Hold to the Ground You've Already Won.

Just before I left on my mission, someone very dear to me expressed some concerns they were having with their faith. They had so many unanswered questions, so many things they didn't understand...And it broke my heart to see this person struggling.

Throughout my mission, I have seen this same problem over and over. The Gospel of Jesus Christ provides many answers for the honest in heart, but it does not tell us every mystery of heaven at first glance. Faith and patience are required.

The counsel I gave this dear friend of mine, and the counsel I give to all who may be struggling is this:

"In moments of fear or doubt or troubling times, hold the ground you have already won, even if that ground is limited." -Jeffery R. Holland

We do not always understand why a loving Heavenly Father allows certain trials in our lives. We do not always understand what He is trying to teach us, or why our faithfulness seems to be so slow to be rewarded or answered. But we must not lose the spiritual witnesses of truth we have already gained. And surely, answers will eventually come. We must hold to the ground we have already won.

And so in the meantime we do all we can. We remain faithful. We read our scriptures and pray. We continue to seek guidance. We work as hard as we can. And then we wait in faith. And we look to the source of truth and light.

"Let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed" (D&C 123:17).

Jeffery R. Holland continues:
"When those moments come and issues surface, the resolution of which is not immediately forthcoming, hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes...The size of your faith or the degree of your knowledge is not the issue—it is the integrity you demonstrate toward the faith you do have and the truth you already know."

To all those who may feel forgotten, or like the Lord is not answering their prayers, I plead with you to be patient, to remain faithful, and to hold to the ground you've already won. I testify that we do have a Father in Heaven who loves us and is so aware of us. He does hear our cries, and He will answer them in His own time. 

"For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee" (3 Nephi 22:7-10)

If any of you are having a hard time recognizing answers to your prayers, or feel forgotten by God, message me on Facebook, let's talk about it and try to find answers together.

For a link to the rest of this INCREDIBLE talk by Jeffery R. Holland, click here :)

It Matters to Him

"All through my life the counsel to depend on prayer has been prized above almost any other advice I have received. It has become an integral part of me, an anchor, a constant source of strength, and the basis for my knowledge of things divine." -Ezra Taft Benson

Like Ezra Benson, prayer played a big role in my upbringing.

Each morning of my childhood started off with a prayer and a hug before I ran out the door to head to school. Throughout the day, my family would pray before we ate dinner, drove long distances, or started various family outings. It  also wasn't uncommon for me to come up the stairs morning or night, and see my parents kneeling at their bedside praying together.

Nighttime family prayers were always my favorite, though.

Each day of my childhood was closed with my family kneeling together in prayer. With the TV paused, the books put down, and the texting left to the side, we'd all rush up the stairs to gather around my parent's bed or the family room couch for family prayer. Rarely would we miss a night of this tradition.

My parents went through a lot of effort to instill this pattern of prayer in their children, and whenever I sought counsel for a problem, my mom's advice was generally to pray about it.

The spring I turned 15, I was having a hard time finding a swimsuit that I thought was tasteful and modest. As summer came closer and closer, I started feeling a little panicked.  I had been raised with high standards of modesty, and I felt like I had been on a thousand swimsuit websites and in a million stores (in reality, probably only two), and there was nothing that would fill my modesty requirements as well as my budget. It sounds like such a silly concern, but I feared being trapped in a granny-suit all summer long. One night, as I was fretting over the issue, my mom finally told me to just go and pray about it. She said, in effect, "Audrey, tonight when you pray, tell your Heavenly Father what is going on. If this is truly important to you, it will be important to Him, and He will help you find a modest swimsuit." So I did. I prayed and asked Heavenly Father to help me find a modest/cute/affordable swimsuit when I went shopping the next day.

The following morning, my mom took my sister and me to a little boutique we had heard good things about. I walked in, and lo and behold, the very first suit I tried on was modest, was moderately priced, and was pretty darn cute...It seemed to be nothing short of a small miracle.

It was such a simple and silly request--"Please Heavenly Father, help me find a cute swimsuit for the summer,"--but it really meant a lot to me. This experience strengthened my testimony that someone was listening to my prayers.

Since that spring, Heavenly Father has continued to make Himself manifest to me in answers to my prayers. For me, answers have come in many different ways. Sometimes its a feeling of comfort; other times it's an encouraging word from a close friend; or perhaps I'll be having a really hectic day with a million deadlines to meet, and somehow the pieces fall into place at the last minute. Whether I need clarity, comfort, encouragement, direction, stress relief, or peace, Heavenly Father has never failed to answer my heartfelt pleas.

Prayer has been a blessing and strength to my life. It is a gift from a loving God. He knows us, and we can come to know Him as we spend time with Him through prayer.

If any of you are struggling with prayer, are not sure how to recognize answers to your prayers, or even aren't sure how to pray, message me on Facebook. :) Let's talk about it.