"Six months ago, I stood at this pulpit for the first time as the newest member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Both then and even more so now, I have felt and feel the weight of the call to serve and of the responsibility to teach with clarity and to testify with authority. I pray for and invite the assistance of the Holy Ghost as I now speak with you.
This afternoon I want to describe and discuss a spiritual impression I received a few moments before I stepped to this pulpit during the Sunday morning session of general conference last October. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf had just finished speaking and had declared his powerful witness of the Savior. Then we all stood together to sing the intermediate hymn that previously had been announced by President Gordon B. Hinckley. The intermediate hymn that morning was “Redeemer of Israel” (Hymns, no. 6).
Now, the music for the various conference sessions had been determined many weeks before—and obviously long before my new call to serve. If, however, I had been invited to suggest an intermediate hymn for that particular session of the conference—a hymn that would have been both edifying and spiritually soothing for me and for the congregation before my first address in this Conference Center—I would have selected my favorite hymn, “Redeemer of Israel.” Tears filled my eyes as I stood with you to sing that stirring hymn of the Restoration.
Near the conclusion of the singing, to my mind came this verse from the Book of Mormon: “But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance” (1 Ne. 1:20).
My mind was drawn immediately to Nephi’s phrase “the tender mercies of the Lord,” and I knew in that very moment I was experiencing just such a tender mercy. A loving Savior was sending me a most personal and timely message of comfort and reassurance through a hymn selected weeks previously. Some may count this experience as simply a nice coincidence, but I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are real and that they do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence. Often, the Lord’s timing of His tender mercies helps us to both discern and acknowledge them".
Tonight's theme: When is a time you experienced a Tender Mercy as an answer to prayer.
This has happened A LOT in my life, but the theme that is sticking with me are some of the experiences that I have had in making a decision to go back to school to get my Nursing Degree.
I had felt in my heart that this was something that I needed to do right after Kandace was born. Right before her 1st birthday, I started taking my pre-requisites. Most of them were taken in the summer, as I was very busy teaching dance during the school year.
I particularly remember my first day of summer semester 2004. I was taking Biology amongst other classes. Much to my dismay, I had to leave the kids with a baby sitter to go to this class (a good portion of my classes were able to be taken on line). That day, in a frenzy, I had gotten everything together and ran to get my babysitter. However, just minutes later, as I was getting ready to leave, I could not find my car keys anywhere. I searched the house and the car up and down. I was so frustrated because I had just had my keys minutes before when I went to pick up the babysitter.
Almost ready to give up, I went in to the house and said a prayer. I told Heavenly Father that if I did not find my keys soon, I would take it as a sign that this was not something I should spend my time pursuing at that point in my life.
Directly thereafter, I went out to the car (where I had looked for my keys A HUNDRED TIMES), only to find them sitting on my seat. Not only did this experience help me to realize that this was indeed the right time in my life to go to school, but, I drew off of that in faith many times proceeding that day when things were really tough and school was difficult.
Another time was right after I started into the Nursing Program. I had to take out a student loan when I was doing my pre-requisites. I was disappointed to later find out that I had to pay on that loan during my break from school while I waited to get into the Nursing Program. It was frustrating because I was expected to pay as though I had received a raise associated with finishing school, when in fact, I had not yet had the opportunity to reap the rewards of a degree because I was still waiting to start my program.
Within 2 weeks of starting the program for my nursing degree, I received a letter in the mail. It stated that because I had paid my loan in good faith with no late payments, that my loan was randomly selected to be paid off in full. Sometimes, I still can't believe that happened. But it certainly did, no doubt: a tender Mercy from the Lord.
Tonight's theme: When is a time you experienced a Tender Mercy as an answer to prayer.
This has happened A LOT in my life, but the theme that is sticking with me are some of the experiences that I have had in making a decision to go back to school to get my Nursing Degree.
I had felt in my heart that this was something that I needed to do right after Kandace was born. Right before her 1st birthday, I started taking my pre-requisites. Most of them were taken in the summer, as I was very busy teaching dance during the school year.
I particularly remember my first day of summer semester 2004. I was taking Biology amongst other classes. Much to my dismay, I had to leave the kids with a baby sitter to go to this class (a good portion of my classes were able to be taken on line). That day, in a frenzy, I had gotten everything together and ran to get my babysitter. However, just minutes later, as I was getting ready to leave, I could not find my car keys anywhere. I searched the house and the car up and down. I was so frustrated because I had just had my keys minutes before when I went to pick up the babysitter.
Almost ready to give up, I went in to the house and said a prayer. I told Heavenly Father that if I did not find my keys soon, I would take it as a sign that this was not something I should spend my time pursuing at that point in my life.
Directly thereafter, I went out to the car (where I had looked for my keys A HUNDRED TIMES), only to find them sitting on my seat. Not only did this experience help me to realize that this was indeed the right time in my life to go to school, but, I drew off of that in faith many times proceeding that day when things were really tough and school was difficult.
Another time was right after I started into the Nursing Program. I had to take out a student loan when I was doing my pre-requisites. I was disappointed to later find out that I had to pay on that loan during my break from school while I waited to get into the Nursing Program. It was frustrating because I was expected to pay as though I had received a raise associated with finishing school, when in fact, I had not yet had the opportunity to reap the rewards of a degree because I was still waiting to start my program.
Within 2 weeks of starting the program for my nursing degree, I received a letter in the mail. It stated that because I had paid my loan in good faith with no late payments, that my loan was randomly selected to be paid off in full. Sometimes, I still can't believe that happened. But it certainly did, no doubt: a tender Mercy from the Lord.
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