“The privilege of receiving revelation is one of the greatest gifts of God to His children.” This is something that Russell M. Nelson in a General Conference talk in April of 2018. This whole talk is about the importance of understanding how the Spirit of God speaks to each of us, and how it is necessary for each of. I believe that being in tune with the Spirit is importance in preparing for marriage.
This is something that took me years to understand, which I see as a blessing, because I was led to my future eternal spouse. It all started when I was a junior in high school. The mission age for sister missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I had feelings and impressions that I should go on a mission, but I was a very shy girl so the idea of volunteering 18 months of my life to talk to random strangers. I didn’t believe I would be good at it. So I always just pushed those thoughts aside.
I went to Salt Lake Temple Square with a group of my Young Women’s group and while I was there I had a conversation with some missionaries. I was in a hurry because I was in a middle of a competition with the other girls and I wanted to get done fast and win. I saw these sisters walking around from the corner of their eye and I knew just watching them that they were inspired to come talk to me and the girls I was with. In the middle of the conversation they asked me if I had ever had a desire to serve a mission, and I told them no. They challenged me to pray and asked God if that was something I wanted. I didn’t want to pray. I had already made plans for me life and a mission would ruin all of those. I wanted to go into Dental Hygiene at Dixie State University. If I went on a mission I could just feel that my life wouldn’t be what I wanted, so I postponed my prayer.
But numerous experiences happened in the next year taught me that my will and God’s will weren’t matching up and I needed to do something about it. So I deferred my scholarship at Dixie State and put in my mission papers. I later served an 18 month mission in the city of Long Beach, California. I loved every minute of it and there learned how to hear the promptings of the Spirit better. While on my mission I had the impression that I need to go to school in BYU-Idaho. I never had a desire to go to Rexburg for school. It would be cold, and I wouldn’t be going into Dental Hygiene if that was the case. Again my life plan wasn’t working out, but I again I knew that I needed to align my will with God’s will and that there is something for me in Rexburg.
So I followed the promptings and headed to school after my mission. Months into my experience I was just miserable. I didn’t know why I was in Rexburg. I loved school, but I just didn’t feel like I was amounting to anything. I was just so frustrated. I would go to the temple once a week and I would sit in the celestial room and plead for further inspiration. Numerous times I just got the thoughts and impressions to keep doing what I was doing.
In this time I learned patience and really relied on my Father in Heaven to help me get through this confusing time. After months of that of going to the temple weekly, I came across a scripture in the Book of Mormon that said, “Open your eyes.” I knew that there was something I was missing. God was blessing me with something and I wasn’t being aware of it.
I constantly strived to be in tune with God to understand what I was missing. My first day of class I met a guy in my English Foundation class. He had been good friends with my roommate who I have known since I was in Kindergarten. My roommate would invite this guy to activities that she and I already had planned to go to. Soon he would invite me to do things with him. I realized what I was missing. One reason I was sent to school at BYU- Idaho was to meet Conner. I have since seen that God’s been watching over me the entire time and his plan is always the best way. There are bumps in the road but if I hadn’t listened to Him, I wouldn’t have gotten to know my now future husband. I continue to use the lessons I learned throughout those years to help me prepare for my future marriage and family. I know that I don’t know all, but I am constantly learning. God can help us with anything we need, as long as it lines up to His will.
Family is Everything 