I had a powerful experience listening to this devotional by Steven J. Lund (given at BYU on September 20th, 2022): https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/steven-j-lund/flashes-of-light/
In that devotional address, he shares how our faith can increase as we recognize God's hand ("flashes of light") in our lives.
Here are a a few thoughts of his that I wanted to record:
There is a principle of law called the Doctrine of Chances. It's an exception to the Rule of Evidence. Normally, evidence of a person's prior crimes or acts can't be considered in deciding a person's guilt in a later incident. Just because someone committed one crime doesn't necessarily mean that he committed another. But the Doctrine of Chances essentially asks, "What are the chances that a highly unlikely combination of such facts is mere coincidence?"
In a 1915 trial, there was a husband (Mr. Smith) who was accused of drowning his wife in a bath. He said she had fainted and drowned--and normally, past behavior wouldn't be able to be admitted as evidence. But the judge was asked, "What are the chances that it was just innocent coincidence that Smith's two prior wives had also drowned in bathtubs?"
He then goes on to talk about how amazing things often happen in our lives--and he asks, “What are the chances that they are mere coincidences?”
One story he told was from a time he was serving in the military in Germany. He was 23 years old, and his church and Family Home Evening activities with his fellow YSAs (young single adults) were really important to him each week, as they helped him to remember his values and purpose.
One week, he showed up to the church just as the carpool had left to take everyone to an apartment building across town where they would be holding the evening’s event.
He had been to that apartment once before, but he had been in the back seat of a very full car and didn’t have any idea how to get there. In addition, the streets of Germany are (he says) like a spider web that has caught on fire, and it is difficult to navigate even if you DO know where you are going.
He returned home and dejectedly sat in his car, pouring his heart out to the Lord.
Then, in his mind’s eye, a map of the city appeared—with the path to the apartment highlighted (starting at the church) so he could clearly see all the twists and turns, bridge-crossings, etc.
He followed that path, and through a MIRACULOUS process he describes in the talk (I hope you listen to the whole thing), he made it to the right building, the right floor, and the right hallway. As he wondered which door it could be (or if he just needed to start knocking), he heard a group of people singing “The Spirit of God.”
He said that he walked into that apartment—the most astonished 23-year-old in the church. ❤️
I have been thinking about this story over and over, and I’ve been remembering times in my life where I didn’t know what to do, but the Lord gave me some kind of a “map” in my head to guide me.
I want to do a better job remembering this, and if I am feeling confused or lost, I want to draw closer to the Spirit and trust that I can be shown the right way to go.
Sometimes it is only PART of a map that appears—like Elder Bednar’s lessons on light and taking one step into the fog.
And I have always loved this scripture in Isaiah 52:12, which I think is applicable in this case:
“For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rearward.”
When I want to push myself to go faster/get moving/achieve my goals, I need to remember that the best way to get where I want or need to go is by connecting to the Lord and asking Him to show me the way.
What is more effective or efficient than connecting with THE Map Maker?
What could be a better use of time than listening to the Perfect Guide?
What other process could bring us this kind of peace as we move through our journey in life?
I am grateful for the Savior and for His atonement. I am grateful for His mercy and grace and willingness to help me when the stakes feel high and the path is unclear.
And the more I work at this and learn to listen and act, the more sure I am that the guidance we can receive from the Lord isn’t coincidence or chance. It’s how He shows us He loves us.
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