Thou Didst Hear Me

Alma 33:7 (5-9)

And when I did turn unto my closet, O Lord, and prayed unto thee, thou didst hear me.

We just found out that we are moving back to Utah. We have been in our house for exactly one year here in Arizona. It has been wonderful for me being here--I have felt free. For James, however, his job has been miserable and getting worse. He just accepted a job with Extra Space Storage as a Senior Acquisitions Analyst. We feel really good about the prospects of this job and our future with this company. 

But I have begun feeling anxiety again. A companion I do not welcome back into my life. Anxiety about living near family and juggling everyone's expectations, about my girls' behavior around family and them getting spoiled, about finding a good home on a street and in a neighborhood that is best for my family, about reverting back to the old spineless version of myself or not being treated as the strong adult that I am. 

I feel this anxiety creeping in when I think I am fine. I cognitively know what to do to not let these situations overtake me. But still the anxiety comes. It affects me physically, making me nauseous, lightheaded, and short of breath. I get a lump in my throat, and my chest swells. 

It really helped me to speak with a counselor a year ago when this was a constant problem for me. I am going to seek out help now, but I am also turning to my Lord. I have been praying for The Lord to help me overcome this, and my prayer of faith is Alma 33:7. 

And when I did turn unto my closet, O Lord, and prayed unto thee, thou didst hear me.

Thou didst hear me. Those four words are repeated over and over in verses 5-9. Thou didst hear me. This is my prayer of faith. I believe The Lord will hear me and help me calm down. I believe he will hear me and help me not only overcome this anxiety and remove it from my heart, but help me become stronger in the process. 

The key to spiritual protection, president packer. Reading scriptures and turning myself to The Lord.

Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth

 Hebrews 11:13-16

13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

 14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. [GR homeland; native place]

 15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

 16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

This is beautiful and I can relate. Right now we are living with my in-laws, while we try to sell our home in Mesa, AZ. They are so gracious to let us live with them and it is a good situation. But even still, I feel like a stranger here. It's not my home. I seek for a "country" or my homeland.

This passage has made me want to feel even more like a stranger here on earth. This beautiful and sometimes awful place of Earth isn't my home. This is my school--my place of learning, testing, and trying. As I draw nearer to the Lord, I find myself longing more for my heavenly home and my Father and Mother there.


Teachings of Joseph Fielding Smith, lesson14:
"The Spirit of God speaking to the spirit of man has power to impart truth with greater effect and understanding than the truth can be imparted by personal contact even with heavenly beings."

This is because the language of the Spirit is our native tongue. Relying on my spiritual senses draws me nearer to my heavenly home. 


Be still and know that I am God.

President uctdorf--grateful in all circumstances
It takes faith to have gratitude. We have to hope for good things that we cannot see, which will come to pass.