The Uncertainty Principle

Two sailors ran into each other, one of the men told the other about his last voyage:

"After a month at sea," he said, "we discovered our mast had been eaten through by termites! Almost nothing left of them."

"That's terrible," said the second sailor.

"That's what I thought too," the first sailor said, "but it turned out to be good luck. As soon as we took the sails down to fix the masts, we were hit by a squall so suddenly and so hard, it would surely have blown us over if our sails were up at the time."

"How lucky!"

"That's exactly what I thought at the time, too. But because our sails were down, we couldn't steer ourselves, and because of the wind, we were blown onto a reef. The hole in the hull was too big to fix. We were stranded."

"That's is bad luck indeed."

"That's what I thought, too when it first happened. But we all made it to the beach alive and had plenty to eat. But here's the real kicker: While we were on the island whining about our terrible fate, we discovered a buried treasure!"

As this story illustrates, you don't know if an event is "good" or "bad" except maybe in retrospect, and even then you don't really know because  life keeps going. The story's not over yet. Just because something hasn't turned out to be an advantage yet doesn't mean it is not ever going to.

Therefore, you can simply assume whatever happens is "good." I know that sounds awfully airy fairy, but it's very practical. If you think an event is good, it's easy to maintain a positive attitude. And your attitude affects your health, it affects the way people treat you and how you treat others, and it affects your energy level. And those people can help pave the way for things to turn out well. A good attitude is a good thing. And a bad attitude does you no good at all.

Go get in the habit of saying "That's good!" Since you don't know for sure whether something will eventually work to your advantage or not, you might as well assume it will. It is counterproductive to assume otherwise. Think about it. If someone ahead of you in line at a store is slowing everything down, say to yourself, "That's good!" They may have saved you from getting into a accident when you get back in your car. Or maybe, because you slowed down, you might meet a friend you would have missed. You never know.

The truth is, life is uncertain. And even that can work to your advantage.

Would Matthew Return?

We had a strong group of young men in our ward, but our son Matthew gravitated to a nonmember who shared his love for cars and anything mechanical. Unfortunately, this young man came from a family that did not value religion. His parents allowed drinking and smoking in their home and didn’t believe that being morally clean was important.

Matthew had earned the top rank in Scouting, but he did not participate in the awards meeting because he had stopped living Scouting standards. I gathered all his Scouting awards and made a display case. Then I put it away, hoping that one day it would be of value to him. By the time he was 16, Matthew was smoking, drinking, and doing drugs. He dropped out of school and moved in with his girlfriend. For a couple of years, we rarely saw him.

We were devastated. We didn’t know if he would ever return to his family and faith, but we decided to follow Alma’s example in dealing with his wayward son. Alma continued to love his son and prayed with faith that he would “be brought to the knowledge of the truth” (Mosiah 27:14).

We prayed constantly that the Lord would intervene in Matthew’s life, and we took every opportunity to express by word and action how much we loved him. When he would come home, we did not say anything he might interpret as criticism or judgment. We simply expressed our joy at seeing him.

One day Matthew came home and said he wanted to talk. He said he had met a girl at a party who had questions about the Church. Before he could tell her that he no longer knew the answers, words started coming out of his mouth. He found himself answering her questions as fast as she asked them. Matthew said he did not remember having learned the things he spoke, but he knew his words were true. He wondered why he was living as he was when he still believed the gospel.

After three days of soul-searching, he decided to leave behind the life he had been leading. He had come home to ask for help in starting over.

Matthew called a cousin in another state who had overcome similar difficulties and asked if he could stay with him. His cousin agreed, and Matthew began attending Church meetings with him and met with the bishop to get help with the repentance process. He felt love and support and became active in the Church.

In time he met a lovely, righteous young woman. They fell in love and were married in the temple.

When their first child was born, I came for a visit and brought the display case I had made of his Scouting awards. He was thrilled and proudly hung it in a prominent place in his home.

An angel did not appear to our son, as had happened to Alma the Younger. But Matthew’s return to the truth was just as miraculous.

Learning to Trust the Lord

By Clarissa A. Noble

The author lives in Oregon, USA.

We had endured so many challenges--why would the Lord allow our struggles to continue?

Many years ago, my husband’s employer was having financial problems, and our paychecks came irregularly. We tried to be patient with the situation, but after several months, paychecks stopped coming altogether, and my husband started looking for other work.

As the weeks stretched into months, our resources dwindled and our spirits sagged. It became increasingly uncomfortable to answer inquiries from concerned ward members regarding my husband’s job search--I knew they meant well, but I didn’t like being reminded of our situation. I continued to attend ward meetings and fulfill my calling, but I kept to myself.

I prayed for relief for our family, but I became increasingly frustrated and resentful, especially toward the Lord. We had endured other challenges, including the death of a child, and I believed that our time for respite had come. I couldn’t understand why the Lord would allow our financial struggles to continue.

One day I felt I needed to spend some time with our son. I called a friend, an older woman in our ward, to see if she would care for our young daughter while I joined my son at school for lunch. She cheerfully accepted.

When I finished lunch and went to pick up my daughter, I had every intention of quickly giving my thanks and slipping out, but my wise and loving friend stopped me and asked how I was doing. One thing led to another, and I shared, through tears, my anger and resentment toward the Lord. “My prayers are not being answered,” I told her. “If they are, I can’t see the answers.”

I will never forget the counsel she gave me. My friend explained that we are here on earth to be proven, and we will always have trials. Our job is to endure them well. She said she was enduring trials that had lasted for decades, including difficulties with a family business and complications of marrying outside of the Church. In a very loving way, she helped me see that I was not alone. She quoted Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

When I returned home, I pondered my friend’s words. Although her life was riddled with hardship, she recognized and showed gratitude for the Lord’s hand in her life. I realized that by feeling sorry for myself, I had overlooked the blessings our family had been given. Our family was healthy; we had the food, clothing, and shelter we needed; and we were blessed with the gospel of Jesus Christ. As my thoughts turned to these blessings, my resentment began to fade away and I felt peace and comfort. I realized that the Lord had, indeed, heard my prayers.

It was still many months before my husband found work, and it was not the last time hardship would visit our family. But through the example of a loving friend who had a constant trust in the Lord, I have become better prepared to deal with life’s trials and recognize the Lord’s answers to my prayers.

He Blessed My Sour Note

Randy Lonsdale, Alberta, Canada

My ears burned bright red with embarrassment as my teenage son, Derek, and I finished singing “Be Still, My Soul” in sacrament meeting. I had not properly warmed up my voice before the meeting began, and as a result, when I tried to reach a high note, my voice cracked badly.

I slid back onto my bench, feeling uncomfortable despite supportive looks from my smiling wife, assuring me that I had not ruined the spirit of the meeting.

After the closing prayer I headed for my car to retrieve a lesson manual. A sister in our ward stood near the door, sobbing. A friend supported her with an arm around her shoulder. As I passed by, the weeping sister called my name and expressed her appreciation to me for choosing the hymn we sang and for performing it in a way that touched her deeply.

She explained that she had given birth to a stillborn baby several days earlier and had battled anger and despair ever since. As Derek and I sang the hymn, she had felt the Spirit wrap her aching soul in a peaceful, comforting warmth. It had filled her with the hope she needed to bear her cross of grief.

I awkwardly mumbled thanks and headed out the door, feeling blessed and humbled by her words. As I reached the car, I remembered a devotional address by Kim B. Clark, president of Brigham Young University–Idaho. He had said, “When we act in faith in [Jesus] to do His work, He goes with us” to serve others and “blesses us to say just what they need to hear.” He also taught that “what we actually say and actually do may feel a little awkward or not very polished. … But the Savior takes our words and our actions and He carries them through His spirit unto the hearts of the people. He takes our sincere but imperfect effort and turns it into something that is just right, indeed, into something that is perfect.”

Tears of gratitude filled my eyes as I returned to the meetinghouse. The Lord had blessed an unpolished musical number and carried its message perfectly into the grieving heart of a young sister to comfort her sorrowing soul. In addition, the Lord used this touching experience to carry into my heart a much deeper understanding of a profound gospel principle.

Heavenly Father’s Love

Anna Nikiticheva, Russia

Some time ago our friends asked if their son, John, and his girlfriend could stay at our place for a weeklong visit. John is less active, and his girlfriend is not a member of the Church. We let her have our son’s room and gave John a couch in the living room.

Before they arrived, we prayed to Heavenly Father, asking how we should present ourselves to them--as teachers, parents, or simply friends? The answer came that we needed to follow the promptings of the Spirit and help them spiritually.

Every evening my husband, son, and I sit down to study the scriptures. On the first evening with our guests, we felt that we should not invite them to study with us. But the next evening before scripture study, John shyly knocked on our door and said, “Mary is afraid to ask, but she would like to know if we can join you.”

We swung open the door, invited them in, and began studying the Book of Mormon together. Mary had never read scriptures before and did not know whether she believed in God. She admitted that when she came to our home, she had been afraid we might make her take part in something religious she did not understand.

To make Mary feel comfortable, my husband told her about the plan of salvation, the Savior Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith’s First Vision, and the Book of Mormon. She talked with us until midnight.

The next day, John and Mary joined us for a discussion with the missionaries. I will never forget the spirit that filled the room. After a simple discussion, we talked about the nature of our Heavenly Father. Then Mary asked why God allows suffering if He loves us, a question I had pondered for a long time.

Several days earlier I had received a letter from a friend who had miscarried her third child, so Mary’s question touched my heart. I testified that times of happiness and joy occasionally cannot teach us as deeply and eternally as times of personal tragedy. I told Mary that grief can temper us just as fire tempers iron. If we remain true to God while passing through trials, our faith will grow.

It was an unforgettable discussion. Afterward we sat silently while the Spirit testified of our Heavenly Father’s love. When Mary looked up, her eyes were bright and full of tears.

I do not know what will happen in the coming years, but I know for certain that the understanding I saw in Mary’s eyes that day will help her throughout her life and may help lead her to her Heavenly Father.

Two New Deacons

Anthony Poutu, New Zealand

Some years ago I had the privilege of serving as deacons quorum adviser. In our quorum we had three active deacons, all of whom were called to be part of the quorum presidency.

In one of their meetings, this young presidency decided they wanted at least two of the less-active deacons in their quorum to begin attending Church meetings and activities. They prayerfully set a date--a Sunday six weeks away--by which to achieve their goal. They prayed for success in this sacred endeavor and prayerfully pledged to do the following:

• Pray together regularly.
• Fast together.
• Visit each deacon on the roll.
• Plan activities so that any returning deacons would enter a well-structured program.

The presidency felt deeply that these goals were the will of the Lord, so they moved forward with faith and confidence.

During the following weeks, these three young men did what they had promised, expecting that their prayers would be answered. They prayed together, fasted together, visited the less-active deacons and invited them back, and prepared activities, believing that they needed to be prepared for an increase in attendance.

Despite their diligence, no deacons returned--not to church or to any other activity. The date approached, and though they were disappointed that members of their quorum were not returning to church, the young men remained confident that Heavenly Father would answer their prayers.

The Sunday of their goal arrived, and none of the young men whom the presidency had reached out to came to church. But the bishop announced during sacrament meeting that two 12-year-old young men who had been investigating the Church would be baptized that evening.

What a blessing it was for these two new members of the Church to join a quorum with such a presidency. And what a blessing it was for the presidency to see their efforts and prayers answered so directly and to learn that the Lord keeps His promises.

Such was the excitement in the quorum that one member of the presidency said, “Let’s do this again.”

Sermon behind the Pulpit

Jeff Fullmer, Idaho, USA

As my family sat a few rows behind the deacons one sacrament meeting, all I could think about before the opening hymn was that one of the deacons had failed to properly tie his long tie and correctly tuck in his wrinkled shirt. I thought someone should have helped him out. After all, when passing the sacrament, deacons should be an example of the Savior in action and dress.

The meeting proceeded, and I forgot about him. After the deacons had passed the sacrament, the talks began. The second speaker was the young man’s mother. She spoke of her conversion, of her trials growing up, and of her struggles as a single mother. It was a wonderful talk that left her in tears. She took her seat on the stand and continued to cry as the ward choir gathered to sing.

Just then her son, with his crooked tie and untucked shirt, stood and walked to the stand. He hugged his mother and crouched beside her to comfort her. Tears came to my eyes as the scene played out before me; I was touched beyond words. But then realization dawned, and I hung my head. Sitting in my crisp double-breasted suit, with my perfectly tied tie and polished black shoes, I realized I had truly missed something in preparing for the sacrament.

The young man and his mother came down from the stand and sat together as the choir began to sing. I sat there, unable to listen to the music because the sermon taught by this deacon flooded my heart with a message of Christlike charity.

He had performed his act with tenderness and care. There was not the slightest sign of embarrassment on his young face--only pure love. The subsequent messages over the pulpit that day were good, but I will always remember the sermon behind the pulpit.