as soon as I had received my first paycheck, that’s when the power company realized that there was a problem and that the meter needed to be repaired. And because the electric company had no way to accurately measure just how much electricity we had actually used, they wrote it off as a loss to the company even though we offered to pay any difference in the billing. The broken meter was a blessing before I had a job. Had the meter not been broken or worn out, our $80 a month grocery budget would have gone to pay our electric bill instead of for food and other necessities.

The blessings didn’t stop there. We continued to pay our tithing. About a month after finding employment at the grocery store, we were offered a job as apartment managers for the apartment building that we lived in. We had never applied for the job or even inquired about it. It was just simply offered to us by the couple who owned the apartment building. This new job was also something that could easily be done while maintaining employment at the local grocery store and while my ex-husband worked graveyards. In addition to becoming the apartment managers, we were able to move into a larger apartment in the building and our rent was cut in half.

via acruity.com

A couple of weeks after finding employment at the grocery store and about two weeks after taking the management position, I found out that I was pregnant after nearly a year of trying to have a baby. I had been pregnant the year before, but had lost the baby. Even though this was my second pregnancy, it would be the first baby that I’d get to bring home from the hospital — and we had very little for a baby. All of the money that I earned at the grocery store went to our unborn child. I bought all of the necessities that a baby needs while still paying my tithing. I had over a two year supply of diapers in various sizes stored away in the closet of our nursery. The diapers would not only last through our first child, but some packages carried over when our second child was born. I knew that once my baby was born, I wouldn’t be returning to work at the grocery store and that I needed to buy the essentials with my paycheck while I was able to work.

Even after we had everything that we needed and even after the birth of our daughter, we were still abundantly blessed. When it came time to pay the final portion of the doctor and hospital bills that the insurance didn’t cover, we had unexpectedly received some money that we were able to use to pay the bills. The money was enough to cover either the whole doctor bill and a portion of the hospital bill, or all of the hospital and none of the doctor’s bill. We debated whether or not we should pay tithing out of the money that we had received as it would cut the money back even further and make it harder to pay my medical bills and we debated which bill to pay first. Ultimately we decided that the first thing that needed to come out of the money was tithing. So we held off on paying the medical bills until the following Monday, after we had paid tithing on Sunday.

When Monday came around, I thought I would go to the doctor’s office and pay that bill first, then pay the remainder of the money to the hospital and set up a payment plan for whatever else was owed. That was my plan — only it didn’t work out that way. When I arrived at the doctor’s office, their office was closed. It wasn’t a holiday and there wasn’t a note on the door… They were just for some reason closed. So I headed over to the hospital to see what I could do there. After talking to a lady in billing, she told me that they had a discount program where if I paid my bill in full that day, I’d qualify for a discount and get a percentage taken off of my bill. So that’s exactly what I did, and the percentage that was taken off was just what I needed to pay my doctor.

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Suppose for a moment that we hadn’t paid our tithing. I would have gone to the doctor’s office the week before instead of waiting until Monday, the office most likely would have been open. I would have paid the doctor, then I would have gone to pay the hospital bill only not to have had enough to pay in full, and I would have had to set up a payment plan. These kinds of blessings aren’t things that just ironically happen, nor are they merely coincidences. Instead, they’re blessings poured out in abundance from our Father in Heaven. 

One thing that I have learned over the years of paying tithing is that regardless of how much or little money I have, when I pay my tithing, I am abundantly blessed beyond measure and I never go without. Regardless of how difficult things are financially, my needs are always met and my family is always taken care of. The funny thing about money is that regardless of if you have it or not, it’s always a trial. When we’re trying our hardest to make ends meet, our Heavenly Father will make up the difference where we fall short. By paying our tithing, we show our obedience and gratitude toward God and our love for the Lord. Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi, a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said:

“Tithing is a token of gratitude, obedience, and thanksgiving — a token of our willingness and dedication. Paying tithing, willingly, develops an honest and pure heart. Paying tithing increases our love for the Lord.”

Until I had actually paid my tithing and had to place my complete trust in God during my most difficult times financially, I didn’t understand the purpose of tithing, nor had I seen the blessings that are poured down from the Lord simply by paying a full tithe. I came to realize that any money that I make already belongs to the Lord. By giving Him 10%, I’m not paying Him anything, but rather discharging a debt that I owe to the Lord. Elder Jeffery R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave this instruction:

“Paying tithing is not a token gift we are somehow charitably bestowing upon a God. Paying tithing is discharging a debt.”

I testify that regardless of how stressful our financial situation may be or how much or how little money we may have, when we pay a full tithe, we aren’t only discharging a debt that we owe to the Lord for His sacrifice, but are receiving an abundance of blessings that stretch far beyond the 10% that we paid in tithing. If there’s one thing that can improve our situation and increase our faith in God during these troubling times, it’s simply paying a full tithe. I assure you from my own personal experience, when we pay our tithing that that little 10% will be unnoticed and insignificant compared to the abundance of blessings that we’ll receive beyond measure.

Marie Yvonne

Marie Yvonne is a motivational and devotional speaker for teens and young adults. In her devotionals, she shares her personal testimony and journey of learning to accept herself as God created her. Her journey can also be found on social media and her personal blog and website, TheConfidenceToShine.com.

www.theconfidencetoshine.com

I remember vividly my first day of third grade in the new school. I remember how the school smelled different, the games the kids played on the playground were different, and the milk at lunch came in cartons instead of bags. Okay, maybe my old school was the weird school when it came to drinking milk from a bag! My old school might have had some weird quirks, but at least I felt welcome there. I didn’t feel that in my new school.

On the first day of school at my new school, they did an assembly and all of the “new kids” were called to the front so that everyone could see who we were and supposedly get to know us. Only nobody wanted to get to know me. I was different than everyone else and the kids at school knew it.  And just as quickly as they noticed the differences, they pointed them out. I talked funny, I wore different clothes, and I didn’t look like the rest of the kids. They made fun of my hair and my freckles, calling me “Freckle Face.” And although I remember the smells and the differences between the two schools, what I remember most is how I was treated. I didn’t fit in and not one kid wanted me for a friend.

I hated school, I hated the playground, I hated riding the bus because nobody wanted to sit next to me, and I hated that we moved. I remember being in tears every morning when I had to go to school. One day I had this thought that if I missed the bus, I wouldn’t have to go to school because my mom worked in the next town over in the opposite direction and she wouldn’t have time to take me. That was my thought — only it didn’t work. Two of the lunch ladies who worked for the school lived in the same town as us, so my mom would call one of these ladies and ask if I could catch a ride to school with her.  And if one of them wasn’t working, the other one was! Although I enjoyed having someone to talk to on my way to school, I quickly learned that riding to school with the lunch ladies wasn’t very cool and it just gave the kids more sticks and stones to cast on the playground.

I missed my old school. I missed my friends. And I missed being happy. I wanted more than anything to have friends again, to feel accepted and loved. Until that point in my life, I had never felt so inadequate and out of place. I felt absolutely worthless and I hated life. My mom would tell me that the kids just needed time to get to know me. I held on to the hope that they’d eventually get to know me and that I’d have friends in my class. But that never really happened. However, one thing did happen that completely changed how I viewed the other kids at school.

I remember clearly one day while doing math, the teacher stepped out to go talk to the other third grade teacher about an activity that we’d be doing. While he was gone, the kids started teasing and poking fun at me, making fun of anything that they could possibly find to make fun of. I sat at my desk with my head bowed down, staring at my math assignment through blurry eyes wet with tears. The hot tears eventually began to drop down my flushed face, red with embarrassment. I had a lump in my throat that closed off my voice box, leaving me unable to speak. And even if I could speak to tell the kids to stop, I knew that nobody would listen.

As I sat at my desk with tears flooding my paper, ruining my math assignment, one girl approached my desk. My heart began to beat rapidly. I wasn’t sure what she was going to say or do. She was one of the popular girls; someone that everyone liked. I remember looking at her out of the corner of my tear-soaked eyes as she knelt beside my desk and placed her hand on my back. This girl asked me if I was okay, then told the other kids to stop. It was her kindness that gave me the strength that I needed to press forward each day. 

All it took was one person to change the outlook on my childhood and grade school experience. And although I was never invited by this girl or her friends to play on the playground, I knew that not everyone hated me. So many times in our lives, we face challenges where sticks and stones are thrown in our direction. We may oftentimes feel inadequate, out of place, or completely alone. We may think we don’t matter and that nobody knows what we’re going through. And although we might feel like we’re not worth someone else’s time, there is always someone who is willing to listen, someone who does care, and someone who knows what it’s like to be on the receiving end when sticks and stones are thrown. This person is our Savior Jesus Christ. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave this assurance:

“Though you may feel that no one can understand the depth of your despair, our Savior, Jesus Christ understands.”

Before Jesus was crucified, He prayed. He prayed for me and He prayed for you. In His time of need and in His trial, He prayed for us. Our Savior experienced the harshest treatment at the hands of others. He was oftentimes on the receiving end of verbal lashings as He wore a robe of mockery. Jesus Christ carried the weight of the world on His shoulders while carrying His own cross to Calvary where He was crucified. And as our Savior was left to die on the cross, He uttered these words: “Father forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). 

Often when people are casting sticks and stones in our direction, they don’t realize the pain that they are causing. I don’t think any of the kids who treated me poorly realized the pain that they caused, and I honestly don’t think that they intentionally tried to make me hurt or feel completely alone. And if they did cast a stone in my direction in hopes of hurting me, chances are that they were hurting too and walked their own path of loneliness. And although my trial of wanting and trying to find acceptance among my peers felt lonely, I never walked that path alone. Elder Jeffery R. Holland said:

“Because Jesus walked such a long lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so.”

Like Elder Holland said, our Savior walked a lonely path so that we wouldn’t have to. Sticks and stones were cast in His direction so that He would understand the pain that we’d feel as we face our own trials. He understands our feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, and pain regardless of whether we’re on the receiving end of sticks and stones or the person who is casting them.

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Regardless of our trials and the hardships we face, our Savior is always there and will always help us find light in our darkest hour. Every day I went to school during my third grade year, after I found a seat on the bus, I’d pray that God would simply help me get through the day. And while our Father in Heaven was well aware of my pain, He couldn’t take away the actions of others — but what He could do was provide opportunities for me to feel our Savior’s love. It was because of one of the two lunch ladies that I was able to make friends with some girls in town who were a year older than I was. I was the only kid in town my age, so it didn’t help with having friends in my class at school, but I no longer sat alone on the bus. I also felt our Savior’s love when the girl in my class told the other kids to stop making fun of me. And although the mocking didn’t completely stop, I knew that someone in my class cared about me and I wasn’t completely alone. 

At times our trials will seem unbearable and at times it might seem like we walk a lonely path, but I assure you that we don’t. The mocking that I faced while growing up didn’t stop. However, every time I prayed, our Father in Heaven provided an opportunity for me to feel the pure love of Christ, the love that our Savior has for me — and it’s the same love that He has for you. Sticks and stones will be cast from time to time. And the majority of us, or at least the ones who are willing to admit it, will feel inadequate from time to time, as it’s part of our mortal experience on this earth. However, regardless of the sticks and stones that are cast in our direction, and regardless of how inadequate we may feel, we will never be worthless in the eyes of our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Marie Yvonne

Marie Yvonne is a motivational and devotional speaker for teens and young adults. In her devotionals, she shares her personal testimony and journey of learning to accept herself as God created her. Her journey can also be found on social media and her personal blog and website, TheConfidenceToShine.com.

www.theconfidencetoshine.com

For me personally, I worry a little. I worry about my husband’s health and my health, and about who’d be there for my children if something happened to us. Like any other parent, I also worry about my children and their wellbeing. And while I’m not too concerned about our health overall because we are healthy, I do worry about my mother’s health, as she has underlying health conditions that place her in the high-risk category. About two and a half years ago, my mother was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma. And although her cancer is not active at this time, the coronavirus has the potential to take her life.

Amid the worries and concerns, we’ve all also experienced the chaos and confusion. The week when many were stockpiling their pantry, we were preparing for and attending the funeral services for my husband’s sister, a death unrelated to the coronavirus. As a result, our family didn’t get the opportunity to go shopping, as our income was needed elsewhere. After seeing Facebook posts and news reports, it was terrifying to see how little is left and to know that I still haven’t been shopping — not even for the basics, much less for extras like Easter candy.

While I know what it’s like to be concerned about the virus, I also know that we’ve been taking precautions to help keep us safe and protected. While we attended a funeral out of state and had to stay at a hotel, we limited our exposure and costs by cooking crockpot meals in our room instead of going out to eat. Upon preparing for our trip, I realized that if we follow the advice that the healthcare professionals have given us and do what we can to reduce our risk, we’ll be protected. It doesn’t mean that we won’t get the virus, but it does help us reduce our chances of getting it and to know what to expect if we do get the virus. While the advice from the medical professionals is great, we’ve also been warned about not being prepared from the General Authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We have been taught over and over again to have food storage on hand. Without our food storage, I currently don’t know how my little family would survive. It’s because of what we have on hand that our family has meals to eat, because I haven’t had a minute to go grocery shopping. And while it may not be much and we may not have the extras like candy for Easter or ice cream for Sunday afternoons, we have what we need — and for that I am grateful.

In Elder L. Tom Perry’s talk “If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear,” he addresses how we should live within our means and how it is essential that we plan for the future. Elder Perry likens modern-day trials to having oil in our lamps that is sufficient enough to endure to the end. It’s important that we prepare our lamps not only for our spiritual needs, but also for our temporal needs. Elder Perry shared a quote by former President Spencer W. Kimball:

“To maintain some semblance of stability in our lives, it is essential that we plan for our future. I believe it is time, and perhaps with some urgency, to review the counsel we have received in dealing with our personal and family preparedness. We want to be found with oil in our lamps sufficient to endure to the end. 

 

President Spencer W. Kimball admonished us:

 

‘In reviewing the Lord’s counsel to us on the importance of preparedness, I am impressed with the plainness of the message. The Savior made it clear that we cannot place sufficient oil in our preparedness lamps by simply avoiding evil. We must also be anxiously engaged in a positive program of preparation.’

 

He also said: ‘The Lord will not translate one’s good hopes and desires and intentions into works. Each of us must do that for himself.’”

The need for being prepared in our time of need and trial has never been more clear than it is today. We’ve witnessed many running to grocery stores in a panic trying to buy up the last of the food, toilet paper, and water in hopes of stockpiling their year’s supply in an instant. But it doesn’t work that way. Had we all been prepared to begin with, this panic and chaos would have been unnecessary and we’d have absolutely no reason to fear. We’d only need to maintain the essentials, which should be done anyway. Elder Perry went on to advise us to be prepared in the four following areas of our daily lives:

• First, gain an adequate education. We need to learn a trade or profession that will secure an income for our future. We also need to stay up to date on the rapidly changing information and technology around us.
• Second, we need to live strictly within our income and save for a rainy day. We are advised to grow our own gardens and prepare foods at home that can be added to our food storage. 
• Third, we have been advised to put money away for a rainy day and live within our means, avoiding unnecessary debt. 
• Fourth, we need to acquire and store a reserve of food and supplies that will sustain life for at least a year.

Imagine how much less chaotic this past week would have been if all of us had been prepared and had the items that we needed on hand and only had to return to the store to buy the essentials like milk, eggs, bread, and fresh produce. The shelves would have remained stocked and there would have been less panic and even less of a reason to fear. Elder Perry said:

“As long as I can remember, we have been taught to prepare for the future and to obtain a year’s supply of necessities. I would guess that the years of plenty have almost universally caused us to set aside this counsel. I believe the time to disregard this counsel is over. With events in the world today, it must be considered with all seriousness.”

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While I try to follow this advice, my husband and I are far from perfect. We have food storage, but far from a year’s supply. I think for most of us, we’ve been spoiled with plentiful times, not needing to stock up for the future. And although I’m not too worried about what our family will eat or what will happen if my husband has to work from home, there is still some concern and even some fear. Elder Perry’s words of counsel are also found in Doctrine & Covenants 38:30, which reads:

“​I tell you these things because of your prayers; wherefore, ​​​treasure​ up ​​​wisdom​ in your bosoms, lest the wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness, in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder than that which shall shake the earth; but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.”

I testify that if we follow this sound counsel, we will be prepared and have no reason to fear. While we attended a funeral out of state and watched the news unfold of empty store shelves and the panic among those around us who selfishly stockpiled their shopping carts, I was comforted to know that when my family returned home, we’d have food to eat. I took comfort in knowing that for the most part, we will be taken care of for the next few weeks until shelves are restocked and panic dissolves. While there is no guarantee that we won’t end up with COVID-19, we are promised that if we do our part, we’ll have no reason to fear. Instead, we will find comfort in knowing that if we are unable to work, our family will have food to eat and shelter overhead — even if we do end up infected with this virus.

My hope and my prayer is that all of us will use the COVID-19 pandemic as a warning of things to come. We have been warned and forewarned in the scriptures about perilous times. When this trial is over, it isn’t the end. There will be more to come, and that day will be far worse. I hope and pray that we learn from this current tribulation and have sufficient oil in our lamps for what could come in the future. God has promised us that if we are prepared, we will have no reason to fear. May we go forward, follow God’s counsel, and not fear.

Marie Yvonne

Marie Yvonne is a motivational and devotional speaker for teens and young adults. In her devotionals, she shares her personal testimony and journey of learning to accept herself as God created her. Her journey can also be found on social media and her personal blog and website, TheConfidenceToShine.com.

www.theconfidencetoshine.com

The Friday before changing the clocks ahead, I did my normal routine — a routine that hasn’t consistently happened since just before my kids were let out of school for Christmas break. I was happy because for the first time in weeks, I finally had what I thought was a completely normal week: a week that wasn’t filled with family drama, broken-down cars, or school holidays. Everything was going great that morning. My husband had left for work, dropping our second oldest daughter off at the high school along his way, and I was about to head out the door to take our youngest daughter to school. While I was waiting for her to finish getting ready, I checked a missed text on my phone. At that moment, my entire “normal day” was flipped completely upside down. I still didn’t get a normal week, and the week to come is going to be anything but normal.

Upon answering the text, I discovered that my husband’s sister had passed away from complications associated with ALS, also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s disease. I immediately called my husband and delivered the heartbreaking news and told him to come back home and take the day off. We were devastated. Although we knew she would eventually pass, we had hoped to see her one last time and to have more of our time with her, at least lasting through this year. Yet this was no longer our time, but rather God’s time.

Sometimes in life, trials are inevitable and can’t be avoided regardless of whether we know they are coming or not. We knew that my sister-in-law would eventually pass, and although we knew that it would happen, nothing could prepare us for the pain and sadness that we felt when she passed away, even if it meant that she was no longer suffering. Some trials are simply in God’s hands and will be healed or fixed in His time. And although we’ll miss my sister-in-law dearly, we find great comfort in knowing that we’ll be with her again someday. But again, that day is in God’s timing, not ours.

The first principle in the gospel is to have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This means that regardless of the trial that we’re facing, we will have trust in God’s plan and that He knows what He is doing. Having faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will prepare us for whatever life brings. It prepares us to take advantage of life’s opportunities and to persist through lost chances and difficult times. And having faith means that we will trust God’s timetable and that we won’t try to override His timetable with our own. This can be hard because sometimes we expect prayers to be answered or trials to come to a close immediately, but that’s not how God works. He provides answers in His due time, not ours. Neal A. Maxwell, former member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said:

“The issue for us is trusting God enough to trust also His timing. If we can truly believe He has our welfare at heart, may we not let His plans unfold as He thinks best? The same is true with the second coming and with all those matters wherein our faith needs to include faith in the Lord’s timing for us personally, not just in His overall plans and purposes.”

We cannot have true faith in our Lord Jesus Christ without having complete trust in His will and His timing. When we impose our own timetable on the Lord, we’re not exercising our faith in His plan, nor are we placing our complete trust in our Lord. We’re saying, “I know you can help me, but let’s do it my way.” And that’s not how God’s plan works. Neal A. Maxwell also gave us this advice:

“Since faith in the timing of the Lord may be tried, let us learn to say not only, ‘Thy will be done,’ but patiently also, ‘Thy timing be done.'”

While we’re waiting for God’s timing to be fulfilled, we have to act. We need to be prepared for answers to our prayers and we need to prepare for when a trial comes to a close even if it’s not the answers or the way that we expected. When we do this, we will feel at peace and have an open mind and open heart ready to receive inspiration and direction from the Lord. For example, none of us wanted my sister-in-law to pass away. We all would have liked for her to be healed, but we knew this wasn’t a possibility. So to prepare for this, distant family members tried their best to spend more time with her. She and her husband were honest with their children about what was to come instead of giving them false hopes of healing in an attempt to avoid the inevitable.

When preparing for the end of a trial or for answers to prayers, we have to allow ourselves to accept the possibility of an outcome that we don’t want. It doesn’t mean that we’re being pessimistic or that we lack faith; it simply means that we’re willing to accept an outcome that we know is a possibility. And if that outcome doesn’t happen, we can breathe a sigh of relief. But if it does happen, our minds will be open and ready to receive inspiration and instruction from the Lord in how to handle the trial at hand — a trial that will eventually come to a close when God sees fit. In Doctrine and Covenants 88:61-68 we are given this direction:

61 Therefore, unto this parable I will liken all these kingdoms, and the inhabitants thereof—every kingdom in its hour, and in its time, and in its season, even according to the decree which God hath made.

 

62 And again, verily I say unto you, my friends, I leave these sayings with you to ponder in your hearts, with this commandment which I give unto you, that ye shall call upon me while I am near—

 

63 Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

 

64 Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you;

 

65 And if ye ask anything that is not expedient for you, it shall turn unto your condemnation.

 

66 Behold, that which you hear is as the voice of one crying in the wilderness—in the wilderness, because you cannot see him—my voice, because my voice is Spirit; my Spirit is truth; truth abideth and hath no end; and if it be in you it shall abound.

 

67 And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things.

 

68 Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will.

As we seek answers during our trials and answers to our prayers, if we open our minds to the Lord, He will give us direction and fill us with light so that we will know what we need to do to prepare as we go through difficult times. To seek answers, we must commit ourselves to the Lord, putting Him first in our lives, knowing that all things will come to pass in His timing. But until that time comes, we can find great comfort in knowing that our Father in Heaven is still there to help us and give us direction while His timetable is being fulfilled. Blessings don’t happen overnight. Trials don’t come to a close overnight. And as much as we hope for a miracle, we can’t always guarantee that we’ll be given one — and if we are given a miracle, it usually doesn’t happen overnight. In Ecclesiastes, we learn that there is a season for everything. And much like seasons, this time is short. Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 reads:

1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

 

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

 

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

 

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

 

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

 

6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

 

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

 

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

 

9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

 

10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

 

11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

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Life has many unexpected twists and turns along our path. Although the seasons in these twists and turns may be short, the path is never a straight or direct path back to God. Hard times and trials happen. However, our path can be made straight (and without as much darkness from the twists and turns) if we commit to putting the Lord first. Upon putting the Lord first, it will become easier to trust in His timetable and have faith in God’s plan. And although we never fully know or even understand God’s timetable, we need to place our faith and complete trust in Him that our blessings will be fulfilled and that we will receive answers to our prayers in His time.

One thing that I have learned from this trial of my sister-in-law’s passing is that God’s timetable for our trials is short. Compared to her lifetime, her trial with ALS was short, lasting only a season of her life. And although complications from her ALS ultimately ended her physical life on this earth, her spirit lives on, waiting for the day to be reunited with loved ones and waiting to be reunited with her body upon the day of her resurrection. She still has eternity ahead of her — ALS free! And although we mourn her loss now, and will continue to do so on Saturday at her funeral, this time too shall pass and we’ll only live a season of our lifetime without her. Because ultimately, eternity is God’s timetable, and our time here on earth is short compared to what God has in store for us. Thus, our trials here are short and only a fraction of God’s timetable. And in the end, regardless of God’s timetable for each one of us individually and regardless of the trials that we face during that time, our destination is the same — and that is to return back to Him and receive eternal life. 

I testify that God doesn’t ever leave us. He is always there, regardless of if His timetable has been fulfilled or not. We just need to have faith and trust in His plan and seek the kingdom of God, for it is in this moment that your darkest hour will be made light and the dawn will break.

Marie Yvonne

Marie Yvonne is a motivational and devotional speaker for teens and young adults. In her devotionals, she shares her personal testimony and journey of learning to accept herself as God created her. Her journey can also be found on social media and her personal blog and website, TheConfidenceToShine.com.

www.theconfidencetoshine.com

The first night following the surgery was a difficult, long night. My daughter Jaycee was in extreme pain regardless of our efforts to minimize her suffering. Not only was she in extreme pain, but her medications were causing her to have an upset stomach. With the help of her amazing doctor, by the end of the next day we were able to gain control over her pain. The next few days brought on a new challenge as infection had set in and prolonged Jaycee’s recovery, despite our best efforts to avoid it.

The original plan was to have Jaycee return to school a week after her surgery with the use of a scooter. Jaycee’s stitches were scheduled to go be removed two weeks after her surgery, and the pin at the three-week mark. She’d begin walking at the six-week mark with the help of crutches, and by graduation she would be able to wear a regular shoe. That was the plan, but none of it happened that way because of the infection that had set in less than a week after Jaycee’s surgery. And shortly after returning to school, Jaycee suffered a fall that bumped her pin, causing pain, bleeding, and more swelling. The pin quickly became nothing but a nuisance, always in the way and causing pain — much like trying to walk with a pebble in your shoe. Not only was it uncomfortable, but there was no way to adjust it. Instead, Jaycee had to learn to adapt to this pin.

The setbacks were frustrating for Jaycee! She wanted nothing more than to walk to the podium to receive her high school diploma — riding a scooter wasn’t exactly the way that she had pictured this once-in-a-lifetime moment. As we prayed for Jaycee, little by little we began to see improvement. A month after her surgery, Jaycee’s stitches were removed, and at the six-week mark, the pin was taken out. At about the ten-week mark, Jaycee got permission to begin walking with the help of crutches. Finally, the week before graduation, Jaycee took her first steps without crutches — and on graduation day, she walked to the podium to receive her diploma. And although she couldn’t wear regular shoes and had to wear a walking boot, she achieved her goal.

Suppose for a moment that Jaycee could have avoided the pin by not wearing flip flops as a young child. Would it have made a difference? Perhaps. She needed the surgery regardless because of her genetic malformation, but by removing the flip flops, it might not have been as severe. But little did we know that her shoe of choice would become like walking with a pebble in a pair of tennis shoes — that it would later cause pain and discomfort that could have been avoided by simply removing the pebble (or in Jaycee’s case, her flip flops).

How often do we walk around with a metaphorical pebble in our shoe? Do we notice it? Or do we walk around with slight discomfort, shaking and kicking the pebble from side to side, unaware of the major blister that it will later cause — a blister that could have been avoided by taking time to simply remove the pebble? Sometimes throughout our lives, we do things that we think won’t have repercussions later in life, but they do. And those little things that are like a pebble in our shoe later become a blister because we never took the time to remove it.

For example, our unhealthy eating habits become like a pebble in our shoe. Although we know that what we’re doing is wrong, we still keep walking on that pebble that later causes a blister — or in this case, our unhealthy eating and lack of exercise later cause heart problems, diabetes, or a stroke, all of which could have been avoided had we had taken the time to remove the pebble by making healthier choices. This not only applies to our physical needs, but to our spiritual, emotional, and mental needs. And although some trials can’t be avoided altogether, the blister can be lessened by being spiritually and emotionally prepared.

Perhaps the pebble that causes the largest amount of pain and the biggest blister is that of a tiny, unnoticed pebble that forms a wedge between us and God. Oftentimes the choices that we make draw us away from our Heavenly Father, forming a hypothetical hole in our shoe that allows a larger pebble to enter — that larger pebble being Satan. We become deceived, making excuses for this pebble, thinking that we’ll just kick it out — only we just end up moving it around for our temporary comfort. We often think, “It’s only a little white lie.” Or, “It won’t matter just this once, as long as I don’t do it again.” Or thinking, “Nobody will know.” 

In the New Testament, 2nd Corinthians 12, we learn that the Lord gives us weaknesses that we might triumph over them. Paul shares his testimony of his struggles and weaknesses while teaching the people of Christ. He shares his testimony of how he had a thorn in his flesh that would prevent him from overcoming his trials and from being exalted above measure. The thorn, being that of Satan, kept Paul from being exalted by God through the eyes of the people that he preached to. If things would have gone perfectly smooth for Paul, the people would have been more receptive to his ministry. But because things weren’t always great for Paul, Satan became that of a thorn in Paul’s side that scared away the faint-hearted, thus preventing them from fully committing themselves to Christ. 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 reads:

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

 

8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

 

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Paul called upon the Lord three times to remove the thorn from his side so that he could better minister to the people. He knew that as long as the thorn of Satan would buffet him, or strike him, that the people wouldn’t listen. So he asked God to remove it from his side so that he could be made strong in his weaknesses and so that the power of Christ would be upon him.

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Just like the thorn from Satan became a problem for Paul, the pebbles in our shoes can cause problems for us. Paul had to temporarily stop his ministering and call upon God to remove the thorn so that he could be made strong — and even though Paul’s affliction wasn’t removed, he was strengthened. We can learn from Paul’s example in our own life as we face adversity. If we simply take the time to remove the pebbles in our shoe, call upon our Heavenly Father and our Savior, and repent of our sins, we can lessen the adversity that we would face far more than if we kept the pebbles in our shoes. We will also find everlasting comfort as the adversity is lessened because we took care of our weaknesses before they formed a blister in our life. Former member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Joseph B. Wirthlin said:

“If we approach adversities wisely, our hardest times can be times of greatest growth, which in turn can lead toward times of greatest happiness” (Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Come What May, and Love It,” October 2008).

I testify that as we remove the little things — the pebbles in our life that cause us discomfort — we’ll draw closer to God and gain strength spiritually. I testify that this strength will aid us in larger trials that are unavoidable, but for our own good. And I testify that if we have metaphorical blisters that need to be healed, we can turn to our Savior, Jesus Christ. I testify that He will heal us and make us whole again, and we will have great happiness. 

Marie Yvonne

Marie Yvonne is a motivational and devotional speaker for teens and young adults. In her devotionals, she shares her personal testimony and journey of learning to accept herself as God created her. Her journey can also be found on social media and her personal blog and website, TheConfidenceToShine.com.

www.theconfidencetoshine.com

I remember back when my daughter was in tenth grade and making choices that weren’t exactly the greatest. As a parent, I knew that if I didn’t put a stop to her actions at that point in time, her choices would ultimately change the course of her life and the person that she would eventually become. And although ultimately she’s free to choose what she wants in life, teenagers need guidance.

My daughter had made some friends who didn’t share the same values and standards that we taught in our home. As a result, my daughter started to drift away from our teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She no longer found joy in going to church, nor did she want to participate in church activities. My daughter also wanted to drop out of seminary. I knew something was wrong and decided that it was time for a check on her social media accounts. Upon checking her accounts, I discovered that when she was hanging out with her friends, she wasn’t where she claimed to be and wasn’t making wise decisions. The choices that she was making weren’t horrible choices, but they were choices that would eventually lead her down a path that would alter the outcome of her life drastically.

After a lot of thinking and consideration for my daughter and her feelings, and after even more time spent praying, I came to the conclusion that she needed to be punished for her choices because she had violated my trust. I decided that her punishment needed to be fitted to her actions. And since my daughter violated my trust, I decided that she had to rebuild my trust in her — and to rebuild my trust, I couldn’t ground her from her friends. I wanted so badly to ground her from them, but I knew that it would cause problems.

Instead, I took away opportunities. My daughter was no longer allowed to walk home from school with her friends. She was no longer allowed to hang out with them at their houses after school or go places with them unsupervised. She could, however, hang out with her friends at our home and go to their homes for special events. She could still go places with them provided it was supervised or a school or church-sponsored activity. But I never actually grounded her from her friends because I wanted my daughter to understand that her friends weren’t the problem, but rather the choices that they were making when they were together. I also decided that her punishment needed to last for the entire year to give her time to rebuild my trust in her. And although that amount of time seems like a harsh punishment, I know the stubbornness of my child and I knew that she needed time to mature so that she could be better prepared for decisions that she’d eventually have to make outside of our home.

Again, I wanted so badly to just ground my daughter from her friends and to make her choices for her, but I knew that I couldn’t, because what good would that do? And what would she learn if I did that? Throughout the journey of raising my children, this has been the most difficult concept for me to accept. Sometimes I want so much to tell my children that they can’t make a certain choice or that they can’t hang out with a certain friend. But ultimately, it’s not up to me to pick my children’s friends, nor is it up to me to make their choices for them. It’s their agency, not mine. In 2 Nephi 2 of the Book of Mormon, we learn how we must have opposition in all things and how our agency is essential for our progression in God’s plan. We are taught that because of the fall of Adam, we have been given the gift of agency so that we might choose good over evil. If we didn’t have opposition in all things and agency, we would never experience sorrow and pain when we make a wrong choice, nor would we experience joy and happiness when we remain on the righteous path. And because we were redeemed from the fall of Adam, we are free to choose. 2 Nephi 2:14-15 & 25-27 reads:

14 And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and learning; for there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon.

 

15 And to bring about his eternal purposes in the end of man, after he had created our first parents, and the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and in fine, all things which are created, it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter.

 

25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

 

26 And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.

 

27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

This concept not only applies to us, but our children as well. As much as we feel the weight of our children’s struggles and poor choices at times, we can find comfort in knowing that God gave us agency so that we can grow and become the person that He wants us to be. We can also find comfort in knowing that the weight of our children’s trials are lifted through the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Alma 7:11-13 reads:

 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

 

And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

 

Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.

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Although our children have agency and are free to choose for themselves, we as parents can guide and direct them and help them choose the path that will bring them long-term joy, happiness, and eternal life. We can teach our children skills that are necessary for their salvation. First, we can teach our children about our Savior and His atoning sacrifice for us. Second, we can teach them about the gift of repentance so that when they do make a mistake — and they will — they will know how to become clean again so that they can stand in the presence of God. Lastly, and probably most importantly, we can teach our children to pray. We can teach them the importance of talking to our Father in Heaven and turning to Him in sacred prayer. We can teach our children that our Father in Heaven is always there and that His love for them is unconditional regardless of the mistakes they make.

Robert D. Hales, a former member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, taught us that we can’t pray away another’s agency. This includes the agency of our children, but we can pray for our children. We can pray for our children and for the inspiration to guide them, just as I prayed for my daughter. As parents, we can also step in and redirect our children in extreme cases where their safety is a concern. We can’t take away their agency, but we can guide them and help them make better choices. And although I couldn’t take away my daughter’s agency or force her to choose certain friends, I could teach her and direct her. I could get to know her friends and love and accept them. I could help her understand that her choices needed to change, not her friends.

As that year progressed, an interesting thing happened: we saw great blessings as my daughter made better choices, her interest in participating in church and attending seminary returned, and she got good grades in school. In addition to these blessings, my daughter found greater joy in participating in church activities. She went on to earn her Young Womanhood Recognition Award and her Honor Bee, she graduated from seminary, and she graduated with high honors from high school and earned several scholarships. Today she is in college and finds great joy in attending her singles ward and institute, and serving others.

I assure you that as you turn to God, the weight of your children’s trials will be lifted and blessings will come!

Marie Yvonne

Marie Yvonne is a motivational and devotional speaker for teens and young adults. In her devotionals, she shares her personal testimony and journey of learning to accept herself as God created her. Her journey can also be found on social media and her personal blog and website, TheConfidenceToShine.com.

www.theconfidencetoshine.com

Barbara was married at the age of 19 and raised 12 amazing children. She and her husband were converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, joining the Church after moving from Anaheim, California to Grants Pass, Oregon. Barbara’s married life was far from easy or perfect as she experienced many ups and downs in her marriage due to financial stress and her husband’s early onset of dementia, resulting in his death at the age of 70. During this time, Barbara worked many jobs to make ends meet while caring for her husband in his time of need after raising 11 of her 12 children. In addition to these hardships, Barbara was still caring for her third child, a daughter named Dorothy, who has cerebral palsy. 

I first met my soon to be mother-in-law when she was 74 years old and I was engaged to be married to my husband. Her husband had passed away seven years earlier and Barbara was still caring for her handicapped daughter. This took me by surprise as Barbara was roughly the same age as both of my grandmothers, and Dorothy was in her 50’s and older than both of my parents. Dorothy had originally been given a life expectancy of eight years of age, but due to Barbara’s unconditional love, care, and selfless dedication to Dorothy, Dorothy has lived well beyond that age. 

Each day, Barbara made sure Dorothy’s physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs were met as she lovingly cared for Dorothy. Barbara made sure Dorothy had her daily bath, that her teeth were brushed, and that she ate healthy foods; she also helped Dorothy to use the bathroom. These tasks were not easy because Dorothy has the mental capacity of a two-year-old. Barbara also had Dorothy listen to uplifting music, visited with her, and placed her in a wheelchair and took her on a daily walk. Barbara never complained about having to care for Dorothy, but cherished every moment she and Dorothy were together and found joy in serving her.

Throughout her lifetime, my mother-in-law not only found joy in caring for her husband, Dorothy, and her other children, but during her times of need, she found joy in serving the Lord. Every Wednesday Barbara would serve the Lord at the temple as she completed ordinances for those who have passed through the veil. She had a sticky note on her bathroom mirror to remind her of her weekly service. Barbara would also diligently serve in her Sunday calling where she would record the Relief Society lessons on a tape recorder and then deliver the tapes to the women in the ward who were homebound. Barbara also found joy in serving the “older ladies” in the neighborhood. Here she was, 74 years old, taking her lawnmower to mow the lawns of the elderly ladies in our ward. She also helped them weed their gardens in addition to keeping her own yard immaculate. My mother-in-law found great joy as she forgot about her trials as she served those around her. Barbara always set a great example as she set her hardships aside and went to work serving the Lord.

Former president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Gordon B. Hinckley reminded us of such service after arriving in the mission field to serve a two-year mission for our church. President Hinckley fell ill shortly after arriving in the mission field. In addition to his illness, President Hinckley was also shy and had a difficult time spreading the gospel to strangers and large groups as he tried to share the gospel in the streets of Preston, England. He wrote home to his father stating how miserable he was. President Hinckley became discouraged by uninterested audiences as doors were shut in his face and people didn’t care to listen on the streets. He felt he wasn’t getting anywhere in his missionary work. President Hinckley wrote home about his frustrations and discouragement. He told his father that he was wasting his time and his father’s money by staying in the mission field, and felt that the work was too hard to do and that he should return home. President Hinckley received a letter from his father giving him a single suggestion: he suggested that Gordon forget himself and go to work. In a devotional on March 6, 1977 when he was serving in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, President Hinckley said:

“Generally speaking, the most miserable people I know are those obsessed with themselves; the happiest people I know are those who lose themselves in the service of others.”

As we forget ourselves and go to work serving those around us and by doing the work of the Lord, we find joy and happiness and the weight of our trials weigh less on our mind. Luke 17:33 reads:

“Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.”

In other words, those of us who live only unto ourselves wither and die, while those who forget themselves in the service of others grow and blossom in this life, finding joy as our trials wither, and also in eternity When we are actively engaged in serving others, we lose ourselves in the work of the Lord and find true happiness and a reward within our own hardships. Doctrine and Covenants 58:27-28 reads:

“Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

 

For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.”

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My mother-in-law found her great reward in serving her family and those around her. Barbara’s hard work, sacrifice, and hardships were temporary, lasting only in this lifetime. But her family, her greatest joy, is eternal, lasting forever. Barbara once bore testimony to me stating that Dorothy faced a greater hardship than she did in caring for her — but that she knew someday in the afterlife, Dorothy would be greatly blessed as a result of enduring her trials. She explained that when Dorothy is resurrected, her body will be made perfect and she’ll get to experience all of the joys that her earthly body prevented her from enjoying. That’s not to say that Dorothy doesn’t experience joy during this lifetime. She is childlike, finding excitement in the simplest of things, like when her family visits.

Almost three years ago, at the age of 86, my mother-in-law passed away. Barbara had lived 19 years without her husband and was reunited with him just before what would have been their 67th wedding anniversary. Barbara left a legacy of hard work, selfless sacrifice, and dedication to the Lord as she passed on these amazing qualities to all of her children. These qualities are evident in one of Barbara’s daughters as her daughter has taken on the task to care for Dorothy. 

For the first time in 12 years, all of Barbara’s children gathered in Utah from as far away as Hawaii, Kentucky, and Texas for her funeral. We found great joy in a trial that is normally filled with sadness and despair as we reminisced and shared memories in honor of Barbara and the legacy she left behind.

Elder Jeffery R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote:

“. . . when trials come we can get past them more quickly if we remember happiness in the past as readily as we count on the promise of happiness ahead.”

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin also reminded us of this promise when he stated:

“If we approach adversities wisely, our hardest times can be times of greatest growth, which in turn can lead toward times of greatest happiness.”

I leave my testimony that it is during our most difficult trials that we can find our greatest joy and happiness. But to find this joy, we must first forget about our hardships and our sorrows, and then we must go to work and lose ourselves in the service of our Lord.

Marie Yvonne

Marie Yvonne is a motivational and devotional speaker for teens and young adults. In her devotionals, she shares her personal testimony and journey of learning to accept herself as God created her. Her journey can also be found on social media and her personal blog and website, TheConfidenceToShine.com.

www.theconfidencetoshine.com