Latter-day Saint Voices

"Prepared to Receive the Glory"

"Latter-day Saint Voices," Liahona, Mar. 2002, 36
Life is not always easy ... ," explains Elder L. Lionel Kendrick of the Seventy. "In the process of living we will face struggles, many of which will cause us to suffer and to experience pain" (see this issue, page 28).

Why must this be so? "My people must be tried in all things," says the Lord, "that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them" (D&C 136:31). Without trials we cannot be prepared for the great blessings the Lord wishes to give us. "Struggles," continues Elder Kendrick, "are a part of the sacred sanctification process. There are no soft or slothful ways to become sanctified to the point that we are prepared to live in the presence of the Savior."

The following accounts demonstrate how individuals have endured or overcome challenges and have become stronger and more sanctified as a result of the struggle.

Gospel topic: adversity

The Power of Faith

By Maribel Herrera Chacón

Maribel Herrera Chacón, "The Power of Faith," Liahona, Mar. 2002, 36
Several years ago my daughter, who was only seven years old, had a large swollen bump on the front of her neck. The pediatrician who was treating Jeanette explained that she had a goiter and that it was growing internally and externally and was quite serious. He sent her to the hospital for some tests and said she would probably have to have an operation.

Our family immediately began to fast and pray for Jeanette's recovery. We prayed that everything would turn out all right. Jeanette had great faith and would often say, "Mama, I know that God is going to heal me and they won't have to operate."

The days went by, and the time came to take her to the children's hospital in San José, the capital of Costa Rica. Before we went, my husband and my two brothers gave her a priesthood blessing. During the blessing, Jeanette felt within herself that a great miracle was being worked. She felt a sweet and tender hand pass over her throat. "Mama," she said later, "I know I'm fine. They're not going to put me in the hospital or operate on me."

While we were in the hospital waiting room, I asked Jeanette how she felt.

"Just fine," she told me, and she said again that there was not anything wrong with her.

My husband and I prayed constantly and tried to exercise faith that all would be well. We also understood that it might not be the Lord's will for Jeanette to be healed; we prayed for the courage and faith to accept that answer as well.

Eventually the doctor called my daughter into his office and began to examine her. Then, very surprised, he said, "I'm sorry, but you will have to wait here for a moment. I have some concerns, and I need to call some of my colleagues."

He left and returned with five other pediatricians. I was so nervous I was shaking, but my daughter was happy and calm. The doctors examined her, and then our pediatrician said, "She's fine. There's not a thing wrong with her. I don't know what happened, but she's fine. Go home and don't worry about her."

My daughter is 14 years old now, and she is very healthy and active and has a strong testimony. My own testimony has been strengthened because of her example. We are grateful that Heavenly Father heard and answered our prayers. And while the doctors may have been confused by these events, we understand what happened and are grateful for the Lord's healing blessings in our lives.

Gospel topics: faith, healing, priesthood

The Rowing Team

By Humberto Eiti Kawai

Humberto Eiti Kawai, "The Rowing Team," Liahona, Mar. 2002, 38
"So what about our rowing team—is it history?" the upperclassman was passionate as he put the question, obviously a rhetorical one, to the first-year students. "No way! It's a tradition!"

I was one of those new students beginning medical school at the University of São Paulo, which had long been famous for its victories in rowing competitions. Team members had asked our professor for a few minutes to recruit for the team. We would be replacing those who had graduated.

As a result of the enthusiastic pitch, about 30 of us decided to try out. None of us had any rowing experience. We were all out of shape, as our coach constantly reminded us. He had been in the military and made no effort to hide his disgust at our sorry physical condition. He had lots of jokes, too, about the irony of poor muscle tone in students of medicine.

Training was grueling—held at 5:00 A.M., six days a week. We had to set our alarms for 4:15 to catch the bus to the training area. The less disciplined did not show up for long. Those of us who stayed noted that the coach gave all his attention to the team veterans. Meanwhile, we recruits were ordered to run around the campus perimeter.

The University of São Paulo campus covers a large area, so the run was about 6 miles (10 kilometers) and required enormous effort from men in our condition. We were exhausted when we finished, and the coach ordered us to the showers without comment.

This routine continued for several weeks. In time, a few ingenious souls discovered that they could cut their running time by taking a shortcut. Instead of making a full circle around campus, they detoured through the woods. Of course, they thought themselves very clever when they beat us to the showers. They even gave their shortcut a name: the easy return.

In time, the coach announced that he was ready to name those who would join the official team. To their surprise, not one of the men who took the easy return was selected. I still don't know how the coach knew.

Each of us has a race to run in life. The course may become difficult at times, but we have a Coach who knows us well. He has promised us, "He that is faithful and endureth shall overcome the world" (D&C 63:47). Some people may seem to profit by breaking the rules, but in reality, no effort to keep the commandments will go unrewarded.

I always feel grateful when I think back to the rowing team. I still have the gold medal I was awarded for our victories. But more importantly, I have the determination I developed then never to take the easy return.

Gospel topics: honesty, endurance

My Long Climb Home

By Mavis Grace Jones

Mavis Grace Jones, "My Long Climb Home," Liahona, Mar. 2002, 39
I joined the Church in England in 1965, but the hostile reaction of my father and other pressures eventually led me to become less active.

Those were painful and unhappy times. On the outside it seemed easy to stay away, and I suppose I started to break the Word of Wisdom to fool myself that I didn't care. Eventually I convinced myself Heavenly Father no longer loved or cared about me, and I felt completely rejected and alone.

Members still visited me occasionally, but it didn't help. I both resented and envied them.

Then one evening a pair of senior sister missionaries dropped by. I was determined to give them a hard time so they wouldn't make a return visit, but something inside me warmed to them. They had come as friends, not to preach to me or make me feel guilty.

They returned again and again to work in my garden and to strip paint from an old chest and help restore it—but above all to be friends to me. I began to be able to feel the Savior's love through them as they filled my home with their obvious joy in living the gospel. They gained my trust, something that was so difficult for me to give.

All too soon their missions came to an end and they returned home. I later visited them in the United States. Rebellion against the Church was still within my heart, however, so I would not attend any Church meetings during the trip. In fact, I took great delight in drinking coffee in front of my two friends, trying hard to show them I was "untouchable." I soon found out I was far from untouchable.

On the Saturday before Easter, we visited a memorial park in Glendale, California, and were deeply moved by the paintings and other art having to do with the Savior. It seemed that the Atonement was suddenly becoming real to me. A week later I was in southern Utah on the Sunday of general conference. During a moment alone, I switched on the television to a talk given by President Thomas S. Monson, First Counselor in the First Presidency. As I listened to that great man, I could not contain the tears of guilt and shame.

That afternoon I climbed to one of the observation points in the national park I was visiting. As I walked, I tried to put my life into perspective. I found that the climb, which was very difficult and strenuous in places, was comparable to the trials in my life. Because I pressed on and reached the end of the climb, I could look down at the beauty of creation and feel exhilaration.

The spirit of rebellion was not completely gone from my heart, but I was starting to feel the hostility melting away. I began to experience feelings of love—new, beautiful, and strange to me. I also began to learn that I could be loved. I knew I needed to change my life, to truly repent.

When I returned home I felt much different inside. I was beginning to feel hope and was learning to pray for guidance and forgiveness. True repentance didn't take place overnight; it took many months before I felt I had been forgiven. I made a decision to start attending church again, the most difficult part of which was finding the courage to actually walk to the doors and go in.

I become overwhelmed as I think of the meaning of the Savior's Atonement: "Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me enough to die for me!" ("I Stand All Amazed," Hymns, number 193). It is also wonderful that two sister missionaries came into my life when they did and shared with me their love and example. I was filled with joy to have one of them be my escort when I finally attended the temple to receive my endowment.

Following years of wandering, I had come home at last.

Gospel topics: activation, repentance

"I Found Them!"

By Madeleine Kurtz

Madeleine Kurtz, "I Found Them!" Liahona, Mar. 2002, 41
While serving a full-time mission in the Philippines, my husband, Robert, and I traveled to Cagayan de Oro to set up a Family History Center in the Cagayan de Oro East Stake Center and to do some training. We also invited members from the Malaybalay district to join us. Non-Filipinos are not allowed to go into some parts of the region, and Malaybalay was an area where we could not go. For almost a year, the Malaybalay district had had the equipment for a Family History Center; all they needed was some training to be able to set it up.

We contacted the Malaybalay district president, Leandro Miole, and asked him if he and the Saints in Malaybalay could come to the Cagayan de Oro East Stake Center for our seminar. President Miole responded that they would be happy to come, even though it meant a drive of more than two hours on mountain roads. My husband wrote a letter to President Miole confirming the date, place, and time of our training session.

On the day of the seminar as I was doing my portion of the training, a man walked in and started talking with my husband. The man drew a letter from his pocket and opened it for my husband to read. I could see the conversation was quite serious.

At the end of our training session, my husband informed me that the man was President Miole from the Malaybalay district and that he and 10 members of his district had been waiting at the Cagayan de Oro Stake Center since 8:00 A.M. President Miole had shown my husband the letter stating the details of the training. To my husband's chagrin, he realized he had forgotten to identify the place as the east stake center. We felt bad that these faithful Saints had waited hours for training that had never come, and we happily agreed to go to the Cagayan de Oro Stake Center to conduct the training session.

The Saints were happy to see us when we arrived. We opened with a prayer and a hymn, then launched into the training.

As I began demonstrating how to use the microfilm reader, I noticed that a film had been left in the reader. So instead of using the film I had brought for the demonstration, I used the film already in the reader. As my husband turned the crank and I showed where to look on the film for names, I heard someone crying softly. Looking up, I realized President Miole was in tears. I quickly asked if I had said something to distress him.

Through his tears he quietly said, "I found them!" Pointing to the names on the screen of the microfilm reader, he told us he had searched and prayed to find these names—the names of his ancestors—for more than three years. And now, there they were—on a microfilm reader he should not have been looking at, in a building he should not have been in.

That day we were reminded that "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass" (Alma 37:6).

Gospel topic: family history

[illustration] The Second Coming, by Grant Romney Clawson

[illustrations] Illustrations by Brian Call