“For there is a time appointed for every man, according as his works shall be.” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:25)

 

“Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever.” (Doctrine and Covenants 122:9)

 

“And it shall come to pass that those that die in me shall not taste of death, for it shall be sweet unto them.” (Doctrine and Covenants 42:46)

My faith came to a head recently as our family faced the mortality of our dad as he fought for his life.

Testing Positive for COVID-19

My parents are Darrell and Darla Bushman. Our family’s COVID-19 story started when someone unknowingly becoming infected and unintentionally infected others. Sounds pretty typical, right?

Little Brooke caught the virus from a SPED classmate who attended school on Friday. Before her family was notified of the exposure, our family had a Sunday night family dinner because nearly all of my parents’ family was in Utah that weekend. We were only missing two sons-in-law working in other states and a granddaughter at college.

Mom sat by Brooke on the couch with grandmotherly care and attention. Brooke seemed extra tired and uninterested in her surroundings. When the gathering was over, Dannen lifted Brooke into the car, the Holy Ghost whispered to him that she was COVID-19 positive.

The next morning, Monday morning, the school called their family and confirmed her classmate had tested positive. Dannen and Claudia loaded up their whole family and went to get tested.

On Tuesday, they learned that almost everyone in their family tested positive for COVID-19. They immediately messaged the extended family the results. Only Dannen really experienced symptoms. The rest were positive and asymptomatic aside from some tasteless/smell-less symptoms.

On Wednesday, Mom began experiencing symptoms. Dad drove her to get tested that morning. On Thursday, her test results confirmed she has COVID-19.

On Thursday, Dad began feeling symptoms. He didn’t see any need to get tested since the dominoes were falling that direction.

On Friday evening, I began feeling symptoms. I’d planned to stay with Mom and Dad for just over two weeks sandwiched between a move from Hawaii to Texas. By this time, my husband had been in Texas for a month.

A few other family members had cold or flu-like symptoms and got tested for coronavirus but no one else in our family gathering tested positive for COVID-19. The only two people in our entire family who I worried about being adversely affected by COVID-19 both tested positive. The grandchild who caught the virus from a classmate has underlying medical conditions. The other person I worried about was Dad. He was in the highest mortality underlying condition category — age, type 2 diabetes, etc.

Our cousins’ uncle (who was in dad’s demographic) contracted the virus on a Saturday and was dead on Wednesday. Others we knew were sharing harrowing and fatal experiences with COVID-19. I began watching both parents with hypervigilance.

A Blessing with Promise

General Conference began on Saturday on the first weekend of October. Mom, Dad, and I lounged in the living room with fuzzy blankets and liquids for two days watching conference.

Saturday night, I felt fear for the first time when Dad stood up to walk from his chair to the bed and lost all his muscle strength. Mom and I helped him to bed and then I texted my brothers Donovan and Daylen to see if they could give Dad a priesthood blessing. While I waited for them to come to the house, my mind ran the gamut of emotions and expectations.

In the back of my mind, I expected COVID-19 to kill my dad. I knew Dad had lived a full and good life, a life made better and whole through the grace of Jesus Christ. I knew he’d lived longer than many beloved men in our family.

I knew that I believed the scriptures quoted above. I knew the Lord knows the details of our lives and when those lives are finished.

I realized that I’d asked my brothers to give Dad a blessing so I could hear the will of the Lord outside of my own chaotic emotions and desires.

A few minutes before I expected them to arrive, I told Dad what I had done to make sure that was okay with him. He said he would like a priesthood blessing.

Despite the peril of walking into Coronaville, my brothers came. They were masked up, concerned, and ready to serve. They gave dad a powerful priesthood blessing which I felt prompted to record. The blessing promised that Dad could be completely healed and said that Dad had not finished his work on Earth.

I totally believed the words of that blessing and expected Dad to begin recovering. I played the blessing for Dad a couple of times during hard days to remind him of the Lord’s promises to him.

Navigating COVID-19 Symptoms

Dad lounging in bed

Our common symptom was fatigue. The virus seriously knocked us flat energy-wise. Then Mom began bouncing back. Dad didn’t. In all fairness, Mom is the healthiest person in our family and the person I least expected to have long-term impacts (though when I first heard she had the virus, my heart dropped because I knew this deadly virus had taken so many healthy lives).

Dad began spending his days lying in bed trying to deal with severe COVID-19 symptoms. At one point he said he could feel where every bone in his body connected to another bone. We reasoned Dad was a day or so behind mom and he would back bounce more slowly. But eventually, we had to admit he wasn’t bouncing back at all. He was declining rapidly.

My sister Destinee had coworkers who kept insisting we get an oximeter to test everyone’s oxygen saturation. I had one on my phone so checked our levels regularly. I honestly didn’t know how accurate it was but since our levels were in the high 90s, we felt that was fine.

Eight days into dad’s coronavirus experience, on Friday, Destinee messaged us asking if we’d gotten an oximeter yet. We hadn’t. When I tried to check dad’s levels on my phone, I really had to struggle to keep his finger over the sensor. When we finally got a reading, his oxygen saturation level had dropped below 90. Mom’s was 97. Mine was 96. Dad’s was 88.

Around that same time, Claudia messaged to see if we needed anything. I asked if she could buy an oximeter and bring it to us. She did.

We tested Dad. Testing on the oximeter was way easier than on my phone. By then he was at 84. Mom and I were basically the same as my phone’s reading; it was a relief to me to know I hadn’t been deceived.

But Dad… Dad’s reading dropped again. The oximeter read “82.”

Mom and I talked as we looked at Dad on his bed. He’d been largely unresponsive. We knew we needed to take him to the emergency room.

The Emergency Room

I pulled the car sideways on the driveway for easier access. Mom got Dad into some comfy pajama bottoms. We tried to get slippers on his feet but finally gave up and told him to walk barefoot to the car. Then we spent the next 10 minutes on the usually 20-second journey from his bedroom to the driveway.

Dad kept becoming unresponsive as he walked. It was like he’d black out on his feet! He would take a couple of steps and then just become blank. I’d speak loudly and say, “OK, Dad, on three, we’re going to take a few more steps.” “OK, Dad, on three.” “OK, Dad, on three.”

My own COVID-19 body imploded with exhaustion. Mom was straining, too. “OK, Dad, on three.” “Good job. Two more steps.” “OK, Dad, on three.”

And then he crumpled into the passenger seat. Mom got him situated. I ran into the house to shut doors and turn off lights.

And away we went to the hospital. We hadn’t taken a moment to text the family what was happening. Less than a minute into our drive, my nephew Austin called his grandma to see how she and Grandpa were doing. She unloaded the news on him. He told his parents and the messages sprang into action. That was such a tender mercy for us to have Austin’s call at that moment.

We quickly arrived at the hospital (it’s not far from my parents’ home). We talked out a plan as we drove into the ER area. Mom jumped out immediately when I stopped. I unbuckled Dad and asked how he was. He made some wry comments. I told him I loved him.

Mom came out with a wheelchair. That surprised me. Where was the flurry of medical help? We got Dad into the wheelchair and mom wheeled him into the hospital to triage.

Waiting all alone at the ER

I parked and then went into the empty hospital lobby waiting area. I could see through the doors to where Mom spoke to triage and Dad sat in the chair. He looked so stony. He didn’t move at all.

I didn’t know what to expect, but Mom went with Dad back to a room. I was surprised. I still sat all alone and picked up the messaging thread to update everyone.

I looked up to see a nurse striding quickly to me. She said I couldn’t stay. They would let Mom stay with Dad, but I couldn’t stay. I drove back home.

I sat on the couch and cried. In my mind, Dad going to the hospital was a death sentence. I listened to dad’s blessing again. It rejuvenated my faith. I got up and started cleaning Mom and Dad’s bathroom to keep my mind busy.

A few hours after dropping Dad off at the ER, Mom called and said they were ready for pickup. At that point, doctors said his lungs had a little fluid but not COVID pneumonia. Dad came home with an oxygen tank, which was a new experience for the three of us. The nurse gave me a quick oxygen tank lesson as Dad got back in the car.

Dad was significantly improved! He walked by himself into the house. What a testament to oxygen’s impact on our bodies.

Trying to Manage COVID-19 Again from Home

The nurse told mom to call the oxygen company, which she called immediately. The employees are on-call, especially late on Friday nights. Mom and Dad were both trashed and it was so late, so I told them to go to bed and I’d wake them up when the oxygen guy arrived. I fell asleep while waiting on the couch. I’m half-deaf, so I worry about hearing things if I fall asleep.

Luckily, I jerked awake at the sound of the doorbell and ran to open the door. It was the oxygen guy. He asked if any of us had been exposed to the coronavirus and I was, like, “Um, yeah, we all have it.” He said every call he’d done that day had been to homes with COVID-19.

I woke up Mom and Dad and we put masks on and oxygen man gave us serious lessons on oxygen. We filled out tons of paperwork. He was there for almost two hours! But when he left, Dad had an oxygen machine and really long tubes so he could move around the house without a tank.

The ER doctor’s orders said to have Dad on 2 liters per minute (lpm). So we did and were super proud of that. Then suddenly, I felt a prompting to check dad’s oxygen saturation level. It was 82 on 2 lpm! Yikes!

Mom called the ER to see what we should do. They gave us better instructions about moving the oxygen amount as needed, up to 4 lpm. Dad’s saturation stabilized above 90 at 3.5 lpm and we all went to sleep.

Dad’s signature wave

Dad spent Saturday in bed. My brother set him up with access to watch the BYU football game and Dad watched football on a laptop in bed. He seemed to be improving.

He made a joke about living as long as the peach leaves stayed on the tree right outside his bedroom window, specifically one peach leaf. We said we’d paint a leaf on the window like in that sob story video “The Last Leaf.”

Dad is uber extroverted. Being stuck in any box for 10 days is excruciating for him. I messaged an invite for my siblings to come to say hi at his window. We bundled up the bed since it was a little chilly out and his kids and grandkids started visiting the window. Having eight kids means that even if visits are short, there are still a lot of them.

My siblings kept their visits short and usually, there were some good time gaps between them. Dad remained horizontal and not expected to entertain or do anything at all except give his characteristic wave, which is to hold his arm up with his hand flopped over.

Watching the window parade, I realized that Dad going to the ER similarly impacted my siblings, too.

The Emergency Room Part 2

Dannen and Claudia’s family were the last to visit late in the afternoon. Dad got out of bed to use the bathroom. Bathroom breaks were generally quite exhausting. When he didn’t come out as soon as expected, I volunteered Dannen to go see if Dad needed help. He helped dad get back in bed.

We checked the oximeter and dad’s oxygen was in the low 80s again. We waited to see if being in bed would help him recover, but it didn’t. We upped the oxygen to 4. Dad’s lungs didn’t respond to that. I pushed it to the machine’s limit at 5 but it didn’t increase Dad’s saturation.

We knew we had to take him to the ER again. Dad didn’t argue when we told him that news. Claudia loaded up their kids. Dannen helped me and Mom load up dad in the car. He rode with us to the hospital while Claudia closed up the house.

Again Mom ran into the hospital. This time a wheelchair came much more quickly. We got Dad and his oxygen tank out and Mom whisked him away to triage. I told Dad I loved him before he got out of the car.

When I parked the car, I realized I had forgotten to put shoes on. I knew the hospital staff wouldn’t let me in the hospital anyway, so stood barefoot peering through a window with Dannen. Claudia and her kids arrived. She messaged the family about what was happening.

Suddenly Mom came out and said they wouldn’t let her stay with Dad. What? We couldn’t believe it. Dannen went in to see if he could persuade them. Apparently letting Mom stay before was against policy and the Sunday night staff were in no mood to break policy.

We were totally blindsided as we suddenly realized we’d just dropped Dad off completely alone. We freaked out. We couldn’t drive away. We just stood at the ER door in disbelief. Cutting Dad off from people/his family/especially mom is torture.

Finally, probably since there were kiddos waiting patiently in a vehicle, we knew there wasn’t anything left to do. We went home.

The Transfer to the Veterans Hospital and COVID-19 Pneumonia

Dad being loaded into the ambulance

After an hour or so, the ER called Mom saying that Dad was being transferred to the Veterans Hospital in Salt Lake City by ambulance. That’s about an hour drive. Mom and I drove back to the hospital to give Dad their shared cell phone so Dad would have access to call. A nurse met mom to get the phone.

While driving out of the parking lot, we saw an ambulance driving in and knew it was for Dad, so I flipped a U-turn and parked where we could see the ambulance entrance. It felt like forever but suddenly the ambulance drivers emerged suited up for COVID-19. What a sight to see! Then they wheeled Dad out on a gurney and put him in the ambulance, and then they calmly drove away with our dad.

With no other recourse available, I posted my first social media post asking for prayers for Dad.

Since Dad now had Mom’s cell phone in Salt Lake City, my phone became the connection source to Dad and the hospital. My phone rang at 1:30 a.m. that first night with the first nurse check-in. I ran upstairs and woke up Mom so she could talk to the nurse. The VA hospital admitted Dad to a regular room, but because he had COVID-19 no one would be able to visit him. We were grateful for the check-in.

The Veterans Hospital staff were amazing at keeping us informed and answering questions. We appreciated all of their collective help at helping us understand the hopes and reality of Dad’s situation.

Dad’s Visitor Before ICU

On Monday morning, Dad told us he had a dream where his dad came to him. Dad said seeing his father was really comforting. Mom and I cried because we felt like that was a direct answer to our prayers that Dad wouldn’t feel or be alone. We also didn’t know if that was just a comforting moment or an omen that Grandpa was coming for Dad.

On Tuesday, a doctor called to tell us Dad was being moved to ICU because he did have COVID-19 pneumonia that was destabilizing his lungs. What a blow. We couldn’t believe it. ICU.

I think most of us thought ICU was a death sentence for Dad… But he didn’t die.

Our faith, hope, and prayers for Dad’s complete recovery continued despite the fact that we didn’t know what Dad needed to do to complete his work on the earth. We didn’t have any indication if his work would take a few days or years to complete.

The next day, a doctor called to let us know of Dad’s continual decline and his potential need to be on a ventilator. He talked to mom about medical power of attorney. He said Dad’s will was to be resuscitated as necessary and to fight for his life. We readily agreed with that.

Ventilator. The ventilator represented my deepest fear for Dad.

A Divine Hand During the Most Desperate Decline

That was the night I completely surrendered my will to God. I’d clung to the blessing promising complete healing, but I knew I had to let it go and place all my faith in the hands of God, regardless of what resulted. All.

Hundreds of friends and family were praying for Dad. I felt the power of their prayers sustaining us. It was so tangible. Mom and I were still kind of fragile ourselves and I felt strengthened from the sheer volume of support. What a blessed miracle!

I knelt in prayer thanking Heavenly Father for the prayers and positive vibes for Dad. I told Him the same thing I had prayed before — I knew Dad had lived a full and good life, a life made better and whole through the grace of Jesus Christ. I knew he’d lived longer than many beloved men in our family. I knew that I believed the scriptures quoted above. I knew the Lord knew the details of our lives and when those lives are finished. And I offered the clinging, afraid of loss, clutching-at-air part of myself to Him.

At that moment, He gave me a gift. In a very tangible way, I saw something in my mind’s eye that absolutely concreted my assurance in Dad’s recovery. I knew that with the Lord’s help, Dad would recover. I texted my family in the middle of the night of my experience.

The next day, Dad’s first day on the ventilator, the nurse exuberantly told mom, “He’s sitting up in his chair!” Through the nurse, Dad communicated to mom with the nurse asking questions and Dad communicating through shrugs and eye gestures. Then the nurse put the phone next to Dad, who couldn’t talk, but just listened, and Mom talked into space for an hour.

We rejoiced! That defied all of the odds. And Dad continued to improve — some days more than others — until on October 27th, a doctor asked mom when she could be in Salt Lake City to pick up Dad from the Veterans Hospital! She said she would leave right that minute. The doctor chuckled and said to give them an hour or so and they planned a time.

Picking Up Dad from the VA Hospital

Dad being discharged from the VA Hospital

Mom drove us to the VA hospital in record time. Destinee came over from her lab a few blocks away. We three waited for Dad together.

We saw some nurses wheeling someone in a wheelchair. Was that Dad? No, it couldn’t be. The man was so frail and hunched. Our dad filled the room when he entered it.

But it was Dad! We rushed to him. His eyes followed us but he didn’t physically react at all. One nurse gave mom and Destinee loads of instructions while the other nurse helped me load all of Dad’s new gear in the car.

Then we moved Dad from the wheelchair into the car and got the oxygen tank reconnected in the back seat. The nurse spoke to Dad in Spanish. Apparently, he’d served a mission in Chile too. Of course, Dad loved that.

We buckled Dad in, said goodbye to Destinee, and Mom drove off with her BFF at her side, so happy and glowing to have him back. Dad’s vitality increased as the realization that he was actually going home became more and more of a reality.

Recovering From COVID-19

Dad’s recovery plan

Dad promised Mom he would recover and he’s challenged himself to overcome the obstacles he still faces. He’s working hard to make that happen. And it is happening, step by step and day by day.

There are several things we attribute to Dad’s steady progress.

• It was God’s will that Dad lives and finish his work on the earth.
• A multitude of prayers petitioned God for recovery and enabled divine assistance to prevail.
• Dad’s ward fasted and prayed for his recovery. That act of love brings Dad to tears every time he speaks of it.
• Dad’s siblings/in-laws sent encouraging and heartfelt messages. Mom and I read them all to Dad to help him not feel alone. They buoyed his soul during the especially trying times.
• Dad talked or listened to Mom every day. He needed that connection to her.
• Knowing that he was so loved and prayed for gave Dad the desire and strength to fight for survival. We are all so grateful for the outpouring of love, faith, and prayers.

“To Give You An Expected End”

During this same time frame, many friends and loved ones said goodbye to people they most love. Every day I deeply felt the juxtaposition of Dad’s life and other loved ones’ deaths.

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

The Lord’s words to Jeremiah encapsulated what I learned from the Spirit as I floundered between joy and grief during those days… and still.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

For He does know us and part of His eternal plan for our salvation includes mortality, a mortality of varying times and seasons. Our days are known and numbered to Him and when it’s our appointed time, He brings us home — home to Him. Home to the arms of His love and to the peace of His glory. Home.

Delisa Hargrove

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have moved 64 times and have not tired of experiencing this beautiful earth! I love the people, languages, histories/anthropologies, & especially religious cultures of the world. My life long passion is the study & searching out of religious symbolism, specifically related to ancient & modern temples. My husband Anthony and I love our bulldog Stig, adventures, traveling, movies, motorcycling, and time with friends and family.

That begs the question: Why pray at all if God’s going to do what’s best, anyway?

Letting God choose isn’t the same as not praying — you don’t get the same results. When you don’t pray at all, you don’t invite God into the process. You do all the research, make all the plans, make all the decisions, and then carry them out alone. You also accept the full responsibility for the results, which may affect others, and may include unintended consequences. Eventually, we have to answer to God for the choices we make. Wouldn’t it be better to run them by Him to begin with?

When faced with a problem that doesn’t involve a decision, such as a serious illness, we can also choose to let nature take its course if we want to, or we can ask God to step in and do what’s best. We have agency, we can choose whether or not to seek and receive help.

Praying allows us to do several things. First, when you have to make a choice, you often consult with an expert. For instance, if you’re having trouble getting your toddler to nap, you go to your favorite message board, the experienced mom next door, or your most dependable parenting book. This might be enough when an experiment or two won’t really hurt anything, but often, the choices we need to make are much larger than that. They can change our entire lives, or the lives of others. In those cases, there is only one possible source of advice.

Sometimes a decision may not seem critical, but in the long run, the choice you make can have unexpected consequences or rewards. For instance, when my husband wanted to move here, closer to his job, I balked. I liked it where I was and didn’t want to go. Finally, I took it to God and was told very clearly to go. Now that I’m here, I know why. I’ve had opportunities here that I’ve needed and couldn’t have gotten if I’d stayed put. There was no possible way to foresee those opportunities, however, on my own. I could have stayed, and maybe nothing awful would have happened, but later on, when a need arose, I wouldn’t be ready for it because I’d lack some skills I needed.

Sometimes our requests involve the agency of others, and God can only plant ideas in their hearts, but can’t take away their agency. It is still worth praying over, because we do want those ideas planted if they’re what’s best and we’ll know we did the best we could, even if praying was all we could do when the problem concerned the choices of others.

Another purpose in prayer is to give us regular feedback on our choices. We need to learn how to make wise choices for our lives. Sometimes the results of our choices are obvious, but often they aren’t. When we make decisions about parenting, for instance, the results may not be known for decades. Parenting fads change often and by the time we find out what would have been best, it’s too late. When we regularly go to God for help with our daily choices, we can watch for patterns in His answers, and after a while, our ability to make decisions He approves of improves.

When we put things into God’s hands, we avoid the randomness of the natural world. We have a feeling of peace and security because we know the best choices are being made, even if we can’t possibly understand why God made the choice He did.

We have agency, the right to choose. God won’t force us to turn our problems over to Him. We can choose to do everything ourselves, hoping for the best and trusting our own wisdom, which is limited and usually self-centered, or we can opt to turn our problems and needs over to God and let Him show us the path. The results of either choice —going it alone or turning it over to God — will be very different in most cases, but the choice is yours.

This article was originally published in February 2009. Minor updates and changes have been made.

Terrie Lynn Bittner

The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.

Power in Prayer

Because of this renewed effort, I have learned so much about prayer that I never knew before. The first and most amazing part is that those who were sick or in need of divine help have been healed and helped. And there haven’t been thousands praying for their relief. It’s just been a few of us.

It truly shocked me because I didn’t think my little prayers could make the difference. I thought the power in prayer came from the large numbers, but I have learned differently. Here are the changes I made in my prayers that have increased their power.

Step 1: Eliminate distractions

In my world there are SO many distractions. I’m sure you feel the same way. I used to multitask in just about every aspect of my life, including prayers.

I would say a prayer silently while I cleaned the kitchen or folded clothes. And although that is an effective use of my time, I found that to really make my prayers more powerful, I had to focus solely on the prayer itself.

I can’t multitask if I need my prayers to be turned up to full volume. So I put my phone down and I walk away. I find a quiet place where I can be alone with my thoughts, even if that it just the backyard or the bathroom. Anywhere can become your sanctuary as long as you can focus on your prayer.

Step 2: Increase Your Focus

The scriptures talk about praying with real intent. I learned in seminary that meant praying with the intention to act on revelation received. But I also think intent can mean intensity, or attention.

Praying with focus, thinking of nothing else, and truly piercing the heavens with our thoughts increases the intensity of our prayers.

And I believe that such increased intensity gives our prayers increased power.

Step 3: Increase Your Love = Greater Spiritual Power

Love is one of the most powerful forces in the universe. To love someone means you are willing to make sacrifices for them, to do more for them than you would normally do. That love can be channeled into our prayers for the people we care about.

That increased love will give our prayers increased power. I find it helpful to sit quietly and imagine a light in my chest growing till it surrounds my whole body. Then as I pray, I imagine that light being sent to that person to help heal them. It may be a trick I play on myself, but I really feel the heat of that light. And I feel like it increases the power of my prayers.

Step 4: Repeat Frequently

One of the most powerful parts of fasting for me is that every time my tummy rumbles asking for food, I am reminded to say a prayer for the thing I am fasting for.

That increased prayer frequency is one of the marvelous parts of fasting. And I believe increased frequency is increased power.

We can increase our frequency without a rumbly tummy. I find when I am worried over someone that whenever I think of them is a good chance to pray for them. Sometimes putting post-it notes up on the mirror or the fridge can also help me remember to pray more frequently for what we need.

Step 5: Visualize your loved one

My dad was in the hospital recently for an intestinal blockage. Thanks to COVID nobody was allowed to be there with him. He was miserable and hurting and alone. It’s the worst way to be sick, in my opinion. I remember often visualizing him there in the hospital, and that visual helped my prayers have more focus and power.

My dad has had many of these problems and they often lead to surgery. Even in the best-case scenario, he is in the hospital for a week. But this time he was in and out in two days. The blockage cleared itself up! And the prayer roll wasn’t even the tool that fixed it: it was the faith and prayers of our family.

Step 6: ALWAYS Express Your Thanks

When my son was young he would often misplace his beloved blanket. We got used to saying a prayer to help us find it, and those prayers never failed.

I know that the faith of young children is super strong because his prayers were always answered in moments. The Lord was always aware of my sweet boy, and I am so grateful for that.

I was taught from a young age that any time a prayer is answered, it is vital to say thank you to the Lord as soon as possible and with the same intensity that you asked for His help. My son never fails to thank the Lord for His help, and I feel that his prayers are answered more quickly because he so freely shows his gratitude.

Step 7: Believe God Has the Power to Help

Faith is the most powerful force known to man. If we trust in the Lord and His timing, His plan, and His love for us, our prayers will increase in power and our faith will grow, even when the answers to our prayers are not what we would have wanted.

God hasn’t forgotten us. This life is not meant to last forever. If it did, we would literally be trapped in hell on this earth. We are spiritual beings learning from our earthly experience. Believing in His power will increase the strength of your prayers.

Keep Learning

To read more of Abby’s articles in her Living in Harmony column, click here.

God is powerful. I have had so many times in my life that He has shown me that. But for some reason, I always felt that I needed an extra crutch to give my prayers the power to help work miracles. I was wrong.

These are extra trying times. We don’t even have the sanctuary of the temple. But God hasn’t left us alone. His power is still as amazing as ever!

He has given us the scriptures, the internet to access good things, and each other. We can keep our minds focused on Him and keep working to strengthen our faith and the power in our prayers. And when this pandemic is all over, I pray we will find it has been a strengthening time for us all — and I pray that you are blessed to find your prayers are growing stronger too.

Abby Christianson

Abby is capable and caring. She is learning more about Autism and parenthood every day. Having completed training to be an RBT (Registered Behavior Technician) for ABA therapy she is beginning to understand her son. And even though she is the first to admit she makes a lot of mistakes, she is so grateful to be on this journey. She comes from a family with many autistic members. She invites us to join her, as she shares her adventures. She wishes to emphasize that Autism is a difference not a defect. If you or a family member have autism, Abby wants you to know that the challenges can be overcome, and there are blessings in autism. You or your loved one are not sick or broken. Together we will teach the world this new language.

I minister to a sister who struggles with having church at home. She is the only member of her family who attends church so none of her family is participating with her during home church. She is struggling to find a spiritual connection to the Lord and her faith without our weekly church service.

When my companion and I met with her last, she told us, “Satan is stealing my testimony!” We laughed, but she was really serious.  She felt depleted and needed help.

Three Simple Things

 When we decide to do “whatsoever [God] saith unto” us, we earnestly commit to align our everyday behavior with God’s will. Such simple acts of faith as studying the scriptures daily, fasting regularly, and praying with real intent deepen our well of spiritual capacity to meet the demands of mortality. Over time, simple habits of belief lead to miraculous results. They transform our faith from a seedling into a dynamic power for good in our lives. Then, when challenges come our way, our rootedness in Christ provides steadfastness for our souls. God shores up our weaknesses, increases our joys, and causes “all things [to] work together for [our] good.”

A few years ago, I spoke with a young bishop who was spending hours each week counseling with members of his ward. He made a striking observation. The problems that members of his ward faced, he said, were those faced by Church members everywhere—issues such as how to establish a happy marriage; struggles with balancing work, family, and Church duties; challenges with the Word of Wisdom, with employment, or with pornography; or trouble gaining peace about a Church policy or historical question they didn’t understand.

His counsel to ward members very often included getting back to simple practices of faith, such as studying the Book of Mormon…paying tithing, and serving in the Church with devotion. Frequently, however, their response to him was one of skepticism: “I don’t agree with you, Bishop. We all know those are good things to do. We talk about those things all the time in the Church. But I’m not sure you’re understanding me. What does doing any of those things have to do with the issues I’m facing?”

It’s a fair question. Over time, that young bishop and I have observed that those who are deliberate about doing the “small and simple things”—obeying in seemingly little ways—are blessed with faith and strength that go far beyond the actual acts of obedience themselves and, in fact, may seem totally unrelated to them. It may seem hard to draw a connection between the basic daily acts of obedience and solutions to the big, complicated problems we face. But they are related. In my experience, getting the little daily habits of faith right is the single best way to fortify ourselves against the troubles of life, whatever they may be. Small acts of faith, even when they seem insignificant or entirely disconnected from the specific problems that vex us, bless us in all we do.

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

Take the Challenge

Have you taken this challenge?  If you haven’t, will you?  Try it out.  See if studying the scriptures daily, fasting regularly, and praying with real intent really increase your capacity to deal with the stresses and trials that you face.

Let’s not let “Satan steal our testimonies!” A servant of the Lord with the authority to speak for the Lord promised these three simple things can make a significant impact in our lives.

Delisa Hargrove

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have moved 64 times and have not tired of experiencing this beautiful earth! I love the people, languages, histories/anthropologies, & especially religious cultures of the world. My life long passion is the study & searching out of religious symbolism, specifically related to ancient & modern temples. My husband Anthony and I love our bulldog Stig, adventures, traveling, movies, motorcycling, and time with friends and family.

1. Study diligently.

2. Pray earnestly.

3. Serve willingly.

Study Diligently

First, study. What does the disciple study? The most obvious answer is the scriptures. Christ has said,

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39).

When we read the scriptures with sincerity and diligence, we hear the Lord’s voice and understand His words — then, when they speak to our heart, they penetrate deep. As we study, we read, hear, and understand. We learn the will of the Lord and grow in testimony and love for Him. The scriptures are the best foundation for our faith in a world that wants to eat away at anything spiritual. They are a sure guide to paths of faithfulness and the best defense against evil. Scripture study is not a light reading once a week; rather, it is meant to be a diligent pursuit for something we truly desire. We should search the scriptures with the same fervency that we would look for our lost car keys when late for an appointment. They are our life preserver in a world drowning with sin and pain.

Along with the scriptures, explore other good and powerful works. Gain an education and knowledge of the best things the world has to offer. These are placed here for the growth and benefit of God’s children so that we could celebrate our lives, talents, and differences during our experience here on earth.

Pray Earnestly

Second, pray. Once we have come to understand the language of God and can feel His words in our hearts from the scriptures, we must open the line of communication even further by connecting in an even more personal manner.

“Pray always, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessing” (D&C 19:38).

Express to Heavenly Father your every need, fear, and joy. He will share in your life through your prayers and give you personal direction and support when you listen for His spirit during your communications with Him.

Serve Willingly

Lastly, we must have a goal to serve willingly. Does it have to be big and dramatic? Usually not. Consider the ways of the Savior. Yes, there were many significant and highly visible acts, and there will be times when we are placed in significant situations where our service will be extremely great. But just as often during the Savior’s mortal ministry, it was something small and personal. There were many times when He told someone to go and tell no one; many times when He noticed what everyone else in the crowd had overlooked. Often, He understood a person’s heart when the world could not.

These are the things that marked His greatness in my eyes and what He most often requires of us as His disciples. As His hands of service in the lives we come in contact with, He wants us to notice the little things. The man in the tree, left on the outskirts. The woman who needs someone to notice the soul behind her tears. He needs our eyes and ears and, most of all, our hearts. He needs our willingness to express our love for Him in ways others can understand and learn from.

These are three simple but soul-expanding goals for the disciple of Christ.

This article was originally published in 2009. Edits have been made for clarity.

Alison P

My Personal Prayer Test Drive

Every night for many weeks, I would kneel by my bed and pray for a pack of gum. I then opened my eyes and waited for that pack of gum to materialize on the bed. Obviously, that’s not what happened, so I figured God was there to answer more important prayers than giving me gum. I stopped asking. Ten years later, my dad invented a new kind of gum, and I had every prayer I ever offered up for gum answered many times over.

Last week, my dad was in the hospital with his 12th intestinal blockage. We were so worried about him. That worry became prayers for his recovery and that he wouldn’t need to have more of his intestines surgically removed. My young son offered the sweetest prayers asking God to “make Grandpa all better.”

Then, two days after he entered the hospital, he got to go home. His blockage cleared and he didn’t need surgery! I am so grateful for a direct line to heaven. Too often when those we love are desperately ill, we feel powerless. But we have been given by birthright a tool more powerful than we often realize.

Prayer Heals

I mentioned in “Finding Comfort Through the Savior” that my son has a friend in his preschool whose mother has cancer. Her name is Lacey. This young mom was diagnosed about a year ago with stage 4 small cell uterine cancer. With two little girls, then ages 4 and 18-months, I couldn’t imagine a greater nightmare for a single mom to face. We were all devastated to hear her diagnosis. The survival rate for her kind of cancer was only 15%.

We held a special fast for her. We prayed for her, and she was often in my thoughts. I worried about her family, their emotional health, and what would happen if she did pass away. She was in the hospital frequently, had several surgeries, and received many priesthood blessings. The last year has been rough.

Prayer Makes Miracles Happen

I remember when I first met Lacey thinking that she was gorgeous. Her being model-thin so soon after having her second baby made me jealous. I’ve been blessed with a body that still looks four months pregnant five years after my baby was born, so you may understand where I’m coming from. But last week we received the most amazing news!

As Lacey shared her personal miracle of healing, she has never looked so beautiful. We are all overjoyed because the doctors haven’t been able to find any more cancer. (I hear you must be cancer free for five years to be considered in remission.)

But the fact that she is still here, and currently cancer-free, is a miracle larger and better than I ever expected. We can’t always expect that the Lord’s plan is in line with our pleas for healing, but this time it was — and we are all so grateful.

Before I go on, I want to say that Latter-day Saints haven’t cornered the market on faith, nor do we rely solely on faith for healing. I believe that God gave us modern medicine as a gift to make this earthly experience easier. We pursue good health through good nutrition, exercise, and visits to the doctor’s office as needed — but faith and priesthood blessings are also an important gift from the Lord. And I know they have real power.

It’s a Life-Changer

President Dallin H. Oaks told a story about a very sick girl who was healed by the power of the faith of those who loved her. He said:

“Many Latter-day Saints have experienced the power of faith in healing the sick. We also hear examples of this among people of faith in other churches. A Texas newspaperman described such a miracle. When a five-year-old girl breathed with difficulty and became feverish, her parents rushed her to the hospital. By the time she arrived there, her kidneys and lungs had shut down, her fever was 107 degrees, and her body was bright red and covered with purple lesions.

 

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

The doctors said she was dying of toxic shock syndrome, cause unknown. As word spread to family and friends, God-fearing people began praying for her, and a special prayer service was held in their Protestant congregation in Waco, Texas.

 

Miraculously, she suddenly returned from the brink of death and was released from the hospital in a little over a week. Her grandfather wrote, ‘She is living proof that God does answer prayers and work miracles'” (Dallin H. Oaks, “Healing the Sick,” April 2010).

I am so grateful for a loving Father in Heaven who hears and answers our prayers — and I am especially grateful for the recent gifts of healing in my circle of family and friends.

Patty Sampson

Patty thrives on all things creative. You’ll often find her in the garden pretending she is a suburban farmer. She loves meeting new people, and is devoted to her friends and family. In her heart she is a Midwesterner even though life has moved her all over the country. She believes in “blooming where you’re planted” and has found purpose in every place she has been. She has a deep and abiding love for the Savior and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And she loves editing LDS Blogs because it is a constant spiritual uplift. Not many people can say their job builds their witness of the Savior.

It doesn’t seem to matter how I try
These thoughts just keep returning to my mind

 

Will He really answer me?
Will He see what my heart needs?
Will He have the time for me?
Will really answer me?

 

He’s never broken His promise, He’ll be there.
He hears each word and each heartfelt thought in prayer
He’s devoted to you. He’ll help you know what is true.
That’s what He’s promised to do.

 

He answered me.
(He’ll answer you.)
He answered me.
(He’ll answer you.)

 

“Will He Answer Me” by Michael McLean.

Can You Even Remember All of Their Names?

I remember wondering how He possibly could love everyone unconditionally and answer everyone’s prayers. I didn’t doubt His capacity to love, but there are 7 billion people on Earth then. So, really?

One day in Relief Society, someone I totally admired mentioned that as a young mom she struggled to understand how God could love everyone in the whole world. Did He really know her? As she wrestled with her question, she attended a family reunion with her husband and four children. She was the only member of the Church of Jesus Christ in her family and some members of her family considered four children to be excessive.

“That’s so many children! Can you even remember all their names?!”

Of course, she could remember all their names! What a silly question! She was offended that someone would even wonder if she could remember her children’s names.

At that moment, the Holy Ghost taught her that the number of Heavenly Father’s children isn’t too excessive for Him to remember all of their names either. Just as she loves and cares for her children individually and collectively, God does the same for each and all of His children.

They Are Mine

In his astonishing vision, Moses marveled at numberless amount of God’s children. So. Many. People. Why were they all created?

And it came to pass that Moses looked, and beheld the world upon which he was created; and Moses beheld the world and the ends thereof, and all the children of men which are, and which were created; of the same he greatly marveled and wondered. …

And he beheld also the inhabitants thereof, and there was not a soul which he beheld not; and he discerned them by the Spirit of God; and their numbers were great, even numberless as the sand upon the sea shore. …

And the Lord God spake unto Moses, saying … they are many, and they cannot be numbered unto man; but they are numbered unto me, for they are mine. …

For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

Does God Really Know Who I Am?

Humanity wasn’t created as a bulk experiment! An infinitesimal glob of humanity wasn’t God’s intention.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

He created each one individually in His image and with glorious purpose—immortality and eternal life!

He knows who we are because He created us! He knows our names, our personalities, our habits, and desires. He designs, if we will, to bring us back into His presence partakers of immortality and eternal life.

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

Will He answer your prayer? Absolutely, yes! I have no idea how He’s able to attend to each of our needs as a tender parent does. But I know that He does tend to me as a tender parent does. I see His hand in my life through miracles and blessings that specifically bring me joy, even through the simplest things like sequential green lights or new species of flowers I’ve never seen before.

As I believe in Him, I see His purposes unfold. I begin to hear His voice. I begin to feel Him near. I trust that He is my Father and I am His child, and so are you. And He promises us

I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

And I will be found of you, saith the Lord

Delisa Hargrove

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have moved 64 times and have not tired of experiencing this beautiful earth! I love the people, languages, histories/anthropologies, & especially religious cultures of the world. My life long passion is the study & searching out of religious symbolism, specifically related to ancient & modern temples. My husband Anthony and I love our bulldog Stig, adventures, traveling, movies, motorcycling, and time with friends and family.

“O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant.” (Nehemiah 1:11)

Old Testament nobleman Nehemiah | via ChurchofJesusChrist.org

How many times have we felt as the faithful Old Testament nobleman Nehemiah and found ourselves on our knees “beseeching” the Lord in prayer? The word “beseech” means to beg eagerly for or to make an urgent appeal. No one makes it through this life without some degree of sorrow and some seem to have more than others. Sometimes we feel strong as we bear our burdens but other times we feel weak and desperately seek relief. The greatest source of relief comes through our loving Heavenly Father.

However, sometimes our pleadings to the Lord seem to go unanswered. Why are some prayers answered to the immense relief and joy of the supplicant while others are left to wade through their trials? Why are some prayers answered immediately and others take time? Why is it that as I struggle to do what is right, I see others prospering and living a life of relative ease while ignoring the counsels of God? Wouldn’t life be better without trials and tribulations? Why me?

Feeling like I needed more understanding on this matter, I looked to the Lord. After my own beseeching, I turned to the scriptures. In the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, I found a man named Amulek who was teaching a group of people about prayer. He taught them:

“Yeah, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him. . .

 

. . . ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.

 

Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.

 

And now behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, do not suppose that this is all; for after ye have done all these things, if ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit not the sick and afflicted, and impart of your substance, if ye have, to those who stand in need—I say unto you, if ye do not any of these things, behold, your prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing, and ye are as hypocrites who do deny the faith.” (Alma 34:19,26-28)

I realized that I was not doing as much as I could. I assumed prayer would be enough but there is much more the Lord wants us to do as we seek answers. Early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known to many as the Mormons, were suffering great persecutions and were told that “they were slow to hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; therefore, the Lord their God is slow to hearken unto their prayers, to answer them in the day of their trouble” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:7). I realized that if I wanted something from the Lord, I needed to be diligent in my efforts to follow His commandments.

I continued my search for understanding. President Spencer W. Kimball, the twelfth President of the Church, wrote a book called Faith Precedes the Miracle. In it I found enlightenment. He said:

“Should all prayers be immediately answered according to our selfish desires and our limited understanding, then there would be little or no suffering, sorrow, disappointment, or even death, and if these were not, there would also be no joy, success, resurrection, nor eternal life and godhood. …

 

Being human, we would expel from our lives physical pain and mental anguish and assure ourselves of continual ease and comfort, but if we were to close the doors upon sorrow and distress, we might be excluding our greatest friends and benefactors. Suffering can make saints of people as they learn patience, long-suffering, and self-mastery. …

 

If all the sick for whom we pray were healed, if all the righteous were protected and the wicked destroyed, the whole program of the Father would be annulled and the basic principle of the gospel, free agency, would be ended. No man would have to live by faith. …

 

If joy and peace and rewards were instantaneously given the doer of good, there could be no evil—all would do good but not because of the rightness of doing good. There would be no test of strength, no development of character, no growth of powers, no free agency, only satanic controls.” (Faith Precedes the Miracle (1972), 97-100)

Reading this was to me as “cold waters to a thirsty soul” (Proverbs 25:25). How could we feel joy if we never felt sorrow? We would never know the difference. We were sent to this earth as a test; to gain experience and make wise choices. It is often referred to as the plan of salvation or the plan of happiness.

What if everyone was granted every desire just by asking? What if no one ever got sick or died? How would God’s plan work? What if every good deed was immediately rewarded and every wrong choice instantly punished? Everyone would be good, I have no doubt — but what would be our motivation? It would be a conditioned response without understanding.

I thought back through my life and realized the times of greatest distress were also the times of greatest growth. I could see that the Lord lifted and strengthened me as needed. Sometimes He answered my prayers immediately, sometimes after some time had passed, and sometimes in ways I wasn’t expecting. As I stayed close to Him, He always answered my prayer and I came out of the experience a better person.

It is still painful to go through sorrow and distress. Sometimes it is self-inflicted, sometimes others inflict it, and sometimes things just happen. I know now to stay close to the Lord and obey his commandments. I also need to include deep supplication and conversation with Him followed by doing what I can to help others who are suffering. I need to “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees” (Doctrine and Covenants 81:5). Then I need to leave it up to God, knowing He knows what is best for me and will answer my prayer appropriately.

As I have continued through life with this knowledge, I realized I can be happy and at peace even in the midst of trouble. I know Heavenly Father loves me and is watching out for me. I can see His hand in my life guiding me and supporting me and helping me to return to Him.

This article was originally published in January 2009. Minor changes have been made.

Ben

A statue of Joseph and Hyrum Smith stands outside Carthage Jail in Carthage, Illinois. Photo by Becky Cardon Smith. | via ChurchofJesusChrist.org

To seal the testimony of this book and the Book of Mormon, we announce the martyrdom of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and Hyrum Smith the Patriarch. They were shot in Carthage jail, on the 27th of June, 1844, about five o’clock p.m., by an armed mob—painted black—of from 150 to 200 persons. Hyrum was shot first and fell calmly, exclaiming: I am a dead man! Joseph leaped from the window, and was shot dead in the attempt, exclaiming: O Lord my God! They were both shot after they were dead, in a brutal manner, and both received four balls.

 

When Joseph went to Carthage to deliver himself up to the pretended requirements of the law, two or three days previous to his assassination, he said: “I am going like a lamb to the slaughter; but I am calm as a summer’s morning; I have a conscience void of offense towards God, and towards all men. I shall die innocent, and it shall yet be said of me—he was murdered in cold blood.”

 

Hyrum Smith was forty-four years old in February, 1844, and Joseph Smith was thirty-eight in December, 1843; and henceforward their names will be classed among the martyrs of religion; and the reader in every nation will be reminded that the Book of Mormon, and this book of Doctrine and Covenants of the church, cost the best blood of the nineteenth century to bring them forth for the salvation of a ruined world; and that if the fire can scathe a green tree for the glory of God, how easy it will burn up the dry trees to purify the vineyard of corruption. They lived for glory; they died for glory; and glory is their eternal reward. From age to age shall their names go down to posterity as gems for the sanctified.

Eternal Glory

“They lived for glory; they died for glory; and glory is their eternal reward.” Through the Lord’s revelations to Joseph, I learned that glory is light and truth.

The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth. Light and truth forsake that evil one.

Joseph repeatedly testified of God’s glory. As I’ve studied the Doctrine and Covenants and Book of Mormon, the most consistent theme I see is that by applying Jesus Christ’s atoning blood and receiving the Holy Ghost, we can be sanctified and come into God’s presence. Revelations teach us how we can experience the glory of God.

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.

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.

Ask of God

Joseph taught me that I should acknowledge my lack of wisdom and ask God for answers through prayer.

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

I remember my first real mighty prayer when I was eight. I read the Book of Mormon and took Moroni’s challenge.

And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

As I knelt on my bed, determined to wait there forever until I got an answer—which I knew I would get, because Joseph received an answer—I heard a clear answer come to my mind. “Delisa, you already know it’s true.”

That wasn’t the answer I expected to get. I just expected a “yes” or some warm feeling. But I knew that statement was true. I’d known the Book of Mormon and Bible were the word of God for as long as I could remember. I couldn’t remember a moment without those gifts of God impacting my young life.

That simple experience became my foundation for acquiring truth. My curiosity became insatiable. I read and studied and pondered which increased my gratitude for the clarity of precious truths the Lord made available through Joseph Smith.

Joseph’s Sacrifice

Joseph Smith Jr.

He accomplished so much. He revealed so much. He yearned for Zion so much. He wanted everyone to experience what he did so much. He sacrificed so much.

“He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord’s anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood….”

Joseph’s life and sacrifice overwhelm my senses and rational thought.

Praise be to God for His infinite love for mankind, to give His Only Begotten Son that we might not perish, to send prophets into the world to show us the pathway back to Him, to create a way for us to communicate and be led by Him directly.

To Know By the Power of God

I take the Lord’s counsel to Martin Harris as counsel to myself.

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

[If] he will bow down before me, and humble himself in mighty prayer and faith, in the sincerity of his heart, then will I grant unto him a view of the things which he desires to see.

And then he shall say unto the people of this generation: Behold, I have seen the things which the Lord hath shown unto Joseph Smith, Jun., and I know of a surety that they are true, for I have seen them, for they have been shown unto me by the power of God and not of man.

175 years after he gave his life for light, truth, and glory, I say, “Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah!“

Delisa Hargrove

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have moved 64 times and have not tired of experiencing this beautiful earth! I love the people, languages, histories/anthropologies, & especially religious cultures of the world. My life long passion is the study & searching out of religious symbolism, specifically related to ancient & modern temples. My husband Anthony and I love our bulldog Stig, adventures, traveling, movies, motorcycling, and time with friends and family.

I’m not a “why me” kind of person, but I am a “how am I going to get through this,” “what am I supposed to do” kind of person. I’d exhausted all of my ideas to overcome this trial. I didn’t know how I was going to get through it or what I was supposed to do.

With frustration and anxiety beginning to cloud my mind, I slid off the bed onto my knees and dropped my face into my arms.

“Oh, Father. I know You could easily resolve this trial for me. Yet, You haven’t. I’ve exhausted my ideas. If it’s Thy will that I just endure this, I will. But please strengthen me because I have no strength left.”

I felt an absolute submission to my own nothingness. I could not improve the situation without totally quitting it. And I couldn’t quit it because I felt compelled by God to not quit. So in confused brokenheartedness, I gave it to the Lord.

I got off my knees and went to sacrament meeting.

Divine Intervention

After sacrament meeting, a visitor, a person I’d interacted with briefly only a handful of times approached me. He gently said, “I see you. You are about to collapse. I can help you.”

I burst into tears when he said “I see you.” I hadn’t felt really seen in my trial by anyone around me.

I recognized him as an answer to my submissive prayer to God. I’d been trying to offer up “helpful” ideas for the situation’s solution but the Lord gave me a solution totally unexpected and longer lasting!

One of this person’s spiritual gifts, a gift unknown to me, provided immediate help and relief. He followed the promptings of the Holy Ghost and, through that spiritual gift, saw me and knew exactly what would benefit me. And it absolutely did.

Divine Response to Trial

This scenario has played out in various ways throughout my life. When I encounter something too big, too hard, too much, I do my best to resolve it and ask for the Lord’s help based on my experience or solutions I think could work. And that’s been effective in many situations.

But not all.

In those gut-wrenching, what-am-I-supposed-to-do experiences, the minute I ultimately hand it all to the Lord, He works a miracle I couldn’t even imagine as a possibility.

I think of the disciples, commanded by Jesus to cross the Sea of Galilee to Bethsaida, who struggled in obeying that command. They’d rowed all night and hadn’t reached land.

And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.

But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:

For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.

And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.

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

How could they have expected that miracle? That Jesus would just tell the wind to cease and it would cease was so unimaginable. Yet it was His divine response to their trial.

May we always submit to the Lord’s divine response to our struggles! For it is written that:

Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Delisa Hargrove

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have moved 64 times and have not tired of experiencing this beautiful earth! I love the people, languages, histories/anthropologies, & especially religious cultures of the world. My life long passion is the study & searching out of religious symbolism, specifically related to ancient & modern temples. My husband Anthony and I love our bulldog Stig, adventures, traveling, movies, motorcycling, and time with friends and family.