It's Not a Coinkydink

This last weekend I went to Martin's Cove with my ward. I honestly did not want to go. I was really bummed that our ward had chosen to go to a desert instead of going boating or camping at a glorious place. But I decided to go anyway because I kept thinking that there would be something there for me.

To make a long story short, everything worked out for my benefit (not by coincidence). I found someone to cover my two jobs, a friend offered me a ride, I met many people who seemed genuinely INteResTeD iN GetTiNg To kNoW ME, and I received answers to prayer while walking around in sacred ground.

Hiking up to the Martin's Cove where so many had sought refuge from a horrible storm, I felt like the veil was very thin and pioneers who had suffered and died during their trip to Utah seemed to surround me. Our leaders provided the story of a person who had been part of the Willie-Martin company to each of us, and we were to read it once we arrived at the cove. My story was of a little boy, Peter H. McBride, who traveled with his family to go to the promised land. It was no coincidence that I got that story because I relate better to children. I felt a special connection to this little boy, who's faith pulled him through many difficulties including the death of his father after he had helped others cross the freezing river.

It was no coincidence that as I thought of what this particular group went through, my mind kept going back to the fact that they TrusTEd FuLLy in the Lord. I had almost forgotten what that was like. This reminded me of the complete faith I have had in the past and that it is faith that can help us through every day. It is that faith that has brought many miracles in my life.

It was no coincidence that I was one of the first to get across the Sweetwater River, that sacred place where three young men sacrificed their lives to save so many who had no more to give of themselves. They not only saved their lives, but also provided hope to those who had lost it. As I watched over one hundred ward members crossing this cold river with the help of some of our priesthood holders, I asked myself, why did those young men help the pioneers get across, when death may have seemed much sweeter then? Their trials were not going to end after that crossing. At that moment the feeling came that they did it because of love. They truly loved these people because they saw them as children of God and they wanted to make their trials lighter. I thought of how we can't stop people's trials from happening, but we can help them through them if we have love. I had forgotten that PraYiNG fOR TRuE LoVe for others every day can make such a difference.

Finally, it is no coincidence that as I visited a ward on Sunday (as I was not able to go to mine), the bishopric member who conducted said that the youth from that ward had just gone on Trek and opened up the whole meeting to those young men and women who had just experienced something similar to me. The meeting ran over about 30 min and it was well worth it. I was very touched by their faith and their testimonies reminded me again of what it is like to have the Spirit with you always. All the young men talked about how much they appreciated the women in their lives and how they hoped to someday be worthy to marry a faithful young woman. I remembered the KiND oF PeRsoN I wAnT To BE.

I know it is not by coincidence all these things took place to help me remember the important principles I had almost forgotten.