One trying evening as I sat on our family couch uncertain of what lie ahead in my future, I felt impressed to immediately go to the temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Though it was a late hour and the temple was closed, I was confident as I sat in my car in the parking lot looking up at the temple that I would receive heavenly help for guidance and direction to know what to do in my situation.
While in route, the darkness of the evening, along with the dark sky area I was in gave off an eery feeling and not the peace I thought I would feel per my impression to head to the temple. In addition, along the shortest path to the temple according to GPS, each turn I took, road construction had blocked the passageway. I was faced with detour after detour.
As I was approximately a block away and could find no way to get closer to the temple, an unsettling feeling that was all encompassing, I decided to head back home. As I drove away, it was a tender mercy I was able to see the upper portion of the temple between a gate that separated the neighborhood I was in and the temple grounds a little way off and what then struck out to me was a long banner spread out across someone’s porch that said, “Let God Prevail”. Though I did not make it all the way to the temple, it was a tender mercy I was led to this banner, an answer from Heavenly Father.
A separate unrelated occurrence within days of this experience, again heavenly help for guidance and direction came. As a Covid-19 letter from the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was issued, three things that stood out to me in the letter were the words, “urge”, “a very high” and the absence of a mandate/command from God himself. I was conflicted as to up to that time I had received clear direction for me from Heavenly Father what to do and this letter was in opposition of what I had received for me from Him. So, I took my concern directly to Heavenly Father and shared my conflict and how confused I was seeking once again heavenly help for guidance and direction to know what to do for me.
I prayed that on Sunday our family Bishop would share something that would provide a clear answer for me. Following the talks and prior to the meeting coming to a close, it was a tender mercy the Bishop got up and spoke to the letter and shared the importance of personal revelation for ourselves and our family and asked whatever that may be for each individual, mask or not mask, vaccinate or not vaccinate, to not let our personally inspired direction divide our Ward family, that respect for one another and acceptance be shown one to another.
Peace entered my soul and confirmation that the answer I had received prior to the letter had not changed. That confirmation was once again confirmed when I read a letter from a former Bishop of a congregation I had attended with a like message.
Again, approximately a week and a half following the above first and second experience, while attending a BYU Convocation, with a tender heart, a lump in my throat, and holding back somewhat near visible tears from flowing down my cheeks, I reminisced my experience over two decades earlier the heavenly help for guidance and direction I had received.
I felt intense emotions of gratitude for the privilege, blessing, and tender mercy it was for me to be able to attend BYU and how my life has been touched and enriched and in turn, my immense desire to bless and enrich the lives of others. “Enter To Learn, Go Forth To Serve” means so much to me and I become emotional each time I think of these words and see them on BYU Campus.
As I felt the weight that so much depended on the essay portion of the application to be accepted to BYU, due to my struggle with writing, I reached out in prayer to Heavenly Father. Through the heavenly help for guidance and direction I received, it was a tender mercy I was accepted to BYU. I was a transfer student from Ricks College, a two-year school from which I had recently graduated and I applied to BYU prior to my mission to Japan for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in hopes of attending following my mission to which I am ever so grateful I had the blessed opportunity to do so.
When have you experienced uncertainty, been conflicted, or had a desire of your heart and as you reached out to Heavenly Father, heavenly help for guidance and direction came?
tendermercym❤️ments~jld
“How have you noticed Heavenly Father’s awareness and mindfulness of you today?”
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