"Heavenly Father, Are You Really There...?"

The words of a children's hymn often stick with my heart.  "Heavenly Father, are you really there?  And do you hear and answer every child's prayer?"  ("A Child's Prayer").  I have felt His love often.  In the dark when I was afraid as a child, in my heart as I prayed for comfort during a time of trial, or in the middle of the day when I see hundreds of other people and wonder if I really matter to him.  It comes as a quiet and gentle reassurance, He is there.  He does answer our prayers.  Just as a young boy, Joseph Smith, prayed to find God, we too can.  We are His children and "everyone that asks, receives; everyone that seeks, finds, (3 Nephi 14:7-8), that is His promise.

Where Can I Turn For Peace?



The Resurrection: He Lives

 Life can often be chaotic, uneasy, or even uncertain.  However hard our trials may become or unclear our path in front of us may become, I know we can always turn to the Savior for comfort, peace, and guidance.  As long as we know that Jesus Christ lives, and most importantly, that he loves us, we can always remember the promise he leaves us, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you...Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).  I echo the words of a familiar hymn, "I know that my Redeemer lives. What comfort this sweet sentence gives!" (I Know That My Redeemer Lives - LDS Hymn # 136).

What Is Your Desire?

Lately, I have been thinking about some of the things we heard from the apostles just a week ago.  One topic in particular was about our desires.  I have been thinking about my desires and how that has shaped me into who I am at this moment.  Elder Dallin H. Oaks said, "Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. The desires we act on determine our changing, our achieving, and our becoming" (Desire). 

One desire I have is to improve my relationship with my Heavenly Father.  Daily communication, or prayer, is essential and even vital to gaining and maintaining a relationship with Him.  I struggle, like almost everyone else does, with making morning or evening prayer heartfelt and meaningful.  At times we may even doubt, but what I have come to find is that our Heavenly Father is always listening.  Our sincere prayers do not fall upon deaf ears or idle hands.  He is ready and willing to answer, our receiving is a matter of our sincerity and real intent (Enos 1:3-4).

Never Alone...

Through my life I have wondered at times if anyone knew what pain I was going through.  Of course I had freinds, like most do, who are willing and ready to come to the rescue and help us.  But what about the times when the pain we go through, our friends have not experienced?  Their words bring momentary comfort, their affection brings a small sense of security, but pain creeps back in once they have left.  

I have come to rely on, and find solace in the selfless act the Savior provided or us.  There is a pain that we cannot understand, but we can know that he did it for us, that "he may know...how to succor his people" (Alma 7:11-12).  I have felt devastating holes of disappointment and discouragement filled through the power of His atonement.  I have felt the hopeless pains and ever lonely sorrows of life experience lifted from my life and an abiding peace and heavenly assurance fill holes I thought would never heal.  One recently has said, "The Savior is not a silent observer. He Himself knows personally and infinitely the pain we face" (The Atonement Covers All Pain).  Let us always remember, especially through our pains, we are never alone, nor will we ever be.  "Come unto me...and ye shall find rest to your souls" (Matthew 11:28-30).