A friend who couldn't be at church on Sunday asked if I could send a copy of my talk. Here it is...
Good morning brothers and sisters. I’m sure you noticed that a few minutes ago I was sustained to serve in the primary organization. I’m so excited for this calling. I really love working with the primary children and watching their little testimonies grow. I’ve served in primary before as a primary teacher and often times I would ask questions like “how can we strengthen our testimonies?” Or “how can we feel the holy ghost more often?” Or, “how do we resist temptations?” They always give the same answer, “Read scriptures, go to church, say prayers.” Although it sounds boring, and kind of like the classic answer, our lives will change for the better, and our testimonies will grow if we: read scriptures, go to church, and say our prayers. Today I want to focus on prayer.
The scriptures teach us to to “pray always.” (D&C 93:49.) and “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.” (Matt. 26:41.) In General Conference in 2007, Richard G. Scott said: It matters not our circumstance, be we humble or arrogant, poor or rich, free or enslaved, learned or ignorant, loved or forsaken, we can address Him. We need no appointment. Our supplication can be brief or can occupy all the time needed. It can be an extended expression of love and gratitude or an urgent plea for help. He has created numberless cosmos and populated them with worlds, yet you and I can talk with Him personally, and He will ever answer.
Spencer W. Kimball said about prayer: “I am sure that if we pray fervently and righteously, individually and as a family, when we retire at night and when we arise in the morning, and around our tables at mealtime, we will not only knit together as loved ones but we will grow spiritually through communion with our Heavenly Father.
Like I mentioned earlier, I was called to serve in the primary organization as the musical director. I love so many of the Primary Songs especially the Primary Song “A Child’s Prayer”. The first verse is a child asking Heavenly Father if he is really there, and if he hears and answers every child’s prayer. Then my favourite part is the second verse which says “pray he is there, speak he is listening. You are his child, his love now surrounds you. He hears your prayers. He loves the children. Of such is the kingdom, the kingdom of Heaven.” I think that is such a true and powerful statement, that he loves each and every one of us and that he hears AND answers our prayers. I whole heartily believe that God answers prayers no matter how small our problems may seem.
I have a personal example in my life when Heavenly Father answered my prayers. It not a huge life altering experience, but it just proves that He is always listening.
A few years ago, I was chosen to be an EFY counsellor. For those of you that don’t know what EFY stands for it’s Especially for Youth and it’s a 5 day conference with amazing speakers, and events and dances and it’s really fun and spiritual. So I was going as a counsellor and my younger brother was going as a youth participant. The conference was in Alberta and my brother and I had the bright idea that we would save money, if we took the greyhound bus all the way there. It’s about 56 hours straight with only a few stops for meals here and there. Now since my brother and I had never really traveled much in Canada we had this agreement with each other that if one of us fell asleep and we were passing something cool, that we’d wake up the other person so that they wouldn’t miss it. Ok so, because of the timing of the conference and the lengthy bus ride, it turned out that I would be missing church that Sunday. I was feeling really sad that I would be missing the spiritual boost that I usually got on Sundays. I felt like I really needed that right before EFY and so that morning I prayed that I would have a spiritual calm day while on the bus. I knew that it would be hard to feel the spirit on the bus because I was uncomfortable and sometimes they would show inappropriate movies or the people sitting near me would be swearing. I just prayed that my day would be free from all that stuff and that nothing would chase the spirit away. I put my headphones on and listed to Mormon Tabernacle Choir and then I fell asleep. A few minutes later I awoke from a nudge from my brother. He pointed out the window. We were somewhere along the part where Ontario and Manitoba meet and I looked out the window. The sun was just rising and the light was hitting this gorgeous lake that had these little waterfalls going into it and there was a light mist on the lake. It was picture perfect, honestly like something you would see in a movie like Rivendale in Lord of the Rings, seriously one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen in my life. What made it even more amazing is that, playing on my headphones was Mormon Tabernacle Choir, “For the Beauty of the Earth” That happens to be one of my favourite hymns, and the perfect song for this occasion. I was so grateful that Heavenly Father heard my prayer and knew exactly what I needed that Sunday. Instead of just making my day tolerable and a little more peaceful, like I had asked in my prayer, he gave me more. He gave me a huge spiritual boost that I needed before going to be an EFY counsellor and a wonderful experience that I will never forget.
Richard G. Scott said “I wonder if we can ever really fathom the immense power of prayer until we encounter an overpowering, urgent problem and realize that we are powerless to resolve it. Then we will turn to our Father in humble recognition of our total dependence on Him.”
I’ve had an experience where I felt powerless and needed to rely on the Lord. I had an experience that happened about 2 and a half years ago. My daughter Rosie was a tiny newborn baby, only 5 weeks old and had caught a terrible virus. We had been at a family event and all the kids, on that side of the family were all wiped out by this virus that went around. I was a new mother and very sleep deprived and emotional already and Rosie had a fever and was making funny sounds while breathing, so I took her to the Emergency room. When we saw the doctor said that she was going to have to do a test on Rosie to find out what was wrong. I had had this test done on myself as an adult and I knew that it can be slightly painful and uncomfortable. I worried that it would be very painful on my newborn baby. They told me to step out of the room for 5 minutes while they performed the test. I left my baby, who just happened to be looking at me so cute and I went and stood just outside the door. A few seconds later I heard her let out a whimper, then another whimper, followed by very loud crying. This wasn’t her usual cry, it was more intense than I’d ever heard her or any baby cry before. The nurse walked out the door and I asked “are you done?” She said “no” and walked back in the room with more supplies. Suddenly I realized that they didn’t do the test right and had to try again, putting Rosie through more pain and making me wait longer. I stood outside the door crying my eyes out, wishing so much that I could comfort Rosie, or trade places with her. After more than 5 minutes of hearing Rosie cry, they told me they were done and I was allowed back in the room. I picked her up and she put her head on my shoulder and held on to me. I could tell she was traumatized from the experience and exhausted from crying so hard. The Dr. told me there was nothing wrong with her and sent me home. I couldn’t believe it. I knew that something was wrong and after another long night at home with Rosie throwing up and coughing and a high fever, I decided to take her to the Children’s hospital that very next day. At the Children’s, the Dr. told me that they had to do the same test as the day before, AND take a blood sample, AND give her an IV, AND a number of other procedures. My heart sank. How could I put my 5 week old baby through so much anguish AGAIN?! I was also afraid because my friend told me that when her baby was in the hospital, they had to put his IV in his head because it was the only vain large enough. I was absolutely terrified and worried for Rosie, but I knew that the Dr. needed to do the tests. The nurse told me that either Dave or I could stay in the room, but there was only room for one of us so the other would have to wait outside. I was so emotional so I stayed outside. As I was standing outside, with tears streaming down my face, and feeling completely powerless over the situation, I remembered to “pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart.” (Moro. 7:48.) I said a silent prayer. I asked Heavenly Father to be with Rosie and to give her comfort since I couldn’t. The nurse walked into Rosie’s room and I waited anxiously. A few quick minutes later she walked out. I thought, “she must have forgotten something” but then she said, “ok you can go in now.” I was floored! How come I didn’t hear Rosie cry? I heard nothing! And how can she be done so fast? I walked into the room expecting to see Rosie with an IV in her head and to see her crying, but there she was, sitting with Dave as happy as can be, with an IV in her arm. Dave told me that the tests took only a few seconds, that the nurses were great, and Rosie just sat there staring at him the entire time. The nurses couldn’t believe how calm and still she was and that she didn’t even cry at all. This reminded me of 3 Nephi when “[Jesus] took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.” Heavenly Father lovingly answered my prayer in the most perfect way possible. I am so grateful to Heavenly Father for being with Rosie that night.
As I was preparing this talk I thought of so many examples in my life where my prayers had been answered. It was difficult for me to decide which examples to include. I have a strong testimony that God not only hears, but also answers our prayers. Through prayer, Heavenly Father has directed my life and helped me in so many ways. I know that he lives and that he loves us. I know that this church is true and that Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet. I know that Heavenly Father answered Joseph Smith’s prayer that spring morning in the sacred grove and that he will answer our prayers if we have faith in him. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
