Several years ago, when I was about 26 years old, I was living in San Jose, California, and teaching high school. I loved my job, I loved my singles ward, I had great friends, and I was genuinely happy. But one day I was having one of those days where I felt lonely, discouraged, and a little sad. So I decided to go to an endowment session in the Oakland Temple.
I hopped in my car, turned on a CD of sacred music, and started my drive to the temple. The drive was about an hour and a half long. As I drove, I had time to think, to ponder, and to pray. At that point in my life, I was feeling a little discouraged by the fact that I hadn't yet had the opportunity to be married. I knew that being married and having a family were righteous desires. In fact, I knew they were an important part of the plan of salvation. And I was discouraged that my righteous desire hadn't been fulfilled.
So, as I drove, I prayed and talked to my Father in Heaven about my concerns, my fears, and my hopes and dreams. As I pondered and drove, I wasn't really listening to the music, but suddenly my attention turned to the words of the song playing in my car. The words to the song came straight from a scripture in Proverbs: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
"In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."[1]
As I heard those words in the song, I knew they were a direct answer to my prayer. I felt a little like Joseph Smith when he said, "Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine."[2] I felt an overwhelming feeling of peace and understood that the Lord was telling me to trust Him, that He had a plan for me, that I would be happy and have joy in this life if I trusted in the Lord and His timing. I needed to allow the Lord to direct my path.
This special and sacred experience continued as I attended the temple. The feeling of peace I felt in my car continued with me throughout the session. The endowment session was quite small, but after the session was over, three different sisters I didn't know came up to me individually in the dressing room or the temple lobby and said things like "I felt impressed that Heavenly Father wanted me to tell you how much He loves you" or "I know Heavenly Father is pleased that you are here in the temple today." As I left the temple, I knew with a certainty that Heavenly Father loved me and had a plan for my life.
Since that day, I have tried to trust the Lord with all my heart. Keep in mind, the answer to my prayer wasn't for the Lord to change my situation. Thirteen years have passed, I'm now 39, and I still haven't had the opportunity to be married. Rather than changing my situation, the Lord changed my heart. As I have trusted in the Lord and his timing, He has given me immense peace and joy. I am truly happy and content.
I'd like to talk today about that scripture in Proverbs 3:5-6 that is so meaningful to me because of my experience on the way to the temple that day. Let's take a few minutes to examine each phrase of the proverb.
Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart
First, "trust in the Lord with all [your] heart." What does it mean to trust in the Lord? I believe that to truly trust in the Lord, two things are required: We must have faith in Him, and we must act on that faith by being obedient to the will of the Lord. Trust requires more than just belief. Trust requires action.
According to Richard G. Scott, "To trust means to obey willingly without knowing the end from the beginning."[3] This principle is demonstrated by the widow woman who helped Elijah the prophet.
In 1 Kings 17 we read that Elijah was commanded to go to Zarephath and that, when he got there, he would find a widow woman who would sustain him. When Elijah arrived, he found the woman, as he had been promised. He asked her to bring him something to drink and something to eat. The woman replied, "As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die."[4] Elijah replied by telling her not to fear. He told her to make a cake for him first, then to make something for herself and her son. Elijah then promised her, "For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruise of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth."[5] Can you image the trust it took for this woman to give food to the prophet first and then to feed her son?
Elder Ulisses Soares said:
"Mortal life is a period of testing [that] ... will require unwavering faith in Christ even in times of great difficulty. It will require that we press forward with steadfast faith in Christ, being led by the Spirit and trusting that God will provide for our needs."[6]
For each of us, the tests of life come in different forms. But struggles are a part of the Lord's plan. Some of us struggle with illness, with the death of a loved one, with depression or financial difficulties. Some of us struggle with infertility or with being single. Others of us struggle because of decisions made by others: Family members leave the Church, parents get divorced, and some spouses are unkind. Our struggles are varied and unique, but we all struggle with something. None of us have lives that are ideal, but through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can find true joy and peace even when our situation isn't ideal.
Elder L. Whitney Clayton said:
"God asks us to bear with Him--to trust Him and to follow Him. He pleads with us to 'dispute not because ye see not.' He cautions us that we shouldn't expect easy answers or quick fixes from heaven. Things work out when we stand firm during the 'trial of [our] faith,' however hard that test may be to endure or slow the answer may be in coming."[7]
As we read in Helaman, "Yea, we can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him."[8]
Lean Not unto Thine Own Understanding
The second phrase in the proverb cautions us, "Lean not unto thine own understanding."
There are some who might say that if we are trusting in the Lord and leaning not unto our own understanding, then we are just exhibiting blind obedience. But that is not what the Lord asks of us. Rather the Lord asks us to be as Ezra, who "prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it."[9] The Lord has commanded us to seek learning and to be teachable. Without help from heaven and the confirmation of the Holy Ghost, our own understanding is inadequate. Rather than leaning on our own understanding, the Lord asks us to seek to gain His understanding.
We often talk at BYU-Idaho about learning by study and by faith. Sister Chieko Okazaki gave a talk in general conference regarding this principle. She explained that learning is like rowing a boat with two oars. One of the oars is "study," and the other oar is "faith."
"What happens if you try to paddle a boat using only one oar? You go around and around in circles. If you paddle hard, you go fast. If you paddle slowly, you turn gently. But you still just go around in circles. It's the same with trying to make study replace faith or trying to exercise faith but without study. We can often find ourselves just going around in circles."[10]
In order to increase our understanding, we need to row our boat with both oars. We need to combine careful study and devoted faith and trust in the Lord. As we do so, He will help us gain His understanding of gospel principles.
I vividly remember being a student at Ricks College 20 years ago, in 1997, when our new Ricks College president David A. Bednar spoke at devotional for the first time. He had challenged all of the students to come prepared to devotional and to bring our scriptures as a sign of our preparation. I remember sitting at devotional in the Hart Building and holding up my scriptures during the very first devotional, where we began the tradition to show we are prepared and ready to be taught.
That is a tradition that has continued since that day and one that we participated in today. I often think of that phrase: "prepared and ready to be taught." It has become very meaningful to me personally. When I walk into church, I often ask myself, "Am I prepared and ready to be taught?" When I go to the temple, I strive to be prepared and ready to be taught. In order to gain the Lord's understanding, rather than leaning on our own, we need to be prepared and ready to be taught. And we need to seek answers from the scriptures and the words of the prophets.
In a recent BYU-Idaho devotional, Sister Sheri Dew spoke of seeking answers to gospel questions. She said:
"As seekers of truth, our safety lies in asking the right questions, in faith and of the right sources--meaning those who only speak truth: such as the scriptures, prophets, and the Lord through the Holy Ghost....
"Men and women of faith are expected to have faith. While the Lord will reveal many things to us, He has never told His covenant people everything about everything. We are admonished to 'doubt not, but be believing.' But 'doubting not' does not mean understanding everything."[11]
My study of mathematics has helped me be okay with not fully understanding everything about the gospel. I'd like to share an experience I had one day when I was a student at BYU-Hawaii. But it requires us to talk about a little bit of math.
Let's start with an easy example. Here we see two piles of fruit: a pile of apples and a pile of oranges.
Notice that the two piles are the same size. We can see this because we can match them up. Because these piles of fruit only contain three pieces each, it's pretty easy to know that the two piles are the same size.
Things get a little trickier when you have piles with infinitely many things in them. But the same principle applies: If you can match up the items from the two piles so that each object in one pile matches exactly with one object in the other pile and you don't have any objects left over in either pile, then the two piles are the same size. In math, we say the two piles (or sets) have the same cardinality.
Now let's try it with these two piles: In the pile on the left we have all the counting numbers. The counting numbers are the numbers one, two, three, four, five, and so on. Although we only see the first five counting numbers in the picture, the dot-dot-dot is intended to show that this pile keeps going. Since the counting numbers never end, the pile is infinite.
In the pile on the right we have all the even numbers. Even numbers are divisible by two: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and so on. Again, the dot-dot-dot shows us that this pile goes on forever. We won't ever run out of even numbers, so this pile is also infinite.
Now, to our finite minds these piles should not be the same size. When we first look at the piles, it appears as though the pile of even numbers should have half as many items in it as the pile of counting numbers. Every even number is a counting number, but there are counting numbers that aren't even numbers. So, if we think about it from a finite perspective, the piles appear to be different sizes. But remember the piles are infinite. Let's try to match up the objects in the piles, like we did with the piles of fruit.
This diagram shows a way to match up the numbers so that every number has a partner. If you pick any number in the pile of counting numbers, any number at all, you just multiply it by two to figure out which number it matches to. And if you pick any number in the pile of even numbers, you just divide by two to figure out what number it matches to. So every number has a partner, and no numbers will be left over. Although our finite view of the situation told us the piles should be different sizes, the fact that we can match up the objects in the piles shows that the two piles are actually the same size. The two sets have the same cardinality.
I remember the first day I learned this perplexing principle in a math class. My teacher said something along the lines of "Our human intuition can break down when we study things that are infinite. When infinity is involved, things can happen that are hard for our finite human minds to comprehend." In that class period, we learned several other examples that illustrated how our intuition breaks down when we study infinity.
As a math student, I was fascinated by these principles and left class thinking about them. Later that day, in my religion class, my teacher shared a quote that referred to the Atonement as "infinite and eternal."
At that moment, I started to understand that, as my math teacher said, when infinity is involved, things can happen that are hard for our human minds to comprehend. And the Atonement was infinite. How could the Savior have suffered for the sins, the pains, and the sorrows of everyone that would ever live? How could all that happen in such a short period of time? My human understanding was not adequate to understand that great, infinite, and eternal event. But I could trust the Lord, and He could help me gain His understanding. I could trust that the Atonement did happen, that the Savior did suffer for me, that He did feel my pains and my sorrows, that He knows firsthand how I feel when I go through a trial. Although my human understanding is still inadequate to understand the logistics and mechanics of how the Atonement occurred, as I have studied the Atonement, the Lord has helped me come to know that the Atonement is real, that it was "a great vicarious gift" given in my behalf and on "behalf of all [those] who would ever live upon the earth."[12]
My study of mathematics has taught me that my understanding is not always fully adequate. Sometimes I have to trust in the Lord and ask Him to share His understanding. However, as explained by Elder Clayton, we are not speaking of "blind obedience but of thoughtful confidence in the perfect love and the perfect timing of the Lord."[13]
In All Thy Ways Acknowledge Him
Let's continue with the third principle in the proverb: "In all thy ways acknowledge Him." How do we acknowledge the Lord?
In the devotional preparation discussion board, I asked you to respond to the question "How can we acknowledge the hand of the Lord in our lives?" I have been inspired by reading your responses.
In her response, Sue wrote, "Before we are able to acknowledge the hand of the Lord in our lives, we must first recognize it." Shawna noted that in order to recognize the hand of the Lord, we have to "pay attention." She also explained that if you "start your day with prayer and ask for the Holy Ghost to be with you throughout the day, [the hand of the Lord] is more noticeable."
Many of you shared how prayer and journal writing had helped you recognize and acknowledge the hand of the Lord. For example, Stephen wrote: "One of the best ways to [acknowledge the Lord] is through prayer. We can offer Him thanks for everything He has given us, regardless of whether those things seem significant or not. We can also acknowledge His hand by keeping a daily journal of everything we have been blessed with as well as all the good things we have received."
Several posts acknowledged how the Lord has helped you in times of difficulty. For example, Ana wrote: "In my life, I can see God's hand helping me through many trials. He was always there to give me strength to overcome life's challenges. I know that He loves all of His children."
Perhaps one of the most important ways we acknowledge the Lord is to publicly acknowledge that He lives. Jessica pointed out that "this is the [simplest] way to acknowledge God. Simple belief in His existence ... is a vital part of drawing near to Him."
As I pondered on this question, my mind turned to the story of the 10 lepers that is found in Luke 17. Ten lepers came to the Savior to be healed. Yet, after the Savior healed them, only one of the lepers returned to thank the Lord. Sister Bonnie D. Parkin noted: "The leper's expression of gratitude was recognized by the Savior as an expression of his faith. As we pray and express gratitude to a loving but unseen Heavenly Father, we are also expressing our faith in Him. Gratitude is our sweet acknowledgment of the Lord's hand in our lives; it is an expression of our faith."[14]
We can acknowledge the Lord by expressing our gratitude. We can express our gratitude to the Lord in prayer, as we share the gospel with others, and in the way we live our lives. But we must remember to take the time to thank the Lord for what He has given us.
President Henry B. Eyring said:
"The challenge to remember has always been the hardest for those who are blessed abundantly. Those who are faithful to God are protected and prospered. That comes as the result of serving God and keeping His commandments. But with those blessings comes the temptation to forget their source. It is easy to begin to feel the blessings were granted not by a loving God on whom we depend but by our own powers."[15]
We acknowledge our trust in the Lord when we are obedient to Him. The proverb says to acknowledge Him in all our ways--in everything we do. This requires us to consistently live lives of faith and obedience.
As I think of my life, I am truly grateful for all the Lord has given me. I want to acknowledge His hand in my life. I am especially grateful for the love He has shown me.
And He Shall Direct Thy Paths
And now we come to the great promise of the proverb. Fourth: "He shall direct thy paths." What a great promise! The Lord's path is "the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come."[16] This is my desire: to follow His path.
A few years ago I traveled to Italy. Our plane arrived in Rome in the early afternoon, but we had been traveling all night and were exhausted. But we knew if we had a nap, we would make our jet lag worse. So my friend and I decided to go exploring for the rest of the evening and then come back to the hotel and go to bed at the proper time.
We left our hotel, hopped onto the metro, and went exploring. We explored several areas of the city, had a fabulous dinner, and visited St. Peter's Basilica at sunset. It was a great evening, and we were happy but exhausted when we got back on the metro to return to our hotel.
When we got off the metro, we pulled out our map so we could reorient ourselves and walk the right direction back to the hotel. But nothing looked familiar. And we couldn't find any street names we were seeing on the street on our map. The name of the metro station was correct, but nothing else matched up with our map. By this point, it was dark, the neighborhood felt a little sketchy, we had been up for over 36 hours, and we were tired.
We decided to walk in a circle around the metro station. We figured if we did that, we had to find a road name that matched our map somewhere, so we could figure out where we were. But after looking for 20 minutes or so and not being able to orient ourselves with our maps, we were getting worried. We hadn't found anyone we could ask for directions, and we were completely lost. So I prayed.
After praying, we walked for another block, and, to our great joy, we saw two sister missionaries walking towards us! As we went up to them, we were so excited to find out they spoke English, were from Idaho and Utah, and would be able to help us.
Before I finish our end of the story, let me tell you the story from the sister missionaries' point of view. They told us that they had been at appointments that evening, but as they rode the bus back toward their apartment, a man came up to them and started talking to them. He was making comments that were unkind and crude. When they got off the bus, he followed them. They tried to lose him by going into a convenience store, but when they came out, they found he had waited for them and was following them again.
The sister missionaries didn't dare go back to their apartment, because this man was with them, and they didn't want him to know where they lived. They knew from his comments that he wasn't safe. They didn't know what to do. So they said a prayer. That's when they saw two tourists from Idaho coming up to them.
After we approached the sister missionaries, the man following them left. We didn't see him again that night. We explained our predicament and showed the missionaries our map. They explained that the metro station had two exits. The exit we had used wasn't on our map, which is why we were so confused. The other exit (the one we had entered earlier in the day) was several blocks away. But their apartment was right next to our hotel, and we all happily agreed to walk back together. They showed us how to get to our hotel. We made sure the man didn't follow them home.
I love this experience because the Lord literally directed our path. Quite literally. But it also shows figuratively three ways that the Lord directs our paths.
The Lord will direct our path to help us avoid danger. He helped us avoid the danger of being lost at night in a foreign country. He helped the sister missionaries avoid the danger posed by the unwelcome attention of the man following them. The Lord can help us avoid physical dangers and spiritual dangers as He directs our paths.
The Lord will direct our path so that we will be in the right place to help others. I'm not sure if the Lord directed our path to be in the right place to help the sister missionaries or if the Lord directed their path to be in the right place to help us. But either way you look at it, the Lord directed our path so we could be of service to someone else.
The Lord also directs our paths as we try to find our way. We are all looking for the path to return home to our Heavenly Father. The Lord will direct our path as we make major life decisions. As I look back at my life path so far, I see so many ways the Lord has directed my path in order for me to be where I am today. I love my job here at BYU-Idaho. Because of promises in my patriarchal blessing, I know I am where the Lord wants to me to be.
When I started college, I had no idea that this was where I would end up. But as I made decisions about where to go to school, what to major in, whether or not to go to graduate school, and later what job to accept after graduation, the Lord directed me and confirmed that my decisions were aligned with His plan for me. Looking back now, I see how each of those decisions helped prepare me for the work I am doing at BYU-Idaho. The Lord guided me to go where I needed to go in order to end up where He needed me to be.
I am so grateful for the experience I had on my way to the temple, where the Lord let me know He loved me and that He had a plan for me, if I would trust Him.
As I have prepared this talk, I have thought a lot about what I hoped you would learn--and what I hoped you would do as a result of my talk. I hope, more than anything, that you know that the Lord loves you and that you can trust Him. I hope you will go home and ask Him to help increase your trust, that you will ask questions and seek answers that increase your faith and your obedience. I hope that you will look for ways the Lord influences your life on a daily basis and express your gratitude for His help. And I hope you seek to always follow His path.
In the document "The Living Christ," it says:
"Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine son." [17]
I add my testimony. I know the Lord lives. I know He Loves me. I know He has a plan for my life and will guide me if I trust in Him. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] Proverbs 3:5-6
[2] Joseph Smith--History 1:12
[3] Richard G. Scott, "Trust in the Lord," Ensign, Nov. 1995
[4] 1 Kings 17:12
[5] Ibid., 17:14
[6] Ulisses Soares, "Confide in God Unwaveringly," Ensign, May 2017
[7] L. Whitney Clayton, "Whatsoever He Saith unto You, Do It," Ensign, May 2017
[8] Helaman 12:1
[9] Ezra 7:10
[10] Chieko N. Okazaki, "Rowing Your Boat," Ensign, Nov. 1994
[11] Sheri Dew, "Will You Engage in the Wrestle?" BYU-Idaho devotional, May 17, 2016
[12] "The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles," Ensign, Apr. 2000, 2
[13] L. Whitney Clayton, "Whatsoever He Saith unto You, Do It," Ensign, May 2017
[14] Bonnie D. Parkin, "Gratitude: A Path to Happiness," Ensign, May 2007
[15] Henry B. Eyring, "O Remember, Remember," Ensign, Nov. 2007
[16] "The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles," Ensign, Apr. 2000, 2
[17] Ibid