I found it interesting that, that was something that was referenced at the funeral of President Monson. He loved and appreciated the verse in D&C 84:88 about guiding angels. He knew it to be true and President Uchtdorf explained that it guided him in all that he did and made him optimistic and gave him confidence. With that in mind I went about my day as a missionary leading up to a long conversation with my companion who is struggling with the thought of going home in 6 short weeks. The result of our conversation was a prompting for us to both receive priesthood blessings the following day.
Which we asked for, and we received. I am so grateful to be serving near worthy and willing elders who answered the call and provided the desired and needed blessings. I went into the experience hoping and praying that my companion's prayers would be answered, which they were. However, I was not anticipating the reminder and guidance that I received.
The elder who gave me the blessing said that I should remember that I have angels around me, some are even past family members, and they are guiding me. . . Wow.
A specific person instantly came to mind as he said those words. Someone who has passed away since I've been on my mission. Someone I was very close to, someone I still am very close to. This week marks the year mark of her passing and I have had her on my mind for quite some time, I just didn't realize that I was on her mind as well.
Because as we left the Church that day and went out to work, we had a good lesson with a member family who lived in a part of our area we don't go to very often. It was cold, it was windy, it was gloomy. And after that lesson we had 4 hours until the next one and we didn't know what we should be doing or where we should be going. We were pulled over on the side of the road, in the boonies, growing in frustration by the minute. Not wanting to just fill time, but to use it effectively. But we didn't know how. As we prayed both vocally and silently. I remember asking Heavenly Father, "Am I really guided? I don't feel so now." Soon after, my companion grabbed the GPS typed something in and said, "Ok I picked this road let's go." Off we went, to a road that had three trailers and a house on it. The first one, the very first one, yelled at us and told us to leave. The next one was busy, the third one was abandoned, and the last house we were able to talk to the guy who had never seen missionaries out that way, but was kind enough to chat with us in the bitter cold for about 15 minutes but still turned us away after explaining to us that he was always forcefed religion but that he appreciated we weren't there recruiting just inviting and if he was ever interested he would call.
We walked back to the car and pulled away and Sister Beare turned to me with a smile and said "Alright, your turn, pick a street." I pulled up my map, zoomed into where our next appointment was going to be, and found a street that stuck out to me above the rest: Swecker Rd... Problem was I had no idea where that was in relationship to us, I had no idea where we were in the boonies, we were just following the spirit. And our GPS didn't like Swecker Rd, it wouldn't pull it up. So I tried another but still felt like we needed to go to Swecker. I asked Sister Beare if she could pull up where we currently were to see if we could wing it and go based off of the map not our GPS. She did and non-coincidentally (because there is no such thing as a coincidence) we saw that we were going to pass right by Swecker Rd. on our way out to the main road...
So we headed that way, turned up the street, I scanned and prayed and chose a house, who had the cutest big black jumping dog that we played fetch with. Unfortunately his owner was not jumping up and down with excitement to see us and turned us away. As we walked back to the car I looked across the property and saw a cozy looking house tucked away next door. I knew we needed to go there next. There was no questioning, it was: we are going there, right now.
So we did. An elderly couple answered the door and thought we were representing a different church and quickly threw out three excuses as to why they couldn't talk to us long. But we clarified we were missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and to our surprise they said "Oh! Well step inside!" I was completely shocked. And even more shocked when the woman explained that she had a son that was a member, and a grandson on a mission in California. I will openly admit that sometimes I get skeptical about people when they talk about how they have family members out on missions as well because a lot of the time their "mission trips" aren't LDS missions so they aren't really that familiar with the Church or missionaries. But this lady was... as we continued to talk to her it was evident that her son really was a member of our church and that her grandson really was a missionary for the Church in California. This woman was really familiar with our beliefs and even knew a lot of the local ward members, and asked for us to tell them hello. It finally occurred to me to ask her, as she was speaking... how she knew these people.
Her response was almost amusing as she said, "Oh I used to go to that church a little bit about 21 years ago..." Again we were shocked, she said that she wasn't sure of her schedule but wanted to give us a call and have us come back and share a message and a meal with her and her husband. She then gave us her name which had changed since she was coming to our church because she had been remarried in those 21 years. We took down her information and she asked if we would say a prayer with her, which we did, and we headed out back into the cold. We knew we had been guided there, there was no denying it. Yet as I was plugging her information into my tablet as we sat in their driveway I turned to my companion and asked her if I had the right last name, she said it was and asked why I was questioning it.
Her name was the exact name, first and last, of my angel.
I said a heartfelt and tearfilled prayer of thanks to my Heavenly Father for showing me, in my frustrated and doubtful state, that He is aware. That He meant what He said when He shared with me in that blessing that I really do have angels guiding me. He knows us, He cares about us. He wants us to be happy. He wants us to feel loved. He wants us to help each other. And He gives us every opportunity to do so. He answers prayers, He is patient when we doubt, patient when we lack. He blesses us when we don't deserve it.
A scripture a missionary once shared with me sums my feelings up perfectly
Mosiah 4: 5-6
5 For behold, if the knowledge of the goodness of God at this time has awakened you to a sense of your nothingness, and your worthless and fallen state—
6 I say unto you, if ye have come to a knowledge of the goodness of God, and his matchless power, and his wisdom, and his patience, and his long-suffering towards the children of men; and also, the atonement which has been prepared from the foundation of the world, that thereby salvation might come to him that should put his trust in the Lord, and should be diligent in keeping his commandments, and continue in the faith even unto the end of his life, I mean the life of the mortal body
7 I say, that this is the man who receiveth salvation, through the atonement which was prepared from the foundation of the world for all mankind, which ever were since the fall of Adam, or who are, or who ever shall be, even unto the end of the world.
I have been awakened to my own sense of nothingness in relation to God. I have come to a knowledge of His goodness, His matchless power, His wisdom, His patience, and His long-suffering towards each of us, but especially towards me. I also have learned about the Atonement, through which grace is provided that if I put my trust in the Lord, be obedient and have faith in His promises and the promptings of His Spirit, this is the way to salvation. And not just salvation in the next life. But this is how I'm saved on a daily basis, from doubt, from despair, from concern, worry, regret, hate, and temptation.
He guides us through all of the elements of a fallen world, and He shows us that we are not alone.
I've always loved the quote by Spencer W. Kimball:
"God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs."
This week I have come to a faith and a knowledge that those people that "meet our needs" and answers our prayers are on both sides of the veil. There are so many around us, there are so many who love us, who want to help us. We shouldn't ever feel alone, humbled yes. Alone, never.
I know this is true, there are angels among us, they go forth paving the way of happiness before us, showing us how we can more fully follow the Savior, follow Him home to live with Him, with Heavenly Father, and with them.
I'm so grateful for the Plan of Salvation, for the miracles I witness on a daily basis and for the ones I don't even recognize because I know they are there. I know He is there, I know They are there.
I love and pray for y'all and thank you for your prayers. I'm sure many of the experiences I have are an answer to your prayers in my behalf. My heart is full and I know I am loved.
Thank you.
I hope you each can have experiences this week and into the future which leave you unable to deny that Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, and your own army of angels know you and help you, guide you and bear you up.
Alma 26:37 He is oh so very mindful.
Have a great week!
Love,
Hermana Hall
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