Ask of God: Our Solace, Guide, and Stay | Bonnie H. Cordon

Описание: Sister Bonnie H. Cordon uses stories to illustrate the power of prayer. Though prayer requires work, as we ask of God, He answers our prayers.

This speech was given on February 4, 2020.

Read the speech here:
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/bonnie...

Read more about Bonnie H. Cordon Here:
https://speeches.byu.edu/speakers/bon...

Subscribe to BYU Speeches for the latest videos:    / @byuspeeches  

Read and listen to more BYU Speeches here:
https://speeches.byu.edu/

Follow BYU Speeches:
Facebook:   / byuspeeches  
Twitter:   / byuspeeches  
Instagram:   / byuspeeches  
Pinterest:   / byuspeeches  

© Brigham Young University. All rights reserved.

It is a thrill for me to be here with you today. It brings back a flood of memories. When I was a newly returned missionary from Portugal, my very first date was to a BYU devotional! I have a long-lasting love for these wonderful gatherings. The Spirit has a great capacity to teach us the things that we are willing to receive in these sacred settings. I pray that we will pause for just a minute and be in tune to what the Spirit would have us learn today.

From the moment I received the invitation to speak with you, I began to pray for you—the student body and the faculty. As I prayed, the Spirit touched my heart, giving me a sense of God’s tremendous love for you and making me aware of some of your concerns. I was given just a small glimpse of the deep loneliness some of you are dealing with. I felt great anticipation for those of you beginning a new adventure. And I became mindful of the anxiety of those carrying burdens or in transitions—preoccupied about the past, the present, and the future. These reoccurring insights witnessed to me more fully that the Lord knows you intimately: both collectively and—more important—individually. Oh, how He loves you! He cares about you in a way that human language cannot adequately express.

As part of this mortal experience, we each long to feel loved. We yearn for connection—both to Heavenly Father and to each other. We have gone to great lengths over centuries and decades to connect. Countless tools have been invented—all with the hope of easing our loneliness and feeling support and love for one another. [A video was shown of many modern tools, concluding with a view of the scriptures.]

Two hundred years ago, a young man read a promise in the scriptures:

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.1

Where do we turn for answers? What is our source of comfort and solace? Who is our steadfast guide and stay as we face the challenges of life?

As it was for the Prophet Joseph Smith, our answer is to “ask of God.” God lives. He is our Father. He is accessible to us. He will be our guide, our solace, and our stay if we go to Him in prayer—one of the greatest of all the privileges given to the sons and daughters of God.2

Ask of God: Our Guide
As we consistently go to Heavenly Father in prayer, we develop a relationship with Him that helps us see ourselves and Him in a clearer light. He will guide us! He wants to help us achieve the divine and eternal potential He knows is ours.

Our Savior Jesus Christ taught us the pattern for prayer—a pattern with tremendous power: we call upon Heavenly Father, offer thanks to Him, ask for blessings, and then close in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ. When we approach this communication with real intent, I believe we will see how prayer can bring “the will of the Father and the will of the child . . . into correspondence with each other.”3

Recently, as I uttered the familiar words to address Heavenly Father in prayer, I was overcome with a sense of awe. I paused, and I thought, “Who am I to address God?”

But almost instantly an innate knowledge was rekindled: He is my Father and I am His daughter. I know He longs to hear from me as much as I yearn to commune with Him. This experience was overwhelming and revitalizing all at once.

Once we humbly call upon God, we get to thank Him for our blessings. There is a power that comes as we are generous with our gratitude. Let me explain by sharing a childhood memory. As a little four-year-old, I was asked to pray over the Sunday meal. I began, and I kept one eye open so I would not forget to pray for all the food by name and for each family member. I prayed for the mashed potatoes, the meat, and the corn; then I prayed for Mom, Dad, Linda, and Glenn. I was just about to end the prayer when my mother whispered in my ear, “And bless Rodney.” With the full wrath of a four-year-old, I said, “No, and you know why!”

Well, I do not remember what my older brother Rodney had done to be excluded from my prayer that day. You can imagine. But I know I was in a dither over something.