Hey everybody!
This last week, I've been thinking about tender
mercies. There was a class about
it on Sunday this last week, and so I've been thinking about it a lot lately. I'll include a part of a talk
given by Elder Bednar a few years
ago so y'all can see what I've been thinking about:
Six months ago, I stood at this pulpit for the first time as
the newest member of the Quorum of
the Twelve Apostles. Both then and even more so now, I have felt and feel the weight of the call to serve and
of the responsibility to teach with clarity and
to testify with authority. I pray
for and invite the assistance of the Holy Ghost as I now speak with you.
This afternoon I want to
describe and discuss a spiritual impression I received a few moments
before I stepped to this pulpit during the
Sunday morning session of general conference last October.
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf had just finished
speaking and had declared his
powerful witness of the Savior. Then we all stood together to sing
the intermediate hymn that previously had been
announced by President Gordon B.
Hinckley. The intermediate hymn that morning was “Redeemer of Israel” (Hymns, no. 6).
Now, the music for the various conference sessions
had been determined many weeks
before--and obviously long before my new call to serve. If, however, I had been invited to suggest an
intermediate hymn for that
particular session of the conference--a hymn that would have been both edifying and spiritually soothing for me
and for the congregation before my
first address in this Conference Center—I would have selected my favorite hymn, “Redeemer of Israel.” Tears
filled my eyes as I stood with you to sing that
stirring hymn of the Restoration.
Near the conclusion of the singing, to my mind
came this verse from the Book of
Mormon: “But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those
whom he hath chosen, because of
their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance” (1 Ne. 1:20).
My mind was drawn immediately to Nephi’s phrase
“the tender mercies of the Lord,”
and I knew in that very moment I was experiencing just such a tender mercy. A loving Savior was sending me
a most personal and timely message of comfort
and reassurance through a hymn
selected weeks previously. Some may count this experience as simply a nice coincidence, but I testify that the
tender mercies of the Lord are
real and that they do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence. Often, the Lord’s timing of His tender
mercies helps us to both discern
and acknowledge them.
What Are the Tender Mercies of the Lord?
Since last October I have reflected repeatedly
upon the phrase “the tender
mercies of the Lord.” Through personal study, observation, pondering, and prayer, I believe I have come to better
understand that the Lord’s tender
mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance,
loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and
spiritual gifts which we receive
from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Truly, the Lord suits “his mercies according to the
conditions of the children of men”
(D&C 46:15).
Recall how the Savior instructed His Apostles
that He would not leave them
comfortless. Not only would He send “another Comforter” (John 14:16), even the Holy Ghost, but the Savior said
that He would come to them (see
John 14:18). Let me suggest that one of the ways whereby the Savior comes to each of us is through His
abundant and tender mercies. For
instance, as you and I face challenges and tests in our lives, the gift of faith and an appropriate
sense of personal confidence that
reaches beyond our own capacity are two examples of the tender mercies of the Lord. Repentance and
forgiveness of sins and peace of
conscience are examples of the tender mercies of the Lord. And the persistence and the fortitude that enable us
to press forward with cheerfulness
through physical limitations and spiritual difficulties are examples of the tender mercies of the
Lord.
In a recent stake conference, the tender mercies
of the Lord were evident in the
touching testimony of a young wife and mother of four whose husband was slain in Iraq in December of
2003. This stalwart sister
recounted how, after being notified of her husband’s death, she received his Christmas card and message. In
the midst of the abrupt reality of
a dramatically altered life came to this good sister a timely and tender reminder that indeed
families can be together forever.
With permission I quote from that Christmas card:
“To the best family in the
world! Have a great time together and remember the true meaning of
Christmas! The Lord has made it possible
for us to be together forever. So even when we are apart, we will still be together as a family.
“God bless and keep y’all safe and grant this
Christmas to be our gift of love
from us to Him above!!!
“All my love, Daddy and your loving husband!”
Clearly, the husband’s reference to being apart
in his Christmas greeting referred
to the separation caused by his military assignment. But to this sister, as a voice from the dust from a
departed eternal companion and father, came a
most needed spiritual reassurance
and witness. As I indicated earlier, the Lord’s tender mercies do not occur randomly or merely by
coincidence. Faithfulness, obedience,
and humility invite tender mercies into our lives, and it is often the Lord’s timing that enables us to
recognize and treasure these
important blessings.
Some time ago I spoke with a priesthood leader
who was prompted to memorize the
names of all of the youth ages 13 to 21 in his stake. Using snapshots of the young men and women,
he created flash cards that he
reviewed while traveling on business and at other times. This priesthood leader quickly learned all of
the names of the youth.
One night the priesthood leader had a dream
about one of the young men whom he
knew only from a picture. In the dream he saw the young man dressed in a white shirt and wearing a
missionary name tag. With a
companion seated at his side, the young man was teaching a family. The young man held the Book of Mormon in his
hand, and he looked as if he were
testifying of the truthfulness of the book. The priesthood leader then awoke from his dream.
At an ensuing priesthood gathering, the leader
approached the young man he had
seen in his dream and asked to talk with him for a few minutes. After a brief introduction, the leader
called the young man by name and
said: “I am not a dreamer. I have never had a dream about a single member of this stake, except for you. I
am going to tell you about my
dream, and then I would like you to help me understand what it means.”
The priesthood leader recounted the dream and
asked the young man about its
meaning. Choking with emotion, the young man simply replied, “It means God knows who I am.” The remainder
of the conversation between this
young man and his priesthood leader was most meaningful, and they agreed to meet and counsel
together from time to time during
the following months.
That young man received the Lord’s tender
mercies through an inspired
priesthood leader. I repeat again, the Lord’s tender mercies do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence.
Faithfulness and obedience enable
us to receive these important gifts and, frequently, the Lord’s timing helps us to recognize them.
We should not underestimate or overlook the
power of the Lord’s tender
mercies. The simpleness, the sweetness, and the constancy of the tender mercies of the Lord will do
much to fortify and protect us in
the troubled times in which we do now and will yet live. When words cannot provide the solace we need or
express the joy we feel, when it
is simply futile to attempt to explain that which is unexplainable, when logic and reason cannot yield
adequate understanding about the
injustices and inequities of life, when mortal experience and evaluation are insufficient to produce
a desired outcome, and when it
seems that perhaps we are so totally alone, truly we are blessed by the tender mercies of the Lord and
made mighty even unto the power of
deliverance (see 1 Ne. 1:20).
I've been really looking for the tender mercies
of the Lord throughout this last
week, and when you start to look for them, you start to see so many of them! I was in the Spanish elders area
again, and this time it was with a
really new elder who hasn't quite learned Spanish perfectly yet. Neither of us were very sure what
was going on a lot of the time,
but in my very limited Spanish, I got the chance to just testify of the gospel really simply, and I could
really feel the spirit throughout
the day! Also, I've been really wondering about a lot of things lately, so I decided to fast this Sunday
and read my patriarchal blessing.
The Lord spoke peace to my heart so strongly! And then all throughout the day on Sunday, all of the
lessons and talks seemed to be
pointed right at me! There are so many tender mercies that we can see each day!
I'm so grateful for all of support
that you all give me! I love you all!
Elder Excell
Q&A - 11/14/2016
1.) Since Thanksgiving is next week, are you making any plans? Do you have a dinner invitation for that day? Will that be a regular missionary day or more like a p-day? -- We do have a dinner invitation with a really cool family! The Littlefield's. It will be pretty much like a regular proselyting day.
2.) What are you most looking forward to in the week ahead? -- We have a really busy week this week, including a zone training meeting. It's always fun when you get a chance to be with the whole zone.
