Montana Grandma

All of our meetings yesterday were about faith and the promptings of the spirit and how to recognize the hand of God in our lives. Relief Society was especially good. It was the Teachings for our Times lesson. Ours was "Claim the Exceeding Great and Precious Promises" by Elder Spencer J. Condie. It was a great lesson about faith and waiting on the Lord and trusting that we will receive the promised blessings. At the end of the lesson our teacher read to us The Spoken Word from February 22, 1987, given by Spencer Kinard entitled "Faith, Memory, and Patience". I tried to find a link to it but they don't go back that far from what I can tell. I love it and it really spoke peace to my heart and so I want to share it.

"Life can be much sweeter if we fully understand the attributes of God. He is love, plentous in mercy, unceasing in His care for us. The mountains rise and fall, but He does not change. Not a hair on our heads is unnoticed by Him. "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin," He said. "But I say unto you that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

"Wherefore if God so clothe the grass of the field which today is and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will He not provide for you if ye are not of little faith?"

Provided for. How comforting that sounds in a world that so often pummels us, where we are subject to so much pain. In a world of light and shadow, the Lord is the one consistency. In that, we can place our faith.

But, if our faith sometimes waivers, it may be because two other attributes in us are weak - patience and memory. Faith will falter until is is shored up by these.

Why memory? Because, we mortals can be foolish creatures. It is easy for the present to seem eternal upon us. when we are joyous, we can hardly remember trial. The mother, having forgotten labor, gladly goes to childbirth again. When it is spring, we think the leaves will not depart the trees again. But, the converse is also true. When we writhe in pain, we think it eternal. We forget that it will pass. We forget that mortal life is like a tide with ebbs and flows, sometimes in the water gasping for air, sometimes on the beach in the sunshine.

Faith knows the transience of time. Faith remembers. Faith is the bird that senses the light and sings while the dawn is still dark. True faith has a cumulative effect. When the children of Israel stood at the Red Sea and the armies of Egypt came pounding behind them, they could not remember their other miracles in the desert and cried that they had been forgotten. Faith knows that, since God loved and blessed me yesterday, even if I don't feel Him today, he still is loving and blessing me.

Why does faith demand patience? Because, we see so little here. We are like actors on a dark stage, standing in a spotlight. We cannot see before us. We cannot see what stands in the wings on either side. We stand in our little circle of light and wonder. And, knowing so little, we want things now. We want them on our time schedule. We are restive against God's steady hand and timelessness. Faith accepts God's time frame and knows that every detail is in His hands, working together for our good.

With memory and patience, faith can be made whole. No matter what life brings us, we can take advantage of that promise so often repeated in scripture: "Ask and ye shall receive." He will provide."

Have a happy day!