The Hand of the Lord

In the October 2007 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Eyring encouraged the members of the Church to look for ways of recognizing God’s kindness in their lives.  “My point is to urge you to find ways to recognize and remember God’s kindness” (“O Remember, Remember,” October 2007 General Conference).  He also shared with us some of the blessings that came in to his life as a result:

“More than gratitude began to grow in my heart. Testimony grew. I became ever more certain that our Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. I felt more gratitude for the softening and refining that come because of the Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ. And I grew more confident that the Holy Ghost can bring all things to our remembrance—even things we did not notice or pay attention to when they happened.”

According to Pres. Eyring, as we strive to recognize the hand of God in our lives, we grow in gratitude, testimony, recognition of prayers answered, and more confidence in the Spirit.

When I heard this talk, I decided that I would follow and experiment as well.  I can add my witness to Pres. Eyring’s that as we spend the time to recognize the good that God has done in our lives that it helps us to be more grateful and builds our testimony.  Recently I have seen a great blessing in my life that came so gradually and imperceptibly that the only way I was able to recognize the extent of the blessing has been to review how God has blessed me and also in discussion with my beautiful bride.

Over a year ago I was a little dissatisfied with where I was in my career.  I had recently just graduated from college and felt like I wasn’t in a position that utilized my talents appropriately.  Don’t get me wrong, I was very grateful to be working and for the company I was (and still am) working at; however, I just didn’t feel like it was the right thing for me to be doing.  I attended an information session where they were presenting on a new opportunity in the company and were soliciting applications.  During that meeting I received specific guidance from the Holy Ghost of ways that I should modify my resume in order for me to get the job–if I wanted it.  I decided to make the changes to my resume and submitted it.  Because of those specific modifications, I received the job offer and it has been a blessing for me and my family.  Heavenly Father has been with us every step of the way, He has provided for our family in surprising ways (like bringing in additional income that we weren’t expecting from all the travels that I have done), and He has directed our paths to make significant changes in our lives (the most recent being our move to Omaha, Nebraska–something that we are still in the process of completing).  Needless to say, Heavenly Father has blessed us beyond belief and this blessing was realized so subtly and gradually that it would have been difficult to remember or identify had my wife and I not taken the time to consider these matters.  I know that Heavenly Father is watching over our family and guiding us!

President Eyring goes on to add another blessing for taking specific and deliberate time to recognize how God is blessing your life: it is one way to break out of the pride cycle.  In the Book of Mormon we read of several separate occasions when the Nephites get trapped in what has been termed the pride cycle:  they are suffering, repent and turn to God, are greatly and abundantly blessed for doing so and for their righteousness, become prideful and forgetful of the Lord, which then causes them great suffering, and the cycle repeats.

“And thus we can behold how false, and also the unsteadiness of the hearts of the children of men; yea, we can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him. Yea, and we may see at the very time when he doth prosper his people…yea, and in fine, doing all things for the welfare and happiness of his people; yea, then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and do forget the Lord their God, and do trample under their feet the Holy One—yea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity.” (Helaman 12:1-2)

Pres. Eyring encourages us to seek the Spirit for help in remembering the things which the Lord has done for us and in remembering the blessings that we have received.  I know that God blesses us and is very much involved with our lives–it just may take some deliberate attention in order to identify these blessings.  So how have you seen the hand of God in your life today?

 

If you liked the “O Remember, Remember” talk by Pres. Eyring, you may also like this one called “A Legacy of Testimony”