President Bonnie H. Cordon, Young Women General President, said:
“. . . . Some of you may be thinking, “I have prayed, but the Lord doesn’t answer.” I too have questions and concerns that I repeatedly bring to God. At some point we will have to “wait upon the Lord” (Psalm 37:9). The answer may be there but not as we expected. It may be a matter of timing, so we just need to continue to ponder and wrestle. We close our prayer in the name of the Savior. I love that we begin by acknowledging our relationship to our Heavenly Father and close by recognizing Jesus Christ and His role in our lives. This puts our gratitude and asking in the context of the divine plan of happiness.
Our Solace
Solace is defined as comfort in times of sadness or distress. “The Lord is merciful unto all those who will, in sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name” (Helaman 3:27). Our Father in Heaven wants His children to counsel with Him about what is important to them. If it matters to us, it matters to Him because we matter to Him. Every prayer strengthens our relationship with Heavenly Father, and helps us discover one of the true gifts of prayer—knowing we are not alone when the world literally brings us to our knees.
Many of us have experienced what the prophet Helaman warned his sons about when he said: “Remember that it is upon the rock of Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, . . . when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down . . . because of the rock upon which you are built, which is a sure foundation” (Helaman 5:12).
Life sent me a hurricane of sorrow in December 2016. Our oldest grandchild, Derek stopped breathing, and his parents rushed him to the hospital. With a measure of confidence, I asked Heavenly Father to bless little Derek. As I was praying, the Spirit gently impressed upon my mind, “Little Derek has returned home to heaven.”
Wait, what? Despite my reeling shock, an instant “peace of God” (Philippians 4:7) came to my heart and mind. The week after Derek’s passing I was scheduled to do ministering visits at a children’s hospital. I felt overwhelmed and didn’t think I could walk back into those medical sights, sounds and smells. But as I checked in a peace came over me. The Lord knew my willingness, even though I was hurting, and he orchestrated an extra dose of love for me. I was guided to visit a young child fighting cancer. He had written on his whiteboard: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).
To this day that is a reminder that Heavenly Father knows and loves me. I still have a hole in my heart for Derek—and will until I see him again. But until then, I gain solace in the Lord and keep moving forward.
Whatever your mighty “shafts in the whirlwind” (Helaman 5:12) may be, come to Him. He knows the end from the beginning, and He knows you. He delights to bless you and He will carry you.You can trust Him. You will find rest in Him.
For a better more lengthy (2000 words+) version, see her BYU speeches: Ask of God: Our Solace, Guide, and Stay
