Blessings from Heavenly Father, Hot Springs Hike, Pandemic, etc.

Today for home church, we each individually took some time to write about a time when we recognized that Heavenly Father blessed us, similar to Alma and the people of Zeniff.  The following entries are what we came up with:

West:
Heavenly Father loves me.  I know this because...
He gave me good teachers for preschool.
He helps me with bloody noses.

Nyle:
A few months ago, we went on a hike to the hot springs.  Lincoln fell and hurt his head.  Then, he felt sick.  We were scared that we would not be able to hike back to Pedro.  Then, we said a prayer and asked Heavenly Father to help us get back.  We made it back to Pedro safe.  Thank you Heavenly Father.

Ned:

Gwen:
Heavenly Father has helped me.
When I chipped my tooth, it was really scary.  I had to go to the dentist and get a filling.  A couple years later, my tooth was giving me problems.  I had to go to the dentist again and get a root canal.  When I was leaving, I passed out and mom had to carry me back to the car.  Heavenly Father blessed me because he gave me a wonderful, loving mother that cared enough to carry me back to the car because I passed out.

Lincoln:
A few months ago, me and my family went on a hike in Boulder City to the Hot Springs.  Me and my cousin Jackson were running as fast as we could to the bottom; we weren't being very careful.  When we got to the bottom, we went on some rocks at the edge of the river.  I had no shoes on and I slipped.  I hit my head and my shoulder.  It didn't hurt very much at first but then I started to get a headache and my stomach started hurting.  It was a long hike back and I was very worried.  So my mom said a prayer that I would be able to get out.  A few hundred steps later, I slowly started to feel better.  I was regaining my strength and soon was back to 100%.  In the end, Heavenly Father helped me to get out and the hike turned out to the the finest hike I had ever been on.

Nikki:
Journal Entry:  March 14, 2020
Had such a great day.  Jamie & Brandon invited us to go out on a hike to the hot springs by the Dam. It was very tough, but the 4 boys were all so tough and were able to do so well.  Lincoln had a nasty fall; he hit just below his eye and scraped up his shoulder.  I was so grateful it wasn't worse, since I wasn't there when he did it.  When we stopped to eat, Lincoln started feeling sick; I think he started going into mild shock.  We had a ton of climbing to do to be able to get out of the canyon; it was a little bit of a serious situation.  I felt prompted to offer a prayer with everyone in the family.  I prayed Lincoln would be strengthened and all of us would be able to get out of the canyon in good spirits.  Pretty soon, Lincoln's stomach started feeling better, as did his headache & we had the most enjoyable time scaling the giant boulders to get out of there.  By the end, Lincoln was running and we were all smiling.  It was truly miraculous!  So grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who blesses us so abundantly.

Zach:
Mosiah 25:5-11 and 16

What might I document, to help my family be filled with “exceedingly great joy” and learn about “the immediate goodness of God”.

In mid-March 2020, I was sent home from work, the kids were sent home from school, Church meetings were cancelled indefinitely, the economy came to a screeching halt, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The future was uncertain and anxiety set in for not only myself, my family, neighbors, community, but also the better part of the world.  The uncertainty associate with becoming infected, chaos breaking out in our community due to shortages of necessitates of life and a global economic downturn, etc.  Even though our family has been heeding the directives of the prophet to be prepared for these types of circumstances, the stress of others caused similar discomfort in my life.

Then, during the April 2020 general conference, Pres. Nelson gave a blessing; he said the following:

“Dear brothers and sisters, I express my love for you. During this time of tension and uncertainty, and invoking the authority vested in me, I would like to confer upon you an apostolic blessing.

I bless you with peace and increasing faith in the Lord.⁷

I bless you with a desire to repent and become a little more like Him each day.⁸

I bless you to know that the Prophet Joseph Smith is the prophet of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fulness.

Should there be illness among you or your loved ones, I leave a blessing of healing, consistent with the will of the Lord.

I so bless you, adding once more my expression of love for each of you, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

Although my serious concerns about the future still are ever present in my life, from the time Pres. Nelson gave the blessing, my anxiety abated and the sleepless nights have ceased.  I know that if I keep my covenants, I will be able to #HearHim in the coming days.  Whatever happens, good or bad, I have faith that Heavenly Father’s mission for me will be precisely that, His mission for me.  I know that my family will be equipped to weather whatever “storms” come our way.  

This apostolic blessing, given by a real and living prophet of the Lord is a tender mercy; it is a manifestation of the immediate goodness of God in my life.