God helped my 12-year-old find his iPod

By A. W.

One day my 12-year-old son was walking through the house looking for something. Opening and closing cabinets, picking up sofa cushions. Going in and out of the garage.

“What are you looking for?” I asked.

“My iPod,” he said.

“Did you pray about it?”

“Yeah, right,” he grumped and moved into the other room.

A while later he returned and repeated the seeking maneuvers: cushions up and down, rug lifted and replaced, drawers opened and shut.

“Still haven’t found it? Why don’t you pray about it?”

“No and no. Heavenly Father does not care if I find my iPod.”

I answered: “You’re right. Heavenly Father does not care if you find your iPod. But He does very much care about whether or not you’re happy. And He also appreciates chances to show you that He answers prayers.”

“Well, I’m not going to.”

“Okay, it’s your choice.”

Over the next few hours the door slamming and drawer shutting continued. The school backpack was emptied and repacked. The trash can was emptied and re-filled. The coat closet was turned inside out and reloaded. The iPod was not to be found. The seeker’s grumpiness increased.

“Do me a favor,” I asked. “Please, just go pray about it. You have already spent hours looking. Why not spend five minutes asking for help?”

“Fine,” he agreed at last and trudged up the stairs to his room. Six minutes later, he returned, iPod in hand.

“You found it!” I exclaimed. “Did you even have a chance to say your prayer?”

He sat down sheepishly. “I knelt down at my bed and bowed my head and from there I could see it jammed behind the bed. That is the only place I could have seen it.”

“So you didn’t pray after all?” I asked.

“Yes,” he answered, “I did. I wanted to tell Him thank you for His help.”

Image from lds.org.

Ask and it shall be given unto you; Seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be 

opened.

- Matthew 7: 7-8

"We are often amazed at how much Heavenly Father cares for us and wants us to be happy."

By Nayeli J. 

Whenever we have to make big important decisions, who do we turn to?  Who is always there to guide us if we want it?  

As a military family and parents of two with one on the way, we have had to make many important decisions in our life.  We are aware that the decisions we make could potentially make a big difference on the experiences that our family has, and ultimately on who we become.

Image from lds.org.

We always turn to the Lord in prayer, fasting, scripture study and also being sure to do our part (such as researching, talking to people with experience in that field, serving others, and renewing our covenants by partaking of the sacrament).

Our first move from out of college, was from Utah to Maryland, across the country.  As we looked for housing we enthusiastically and with faith included Heavenly Father in our decision making and tried our best to listen for guidance from Him through the Holy Ghost.

After much researching and talking to some students that had gone before us to this Medical School on base (USUHS), my husband flew out to find housing.  Taking lots of pictures and communicating with me over the phone, we felt that we should move to Germantown (about 20-30 min) north from the school.  Even though the commute would be longer than it could have been if we moved closer like most of my husband's colleagues we felt this was where we should be.  We only have one car, so my husband would have to take public transportation to leave me the car.

We knew that it was best for us to move here for a reason, but we weren't exactly clear on what that reason was.  We would be here for four years and we would make the best of it!  As we started our first year, I got to meet a group of LDS mothers whose husbands were in the same year and situation we were in.  They all lived pretty close to each other and a lot closer to the school. I was able to attend a couple of their get-togethers and they were great.  I desired to be a part of their group, however, the distance became an issue.  There was also a spouses and sweethearts club at the school for the wives of those in the military to support each other and attend activities.  We joined and attended a couple of times, but then as I became pregnant with my second child, it became increasingly difficult to be a part of.  I often wondered why we had felt that this was the best place for us live...

However, during this time, we started to make friendships in our church ward and also in our neighborhood.  The housing complex where we lived was away from traffic and looked over a large hill and artificial lake.  It allowed me to take my kids on exploration walks, to different parks at just a short distance and to enjoy swimming at our wonderful pool was just across the parking lot.  My husband and I joined the gym just a couple of blocks from where we lived and I have made great friendships there as well!  We have had many opportunities to share our testimony and what we believe in with people in our neighborhood like we had never imagined!  We have had so many opportunities to serve and be served by our neighbors and those around us. The callings we have received at church have really strengthened our testimony of Jesus Christ our Savior and our desire to do good.  We have received so much support from the members in our church as my husband has had to travel extensively his 3rd year in school.

 I personally have greatly enjoyed making friendships with the other mothers in the ward and have learned so much from their phenomenal example as righteous women.  As we begin to make plans for our next move, we know that this was the absolute perfect house and location for us at this time!  We are often amazed at how much Heavenly Father cares for us and wants us to be happy. Heavenly Father truly is there for us and if we strive to receive his guidance through the companionship of the Holy Ghost as we make life-changing decisions He will bless us.

Trust ye in the Lord forever: For in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength. 

- Isaiah 26:4 

What the 2014 Olympic Figure Skating Taught Me About The Gospel

By A. W.

The 2014 Winter Olympics have just ended, and I very much enjoyed the figure skating competitions. This year, there was apparently some controversy when a more experienced skater, Kim Yu-na, won a silver medal while a skater from Russia, Adelina Sotnikova, won the gold. Several commentators were clear that Yu-na was the better skater – so why did Adelina win? Because she selected a more difficult program and skated it well. Not perfectly, but well. 

Yu-na set her goals lower, and while she accomplished them, her program was not as challenging as Adelina’s. Each woman decided what elements she would strive for, and Yu-na did not aim as high as Adelina.

High standards make us stand out. Image from lds.org. 

This was a reminder to me about the importance of setting high standards for myself, and of course, high standards can be challenging. As an example, a number of years ago, our church leaders asked families to set the goal of reading the scriptures to or with their children; we were promised that if we would do so, our children would learn to love the scriptures. Not scripture stories, but the actual scriptures themselves, with the actual King James wording. And not watching animated movies, but really reading them together. My children were very young, but I decided to work toward accomplishing the goal of reading the scriptures with them. In addition to reading Green Eggs and Ham and other childhood classics, we started with the Old Testament.

I have to admit there were days when it was a difficult slog. With my work schedule, there was not a consistent time to do reading, so sometimes we read in the car, and sometimes over breakfast. We decided to do one chapter a day, and some chapters are very long! But some are also very exciting and there were times when we read more than one chapter to finish a great story. We often had to stop while we were reading to explain difficult concepts and hard words. To my astonishment, my young children learned words like “Abrahamic” and “covenant” and “sacrifice.” We talked about symbols and sins and miracles. We talked about how people in the Bible had the same problems and fears that we have. When we shivered through storms and visited beautiful gardens, we talked about rainbows and other gardens long ago, and what those mean to us in our lives today. And many years later, I am happy to report that my children did truly learn to love the scriptures and have stayed close to the gospel. I think the many hours we spent together reading and talking about how the scriptures apply to our own lives brought us closer together as a family. I think we have been better prepared to face challenges after considering the challenges faced by Moses, Abraham, Daniel and so many other great people.

Working through the scriptures with my little children was a challenging goal. It was often hard to do, but it taught me that while I may not always accomplish a challenging goal perfectly, I certainly will not succeed if I settle for lower standards that might be easier to meet, but that will not permit me to grow into the person that my Heavenly Father wants me to be.

And I will bring [them] through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.

- Zechariah 13:9

It's crazy what a little faith can do.

By Elder Brian

My grandma used to tell us grandkids stories about our ancestors that crossed the plains with the pioneers all the time when I was little. She would tell us about all the trials they went through as well as
all the amazing miracles they witnessed. One of these stories I would have my grandma tell me over and over again. It was my absolute favorite and it's the one I would like to share. It's about my Great
Great Grandma Mellor.

Great Grandma Mellor was going through a hard time before they even left England. She had just given birth to conjoined twins who had died just moments after birth and Grandma Mellor's health wasn't to great either. She was told by the captain of the ship that if she got on the boat to America that she would die and just become shark bait. Night came around and she was given a blessing that her and all of her family would make it to the Salt Lake Valley. She was then smuggled onto the ship and off they went.

Later in their trek to Zion the extremities were beyond comprehension. It was so cold at night that her children's braids froze to the ground and needed to be cut off in order to free the child. They were starving and freezing to death and yet they pressed on with faith.

from lds.org

Grandma Mellor couldn't make it any farther. She sat down on a rock kissed her husband and children good bye and cried. Her daughter Elizabeth Mellor could not stand the thought of leaving her mother behind for the wolves to devour. She turned around and ran back towards her mother. On her way she stopped and offered a prayer of thanks as well as asking for a miracle. She told God the situation and acknowledged that she could not do it herself. After she said amen, she got up and continued towards Grandma Mellor with faith that God would bless her and her mother with strength. On her way she found a fresh hot pie on the frozen snow. This was truly a miracle and a gift from God. She took the pie to her mother and it gave them the strength to press forward and the did so with faith. She and her entire family made it to the Salt Lake Valley.

It is clear that our Father in Heaven loves us and will take care of us as long as we have faith in Him. It's crazy what a little faith can do.

Everything is going to be ok. And if it is NOT ok, THAT is ok, too.

By Emily W. 

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.”  Proverbs 3: 5-6

I don't know if anyone else does this, but I pray a lot in the car, while I'm driving. I guess because it is some of the only 'quiet time' I get. And around this time I was praying a lot because I was worried. I was pregnant with my third child and I just didn't 'feel pregnant' anymore. I didn't think I was as big as I had been. I remember trying to figure out if I should call my doctor and try to get in to see him sooner, but then thinking about how that was going to mess up the weekend with my in-laws who were visiting from out of town. I decided I was going to just wait until my appointment the next week, and I was going to 'not worry until they tell me there is something to worry about.'

And I had a clear answer. The thought came to my mind very clearly that "Everything is going to be ok. And if it is NOT ok, THAT is ok, too." 

The fact was, things were ‘not ok.’ At my doctor’s appointment that next week we found out our baby had died in utero. I was admitted to the hospital and induced, and, three days later I delivered our stillborn son, Gabriel. 

Looking back, I see so many blessings a loving Heavenly Father provided for me to get through this horrible time of my life. The blessing that I had been worried so I made my husband attend the doctor’s  appointment with me. The blessing that my in-laws were in town to support my husband and take care of things at home while I was in the hospital. The blessing that I had three days in the hospital waiting for Gabriel to be born so I could get a little bit of time to prepare.

I found a list that I had made around that time of things I wanted to accomplish and goals I had. Everything from "find a way to quit my job and stay home with the kids", "better relationship with my husband", "attend church more regularly", and "lose weight". There were maybe 10 things on that list. After Gabriel died I realized that every single thing on that list was brought about by Gabriel's short life and then his death.

Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it. 

This is a conversation I will have someday with my Heavenly Father.

Me: "Really? Was that the only way to get my attention and accomplish those things?" 

I can be thankful for the growth, if not for the way it came about. And I can see that having this particular baby (Gabriel, stillborn 5/10/02 at 21 weeks) and being married to this particular man (a graphic artist/illustrator) has allowed me to do some small good in the world. I have a website to sell mementos and scrapbooking materials for families who have lost a child. I have met people I would never have met. I have a perspective of what things are important and what things are not. Gabriel has made me a more patient, sympathetic, and understanding person. 

The biggest blessing is my knowledge that families can be forever. Eternity is a small time, and our time on earth is just one quick blip of that. I think of it in this way. You know when you’re at the park and all the kids are out there running around? I’m sitting on the side and Gabriel popped in for a quick, “Hi, Mom!” and he is off again. Someday I will get to know my boy, and it is a blessing to know that.

What do we give to follow Jesus?

By Allie D.

Jesus died on the cross for me--for you--for everyone--so that we all could experience both immortality and eternal life. He suffered excruciating pain, both emotional and physical, during His Atonement, so that we could one day be reunited with Him and our Father in Heaven. All He asks is that we follow him.

Some people give up everything to follow Jesus, and they do it as soon as they are asked.  Consider this story from Matthew 4:18-22 (emphasis mine):

 18 ¶And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were ^afishers. 

 19 And he saith unto them, ^aFollow me, and I will make you^bfishers of men. 

 20 And they straightway left their nets, and ^afollowed him. 

 21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of ^aZebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he ^bcalled them. 

 22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

 What an inspiration.

Peter and Andrew are fishing, catching the food to provide for their families, and Jesus comes up and tells them that famous line: "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." And immediately, they leave their nets in the water to follow Jesus.

Today, it would be as if Christ Himself walked into your office building, saw you at your computer, working hard to provide for yourself and your family, and invited you to come follow Him so you could be a fisher of men. What would you do? Would you stand up and leave your work?

What about the people who stared as you walked away?

What about your boss, gaping or threatening you as you left your job behind?

Then think of James and John, on the ship with their father. At Jesus's invitation, they leave not just their nets, but their ship and their father, Zebedee. What was Zebedee's reaction? Did he support them leaving him alone to mend the nets? Was he bitter that his sons would leave him to follow some uppity blasphemer from Galilee? It's possible that James and John left even their relationship with their father behind in order to follow Jesus Christ's calling to them.

Today, we're asked to sacrifice things too, in order to follow Jesus. He asks us to keep the commandments--not just the Ten Commandments, but the commandments to "love the Lord thy God with all thy ^aheart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself"  (Luke 10:27). The commandment to love God and others requires the sacrifice of our pride, our self-centeredness, our time, our resources--everything we have. These are the things we are called to sacrifice in order to follow Jesus.

I know that as we do sacrifice those things, Jesus teaches us better how to love Him and love others--and we are blessed for it more than we can understand prior to our sacrifices. The more we sacrifice to follow Jesus, the more He is able to bless us with the love that fills our hearts with joy. I know that as we follow Him, and love and serve others the way that He would, the end result is peace and a happiness that does not compare with the false happiness that comes from placing the self above all else. Jesus is the way to peace in this life, and I know that as we sacrifice to get to know Him better, He blesses us in return.

What do you give up in your life to follow Jesus? What blessings have you gained from following Him?

God's Love in the Sunset

By Allie D.

When I was a junior in college, my laptop broke—and when I say “broke,” I mean it broke. No one could fix it. And when I finally realized that no one could fix it, I freaked. I had assignments due and reports to write and a computer was necessary.

I ended up spending that afternoon in the university library, using one of the library computers. I’m a Mac person and the only computers available were Windows; I didn’t know how to use the computer and it was extremely frustrating. On top of that, I’ll admit I’m kind of a germaphobe—all I could think of was how many unwashed hands had probably touched the very same keyboard and mouse I was now using. Gross. By the end of four hours of that, I was about ready to cry.

As I left the library, I offered up a silent prayer: help me to know that things will be all right. I turned and walked out of the west exit of the library, and was immediately astonished by the most beautiful sunset I had ever seen.

This is for you, I heard in my mind, a message from the Holy Ghost. And then I really did cry, because I knew that God was aware of my situation, and my desperation, and that He loved me. I felt His love so strongly, and I knew in that moment that the sunset really was just for me. It was for everyone else in the world, too, you know, but in that moment, it felt like God has just sent me my own personal love letter. I knew that I was on His mind.

I think of that experience often now—every time I immerse myself in the beauties of nature, or every time I see a particularly spectacular sunset. Sometimes I see one of those beautiful sunsets and I wonder who it’s for—who Heavenly Father is trying to communicate with through the wonders of the natural world.

I know that God loves us each personally, and that He is deeply aware of all of our trials and concerns. A broken laptop is not such a big deal, when you compare it to things like war and devastating poverty. But it was a big deal to me that day, and God knew it and He understood and sent me a message of His love.

God loves you, too.

Romans 8:37-39: No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

How have you felt God’s love in your life lately?