Thoughts of Today

When I was 16 I read President Eyrings book "To Draw Closer to God". I have thought of this book often and know I should read it again. But in it there is a quote that I have always loved and think of often.

Elder Eyring writes, "Yield your heart unto God. Ask him what it is he would have you do. Know that he will have prepared a way for you to do it, even under great difficulties. Ask him how he would have you share what you have with others, and you will feel his love. He lives and he loves you. He wants you to come home again."

I think of this quote when it comes to trials. Later in the book he mentions something that I always try to apply in my life when a trial (big or small) comes into my life. Eyring basically asks you, it's not about when you will be freed from this trial its more important of how you get through your trial. It's more important to know what to do while in the middle of your trial and things that help you get through it than to just be out of the trial!

So when I was 16 I got the great opportunity to have a big trail; I had mono for a year and a half! Yup, that's a long time. Sure I slept a lot of it and don't really remember too much of my time besides always being in bed and sleeping. But those few hours a day that I was up (seriously maybe 3-4 hours a day I would be up) I tried to either watch tv, talk to my family, eat, or try to read. I remember one day I decided to read the book "To Draw Closer to God" and it was the best decision of my life.

There aren't too many things I do remember from that time but I do remember this book! Crazy huh? I think I remember this book so much because it was the perfect thing for me while I was in this trial. I never really felt like it was a huge trial but one that did take a lot of things in my life away from me. I mean at 16 your life is centered around school, friends, sports, etc. etc. But this book allowed me to center myself and get my life in order with God. It was with this book that I really found my testimony.

Sure my testimony after this trial wavered but hey I was still a teenager but because I had a strong foundation built I was able to pick myself up again and move forward. I never got too far from it.

It was today in church that the topics in Sunday School and RS made me remember this trial and the book that helped me get through it all!