He Does Answer Prayers

by Candace Salima | More from this Blogger

28 Apr 2006 11:23 AM

"About one hour before my wife died, I called my children into her room and told them that their mother was dying and for them to bid her good-bye. One of the little girls, about twelve years of age, said to me:

'Papa, I do not want my mamma to die. I have been with you in the hospital in San Francisco for six months; time and time again when mamma was in distress you [have] administered to her and she has been relieved of her pain and quietly gone to sleep. I want you to lay hands upon my mamma and heal her.'

"I told my little girl that we all had to die sometime, and that I felt assured in my heart that her mother's time had arrived. She and the rest of the children left the room.

"I then knelt down by the bed of my wife (who by this time had lost consciousness) and I told the Lord I acknowledged His hand in life, in death, in joy, in sorrow, in prosperity, or adversity. I thanked Him for the knowledge I had that my wife belonged to me for all eternity, that the gospel of Jesus Christ had been restored, that I knew that by the power and authority of the Priesthood here on the earth that I could and would have my wife forever if I were only faithful as she had been. But I told the Lord that I lacked the strength to have my wife die and to have it affect the faith of my little children in the ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ; and I supplicated the Lord with all the strength that I possessed, that He would give to that little girl of mine a knowledge that it was His mind and His will that her mamma should die.

"Within an hour my wife passed away, and I called the children back into the room. My little boy about five and a half or six years of age was weeping bitterly, and the little girl twelve years of age took him in her arms and said: 'Do not weep, do not cry, Heber; since we went out of this room the voice of the Lord from heaven has said to me, "In the death of your mamma the will of the Lord shall be done."

"Tell me, my friends, that I do not know that God hears and answers prayers! Tell me that I do not know that in the hour of adversity the Latter-day Saints are comforted and blessed and consoled as no other people are!" (Heber J. Grant, in Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant [2002], 47-48)

I have rarely found a more comforting statement than this one written by Heber J. Grant as he contemplated the passing of his wife. There have been times in my life where the answers to prayers have been so firm, so evident and so clear, and others where they have been as if a soft brush of water color on a new canvas. There have been times when the answer came right away and times when it has taken twenty years, but I know the answers always come. I know this much, if you do not pray, the answer cannot come.

A favorite scripture of mine, which I may have mentioned before and bears repeating, is Book of Mormon Alma 32:23 "And now, he imparteth his word by angels unto men, yea, not only men but women also. Now this is not all; little children do have words given unto them many times, which confound the wise and the learned."

President Grant found this to be very true as his sweet daughter comforted her younger brother at a very devastating time. But perhaps the greatest message in this story is that when we live righteously, prayers are answered, covenants are kept and promises are fulfilled. Families truly can be together forever, if we are willing to follow in the path of the Lord and live our lives accordingly. This brings great comfort, even peace, at the death of loved ones in knowing that we will hold them in our arms once again.

Learn more about Candace Salima

Candace E. Salima was born right smack dab in the middle of twelve children.

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