I Have Faith that Even Hard Things are Part of His Plan

My day started off with a Priesthood blessing. I was having a procedure yesterday and I was a little nervous. I asked my husband for a blessing of comfort. In the blessing he said, “your Heavenly Father knows you and is aware of your illness.” At the end of the blessing he said, “Cindy, your Heavenly Father loves you”. I felt that and I know that he does.

I’ve been diagnosed with a form of pulmonary fibrosis. Something that might cause me or anyone for that matter to give up hope, give up faith, or give up on Heavenly Father. I choose to have hope, faith and trust in my loving Father in Heaven. Whatever my tests and trials in life are, I just feel like this is one more of them. How well can I endure to the end, how well can others deal with my illness or death? I love the knowledge of eternal families. I love the gospel and I know that I am a child of God and he loves me and watches over me. I take comfort in that knowledge. I am so grateful for the power of the priesthood. I know it’s not magic. I know things may not work out the way I want them to but I know whatever happens it will just be part of his plan. There will be tears but I am ready for whatever comes.

~Cindy Fail-Ortolani

I Choose to Believe in Good Things to Come

Women's Conference Talk by Lindi Salmon 

"In 1815, the Indonesian island of Sumbawa was lush and green with recent rain. Families were preparing for the dry season ahead, as they had every year for generations, cultivating rice paddies in the shadow of a volcano called Tambora.

"On the evening of April 10, the whole mountain exploded. Three fiery plumes shot skyward, merging into one massive blast.

"The eruption caused temperatures in India to drop, and cholera killed thousands, destroying families. In fertile Chinese valleys, summer snowstorms replaced a normally mild climate and flooding rains destroyed crops. In Europe, food supplies dwindled, leading to starvation and panic.

"The eruption of Tambora affected weather in North America through the following year. Spring gave way to snowfall and killing frosts, and 1816 passed into memory as the year without a summer." (Saints)

Now I want to tell you about my own year without a summer. Nine months ago, almost to the hour, I was lying in an ICU bed. During the previous 24 hours, I had suffered the final stroke that was part of what doctors later called a shower of strokes. I had lost many abilities, including being able to walk,  eat, or even really lift my head.

I had been Life Flighted to a different hospital and listened as doctors had explained to my sweet husband that if current treatments did not work, the only option left was brain surgery. This only had two outcomes, further injury or death. As I lay there, I listened to nurses describe my situation. Being a nurse myself, I never thought I would see a patient live through this--let alone live through it myself. I was at a complete loss. I remember closing my eyes thinking, “What next?” in complete despair.

Video 1: I Choose to Believe

Members of our stake explain why they choose to believe as they go through challenges and trials of life. Video 1 of 2.

His Comfort Is Indescribable

"I believe because when the crushing blows of OCD and anxiety have beaten upon me, I have personally felt the love and understanding of the Savior wrap around me in a warmth and comfort I simply cannot describe." -Aubry G.

The Pure Love of Christ Changed My Life

by Karen Jensen

Take a look at Moroni 7:46-48. As Moroni was hiding from the Lamanites at the end of the Book of Mormon, having watched his entire nation, along with his own family and loved ones, be destroyed, and as he was utterly alone and unsure if he’d be caught and killed for believing in Christ, these are the words of his father’s that he felt were important enough to add to the end of the Book of Mormon.

As we partake of the sacrament, we symbolically make our Savior and His strength a part of us as we eat the bread. What a beautiful symbol that this bread is nourishing us and literally becoming our own muscles and bones and energy. What a beautiful symbol that we drink the water that is now inside of us, washing and healing our body, and giving it life! All of this is a symbol of what the Savior is for us on that altar. 

And as we do this, we made a solemn covenant with our Father in Heaven to take upon us the name of the One whose body and spirit was torn and broken for us and which now gives us this healing, strength, and hope. Which means we have promised to represent him, and in the process, become like him as we act in his name.

I have been, for many years, in a position where my kids and I have been the recipients of so many beautiful, simple, and profound acts of Christlike love in the middle of what has seemed like constant intense health and family challenges. These Christlike acts have truly changed my life. I was hesitant initially to share some of these experiences, for fear it may look as if I’m asking for pity or attention. But I have realized that my testimony in this topic comes from these very experiences, and the Spirit I hope to invite may need to come straight from this testimony I have gained.

Something I want to preface this with is the fact that it can easily feel like such an impossible goal to consider how we can and need to try to become like our Savior. But I think everyone here can probably stand here just as well as I can to say that some of the most meaningful and most Christlike acts we’ve individually been the recipients of can be incredibly simple.

For instance, when my Ashley was four years old, after collapsing in her tumbling class and not being able to use her legs for a few moments, she was diagnosed with a malformation in her brain which had caused pressure and fluid to build on her brain and spinal cord. This fluid was threatening to break it entirely.

Always Remember Him

by Shalee Timothy

 In D&C 20:77 it says:

Photo from lds.org; used with permission.

O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them; that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen. 

 How do we remember Christ? We can remember Him by trying to be like Him.

One of the greatest things that the Savior did was to serve and help others. I got to be the recipient of this great service from a few amazing youth that the Lord worked through. We get the opportunity to be the Lord's hands. He works through us, young and old.

We hear this prayer that I started with every week when we partake of the sacrament. It has a new profound meaning to me the past couple of weeks.

I wanted to share an experience I had just a month ago. As many of you know, we own a few FiiZ Drinks stores. Late one Saturday night, one of the employees messaged me asking if I could run in to fix an issue with the soda. I usually never need to run up, but my manager was out of town, so I ran up to see what the problem was.

Right before I had left, we found our five- and two-year-old in our newly finished basement, eating a brand new, full jar of Nutella…with their fingers! To say that I was freaking out would be an understatement. As I was scolding them for “knowing better than eating downstairs AND with their fingers,” I was finding Nutella everywhere: in their hair, on the couches, on the bathroom faucet, sink, light switch, and my freshly cleaned white towels and bath mat. As I continued to find more and more chocolate stains, I looked at my husband and said, “This one is on you. I’m out of here!”

Angels Were Singing to Me

Photo from LDS.org, used with permission

This talk was given at the 2019 stake women's conference.
by Lindi Salmond

To quote a good friend, life gets heavy. It can be burdensome, tiring, scary, and overwhelming. Sometimes I find myself deep in these feelings. Life feels like just a lot of work.

At some point in my misery, Heavenly Father gently reminds me to return to Him, remember my covenants, and give my burdens to him. If, at this point, I listen to his counsel and find Him through scriptures, prayer, and temple attendance, my days become lighter. It is just like those first rays of sunshine breaking through an overcast sky.

To me, this is especially true with temple attendance: it is the sunshine to my soul. When I find myself in the temple regularly and consistently, my days that used to be so heavy are now filled with light. They turn from the gray days of January to the bright beautiful days of June. It’s not that the hard things have gone away--we still have thunderstorms in June! But focusing on my covenants, which in turn strengthens my relationship with my Savior, my burdens are no longer mine alone.

Covenants do that for us; they yoke us to the Savior and, unlike yoking with regular animals that evenly share the burden, He does most of the heavy lifting! When my days are bright I can, in turn, find others to help on their way.

When we say “rejoicing on the covenant path,” I can’t help but picture myself linked arm-in-arm with my dear sisters walking down the path of life. We are laughing together, serving each other in our times of need, worshiping together, and even crying with each other. That is true rejoicing to me--when we can help others, and in turn, they lift us up as well. Our covenants put us all on the same path, giving us each other. I cannot think of a better gift.

As some of you know, I have Lupus, and with that comes all sorts of different things that I deal with. Most are just nuisances. I had been dealing with a cracking voice for a few months (think teenage boy; it wasn’t my favorite). One day I was sitting in Relief Society, and one of my favorite songs was being sung for our closing song. With the way my voice had been, I couldn’t hit any high notes in songs. Usually, it didn’t bother me--I would just silently skip the parts I couldn’t reach--but I really wanted to sing this song. I pleaded with Heavenly Father to please let my voice work for just this one song.

As we started singing, I was hopeful but as we got to the first high part, my voice failed. I was so disappointed, but that disappointment only lasted a second because as I sat there silent my sisters all around me continued singing: angels were singing to me. I felt as if He was saying to me, "You can’t do it right now, but they can do it for you." The love of my Savior for me was so strong at that moment, and it came through my ward sisters.

What is rejoicing on the covenant path? To me, it is the description of this beautiful life we have been given the chance to live. Staying close to the Savior with the companionship of others as we all strive to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. I am eternally thankful for this truth in my life.

Trusting in the Lord Through a Lifetime

This talk was given at the 2019 stake women's conference.

Image from LDS.org. Used with permission.

by Jannelle L. LaFontaine 

Prayer and personal revelation are a very private and sacred part of our lives. Even on a daily basis, we are engaged in these covenant privileges. In Doctrine and Covenants 90:24 we are taught to search, pray, believe, walk uprightly, and remember our covenants.

I would like to share a story with you that I believe exemplifies these principles, especially prayer and personal revelation.

In a small rural farming community in Aroostook County, Maine, it was 1956. One afternoon, two young missionaries from Utah knocked on the door of Bob and Marian and asked if they knew anything about the Mormon church. Their answer was no, and thus began their conversion. Bob was a very quiet man and Marian was incredibly curious. She asked a lot of questions, and the answers rang true to both of their hearts. They were baptized. That was that!

An Eternal Perspective

by April Klavano 

April's family in their "Team April" shirts

I was diagnosed with stage IV Hodgkin’s Lymphoma on March 15, 2017. At the time, my kids were 2, 4, 8, and 11. I was terrified of cancer but relieved I was the one being diagnosed, and not one of my kids.

When being diagnosed and starting treatments, I never felt that I would die, but just that this was my trial I needed to go through. I was able to use this trial as a learning experience, and understood it to be one of the many ways I can be shaped to become more like my Heavenly Father.

I was able to rejoice on the covenant path, even while going through cancer treatments. By keeping our covenants, there are great blessings poured down upon us. I witnessed many of these blessings during this trial, which made it a very positive experience, and I did rejoice through my treatments.

When President Nelson spoke at the Alamodome, he said, “An eternal perspective will help you endure serious storms.” By staying on the covenant path, I was able to have an eternal perspective. This is how I was able to be so happy and positive, even when the doctor told me I had cancer, when I was sick in bed for days, and even when I shaved my head.

When my husband lost his job in November, someone at his work asked him how his wife was handling the news. He said something to the effect that I can handle getting diagnosed with cancer or my husband losing a job like it’s no big deal, but things like taking someone dinner is what stresses me out. And it’s true! I can see the big picture with big trials, but the little things are what I need to work on.

I’m far from perfect, but because I’m striving my best to stay on the covenant path, I know the Lord is right there with me, helping me make it through the toughest trials and becoming the person I need to be.

I Learned a Lot About Myself

Enjoy these stories of how service has changed people's lives.

by Jami Jensen
Most of our stories of service are pretty personal, and no one in our family felt completely comfortable in sharing. I do, however, have a favorite service story that had nothing to do with me. It had everything to do with a dear friend of mine, who years ago shared the events with me. I do not have their permission, so I will not use their names. 

from LDS.org, used with permission

Quite a few years ago, an older gentleman in our neighborhood was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. The doctors did everything they could, but the cancer was taking over. This man spent a considerable amount of time in the hospital. My friend was aware that this man's wedding anniversary was coming up and that he would still be in the hospital. 

Realizing that this man would be unable to purchase a gift for his wife, my friend arrived at the hospital before his wife got there. She had with her a beautiful bouquet of flowers. She gave them to the man so that he would have a gift for his wife when she arrived, and then quietly slipped away and went home. When the man's wife came to the hospital, he presented her with the flowers. It was the last anniversary that they spent together on this life. 

This act of service went beyond the norm and was so well thought through. I believe my friend actually put herself in the situation of this sweet couple and carried out love as the Savior would love. 

*
by Kevin and Kristy Baron
Once a week, we have family night over the phone with our son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren who live in California. For family night, we use the gospel art book which has pictures and scriptures. We purchased a book for everyone, so everyone has their own copy. Each person has the opportunity to present a lesson. We have enjoyed hearing our 10- and 8-year-old grandsons and 6-year-old granddaughter give the lessons and share their testimonies. This experience has been a blessing in our lives.

Women's Expo: My Life Is Different Now

by Kim Loose
I am grateful to be a part of the sisterhood of this stake. I wanted to share with you how being a part of this stake Relief Society has been a blessing in my life.

I am new to the stake, so I didn't know about the Daughters in His Kingdom website until the recent expo. I've been on it every day since. It's replaced my aimless scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed. I have used it to kill time in the waiting room, to help me focus before scripture study, and as my pick-me-up in the afternoon.

The expo was very inspired. I want you to know that my life has been different since. Sister Packer spoke about priorities, and her message touched my heart. I have tried to make sincere prayer, personal scripture study and keeping my covenants first priority. It's simple, but powerful. The Spirit has been in my home and heart more.

As I have put first things first, things have truly fallen into place. I hurt my back, so all exercising goals have fallen to pieces. Usually that would discourage me, but with first things first, I have felt peace with my situation. My two-year-old son built a temple out of blocks this morning after we looked at The Friend together! Who cares if I can't run a 5k? I'll get better and be able to eventually.

I Drew on My Daughter's Strength

by Teresa Meldrum
The last Thursday before school got out, I found out that I had cancer. The following Thursday I found out that my mother had five brain tumors and was expected to live only four to eight weeks longer. She would require 24-hour care.

My brother had been directed by the Lord to move his family here from another state without knowing why he was to be here. He and his family got here three days before Mom’s tumors were found. We have a large family, and each one of the married couples came to stay with Mom for two days at a time. It made it possible for Mom to stay in her own home until the very end of her life.

I was not physically strong enough to do what my other siblings and their spouses did even though I had the greatest desire to be with my mother. Almost every day of that three-month summer, my 13-year-old daughter and I would spend as much time at my mom’s home as possible.

I Realized How My Grandparents Blessed Me

by Nick Cluff
My grandparents on my Mom's side are named Tom and Betty Maule. My grandfather has passed away, but as a child, some of my fondest memories are of him and my grandma coming to visit.

My grandpa grew up in the Depression and belonged to a poor Italian family. He would sometimes tell us stories about how he hated getting "bowl cuts" and going hungry. Going without as a young person made him appreciate the simple things in life later when they were available to him.

One thing that to him was considered splurging was going out to get an ice cream cone. He never had the opportunity as a boy, and it made an impression on him. Each time he came to see us, we would go out and get ice cream together.

Soon after he passed away, we found a house for my grandma that was closer to my parents and moved her so we could be together and help her with daily needs. We have enjoyed having her at family functions and simply interacting with her on a frequent basis. We even decided to name our only daughter after her.

Recently, her health has declined, and she has fallen a few times. On one such occasion I received a call from her requesting that I take here to the doctor to check her ankle. She had just fallen, my parents were out of town, and she was in pain. I somewhat begrudgingly dropped my Saturday "to do" list on the table and drove her to the ER.

We Didn't Cry or Complain

by Verna Nichols Sargent
When my husband was released as the bishop of our ward in Texas, he, with some of his associates, decided to open a mine in Mexico. We decided that I would take our five teenagers and three younger children to live in a home that my father had sold to us in Arizona.

For ten years my husband dedicated his time to the success of that mine. Since it was located in a primitive jungle, he was able to call home only once a week, and we had no letters due to circumstances. We were happy when he came home for our daughter's weddings, our sons' priesthood ordinations and sports activities, as well as special business trips.

Even though we were apart, we were able to serve in the church. He served in a branch in Mexico. I served in the Relief Society presidency in our Arizona ward. We were blessed in our home as our family faithfully held our family home evenings and family prayer.

The mine had great success; however, after ten years, the price of silver dropped so far that he had to leave the mine with its 200 workers, and he walked away with nothing but his pickup truck. I knew we had both done the best we could, and I was just glad to have my husband back.

We're Here to Help and Love Each Other

by Sherry Wheeler
We moved into our ward a few years ago and have six children. Only one still lives at home, and that is a big adjustment. I love being a mother and serving my children. The best sound in the world to me is the sound of my children, in the same room with each other, laughing.

I have four of my own children, and after going through a divorce and remarrying was blessed with a wonderful husband and two stepsons. As you can see from our family picture, there are only five children in it.

I had a daughter at the age of three pass away from cancer. She was my first of my children to be bothered with the disease. Her little life was cut short, but for a while I was able to be with her and learn more from her in three short years than I could have taught her in a lifetime.

My second daughter was diagnosed when she was 12 with a tumor in her breast and has undergone a double mastectomy, and my youngest was 12 when he was diagnosed with a tumor and has gone through a partial amputation of his left leg from the knee down. I was married for 17 years to my first husband and also went through a few different cancers with him, including a brain tumor.

I don't like to share my story very much. I get some very sad faces starring back at me, and sometimes it sounds too crazy to be real even to me. I have been asked how I get through all of this, and it makes me wonder myself sometimes. I figured it out one day: I just run faster than the hurt. When I start to get comfortable, I feel it catching up with me, so I just start running again. One day it will catch me, but I hope by that point the Savior will have returned, and the sting won’t hurt so much.

The Life of Faith and Testimony of Bernadette Waldrop

Living with cervical cancer, Bernadette Waldrop shares her philosophy of faith as a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon). To her, life is a journey, a journey we each somehow chose to take and can only successfully realize through the atonement of Jesus Christ.



Thank you to Kirk Strickland for creating this video.

I Choose Faith

by Tara Scott
My dear sisters. I have felt that I needed to share some things that have happened in my life in the past year or so. There is so much, that I have had a difficult time trying to figure out which things would be worth sharing, and what the best way would be to share them so that they can be used as a help for others.

In the past few months I had been told that I was losing my job. Another large company took over the one that I have worked at for the past six years. I was told that the other lady would be keeping her job, because she had seniority over me.

It became harder and harder to get up and want to go to work. But I kept telling myself that things were going to be okay.

"Well," I thought to myself, "things will work out," even though we knew that we would be sending a missionary out about August of 2013. The Lord has never let me down before.

I was told that my last day would most likely be in the next 60 to 80 days, depending upon the Hong Kong government, who would give the last approval of the sale of our company. "It's okay, " I thought, "I have some time to get things together and start looking for another job."

Things kept dragging out and the sale didn't happen for quite some time. I kept working as if I still had a job.

There were things that happened in those last months that were very frustrating and hurtful. It was coming to the end of the year, and still I was waiting to hear when my last day would be. It became harder and harder to get up and want to go to work. But I kept telling myself that things were going to be okay.

They Belonged to God First

by Jolene Gardner
I had three young children when I found out I was expecting twins. I was really excited. The ultrasound tech said, "Don't get too excited, you will probably lose one." I went to see my doctor. She always had the answers on how to solve problems. Her response was pretty much, "It's up to God."

The whole pregnancy was a rollercoaster, but with help from family and friends and priesthood blessings we made it to August.

It gives me so much comfort to know our children belonged to Heavenly Father first. He knows and loves them more than we do.

They weren't due until October. I had been having contractions, but it looked like they were going to send me home. The doctor came in and checked me. One baby was breech and my labor wasn't stopping. They would do a C-section in a half hour. As it turned out, I was alone and had to make some quick phone calls. 

The baby girls were born healthy, but very tiny. Allison weighed 3 pounds 11 ounces, and Brittany weighed 4 pounds 7 ounces. Brittany was in NICU for two weeks. Allison was in for five weeks. I remember after Brittany came home, I was in Relief Society worrying about Allison. Then the thought came so clear, "They were mine before they were yours."

Now seven years later as a mom to five healthy children, it gives me so much comfort to know our children belonged to Heavenly Father first. He knows and loves them more than we do.

The Big Detour

by Ann Layton

As I listened to "Music and the Spoken Word" near Memorial Day, Lloyd Newell spoke about ancestors. He said, "If they can do difficult things, so can I." At the time I was impressed that I should share some of my experiences and feelings about my brain aneurism and stroke in hopes you will all realize you can survive your own trials and challenges if I survived this Big One.

In early August 2001, I had been to the gym doing my exercise when I had a terrible pain in my head. Foolishly, I drove myself home and didn't say anything to those in charge there. I lay down on my bed and told Dan maybe I'd had a stroke. Thank goodness Jamie (my nurse daughter) was here for Danna's wedding and convinced me to go out to the emergency room.

 The emergency room doctor asked me, "How bad is the pain on a scale of one to ten?" I answered, "Ten." They took some kind of scan and said I had a bleed in my brain. They decided I needed to be sent to a bigger hospital. In the ambulance I asked Dan and Brett Burton to give me a blessing. 

Soon after I got to the hospital, Danna came. I told her whatever happened I wanted her to go ahead and get married the next week as planned. If they had to have a funeral, get it over and go on with the wedding. 

The doctors did a lot of different tests that week and Dr. Smith called in a lot of other doctors to see if they could help find what had caused the bleed in my brain.

Our Relief Society presidency came in to see me and said our ward was praying for me. I was released to go home on Friday, August 9th. On Saturday morning, August 10th, we worked cutting up fruit for Danna and Curt's wedding. Later we all went and had our hair done for the wedding. Jamie had gotten me a lovely dress to wear because I hadn't been able to go shopping. I laid down on my bed to rest.

I remember it was hot and the traffic on the road sounded really funny. I guess I decided I should start getting ready. I remember getting up and asking Danna for a cold wash cloth. That must have been when I had the aneurism. Dan had gone out to feed the cows and I just collapsed by the bed. 

Finding Peace and Joy

by Debbie Allred
My journey of faith in Christ has been tested many times in my life. I know that there is not one person on this earth that has not had their faith tested at one time or another. We all have times when we struggle to find the faith to continue our journey here on this earth. I recall many times as a teenager looking to my parents and leaning on their faith in Christ when I didn't have a testimony of it for myself.

As I got older and moved away from home and began a family of my own that is when I found the journey to be a lot harder than I ever thought it would be. I had many challenges after having my first child with depression and physical illnesses that really challenged that faith in God and Christ. I never questioned the truthfulness of the gospel, but I did not have the firm and solid testimony that I knew I would need to raise my children in this world that is so full of hardships. 

That is when I really started my solid journey in searching for the kind of faith that I needed to beat my depression and also to become physically able to raise my children and serve the Lord in every way that I could. It has been a very hard journey but totally worth fighting for.

I started faithfully praying each day to receive strength from God and through reading scriptures, reading uplifting thoughts and quotes everyday, listening to good uplifting music (Paul Cardall) as well as going to the temple as often as I could. I found so much strength and peace when I would go to the temple. I looked forward to going there often. I love the temple so much; it has truly become a refuge for me. 

There is a quote my son had posted on his Facebook wall with many pictures of different temples around it that says, "The temples....are as a refuge from life's storms...Ever a never-failing beacon guiding us to safety (Pres. Thomas Monson)."  I truly have such a firm testimony that this is so true. I have no doubt that God knew we would need a place to go to strengthen us when we become weakened by the forces of life and this world that we live in. I know that my children have no doubt that I have a testimony of the temple and the great strength that temples can be to us.