Sunday, July 13, 2025

Christ's Infinite Grace

Have you ever laid in bed at the end of a long day and just reflected? Have you ever experienced feelings of remorse or regret for something you wish had never happened, feelings of guilt for a temptation you succumbed to or intentionally chose, feelings of confusion, sorrow, or rage because of someone else's actions, or feelings of hopelessness for dreams that have shattered or loved ones you've lost?

After a time you may fall asleep, but in the morning the weight is still there, heavy on your heart. You try to smile and face the day, slowly putting one foot in front of the other. You struggle day after day searching for a brief moment of relief from the weight in your chest or the memories you wish you could undo. Where can you turn to feel the hope and peace that have long since disappeared?

Throughout my life I have had many experiences where I have felt lost and had difficulties and struggles that no one had any idea I was going through. At times I felt like I had hit rock bottom and the heavens were closed. There are other times when I have done things I knew would drive away the spirit, but did them anyway. All of us have regrets, sorrow, and heartaches that we wish we could change.

But, as we all know, sometimes when we are in the middle of our trials we can lose sight of hope and the promise of good things to come. Life is not fair, and it is hard. Bad things happen to good people. We all make mistakes, sometimes the same mistakes over and over again. Where do we turn for answers? For hope? For peace when we are struggling just to make it through the end of the day, or even the hour?

Several years ago I was sitting on my bed. It was 10:00 in the morning and I was pretty much worn out, tired, and exhausted. I had no idea how I was going to make it through the rest of the day. I pulled out my scriptures and read in 2 Nephi, 

“For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do" (2 Nephi 25:23).

My heart ached and I wanted to cry. “All we can do” seemed like such a burden. I turned to my Father in Heaven in prayer and said, “What if I’ve done all I can do for today?” 

As I waited, a peaceful feeling came over me. I knew He understood my capacity and limitations and that He understood that I really had done all I could that day.

Joseph Smith taught, 

“Our Father in heaven is more boundless in his mercies and blessings, than we are ready to believe or receive” (Joseph Smith, History, 1838–1856, volume D-1 [1 August 1842–1 July 1843]).

He loves us, in spite of our weaknesses and shortcomings. He has known us, His spirit children, for millions and millions of years. He knows what He is doing. He is not a junior God. He has created “worlds without number” and this world we live on is merely one of so many.

He has been where we are. He knows how hard life can be. He also knows what it will take to make it back to Him.

In Jesus the Christ we read, 

“The Eternal Father well understood the diverse natures and varied capacities of His spirit-offspring; and His infinite foreknowledge made plain to Him, even in the beginning, that in the school of life some of His children would succeed and others would fail; some would be faithful, others false; some would choose the good, others the evil; some would seek the way of life while others would elect to follow the road to destruction. He further foresaw that death would enter the world, and that the possession of bodies by His children would be of but brief individual duration. He saw that His commandments would be disobeyed and His law violated; and that men, shut out from His presence and left to themselves, would sink rather than rise, would retrogress rather than advance, and would be lost to the heavens” (James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, Deseret Book Company, 1990).

Our Father in Heaven knew we would make wrong choices and that is precisely why we are here! Life is about making mistakes, big and small. It is not about doing everything perfectly. We came to earth to learn by our own experience, to see what kind of choices we will make, and ultimately to find out what kind of person we want to be. 

President Dallin H. Oaks taught,

“The revealed doctrine of the restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that all the children of God—with exceptions too limited to consider here—will ultimately inherit one of three kingdoms of glory, even the least of which 'surpasses all understanding.' After a period [of time] all will be resurrected and proceed to the Final Judgment of the Lord Jesus Christ. There, our loving Savior,…will send all the children of God to one of these kingdoms of glory according to the desires manifested through their choices” (Dallin H. Oaks, "Kingdoms of Glory", General Conference, October 2023).

The plan of our Heavenly Father was based on agency, the ability to choose. In the pre-mortal world we had agency. The war in heaven started because “Satan rebelled against [God], and sought to destroy the agency of man.”

I love the perspective that Elder D. Todd Christofferson gives about this. He said,

“This was not simply a case of Jesus supporting the Father’s plan and Lucifer proposing a slight modification. Lucifer’s proposal would have destroyed the plan by eliminating our opportunity to act independently. Lucifer’s plan was founded on coercion, making all the other sons and daughters of God—all of us—essentially his puppets….

“And let us remember, Satan was not volunteering to be our savior. He was not interested in suffering or dying for anyone. He wasn’t going to shed any of his blood. He wanted the glory, honor, and power of God without paying any price.…Lucifer was seeking for power without goodness. He supposed that he could be a law unto himself, meaning that the law would be whatever he said it was at any given moment and that he could change his mind at any time. In that way, no one could count on anything, and no one would have the ability to be an independent actor. He would be supreme, and no one else could advance” (D. Todd Christofferson, "A Message at Christmas", BYU Speeches, Dec 12, 2017).

The plan of our Heavenly Father was that Jesus would come down to earth and offer His life as a sacrifice for the demands of justice. Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained, “our Lord voluntarily abased himself, or, rather, emptied himself of all his divine power, or enfeebled himself by relying upon his humanity and not his Godhood, so as to be as other men and thus be tested to the full by all the trials and torments of the flesh” (Tad R. Callister, “The Infinite Atonement”, Deseret Book Publishing, 2000, p 119).

The price that was paid for us to have agency, the ability to make our own choices, cost  the life of His beloved Son and one-third part of all of our Father in Heaven’s spirit children. We had agency before we came to this earth, and it was so important that He allowed our spirit brothers and sisters the to use their agency to make that choice, knowing full well the eternal consequences of their decision.

Sometimes I have wondered why that third part was willing to follow Lucifer when they understood the eternal result of their choices. In response, Elder Robert D. Hales asks us an interesting question, “Do we ever do things that aren’t good for us, knowing full well what the consequences will be?”

In Matthew 25 the Savior teaches the parable of the talents. 

A man traveling to a far country called his servants together, “And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability;” and then he left. To clarify, in this context, "several" is an archaic term that means "individual" or "distinct." It doesn’t mean multiple abilities but instead emphasizes that each person has their own unique ability (Explanation from Duck.AI).

The one with five talents made five more and the one with two made two more. The servant who was given one talent hid it until the master returned. The first two servants were rewarded for their efforts and the last servant was chastised for not even trying. 

The Lord expects from each of us according to our individual and unique abilities. The Lord wants us to try with what we have (even on those days where all we can do is get out of bed), and to keep moving forward, which can be especially challenging on the hard days.

There may be some days where you feel like the widow of Zarephath who had done all she could do, and had nothing more to give. She was living during a famine and was using the last of her food to make a meal for herself and her son and then was planning to slowly die of starvation. In this crucial situation the prophet Elijah came and asked her to give even more. It was a test of her faith. In response to her faith, the Lord took her simple offering, 'an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse' (1 Kings 17:12) and made it enough for her and her family to thrive on until the famine was over.

There was a time in my life when I was overwhelmed with more than I could handle. I had tried to do everything I could do to find help and answers and had nothing more to give, and yet I was still lacking. I asked for a priesthood blessing and in the blessing I was told that the Lord was not going to take away this trial, but that He was aware of me. 

Honestly, my heart sank. I had always relied on priesthood blessings for comfort and had been hoping for that again. Just as with the widow of Zarephath, I had to trust that the Lord had a plan for me.

When we are doing everything we can, but know that we are still falling short, by a long shot, how can we be expected to do more? The simple answer is through the grace of God. He knows our weaknesses. He knows our abilities and limitations.

Orson F. Whitney reminds us, “Our little finite afflictions are but a drop in the ocean, compared with the infinite and unspeakable agony borne by him for our sakes because we were not able to bear it for ourselves”  (Tad R. Callister, “The Infinite Atonement”, Deseret Book Publishing, 2000, p128).

However, it is through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ that we are able to access His grace, his enabling power, his comfort, his help, and His love. 

Brad Wilcox shared a story that helped me understand grace a little better. He said: 

A BYU student once came to me and asked if we could talk. I said, “Of course. How can I help you?” 

She said, “I just don’t get grace.” 

I responded, “What is it that you don’t understand?” 

She said, “I know I need to do my best and then Jesus does the rest, but I can’t even do my best.”

She then went on to tell me all the things she should be doing…that she wasn’t doing.

She continued, “I know that I have to do my part and then Jesus makes up the difference and fills the gap that stands between my part and perfection. But who fills the gap that stands between where I am now and my part?”

She then went on to tell me all the things that she shouldn’t be doing… but she was doing them anyway.

Finally I said, “Jesus doesn’t make up the difference. Jesus makes all the difference. Grace is not about filling gaps. It is about filling us.”

Seeing that she was still confused, I took a piece of paper and drew two dots—one at the top representing God and one at the bottom representing us. I then said, “Go ahead. Draw the line. How much is our part? How much is Christ’s part?”

She went right to the center of the page and began to draw a line. Then, considering what we had been speaking about, she went to the bottom of the page and drew a line just above the bottom dot.

I said, “Wrong.”

She said, “I knew it was higher. I should have just drawn it, because I knew it.”

I said, “No. The truth is, there is no line. Jesus filled the whole space. He paid our debt in full. He didn’t pay it all except for a few coins. He paid it all. It is finished.”

She said, “Right! Like I don’t have to do anything?”

“Oh no,” I said, “you have plenty to do, but it is not to fill that gap. We will all be resurrected. We will all go back to God’s presence. What is left to be determined by our obedience is what kind of body we plan on being resurrected with and how comfortable we plan to be in God’s presence and how long we plan to stay there.”

Brother Wilcox continued, Christ asks us to show faith in Him, repent, make and keep covenants, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. By complying, we are not paying the demands of justice—not even the smallest part. Instead, we are showing appreciation for what Jesus Christ did by using it to live a life like His. Justice requires immediate perfection or a punishment when we fall short. Because Jesus took that punishment, He can offer us the chance for ultimate perfection and help us reach that goal. He can forgive what justice never could (Brad Wilcox, "His Grace is Sufficient", BYU Speeches, July 12, 2011).

I want to share what Tad R. Callister taught about what Jesus Christ went through for us.

“The Savior’s sacrifice required inexhaustible stamina in order to bear the consequences of our sins and weather the temptations of the Evil One. But his suffering must have been more than a resigned submissiveness or a fist-clenching ‘taking of the stripes.’…There was a need to rescue and deliver souls from ‘the chains of hell’….

“The Savior’s redemption was a one-man rescue mission to deliver the prisoners of all ages from death and hell, of which Satan was the ever-so-vigilant guard….

“With merciless fury Satan’s forces must have attacked the Savor on all fronts—frantically, diabolically, seeking a vulnerable spot, ,a weakness, an Achilles’ heel through which they might inflict a ‘mortal’ wound, all in hopes they could halt the impending charge, but it was not to beg. The Savior pressed forward in bold assault until every prisoner was freed from the tenacious tentacles of the Evil On….

“[On the cross] the Savior’s ordeal had reached its climax. The storm of guilt, remorse, embarrassment, shame, and hopelessness that accompanies sin pressed with its full weight and fury upon him. His pure and sensitive soul, which had no blemish, no spot, which had never known sin in any degree, at any time, at any place was now facing evil of cataclysmic proportions. The price for evil in infinite measure was accounted for and paid for. All the senses a man has—intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and psychological…—were monopolized by thew effects that follow evil. the last trace of God’s healing light withdrew, to let the unrestrained effects of evil run their full course. No longer could the Father’s Spirit remain in the presence of infinite evil, now being assumed by the very one who embodied infinite goodness. At that point, the Son of Man, acutely alone in the fullest sense of that term, cried out in a moment of ultimate pathos, ‘My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?’. No one could claim he was spared any consequence of sin. There was no softening of the blow. He descended beneath it all” (Tad R. Callister, “The Infinite Atonement”, Deseret Book Publishing, 2000, p129-130, 143).

Jesus Christ suffered more than we can ever imagine for you,,,and for me, because He loves us.

Now, when you lay in bed at the end of the day take time to reflect of God’s love for you. Rather than wonder if you deserve His sacrifice or His love—and none of us do—take time to ponder what He gave freely because of His love for you. Turn your thoughts from thinking about what you haven’t done and remember what He has done for you, and just celebrate it. Live in the wonder of it.

I testify that He is there. He is always there. He will always be there. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Sunday, June 15, 2025

When Mother's Day [Father's Day] is Hard

This was written for Mother's Day, but is very applicable for those who struggle with Father's Day as well.

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Mother’s Day is an interesting day. There are those who could stand and speak of their amazing angel mothers and the wonderful support that they’ve had from them throughout their lives. 

I am not one of those.


There are others who can speak of motherhood and the blessing it has been in their life and the tremendous love that they have felt for their children. Because of my upbringing I have struggled a lot with motherhood. It has opened my eyes to how inadequate, weak, and human I really am.


Today I felt that I should speak to those who need the hope and healing that can only come through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, especially today for some.


When we are young we have hopes, ideas, and dreams for the future. Many of those include having a family. But not everyone is blessed with a spouse or children in this life. There are many who’s hearts weep with sorrow at shattered or unfulfilled dreams.


There are others who may lose a spouse to death or through divorce, or lose their children to poor choices or unforeseen tragedies.


Life is not easy and it can hurt a lot.


I grew up with a mother who was very angry and I was terrified of her. I never wanted to be that kind of a mother. But when my children were young I saw that anger show up in myself, and it scared me.


Many times in life it is our trials that draw us closer to the Lord — if we will allow them to. Other times we may allow our trials to push us away from the Lord as we try to find answers on our own. Throughout my life I have seen examples of both. 


I have had times where the heavens have felt silent, where I’ve cried because I had no idea what to do, and where I have asked others for help, and for some reason or another couldn’t be there for me. Even in those times where I could have felt completely abandoned I have never doubted that the Lord was there. I have seen too many examples of His hand in my life.


One of my favorite scriptures is Mosiah 4:9, “Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth”


God our Father is real. He knows of our suffering and He hears our prayers.


I remember one day in particular, when my children were small. I had had a rough night. I think all 3 kids rotated getting up during the night; I would get one down and the other would be up — I guess I should have been grateful that they weren’t all up at the same time — but I didn’t get much sleep. In the morning I was getting breakfast ready and was really grouchy. I felt angry at everything and didn’t want my children to have to suffer from my lack of sleep. I remember standing by the kitchen sink and words from the previous general conference came to my mind. Sister Linda K. Burton had said, “all that is unfair about life can be made right through the atonement of Jesus Christ" (Linda K. Burton, "Is Faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ Written in Our Hearts?", General Conference, October 2012).


Right then I felt that life was very unfair and that a horrendous weight was on my shoulders. I really wasn’t sure what to do, but I chose to test her words. I told the kids that I needed a minute and dropped to my knees right there on the kitchen floor. I prayed to my Father in Heaven for help. I told Him that I didn’t know how accessing the power of the atonement of Christ worked, but I asked that if it were possible, that through the atonement of Jesus Christ the negative feelings that I felt could be taken away so that my children wouldn’t have to suffer.


And, do you know what?


They vanished. 


Completely. 


I stood up, ready to take on the day.


That experience was a testimony to me of the healing and enabling power that can come through the atonement of Jesus Christ. It is something that I have used many times, and that power has never failed to bring the comfort that I need when I have asked for it.


One of my favorite scripture stories is found in the New Testament. The disciples are on the Sea of Galilee and the Savior is asleep in the boat. A big storm comes. Okay, so these are fishermen who live on the water so they wouldn’t be afraid of just any storm. This was much bigger than they felt they could handle.


In life we will encounter storms. Really big storms. We may feel that Jesus has forgotten about us and is sleeping in the back of the boat. We may feel afraid and unsure of how to move forward.


The disciples chose to wake Jesus,


“And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm” (Mark 4:39).


I remember lying in bed one night listening to a thunderstorm. It was loud. The lightning was flashing and the thunder was booming and I could hear the rain pouring down. I then imagined the Savior on the waters with His disciples and realized that He is someone who had the power to say “peace” and have that storm cease.


That is the power that Jesus Christ has. 


That is the power that is available to us through His atoning sacrifice. That power can heal our hearts. That power can calm our souls. And that power is real.


President Uchtdorf, testified, “There may be some among you who feel darkness encroaching upon you. You may feel burdened by worry, fear, or doubt. To you and to all of us, I repeat a wonderful and certain truth: God’s light is real. It is available to all! It gives life to all things. It has the power to soften the sting of the deepest wound. It can be a healing balm for the loneliness and sickness of our souls. In the furrows of despair, it can plant the seeds of a brighter hope. It can enlighten the deepest valleys of sorrow. It can illuminate the path before us and lead us through the darkest night into the promise of a new dawn” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Hope of God’s Light", General Conference, April 2013).


That is the healing power that is available to each of us through the atonement of Jesus Christ. 


In the New Testament we find the story of Jairus. His daughter is sick and dying and he comes to Jesus asking Him to heal her. On the way to Jairus’ house a woman with an issue of blood reaches out, touches the hem of Jesus’ robe, and is healed. In the midst of this miraculous healing Jairus is informed that his daughter has passed away.


Can you imagine the agony of Jairus, watching someone else enjoy what he had been hoping for, and seeing others celebrating while his hopes are dashed to pieces?


I have a nephew who was struggling with a lot of things and ended up committing suicide in 2021. I know where he is now, and I am comforted by that thought, but sometimes I just miss him. 


When dreams are unfulfilled and hearts are broken we can turn to the Savior. It doesn’t make the bad things go away, but we can find peace in Him.


The Savior, true to form, had not forgotten Jairus. He turned to him and said, “Be not afraid, only believe” (Mark 5:36). Sometimes the miracles we pray for won’t come right away. Sometimes they won’t come in this life. But, if we can trust in the Savior we can find the peace we seek.


The trend of the world today is that anything hard, unfair, or even uncomfortable can be seen as an unnatural tragedy. We know, however, that life is a test, and if we did not have the trials how could we grow?


Elder Richard G. Scott enlightened us with this knowledge: “so that the period of mortal testing and growth would yield its greatest benefit, you were taught and prepared for the circumstances you would personally encounter in mortality” (Richard G. Scott, "Truth Restored", General Conference, October 2005).


There is a girl who now lives in Utah named Meg Johnson. When she was younger she was a dancer. In her late teens or early 20s she came out to Utah to visit Saint George with some friends. She was fascinated by all the red rock and leaped from one rock to another until, as she tells the story, “I accidentally jumped off a cliff.” She fell and landed on the ground below — paralyzed from the neck down.


She is one who is blessed with the gift of dreams. In her book, “When Life Gets Hard, Just Keep Rollin’” she relates one dream in particular that has really impressed me. In her dream she knew that she was in the pre-earth life with a man who was wearing all white. He had a white binder and sat down beside her. He explained that during her life she would be paralyzed. She exclaimed, “I am so excited!” She then explained that she didn’t have any idea what being paralyzed would mean, “but” she said, “if that is what it would take for me to become like my Father in Heaven, I would do anything.”


I have not personally dealt with such a tragedy as she has, but others have. However, I have my own personally curated trials and challenges that will help me in my efforts to become more like my Savior and my Heavenly Parents.


But what about those times when we have worked so hard and tried again and again and have been so diligent and kept being obedient despite the obstacles? What happens when we become so worn out and tired and don’t have the strength to keep going on? Sometimes after expending all of our efforts with nothing seeming to work out, we are ready to be done trying.


I’ve been there multiple times.


In the New Testament we read about Jesus teaching a multitude when a man came to him with his son who had been afflicted since he was young. The father explained of the challenges that the family had dealt with:


“[O]fttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but,” he said, “if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us” (Mark 9:22).


Elder Jeffrey R. Holland shared, “With no other hope remaining, this father asserts what faith he has and pleads with the Savior of the world, ‘If thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.' I can hardly read those words without weeping. The plural pronoun us is obviously used intentionally. This man is saying, in effect, ‘Our whole family is pleading. Our struggle never ceases. We are exhausted. Our son falls into the water. He falls into the fire. He is continually in danger, and we are continually afraid. We don’t know where else to turn. Can you help us? We will be grateful for anything—a partial blessing, a glimmer of hope, some small lifting of the burden carried by this boy’s mother every day of her life.’” (Jeffrey R. Holland, "Lord, I Believe", General Conference, April 2013).


Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” (Mark 9:24).


Sometimes when the challenges have gone on for so long and we have lost hope, we have a hard time believing that there might be a light in some distant future where things will work out. In those times we may need to ask for the help to believe.


Joseph Smith taught that, our Father in Heaven is more “boundless in his mercies and blessings, than we are ready to believe or receive” (Joseph Smith, History, 1838–1856, volume D-1 [1 August 1842–1 July 1843])


Test out these words and promises and come to know for yourself.


In closing, I want to wish all of you a happy Mother’s Day. For those who have been fortunate enough to have wonderful amazing mothers, be grateful. For those who have the chance in this life to be mothers, be grateful. For those who don’t have either, remember that you have a Father and a Mother in Heaven who both love you dearly and long to have you back home with them again. 


I testify that it is through the prophet Joseph Smith that the plan of our Heavenly Father has been restored to the earth. This plan provided a way through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ to give us the comfort and help that we will need as we struggle throughout our lives. As we turn to our Savior we can find the strength and capacity to continue on through the difficulties we will face.


I know God lives. I know He loves all of us. He really is there.

Monday, February 3, 2025

Prayer Seen in a Different Light

I had a few thoughts about prayer that I have had on my mind that wanted to share. My sister compiled a book about the blessings our family has seen throughout the years. Many of them were how prayers were answered miraculously. Following is one of those stories.

When I was a teenager I went with my older siblings to my grandparent’s ranch for a few weeks during the summer. They live in an isolated area where the closest neighbor is a half-mile away, and the closest town was 30 minutes away. My uncle lived a mile away.

Somewhere up the canyon a person wrecked their car and started a fire. The firefighters came, put it out and left. No big deal.

Sometime later, perhaps during the night, a strong wind started. Blowing east, it caught some of the still-living coals and restarted the fire.

At noon the next day Grandpa came in for lunch. The range fire (which eventually burned 10,000 acres — a little over 15 square miles) was common knowledge by then. Since the wind was blowing east and causing the fire to spread Grandpa decided to help my uncle attempt to save his haystack. My uncle lived on the opposite side of the highway from where the fire was raging. Grandpa had gone on the tractor and asked Grandma to come in half an hour with a hose.

Around 12:30, my aunt called Grandma wondering if she shouldn’t bring her kids over to the ranch where they would be safer. Grandma wasn’t sure. Only minutes later, the sheriff came and told my aunt to get her kids out of the house. He asked if she had insurance. When she replied "yes", he said good; there was no way they could save her house. They grabbed their shoes and came over.

At Grandma’s house, my aunt tried to stop Grandma from taking the hose to Grandpa. She said there was no way she could make it. Grandma insisted, but we all decided to pray before she left. All of us: Grandma, my aunt, cousins, and siblings, knelt down on the living room floor and said a prayer.

Grandma then left with the hose. The sheriff stopped Grandma a short distance from her driveway. She insisted that she needed to help her husband, but the sheriff said Grandpa already had help. This pacified Grandma.

We found out later that about the same time we said our prayer, the wind turned and started blowing west. The fire had already crossed the road and started burning my Uncle’s property. Then blowing suddenly west, it pushed the fire back onto itself, depriving it of fuel. The fire stopped about 50 yards away from the 40 gallon gas tank which stands near the huge haystack and my cousin’s driveway. 

Another story about prayer comes from a podcast I was listening to. 

A man was speaking at an event in another state and his youngest daughter was having a baby. He asked wife to keep him updated by text. He told the other speakers that he was going to be a grandpa again and they said to keep them updated.

There came a point at which the texts from his wife stopped coming. He asked what was wrong and she didn’t respond. Finally she texted and said the baby was born, was gray, wasn’t breathing, and was posturing (jerking which usually is a sign of brain damage). The medical staff rushed the baby off to the Newborn Intensive Care Unit and his son-in-law ran with them because he wanted to give the baby a blessing. They didn’t even let his daughter see the baby and his wife and daughter had no idea what was happening,

He felt that he needed to pray with all the people at the event. When he ran up to the microphone someone else was speaking and said, ‘Oh! Let’s see what the announcement is.’ 

He grabbed the microphone and said the baby was born but not doing well. He asked the 4,000 women in attendance to pray for him, his daughter and his new grandbaby. 

On the podcast he then said, “It’s the prayers that allow me to know God so that I can trust Him whether or not His will is to bless the baby or to take the baby. That’s what we have to remember when we’re thinking about prayer. We need to shut the door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, don’t use vain repetition, but really, really pray. Vain repetitions aren’t prayers that are repeated because then the sacrament could be called the vain repetition. It’s a matter of do you sincerely mean the words you’re saying even when you pray for the same things over and over again”.

There are miraculous answers to prayers which can bolster our faith. However, we can also overlook that fact that sometimes the little prayers, such as “I feel overwhelmed and need help figuring out what to cook for dinner tonight” can be just as powerful in the moment.

I have heard many stories about prayer, and had my own experiences with the power of prayer, throughout my life. However, another story on this same podcast helped me to see the power of prayer in a different light. One of the host’s friends posted this on Twitter:

“Today is our stake conference. We walked in late because of broadcast problems so I didn’t catch the name of the speaker. She told the story of losing her daughter. She experienced immense grief and anger at God who would allow this. She said she was given a dream about five days after her daughter’s passing.

“She was hanging, white-knuckled over the edge of a cliff with a black void below. She was terrified of falling but her hands were cut and fatigued and she was afraid of losing her grip. In her dream she got the impression to let go. This seemed impossible to her because the void below was so dark. She was terrified but again and again she was impressed to let go and finally she trusted that feeling and released. 

As she was falling she saw of net of light below her. She could tell it was going to give her a soft, safe landing. When she hit the net she felt wrapped in love and warmth. Then she examined the net and what she saw surprised her. She noticed that there were people at the ends of the net and that the weave of it was made from light that streamed from them. This is the part that caught my attention. She was told in the dream the strands of the net were made up of the prayers they had offered on her behalf. She saw people close to her who loved her and they had the brightest and the biggest strands but she also noticed that there were hundreds of people that she didn’t recognize. She was told that the people she didn’t recognize were all the people who had heard what had happened and offered prayers from afar. She closed with the message that no prayer is ever wasted.”

There is power in prayer. What if when we speak we don’t think of it as “just another prayer” but actually helping those who need it. What if our prayers are doing more than we think?