Keeping an Eternal Perspective

Over the past month I've had the very humbling opportunity of experiencing many faith-building experiences.

A few weeks ago, my beautiful grandmother Beverly Welch passed away after facing a long battle with her weakening body. How very sad it was to see her go. I was blessed to have spent time with her on her very last day- cuddling up next to her and huddling round as Julie read her stories, playing hymns on the piano for her to hear, and looking in to her eyes that remained just as loving and full of faith as my earliest memory has of her.

Her funeral gave me the opportunity to reflect on our earthly lives- about our chance to learn and to grow and to become closer and closer to our Father in Heaven as we always try to do what is right. My grandmother was an angel on earth. Her happiness and testimony was so contagious that you couldn't help but smile when you were around her.

Not two weeks after grandmother passed, her sister Dianne followed. While the sorrow following both of their passing may have seemed hard to handle in the beginning, it was soon met with comfort in the knowledge that we will see both of them again. I feel so blessed to have the knowledge of life after death, of eternity and my personal eternal potential which is given directly from God.

This is Grandma on her wedding day. Isn't she beautiful? Her sister Dianne stands on her right. So grateful for them and the wonderful example they left for us.

 About a year ago, my dad was called to be the bishop of my family ward. It was interesting to see him change and take on yet another major role. One of the craziest things about it was that not only was he taking on a whole ward, but he was also taking on the pressure of being bishop to an apostle! Elder Neil A. Anderson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles lives just up the street from me.

When Trevor and I decided to get married, we thought it would be really cool if Elder Anderson could perform the sealing for us. So we called his office and were very disappointed to hear that he would be out of town on our wedding day. Bum-mer. Not too long after that though, his secretary called back and told us that Elder Anderson felt so bad he couldn't be there, so he wanted to know if Trevor and I would come in and meet with him sometime before the big day! Of course we said yes and about a month later we found ourselves walking down the halls of that big building and being escorted into his office.

What an amazing experience it was to sit and talk with him. The spirit seemed to sing from that room and his eyes were so full of light and knowledge- it was amazing. He offered us some very good advice and gave us some important principles that Trevor and I are going to instill in our lives as we prepare for marriage. I was grateful to hear the words of comfort Elder Anderson gave to Trevor concerning his mother. He was so sincere and so very loving in the things he had to say.

It was such a blessing to have that experience. It is something that Trevor and I will cherish throughout our entire lives.

Among all of these experiences, I was most grateful for the opportunity I had to see Trevor practice his priesthood and offer me a priesthood blessing. Feeling very overwhelmed and overcome by worry in the many difficulties that come from school, work, and preparing for marriage, I went to Trevor and asked if he could give me a blessing. Without hesitation, he replied simply "of course."

The comfort that came through his words is indescribable. My testimony of the priesthood was strengthened tenfold from the spirit I felt and the promptings I was able to receive through that blessing. I am so grateful to have him. I am so grateful to know that I will have a worthy priesthood holder with me throughout my life. I was lucky to have grown up in a home where my father could give me that and it feels so good to know that my children will have that opportunity as well.  If I can offer up any advice to someone looking to marry in the future, it would be that they should not settle for anything less. It is truly amazing what the power of priesthood can do.

Life is hard. I am learning that more and more every day. But hard doesn't have to mean unhappy or scary, it just means new and exciting! And the more you look at things in an eternal light, the easier it is to make the small steps that lead up to big decisions. I am so grateful for my sweet family, for a fiance that I love more than anything in the world, and most importantly for the the knowledge I have of the gospel and the comfort that it brings.