I met Jake Perry in the hallway and said hello to him. I told him he was looking good. I think it’s the first time we’ve said more than a word out two since his mission. He reached out to shake my hand but as we shook hands he reached in and gave me a hug. It was really nice to have him initiate something so personal. It told me clearly that he still remembers me as having a positive impact on his life even six years after I served as his Sunday School teacher.
President Eyring quoted instructions on prayer from President Joseph F. Smith that I feel confident that I can actually follow to improve my connection to heaven:
“What we do need, and what we should do as Latter-day Saints, for our own good, is to go before him often, to witness unto him that we remember him and that we are willing to take upon us his name, keep his commandments, work righteousness; and that we desire his Spirit to help us.
“What do you pray for? You pray that God may recognize you, that he may hear your prayers, and that he may bless you with his Spirit.”
President Eyring elaborates on those writes with this insight:
“It is not a matter so much of which words to use, but it will take some patience. It is an approach to your Heavenly Father with the intent to be recognized by Him personally. He is the God above all, the Father of all, and yet willing to give undivided attention to one of His children.
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“President Smith suggested that you will need to pray that God will recognize your call to serve Him. He already knows about your call in complete detail. He called you, and by praying to Him about your call, He will reveal more for you to know.
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“It is because you have such important and difficult priesthood calls that President Smith suggests that when you pray, you always plead with God that He will bless you with His Spirit. You will need the Holy Ghost not once but as much as God will grant it to you for your constant companion. That is why we must always pray that God will guide us in our service to His children.”
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