Repost: Attitude of Gratitude by Brian Burdick

I am reposting this because of this season of Thanksgiving and also because it is one of my all-time favorite posts on this blog. Being grateful is easy when everything is going right. What about being grateful in the midst of life's greatest trials? Brian Burdick's words shine as an example of just that.

I would like to share my feelings of love towards the nice, sleepy town of St Johns. In order to do this I need to go back in time about a year. Recently, Daniel asked us what we plan to do for his anniversary in October. Lynette and I were confused at his question, so we asked him what anniversary we were going to celebrate. He then explained that the anniversary he was talking about was when he ended up spending the entire night under the stars, trying not to freeze to death, and basically surviving what was a very difficult ordeal for him, his family, and many of the citizens of St. Johns.

Daniel and I had been doing some yard work outside. I could tell that he was quite agitated and suffering from a great deal of anxiety and depression. His medication for his anxiety and depression had been changed in order to find a medication that would be more effective in dealing with some panic attacks that he was having. (Eventually, it was determined that the new medication was increasing his anxiety and depression and causing them to become worse. Finally, Daniel's psychiatrist found the right medication to deal with his mental health problems.) Daniel told me that he needed to go for a walk to try and relieve some of his anxiety and depression. It was about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, so I told him to go ahead. I expected he would be back soon. Several hours later, Daniel was still gone. Lynette came home from work, and I explained the situation to her. The farther the sun dropped on the horizon the more worried we became. Lynette called a few people in town asking if they had seen Daniel recently. Someone had seen him walking north on 24th W.

Later that evening, Lynette and I began driving around town looking for him. We went to several of the stores and businesses in town, and no one was able to give us any information regarding his whereabouts. Lynette was able to contact one of her friends who sent out a group text message informing people of the situation and asking if any of them had seen him. Because of this text, many people in town began helping us look for Daniel. Even after Lynette and I quit for the night, there were people who stayed out past midnight continuing to look for him. The next morning two sisters in our ward felt inspired to drive north on 24th W one more time. They found him walking barefoot down the road. His feet were great masses of blisters because he had been shoeless for most of the night. Later, Daniel explained that he lost his shoes walking through the muddy parts of the Little Colorado River. We were overcome with relief that Daniel was alive and would be okay. 

Lynette and I were so impressed with our St. Johns’ friends and neighbors. We were so grateful so many were willing to leave their comfortable homes and offer assistance that night. We were also impressed and grateful when we found out how many people had been praying for Daniel and for us. Even though we were anxious about Daniel and his circumstances, those actions brought a spirit of peace that even allowed us to get some sleep that night.

After this ordeal with Daniel, Lynette and I felt like our trials had calmed down for a while. Little did we suspect that a greater trial was to come to our door a couple of months later. In November I found out that I had a deep vein thrombosis (blood clot), and doctors had started me on medication to try and break up the blood clot. Then, on January 1^st, we were sitting in our living room when Lynette told me that I looked yellow. The next day we went to the local clinic and from there we were sent to the emergency room in Show Low. After several hours of being in the ER, arrangements were made for me to be admitted to the Banner Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix.

After running several different tests and having a specialist perform a special endoscopy, we found out that there was a tumor wrapped around my bile duct, which was cutting off the flow of bile to my small intestine. This test took place on the 4th of January. After meeting with several doctors, it was agreed that I needed a pancreaticoduodenectomy, more commonly known as a Whipple. The surgery was performed on the 9^th of January. It is a very lengthy and extremely difficult surgery. It involved removing parts of my pancreas, stomach, bile duct, and about 15 inches of my small intestine, after which I was replumbed. The recovery time was quite lengthy. The doctors eventually were able to tell us that I was suffering from pancreatic cancer. When I was told this, I felt like someone had hit me over the head with a 2 x 4. This news was extremely stressful and difficult to hear. After three weeks in the hospital and one week at the home of our daughter, Sian, I was able to come home to St. Johns.

The next step was chemotherapy and radiation that began after I had adequately  recovered from the surgery. These treatments were to try and take care of any lingering cancer cells and would take 6 to 8 months to complete. I have finally completed (more or less) these treatments. Now the plan is to monitor for the cancer's possible return. Needless to say, it has been a very difficult year for our family.

So should we really be celebrating the anniversary of the beginning of this difficult year? Most definitely we should! While the year has been tough, our family has been awed by the amount of love and concern we have been shown and for the prayers that have been offered in our behalf. We are so grateful for the acts of service that people in St. Johns have given us. We have received many meals, loaves of bread, plates of cookies and other wonderful expressions of love. We have received assistance with our lawn and our garden and with other projects around our home. We have received many visits from people who have gone out of their way to encourage me while I have been recovering from the various medical treatments. Everywhere I go, people stop me and ask how they can help and then let me know that they are praying for me and my family. These acts of love and kindness have assisted me in those days when I am struggling with depression and with worry about the future. We are forever grateful for all of the service that has been rendered by so many loving hearts and hands to our family. I just want to tell everyone thank you. There are so many of you that I do not dare start naming names for fear I will leave someone out. Most importantly, I want to thank my loving Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ for allowing me to turn to them when times seem the darkest. I know that through the grace of Jesus Christ my life will continue after this earth life has ended and that my family can be a unit of eternity. This is the greatest act of love possible, and for that I will be eternally grateful.

Thankful for Answered Prayers by Rashelle Price

Have you ever prayed for an answer and then opened the scriptures to have them fall open to the exact verse that gives you the much-needed answer? Or have you ever simply been reading and have a scripture hit you with such force it was like it was whispered straight from heaven and written on your heart?

I can still picture like yesterday sitting on the old burgundy hand-me-down couch. It was early in the morning, before my first child was born. I was going in to be induced in a few hours and couldn’t sleep. I was so excited and nervous. We had tried for years to have this baby, and I had been told I would not be able to have children for quite awhile, until some infertility issues were taken care of. I had had exploratory surgery and found my ovaries were the size of a grapefruit instead of an almond, and they were full of cysts. I also had multiple miscarriages. After being discouraged, and feeling sorry for myself, I finally did something that would help. I started praying and going to the temple, I wanted a baby so badly! I knew in my heart I would have children from the promises given to me in my Patriarchal blessing. I also started doing research on infertility, and, as I was reading about a certain condition, I had the Spirit prompt me to have my doctor try testing my progesterone hormone levels. At first I was resisting this prompting, telling myself, “What did I know?”, but I did know that the Holy Ghost had told me this would help. So I got up my courage and asked my doctor. He said he “doubted this was the problem, but it wouldn’t hurt to just do the test.” My progesterone level was very low! I started taking a supplement, and then within 2 months l was expecting! He tested my levels again right away, and they were too low to sustain a pregnancy. With supplemental natural progesterone, I was able to finally carry the baby and not have a miscarriage like before. I then knew what I needed to do with each subsequent pregnancy.

So back to the morning of Karston’s birth… There I was trying to find a measure of comfort and peace before going to the hospital. I had spent months on that old couch. (At 24 weeks into my pregnancy, I started having pre-term labor and was put on bed rest.) So I opened my scriptures, and they fell open to Luke 1:13.

13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.

16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

When this sweet baby boy was born, I knew the type of child he would be, like John the Baptist in these scriptures. What a wonderful blessing he has been in my life!

Skip forward 18 years, and I am gathered with friends and family as this firstborn boy opens his mission call....Tegucigalpa Honduras! Wow, I am a little in shock. We all spend the night researching all we can about this country he will serve in for two years. My dad and I are especially excited because we love the ancient Mayan Culture, and I believe this is the area the Book of Mormon people lived. 

Anyone who knows me would think that I would have really had a panic attack, as the next morning I hear my girls telling Karston they found out Honduras is the murder capital of the world, and that a woman is killed every 15 minutes. But because of the promises in Karston’s Patriarcal blessing, and the following scripture, I have been and continue to be at peace with him being in Guatemala and now Honduras for the two years of his mission.

74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemy might serve him without fear,

75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Just because we are doing the right thing does not mean everything will be easy. With 17 days until Karston was to fly to the Guatemala Missionary Training Center, he got sick, to the point that it hurt to swallow anything or have food in his stomach. Again, the Lord provided a way through wonderful people here on earth, for him to get the care he needed and be healed in this short period of time. I took him to the ER where the doctor had a daughter on a mission, and had also served a mission in South America. I was so relieved to have someone that understood our time frame and the challenges he would face getting care on his mission. Also, a wonderful nurse went out of her way to go talk to Dr Hamblin, who happened to be at the hospital doing scopes that day. He came and visited us in the ER, and he put us on his schedule to have a appointment in his office and a scope the next week. From what I understand it usually takes months for this to happen! In the ER the doctor was able to identify a bacteria that spirals into the stomach lining and is very hard to get rid of, which was causing the problems. He put Karston on 5 different medications. During the scope, to the doctor’s surprise, there were multiple ulcers at the opening of his stomach.The doctor let us know he had taken samples of his stomach and would not be able to have the results for 10 days to know if the bacteria was gone. If it was not gone in 10 days, his mission departure date would have to be extended . The 10 days would be only 2 days before he was to fly out. On Sunday, Karston had a Priesthood Blessing where he was promised he would heal. To my amazement I received the call from the doctor’s office 3 days after his procedure! His infection was gone, and he was cleared to go on his mission! The doctor felt confident that the Ulcers were caused by the Bacteria and would heal with the medication he continued to take. 

Heavenly Father does keep promises and answers prayers. Sometimes it takes years of faith, and sometimes it is right away! 

I know if we keep doing our best, listen to the Spirit, and follow Heavenly Father, He will help us through any trial we have. Don’t get discouraged when things don’t work out right away, just keep having faith! Everything we go through will help us grow and become the person we were meant to be. Most importantly, always be grateful and thankful for all our many blessings!

A Full, Steady Stream of Blessings by Jodi Heap

I have been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints my entire life. I grew up in a warm and loving home that encouraged correct gospel principles.  For these two facts, I am eternally grateful (and undeserving).  The gospel has always brought me happiness that I am seldom able to adequately describe, and though I have at times questioned, I have never doubted its verity and truth.  

Certain aspects of the gospel have come more easily- faith in my Savior Jesus Christ, personal prayer, tithing, self-reliance, church attendance, the Word of Wisdom… Others, however, have not come so easily. Despite the best efforts of my mom, an incredibly dedicated seminary teacher (Sister Herring, I will never forget you), and young women leaders, I never dedicated myself to reading the Book of Mormon as a youth.  I knew then, as I know now, that by reading the Book of Mormon I would grow closer to my Savior and be guided to do what was right if I abided by the precepts found within its pages.   I simply never made it a priority.  During my young, single adult years, my efforts at personal scripture study improved but were still spotty.  Later, after marrying and becoming a mother, one would think that reading the Book of Mormon every day while rearing my precious little children would have been made an obvious priority.  Nope, more excuses.  

Fast forward eight years… I can’t tell you exactly what affected the change, but if my commitment to reading the Book of Mormon daily was lukewarm before it is definitely nearing hot now.  I am still far from perfect, sometimes my mind wanders and I have to reread the same chapter, but I do read daily.  This new habit of mine has brought about some changes in my life that are so precious I wouldn’t dare live without them again.  I have been blessed with greater patience (not perfect patience, mind you), within in my home especially, because I feel so much closer to my Savior, Jesus Christ.  What mother couldn’t use a little more patience?  Along with this greater patience, has been clarity of mind to see situations with my children and others from a deeper perspective.  I am able more patiently and quietly assess what and if action needs to be taken.  I have a greater peace about who I am, and about Heavenly Father’s plan for me specifically.  And finally, I feel as if all of these improvements are tied into the final, and most important change since my recommitment to reading the Book of Mormon daily… my ability to feel and recognize the presence and promptings of the Holy Ghost.  I know the Spirit has always been present in my life, but it’s like by reading daily I have opened the valve to full blast, or cleared the traffic jam. Where before there was a trickle of water or a couple cars, there’s a full, steady stream and clear highway full of traffic zooming by.  I have felt promptings so clearly that they’re unmistakably the Holy Ghost leading and guiding me. 

I know the Book of Mormon is true and its promises are sure.  I would challenge anyone who desires to feel closer to the Savior and the Holy Ghost, to read it daily. Don’t make excuses as I did for so long, commit to reading daily and you will see marvelous changes in your life.  They may not come immediately, (obedience before blessings) but they will come, and they will be life changing!

Listen for an Answer by Bob Badger

Prayer is an amazing way of communicating with a loving Heavenly Father. One of the parts of prayer that can be lost is the act of listening. A wise man once told me, “we go to the Lord in prayer to ask out question and then we go to the scriptures to get our answers.” 

The other morning as I was reading in the Book of Mormon, I came across Lehi’s counsel to his two boys Laman and Lemuel in 1^st Nephi 2: 9-10. “9 And when my father saw that the waters of the river emptied into the fountain of the Red Sea, he spake unto Laman, saying: O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness!

10 And he also spake unto Lemuel: O that thou mightest be like unto this valley, firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord!”

I had been praying to know what the Lord would have me do. Part of my answer is here in this scripture. As I read it this time, I wondered why Nephi and later Moroni would include what seems to be a family problem. Then it dawned on me that I am one of those children as well. That counsel wasn’t just to those two boys, but it was counsel to an old man thousands of years later. To sum up the counsel “just be true and do what the Lord counsels you to do.”

 This morning, Elder D. Todd Christofferson counseled us to be thankful for a pause to go back and study what President Monson has already instructed us to do. Part of that counsel was to spend time in the Book of Mormon. As we search the scriptures and pray, the answers come little by little like a beam of sunshine shining through the storm clouds. He really is there and really does answer prayers.