When I first met my husband, I didn’t really consider what being in an infantry unit of the army meant, I just thought he was so cool (and mighty good looking in his BDU’s!).

After the first two weeks of our marriage, however, I learned in a very real way what being married to a combat man meant. I also learned how the covenants we make can protect good men when it is not their time to go. 

Bryan and I were married on a Monday in November, and on that Friday Bryan was deployed for an “extended unspecified deployment.” Back in the days before cell phones, Bryan carried around a pager. I could always tell when the pager would go off because the blood would rush from his face and he would look at me as though trying to memorize my face. He’d kiss me goodbye and then… he would leave. There was always a packed bag in our trunk and in our closet that came with the knowledge that I was not allowed to know where he went or even when he would be coming back. Those days were hard days. 

On a Sunday two weeks after we had gotten married in the Salt Lake City Temple, I got a call around 2:00 in the morning from my husband’s commanding officer.

“Mrs. Beverley,” he said, “your husband has been hit by a grenade. I will call you when I get to the hospital and I know more about what condition he is in.” Then the crazy, insensitive man hung up! 

I remember falling to the floor and shaking uncontrollably. I was convinced that he was in pieces somewhere and whatever was left of my husband, if anything, was never going to be the same. I remember numbly calling my sister, whose husband was also a Ranger, and asked her to come sit with me while I waited. For what seemed like an eternity, my sister and I sat next to the phone while I cried uncontrollably, waiting for the dreaded phone call.  

When it finally came, I was told that I could come pick up my husband and that he was going to live. The drive to the hospital to see what shape my husband was in was one of the longest of my life, but when we arrived at the hospital, his fellow soldiers met me with an amazing story that they couldn’t explain. I, of course, knew what had happened: his priesthood and the sacred covenants he had made in the temple saved his life.  

My husband and his four-man team were clearing a bunker system at night when the accident happened. My husband was the team leader so he stood in the number one spot in the line of men. The number two guy was responsible for throwing the grenade. In most cases the soldier would pop the pin, cook the grenade (hold it for a few seconds before throwing it in order for the explosion to hit the intended target and detonate without giving any warning), and then throw it. This time, however, the soldier thankfully did not “cook” the grenade, but when he threw it, he aimed too high, causing the grenade to hit a beam just inside the room they were clearing — and it then bounced back out towards the soldiers. My husband says he remembers hearing the ping of the grenade off the beam and then glancing down with his surefire gun light and saw the grenade at his feet. He had just enough time to turn, grab his men and push them back before the grenade detonated and blew them all off their feet down the long corridor and into a cement wall.  

Bryan then said he heard an intense ringing in his ears and moaning from his men. His body was covered in blood and it took a minute before he realized that most of the blood wasn’t his. His men were, in most cases, more hurt than he was even though he took on most of the blast from the grenade. They were all in bad shape, some barely missing death as the shrapnel that blasted through their bodies barely missed vital organs. The miracle for Bryan was that he had shrapnel only in his legs and only below his knees.  

When my sister and I got to the hospital, Bryan’s commanding officer couldn’t believe that he was going home with only shrapnel in his legs.  He held up Bryan’s uniform that had been cut off of him. It was completely riddled with holes from top to bottom. Not one of them could explain why none of the pieces of shrapnel pierced through his garments and into his body. We of course knew his life was saved because of the promises Bryan had made in the temple and the covenants to serve the Lord no matter what circumstance he may be in. Covenants have power. 

In the days and weeks of recovery that followed rehabilitating Bryan’s legs, the beautiful gift the Lord’s protection had provided us was breathtaking. We thanked God on a daily basis that he saw fit to bless us with His protection. I am aware that not all stories like this one have a happy ending — that not every soldier lives and not every prayer is answered — but I do believe that the Lord in all of His endless mercy knows the beginning from the end and is aware of our needs at all times. I also believe that covenants cause protection.  

A covenant is described this way in Come, Follow Me manual for young women: “A covenant is a sacred agreement between God and His children. God sets specific conditions, and He promises to bless us as we obey these conditions. Making and keeping covenants qualifies us to receive the blessings God has promised.

In a beautiful talk by Sister Carole Stephens at a BYU women’s conference session, we learn more about covenants and the protection they offer us during times of danger and uncertainty. She said, “Our pathway back to our heavenly home is . . . well marked by covenants. These covenants and ordinances will provide safety, direction, and protection on the path home and prepare us to enter into God’s presence when we reach the end of our journey.”

To read more of Janette’s articles, click here.

In one of our Come, Follow Me discussions earlier this year, we talked about the signs of the Savior’s birth and ultimately His death. In our family we talked about the importance of being prepared for the Second Coming of the Savior and of the remarkable events that are occurring and will occur before He comes again. Some of our children showed excitement and anticipation while others voiced concerns and fears. We reminded them that the scriptures tell us that “if ye are prepared ye shall not fear” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:30).

Being prepared in the last days includes making and keeping sacred covenants. There is protection and power in the making and keeping of those covenants. It is in the keeping that we prove our worth to our Father in Heaven and our trust in His plan for our ultimate happiness. When we trust Him our capacity to do becomes greater. We don’t have to fear the future, but instead we can act in faith and hope, knowing that His protection, be it physical or spiritual, will always occur because we chose to obey and we chose to follow His Son.  

I am truly thankful for the gift of covenants. These two-way promises are eternal in nature and beautiful in reality. The reality is if we make and keep sacred covenants, the Lord is bound to bless and sanctify us. He promises to never leave us unaided or alone, to lift us up when we fall, and to protect us when we stand in need. God’s gifts are endless and eternal. When we do our part and do our best, He will fill in the holes the we miss, mend the cracks that we create, and help us complete our masterpiece with faith and not fear — one beautiful day at a time.

Janette Beverley

Janette Beverley is a lover of life, family, music, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy, and has five amazing children and one equally amazing husband.

Janette is excited to be writing for LDS Blogs and sharing her love and passion for finding the miraculous among the mundane, the awe-inspiring among the obvious, and the uplifting among the underestimated.

To read more of her work, you can visit Janette’s personal blog here.

Being still allows time for revelation, personal introspection, and eternal contemplation. Perhaps meaningful stillness doesn’t mean boredom at all, but a pathway to opening up the heavens and preparing to listen to and learn from the Almighty. 

One of my all-time favorite talks was given by then-President Uchtdorf in October 2010, “Of Things That Matter Most.” he discusses the need to simplify space in our lives and focus on things that matter most. He says:

“Let’s be honest; it’s rather easy to be busy. We all can think up a list of tasks that will overwhelm our schedules. Some might even think that their self-worth depends on the length of their to-do list. They flood the open spaces in their time with lists of meetings and minutia—even during times of stress and fatigue. Because they unnecessarily complicate their lives, they often feel increased frustration, diminished joy, and too little sense of meaning in their lives…There comes a point where milestones can become millstones and ambitions, albatrosses around our necks.”

I have heard repeatedly that the one silver lining in this COVID-19 pandemic is the way life slowed down and taught us to remember things that matter most — things like time spent with family, games played at the kitchen table, dinners eaten together with loved ones, and time taken to just be. However, for many of us life is going back to normal and we are finding that it is harder to take the time to be still. We are back to work, back to school, back to callings, and back to being busy. So many of these things are good things, and it’s okay to feel satisfied at the end of the day for all the good things we have done and accomplished — but is there perhaps more?

One of my favorite Bible stories is that of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42. I have always wondered which sister I most resemble. I have come to the conclusion that from time to time I resemble both. When I take the time to think of my Savior and what He would want me to learn, I am like Mary; when I want to be busy doing good things for my Savior, I am like Martha. Martha was doing good by serving the Savior. She was setting up the house and getting the food ready and cleaning done for Him. She wanted the Savior to see that she knew how to serve Him. Yet I once read a quote that said “The doing lacks power when we are not first being with Him.” 

Martha’s inability to put away the busy things prevented her from just being with Jesus. Mary knew being with Jesus would be the most beneficial to her soul. She knew that she might not always be with Him and therefore needed to take the time to learn at His feet. Literally, Mary sat at his feet in an attitude of worship and adoration. She sat still and listened.

President Ucthdorf said, “My dear brothers and sisters, we would do well to slow down a little, proceed at the optimum speed for our circumstances, focus on the significant, lift up our eyes, and truly see the things that matter most.”

I have often heard the adage, “If Satan can’t make you bad, he will make you busy.” 

I don’t think this saying means that being busy means you are being bad, but being busy does make you distracted —and distraction is the exact kind of recipe Satan uses to fill our lives with meaningless tasks that separate our hearts from listening to the “still small voice.” As President Uchtdorf said,

“The humble Man of Galilee stands with hands outstretched, waiting. His is a simple message: “Come, follow me.”And He does not speak with a powerful megaphone but with a still, small voice. It is so easy for the basic gospel message to get lost amidst the deluge of information that hits us from all sides.”

To read more of Janette’s articles, click here.

We really are bombarded with information at our fingertips every minute of the day. There are Google searches to be made, recipes to be recalled, family gossip to be shared, friend’s vacations to be coveted, funny videos to be enjoyed, sappy commercials to be cried over, and so many more instantaneous distractions Satan uses to fill our days with monotonous nothings that will unfortunately not make us better disciples of Jesus Christ. 

For those of us who are choosing to focus on busyness as Martha did, there is still time to change our focus. There is still room at the Master’s feet. No one need be perpetually ashamed at time spent wasting time — we have all done this. The difference is how we move forward knowing just how devious and persistent the enemy of our souls is. He wants us to forget things that matter most. He wants us to live in the world and of the world. He doesn’t want us to be still, being still opens the heavens and he is bound and determined that for each of us they remained closed. 

“Let us be mindful of the foundational precepts our Heavenly Father has given to His children that will establish the basis of a rich and fruitful mortal life with promises of eternal happiness. …do “all these things … in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that [we] should run faster than [we have] strength. [But] it is expedient that [we] should be diligent, [and] thereby … win the prize.” 

May we ever ask the Savior, “What lack I yet?” so that “the eyes of our understanding will be opened, and we will recognize what needs to be done to purify our heart and refocus our life.”

Don’t let busyness rob you of your joy! Be willing to give more than your leftover time to the Savior. Open up your life to receiving revelation and the motivation to become the person you are meant to become, and the Savior will welcome you with open arms into His kingdom at the last day — for you will have “chosen the better part.” 

Janette Beverley

Janette Beverley is a lover of life, family, music, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy, and has five amazing children and one equally amazing husband.

Janette is excited to be writing for LDS Blogs and sharing her love and passion for finding the miraculous among the mundane, the awe-inspiring among the obvious, and the uplifting among the underestimated.

To read more of her work, you can visit Janette’s personal blog here.

In days gone by, time was often filled with baseball games and soccer practices, shopping and vacationing, commuting and complaining about commuting. Back then, we all had busy jobs, busy schedules, and too many due dates. In those days, we thought life was complete; it was fraught with fulfilling busywork and calendars filled to exploding.  

When COVID hit and life screeched to a halt, we got to take some much-needed time to hit the reset button, as it were. We stopped doing what we always did and made time to do the things we always wished we could, like family game nights and puzzles, reading books and watching Netflix. After a while of these beautiful things to do, however, we may have decided that time was also ours to waste. Maybe we spent more and more time binging that great tv series and reading less and less books to our kids. We started staying up late and sleeping in late, until soon we spent more hours sleeping than we did doing anything constructive. 

While reading this week’s Come, Follow Me lesson, I was struck by a phrase that Amulek uses in Alma 34:33. He says, “. . . if we do not improve of our time in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed” (emphasis added). 

“Improve of our time” — what exactly does that phrase mean, and how are we to accomplish such a task? The word “improve” insinuates growth and progression. It is defined in the Oxford dictionary as “to make or become better, to develop or increase in mental capacity by education or experience and to achieve or produce something better than.”

I like this last definition. To achieve or produce something better than… Better than what? When we use our time to learn, study, ponder, serve, practice a talent, or devote ourselves to a worthy cause, we become something better than what we used to be. We begin to fulfill part of the mission we have been called to perform in these latter days. When we take time out of our lives to improve the life of someone else, we are being the Lord’s hands on the earth. It is not always an easy thing to do, especially when self-quarantined in our homes, but there are ways and there are countless examples of those who have made a difference. 

For instance, on the Church website justserve.org, in my local community alone there are close to a dozen different service opportunities available — none of which take a lot of time or resources to participate in. When we step outside of ourselves, we become more than what we were and we improve of our time while on this earth. 

Bishop Gérald Caussé said, “Reaching out to those in need, helping others that are needy or affected is really at the center of the gospel. It is at the core of our beliefs. We try to emulate the example of Jesus Christ as disciples.”

Disciples of Jesus — that really is our goal in this life, and the Savior achieved more than anyone ever living at improving His time. He spent no time thinking of Himself, no wasting His time doing frivolous things. His time was spent serving, loving, and blessing the lives of others. I am certain that at the heart of Amulek’s speech were thoughts of Jesus Christ and the perfect example He set.  

To read more of Janette’s articles, click here.

Let us not bring guilt into the equation, however; we are all here to simply do our best. Perhaps our best could be better and perhaps COVID-19 showed us some tendencies we need to improve, but the Lord is pleased with effort.  He is happy with our efforts and our desires to improve. It is true that we only have this life in which to improve of our time, so we should strive to make the most of it. When we pass on to the next life, be it sooner or later, perhaps we will answer the question of how we used our time, and did we improve on it? Did we bless the lives of others and make our lives better by doing so?

Perhaps it is in the searching for ways to improve that we discover God’s true purpose for our lives. He will give us direction, but in many cases only when we ask and seek diligently for it. He wants us to find ourselves by finding Him. Seek for His guidance by following the example of His Son. Lose ourselves in the service of others so we can discover the wonders of a changed heart and a contrite spirit. 

May we ever focus our energies and our time on improving of that time and striving to find ways of being and becoming more.  

Janette Beverley

Janette Beverley is a lover of life, family, music, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy, and has five amazing children and one equally amazing husband.

Janette is excited to be writing for LDS Blogs and sharing her love and passion for finding the miraculous among the mundane, the awe-inspiring among the obvious, and the uplifting among the underestimated.

To read more of her work, you can visit Janette’s personal blog here.

At 0200 while preparing for a night jump, Bryan and his platoon members were suiting up and preparing to board a C-130.  During the long flight, and after multiple Rangers had thrown up onto the deck of the plane, the air was rank and miserable. When they finally reached their destination, the men adjusted their night vision goggles, checked their parachutes for the 100th time, and secured all weapons before preparing to hook up their static line. (The static line is a chord attached to each parachute that is secured to a cable on the aircraft that causes the chute to open after each Ranger jumps.) The quick succession with which the jumping occurs can sometimes leave room for soldier error, midair collisions, or parachute compromises. Unfortunately for Bryan, this was precisely what happened during his jump. 

As the green light came on, the Squad leader yelled, “Go, Go, Go!” and one Ranger at a time jumped from the aircraft. Bryan was fourth to jump from the plane and had a successful jump — until suddenly out of the corner of his eye he saw one of his fellow soldiers coming fast directly towards him. His Ranger buddy had turned his chute opposite the intended direction and was now barreling straight towards him. Within a matter of minutes, the soldier went directly under Bryan, causing him to lose his air, which made the parachute collapse. In the spinning darkness, unable to get his bearings, Bryan free-fell close to 100 feet straight towards an unknown landing zone. During this time, all he could do was plead with God to spare his life.

The first tender mercy happened when instead of hitting the dark ground flat without a parachute, he landed directly in a large hole dug to conceal tanks. This angled landing allowed him to slide down the embankment verses taking a direct hit. The second miracle occurred when even though the extreme force of the fall broke his M-4 assault rifle in half, which was slung across his right side, it cushioned his fall and perhaps saved his leg. On top of being knocked out, he sustained multiple bruised ribs, a fractured elbow, and permanent damage to his knee, but he was able to walk away from this terrifying experience alive.

From this experience, we draw the parable of “stealing air.” 

In this life we are given free agency: the ability to choose for ourselves and to act and not be acted upon. Hopefully in most cases we surround ourselves with those who use their agency for good and for the betterment of those around them, but there are times when others around us use their agency to drag us down and “steal air” from our parachute. 

We all know people who, regardless of their circumstances in life, find negativity in everything. They hate the weather, the traffic, their neighbors, the loud kids in church — just everything. They tend to criticize others in the hope that by doing so, they will somehow feel better about themselves. They are takers: takers of joy, takers of confidence, takers of air. 

Sometimes the best way to protect ourselves from these “takers” is to create distance. We find the ability to be friendly without bringing them into our daily lives. We show love by a smile across a crowded room or a wave from a car window. Protecting ourselves from harmful relationships doesn’t mean we need to be un-Christlike, but it does mean we may need to be considerate of how we interact.

Like the Army Ranger whose misdirected jump caused Bryan’s parachute to fall, they may not always know that their actions are literally stealing our air. The Savior’s plea is for us to treat others the way we would like to be treated. He asks us to “feed [His] sheep” and “love one another.” However, He also overturned the moneychangers’ table and threw them from the temple. He does not ask us to stay in harmful relationships, He simply wants us to “love those who despitefully use [us], and persecute [us].” Perhaps the best way to do this is to pray for them: pray to love them, pray to understand them, and even pray for solutions on how to help them overcome their negative attitudes that are pulling themselves and others down. 

To read more of Janette’s articles, click here.

Abusive relationships do not fall into this category. The Savior of mankind would never want us to remain in a relationship that is abusive either physically or emotionally. These relationships fall into the moneychangers category and should be quickly thrown from our lives, perhaps with the help and guidance of mental health professionals and trusted loved ones.

It is also ever important to learn how to love and uplift even ourselves. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said it this way:

“It may seem odd to think of having a relationship with ourselves, but we do. Some people can’t get along with themselves. They criticize and belittle themselves all day long until they begin to hate themselves. May I suggest that you reduce the rush and take a little extra time to get to know yourself better. Walk in nature, watch a sunrise, enjoy God’s creations, ponder the truths of the restored gospel, and find out what they mean for you personally. Learn to see yourself as Heavenly Father sees you—as His precious daughter or son with divine potential” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Of Things That Matter Most,” October 2010).

When our hearts are in the right place because we have surrounded ourselves with uplifting people, we have the ability to more clearly see God’s hand in our lives — and then perhaps we can even view ourselves a little more as He sees us. He is a loving Father who wants us to be happy and successful. 

May we ever recognize and cultivate relationships that help us to stay afloat and enjoy life’s splendid views. May we pray for the “takers” and be brave enough to treat them like the Savior would without compromising our parachute’s integrity by allowing them access to our air space. We can climb higher, see clearer, and find our true potential when we put our trust in the Savior and in His mighty power to save. 

Janette Beverley

Janette Beverley is a lover of life, family, music, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy, and has five amazing children and one equally amazing husband.

Janette is excited to be writing for LDS Blogs and sharing her love and passion for finding the miraculous among the mundane, the awe-inspiring among the obvious, and the uplifting among the underestimated.

To read more of her work, you can visit Janette’s personal blog here.

via Janette Beverley

What was amazing to discover was that these microscopic organisms work much like a solar device. The more sun that they are exposed to, the brighter and more luminescent they appear. One night we drove out on a particularly cloudy day and the waves really didn’t glow like we were hoping they would. To the disappointment of all of us we were dissatisfied with the promised light show and left feeling unfulfilled. The next time we went, however, the sun had been shining all day and the brilliance of the phytoplankton glow was a direct result of that light.  

I had a thought while watching the brilliant waves dance in front of me: during this current pandemic where there is too much time on our hands and too little commitments to fulfill, I find that putting light into my life is often replaced by a desire to do nothing of significance. It is easy to fill our lives with little nothings that pass the time, but don’t fulfill or satisfy our innate desire to feel God’s light. When we feel His light, we find peace. When we actively reach towards that light, we find joy. 

In one of my favorite conference talks, given by Elder L. Todd Budge of the Quorum of the Seventy, he talks about the phenomenon he calls being “consistently and resiliently happy.” When we take the time to focus on the things that matter most in our lives, we can be consistently happy. When we put the Savior’s light in our lives at all times and in all places, even when life is hard, we can be resiliently happy.

I believe being consistently and resiliently happy goes hand in hand with how much time we take putting Christ’s light into our lives. Taking time to ponder, to pray, to study the scriptures, to choose gratitude and to lift one another’s burdens are sure ways to add more light in our lives. 

via Janette Beverley

There are times in life, however when doing these actions just doesn’t seem to chase away the darkness like we are praying for. Sometimes we simply cannot feel His light. Elder Budge said it this way: “Have you ever poured out your soul to God in such a way? When striving to live as the Lord commands and righteous expectations are not met, have you ever wondered if you must go through this life in darkness? Have the difficulties of life ever made it hard for you to breathe and caused you to wonder how you can make it through the day, let alone make it back to your heavenly home?” 

I think most of us can say that we have had thoughts and feelings like these. When these times come, it is vital to remember that the only source of light and the only way to find our way home is by trusting Jesus. Can we trust Jesus even when life is excruciatingly hard? Is there a way to see past the difficulties of today and find the strength to pray for the beauties of tomorrow?  

Elder Budge continues, “In a paradoxical way, afflictions and sorrow prepare us to experience joy if we will trust in the Lord and His plan for us. This truth is beautifully expressed by a 13th-century poet: ‘Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place. It pulls up the rotten roots, so that new roots hidden beneath have room to grow. Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take their place.’”

President Russell M. Nelson taught, “The joy the Savior offers us is constant, assuring us that our ‘afflictions shall be but a small moment’ and be consecrated to our gain.” Our trials and afflictions can make space for greater joy.

To read more of Janette’s articles, click here.

Perfect and lasting joy can be found only through the light that the Savior offers us. We can feel that light when we trust that it is always there, even when the clouds of darkness cover us in a way that we can’t see the light very clearly. Consistently offering gratitude for the light when we feel it is a pivotal part of opening ourselves up to seeing more light. The Savior of the world wants to give us light. He wants to create a glow in us that will cause others to feel His light. 

As we reach toward the light, acknowledge the source of that light and consistently work to keep it in our lives, we will have an ‘otherworldly’ glow about us that will permeate to those around us and make our lives full of meaning, happiness, and hope. 

Janette Beverley

Janette Beverley is a lover of life, family, music, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy, and has five amazing children and one equally amazing husband.

Janette is excited to be writing for LDS Blogs and sharing her love and passion for finding the miraculous among the mundane, the awe-inspiring among the obvious, and the uplifting among the underestimated.

To read more of her work, you can visit Janette’s personal blog here.

via Deseret News

In 2005, a good friend of mine called and asked if I wanted to go and audition for this new game show that was coming to the United States. I had never auditioned for a game show before, but my friend was a pro. She had been on several game shows herself, so I put myself in her hands. During the three-hour car ride to Los Angeles, we talked about strategies for getting on the show and our overall excitement about the opportunity.  

The audition process itself was a bit crazy; it included several interviews with different casting directors and producers. We went back to LA multiple times over the next few weeks to complete the process and in the end my friend and I were both selected to play in the very first Deal or No Deal games in the United States. We were part of the original promo week of the show before it was even picked up by the network. It was so exciting to be a part of it all! 

The miracle of Deal or No Deal was not the money I won or the fun of being on TV and commercials — the miracle was unmistakably my Heavenly Father taking my little life in His hands and miraculously giving me exactly what I needed.  

That year was a stressful year for our family. My husband had been injured on the job, our future had some scary uncertainties, and we were struggling financially. Our spirits were just beaten down. We were in a bad place emotionally, spiritually, and financially.  

When the day was picked for us to go and play the game, my husband was called out of the country for work last minute and wasn’t going to be able to make it. Luckily, I have three amazing sisters who supported me in this craziness and agreed to come and play with me as my supporters.

The week my sisters and I spent in the green room was excruciating, to say the least! We were stuck in a room for several days while the crew tried to get all the lighting and sound worked out for this new game show. For confidentiality reasons, we sat in a lock-down situation for three days, unable to leave the room, use a phone, or even watch television. Day after day, my sisters and I watched while other contestants were called up ahead of us to play the game. (There were about 10 of us that first week.) None of us was guaranteed a spot on the game, should time or money for production run out. It was definitely a frustrating few days.

Howie Mandel via TV Guide

On the last day of filming, things were getting pretty tense in the green room, but finally as tempers were running high and patience was running low, they called for us to come and film. Bless Howie Mandel’s soul for being willing to stay late that night so that we could film. He even hired a personal jet so that he could make it back for his show in Las Vegas that night.

To say that my game started out rocky would be the understatement of the world. In my first round, I knocked out almost every single big number on the board. I blew my chance for a million in the first five minutes of filming. I remember during the commercial break saying a silent prayer in my head. I felt an overwhelming need to win money. I thought that if we could just win big, all of my family’s problems would be solved. Heavenly Father, however, had a different lesson to teach me.  

In the next round, I did a little better and knocked out a few of the small numbers, but my luck still hadn’t changed for the better. 

As it turned out, however, the producers had been planning something with my husband all week, but needed for him to land in Germany before they could film. That day was November 4th, our anniversary, and though he was in another country, he arranged with the producers to send me a gift that I opened on stage. It was a beautiful Tiffany’s necklace that I still cherish.

After the banker called that next round, instead of the banker’s voice, I heard my husband. They showed a picture of he and I on the jumbo screen and I fell to pieces. It was exactly the confidence I needed to play again. Despite the struggles we were having and the unexpected life events that had made that year a difficult one, I felt peace when he was there. As I looked at our picture on the screen, I had an unmistakeable heavenly impression that told me together, we could do anything — money or no money. We were receiving answers to prayers on a national television show. 15 years later, I am still in awe of God’s goodness in my life.  

The next minutes on the show flew by as case by case, together we knocked out the remaining small numbers. That left only two options, my largest options: $75,000 and $100,000. It was some time before that however, that I realized I actually knew that the money didn’t matter anymore. What God gave me was hope and peace and an experience I will never forget. I am better and stronger when I trust in my Savior and give Him charge over my life. My husband and I became stronger together as we trusted in HIs timing and relied on each other through thick and thin.  

To read more of Janette’s articles, click here.

We did not become millionaires that day, and our winnings mostly went to helping us survive over the following years when employment moved us to the DC area and we had to pay two mortgages for several years. But then again, we saw God’s hand. He knew we would need the money in the future and created an environment for us not only to learn about His love for us, but also to prepare us for what was to come.  

Looking back, I thank my Heavenly Father every day for a miracle game show that blessed my life in more ways than one, as well as a newfound trust in Him and His will for my life.  

Janette Beverley

Janette Beverley is a lover of life, family, music, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy, and has five amazing children and one equally amazing husband.

Janette is excited to be writing for LDS Blogs and sharing her love and passion for finding the miraculous among the mundane, the awe-inspiring among the obvious, and the uplifting among the underestimated.

To read more of her work, you can visit Janette’s personal blog here.

On this mountain, there are several markers giving direction along the way. They markers are large posts stuck in the ground periodically along the path reading one of two things: “Trail” or “NOT a trail.”

It got me thinking about personal revelation and how I have learned it can work for me in my life. Whenever I have an important decision to make or need heavenly guidance, I know I can take my worries and concerns to my Heavenly Father in prayer. There are definitely times when I have asked for guidance and have received definitive direction for choices I needed to make, and yet other times I feel almost as if I don’t receive any direction at all.   

Why is this the case? Why does Heavenly Father answer some prayers with exact direction and others with seemingly no direction? I believe it can be a lot like these two sign posts. 

Occasionally going up this mountain of mine, the “trail” markers were placed in such a way that there could be two directions that would work just fine to get you where you need to be. For example, there would be a “NOT a trail sign” to my left directly followed by a “trail” sign to my right and then another “trail” sign straight ahead that lead off in another direction completely, all the while going onwards towards the same end goal.   

Some routes were definitely shorter than others with less switchbacks but more rocks, while others were much steeper with less rocks but more unstable footing. Neither path was particularly dangerous or wrong, just different.  

Each time I go up this mountain, I take a different version of the “trail,” always avoiding the paths that say “NOT a trail,” but creating my own path that eventually leads me to the destination I knew was awaiting: a beautiful view of the entire journey.

I believe that Heavenly Father gives us direction in our lives a lot like this. He will not always tell us exactly which way to take because He wants us to make decisions for ourselves and come to conclusions on our own from time to time. I believe He leads us along, always knowing which decisions are life-altering and which ones will turn out alright no matter which choice we make, so He allows us to make some decisions ourselves without heavenly guidance. Sometimes it is in the choosing that we are proving our obedience and building our characters. 

I believe that if we remain close to the Spirit, God will always tell us when we are NOT on the right trail. He will never allow us to get lost in forbidden paths if we simply ask — and maybe even ask again and again.  

To read more of Janette’s articles, click here.

In February 3-9’s Come, Follow Me curriculum, there is a perfect quote by Elder Christofferson which reads:

“God intends that His children should act according to the moral agency He has given them. . . . It is His plan and His will that we have the principal decision- making role in our own life’s drama.”

In essence: God trusts us. We fought mightily against Satan, who wants to take those choices away from us and, in reality, rob us of the heavenly appointed plan of gaining experience, earning trust, and appreciating growth from our choices.   

May we ever strive to make choices that align with the covenants we have made and the commandments of God we have been given, and in so doing, be confident in our choices. Sometimes the heavenly direction may simply be “Choose your own trail and watch how beautiful your life can become through the journey.”

Janette Beverley

Janette Beverley is a lover of life, family, music, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy, and has five amazing children and one equally amazing husband.

Janette is excited to be writing for LDS Blogs and sharing her love and passion for finding the miraculous among the mundane, the awe-inspiring among the obvious, and the uplifting among the underestimated.

To read more of her work, you can visit Janette’s personal blog here.

As a parent myself, I can understand how Lehi must have felt when he saw that two of his four sons would not follow his counsel to partake of the fruit of the tree of life. As a prophet and a father, he knew what that meant. It meant that their immortal souls were in danger; that they were making decisions that would preclude them from entering into the Savior’s presence and partaking of the goodness of God.

Lehi’s Dream, by Jerry Thompson

How he must have been pained beyond comprehension at the thought of losing even one of his children to the world! It is what we all fear. I believe every parent would give all that they possess to save their children from such a fate. I myself have pleaded on my knees on many occasions for my five children, many of whom are still young and making pivotal decisions that will shape the rest of their lives. I remember thinking, “If I could just get my kids to marry in the temple, then all will be well.” I saw it almost like a “you have arrived” moment.

What I have realized, however, is that we are never truly done fighting and clinging to the iron rod. Just because we make it to the temple, or on a mission, or to the baptismal font doesn’t mean that we can be lackadaisical in our pressing forward. Satan will never stop trying to make us miserable. He will try again and again to drag us into the mists of darkness and the great and spacious building, ever hoping that this time we will ease our grip on the rod and give in to the world.

Once, when I was young girl, I had an experience that changed my life forever. I have a cousin that I love with all my heart. We were the best of friends as kids. We spent every Christmas, family vacation, and summer holiday together, as well as just about every free moment we could get while living a few hours away from each other.  We cried when we had to go back home, and pined for the time we would see each other again. I loved my cousin and would have done anything for her.

One night shortly after a visit with this special cousin of mine, I had a life-changing dream.

It was night in my dream as I walked towards my grandmother’s house. I noticed that the small window leading to the basement was the only light in the house on, so I walked towards the window to peer inside. The sounds that were coming from my grandmother’s basement made me stop in sudden terror and when I bent down to peer inside the window, I saw my dear cousin chained to the wall, crying out in pain as she was being whipped by Satan. He was laughing at her pain and pleased that he had finally caught her in his snare and had her just where he wanted her.

I remember being terrified and crying profusely in my dream, not knowing what to do to save my cousin. I immediately began to pray. “Please, Father, I am afraid and I cannot save her. Please show me what to do.”

I cannot adequately describe how something in a dream can feel so real, but I felt a hand on my shoulder as real as any I have felt before or since. And in my dream, I lifted my head to look behind me and I saw my Savior. He didn’t say anything to me, He just looked at me with so much love and strength in His eyes that I knew everything would be okay. I knew that even though I couldn’t save my cousin, He could.

I woke up then, tears streaming down my face, with a love for my Savior that I still cherish to this day.

I learned that all the love of a tender parent, or cousin, or sister, or friend isn’t enough to save another person. I cannot of myself save anyone’s soul or grant them exaltation, but I do know someone who can. The Savior is the way all of us can find peace in this world when someone we love strays from the path and brings our hearts sorrow.

To read more of Janette’s articles, click here.

He knows what they need and He will be there when they are ready to ask for His help—and whether in this life or the next, they will have it.

President Boyd K Packer taught:

“The mist of darkness will cover you at times so much that you will not be able to see your way even a short distance ahead. You will not be able to see clearly. But you can feel your way. With the gift of the Holy Ghost, you can feel your way ahead through life. Grasp the iron rod, and do not let go. Through the power of the Holy Ghost, you can feel your way through life” (Boyd K. Packer, “Lehi’s Dream and You,” New Era, Jan. 2015).

May we ever be willing to feel our way to the Savior and help those we love to do the same. And when we remember that we cannot do it for them, may we have faith and trust in a Messiah who promised that He would do what the rest of us could not. He would fulfill the plan of our tender and feeling Parent and save us all.

Lead image: Tree of Life by Chelsea Speirs

Janette Beverley

Janette Beverley is a lover of life, family, music, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy, and has five amazing children and one equally amazing husband.

Janette is excited to be writing for LDS Blogs and sharing her love and passion for finding the miraculous among the mundane, the awe-inspiring among the obvious, and the uplifting among the underestimated.

To read more of her work, you can visit Janette’s personal blog here.

I often like to parallel scriptures to my own life, and right now the “giving no heed” principle is an easy one. I can absolutely relate this principle to my own children. I have some amazing kids who have the uncanny ability to not hear a word I say — though I can definitely claim this as selective hearing, for they always come running when I call out “Dinner is ready” or “Your friends are at the door.”

They choose when to “give heed” and when to not. For them the answer is simple: if I don’t like what is being said or asked of me, I will simply choose to not respond.

The same can be said of heeding to temptations. When we give no heed to something, it’s almost as if we are using that selective listening talent. We can obviously hear or see what the temptation is, but we choose to ignore or not give credence to it. This is not always easy and we are not perfect like the Savior, but we can make the premeditated decision to not heed certain temptations when we are confronted by them. For example, I have never had the desire to smoke a cigarette. It has never appealed to me, perhaps because from a young age I decided that it was something I would never do.

Some sins may be easier than others to avoid and ignore, but do we have the capacity to make decisions early on so that even when the most alluring temptations arise, we will not be swayed by them? I would say that with the Lord’s help, we absolutely can. He has been presented with every temptation of every kind and yet “gave no heed” to them. He is truly the only one who can help us overcome our human weaknesses and frailties.

Next comes the question of how the word suffering applies, especially in regards to temptation and the Savior.

In the Bible Dictionary, the word suffer has two meanings; the first (and perhaps most applicable here) is “[t]o permit, allow.”

Jesus Christ allowed Satan to tempt Him. He even allowed this temptation to be at a time when He was vulnerable and physically drained, having fasted for forty days and forty nights. He is, however, master of all, and the temptations of Satan had no real pull on Him, though He was indeed suffering.

To read more of Janette’s articles, click here.

The second meaning in the Bible Dictionary defines suffering as “enduring and tolerating pain, affliction, or an uncomfortable situation.” Jesus did indeed have afflictions in His life, but He was perfect — so perhaps His suffering was for the sinner and the sin itself.

He suffers when we give heed to temptations and falter because of the frailties of man. I believe He even mourns for our pain when we suffer the consequences of our sins. After all, “men are, that they might have joy” and it is His “work and . . . glory . . . to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” Would it not make sense that the Savior “suffered” temptation in both ways?

He loves us with an unprecedented love that allows Him to feel sorrow when we sorrow, pain when we feel pain, and even to bleed from every pore to pay for those sins and sorrows. Should we not then “work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling” before Him? Not out of fear of Him, but for the fear of hurting or offending Him. We need to focus our efforts on not giving heed to the temptations of men, instead looking to the Savior’s perfect example of how to turn the other cheek, walk away from a harmful situation, and look for ways to serve and love others when they struggle through temptation and sin. In this way, perhaps we can remove the suffering and replace it with lasting peace and pure forgiveness.

Janette Beverley

Janette Beverley is a lover of life, family, music, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy, and has five amazing children and one equally amazing husband.

Janette is excited to be writing for LDS Blogs and sharing her love and passion for finding the miraculous among the mundane, the awe-inspiring among the obvious, and the uplifting among the underestimated.

To read more of her work, you can visit Janette’s personal blog here.

Yup, I’m one of those moms.

Recently, I bought a new Honda Odyssey with a crazy feature that’s almost like autopilot.  At first it freaked me out, but now I think it’s the coolest thing in the world. I simply take my hands off the wheel and watch my car steer itself. It makes me super happy to let it do all the hard work for me… Until about three seconds later when the car flashes the sign “Steering Required.”  

How rude! Why even add a feature like this if I am not allowed to use it? I just want to watch a movie or take a nap while I drive; is that so much to ask? Apparently we haven’t arrived at that magical day yet; however, one day while watching the annoying flashing sign, I had a little epiphany.

How many times in life do we take our hands off the wheel and quit trying to steer? Do we take our eyes off of our destination and give up? Or do we simply need to let God do the steering? 

I have noticed in my own life that there are times when the simple act of trying to put one foot in front of the other is impossible, when even the daily tasks that would normally be manageable now seem insurmountable. When these life moments hit, I find that the only way through is to let go of the wheel and pray for my Savior to take over.  

Unlike my predictable minivan, He won’t send any signals telling me that I can’t rely on Him that way I need to. He doesn’t ask me to put my hands back on the wheel until I’m good and ready. He is patient with my struggles and understands where I’ve been and where I am going. He wants me to reach my final destination, my end goal of returning to live with Him.  So from time to time, He steers for me. 

Let us not be so quick to rely on ourselves and our own abilities. Sometimes we need to, as the familiar saying goes, “Let go and let God.” He will guide us, sustain us, and always (if we let Him) steer us through this often difficult journey to find our way home to Him. 

To read more of Janette’s articles, click here.

“As explained in For the Strength of Youth: ‘The Lord will make much more out of your life than you can by yourself. He will increase your opportunities, expand your vision, and strengthen you. He will give you the help you need to meet your trials and challenges. You will gain a stronger testimony and find true joy as you come to know your Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, and feel Their love for you’ ([2011], 43).

 

When we obey God’s commandments and involve Him in our plans, we become who we need to become—not who we thought we wanted to be.

 

Here are a few people who, with God’s help, found a better path than the one they had picked for themselves” (David Dickson, “Let God Be Your Architect,” New Era, January 2016).

Janette Beverley

Janette Beverley is a lover of life, family, music, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy, and has five amazing children and one equally amazing husband.

Janette is excited to be writing for LDS Blogs and sharing her love and passion for finding the miraculous among the mundane, the awe-inspiring among the obvious, and the uplifting among the underestimated.

To read more of her work, you can visit Janette’s personal blog here.