I’ve been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes mistakenly called the “Mormon Church”) all my life. Sometimes I’ve been part of a true minority, but now I live in Salt Lake City. I work as the content manager for a new website that will build and strengthen families throughout the world. I’m inexperienced, but full of passion for the work – and grateful every day that I get to be a part of it.
As a single girl, living in a big city, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by my career, keeping up with friends and family, trying to date, paying bills, and getting everything done that I need to—when time always seems so short. The reminders that tug on my time are reflections of the hard work and dedication I put into the jobs and responsibilities that I love, the faith I chose to live, and the person I want to be.
In fact, sometimes life feels like a constant barrage of reminders.
They’ve taken up residence in my room—scribbled on pink post-it notes and little scraps of paper; listed on the to-do list lying on my nightstand; and inserted into my little purple notebook.
They hide in my purse and the margins of my notes.
They pop up unexpectedly in my inbox or buzz on my phone.
They come in lists, texts, notices, and notes—in all ways, shapes, and forms.
Sometimes, the reminders brand themselves on my hand, so that everyone can see them.
It seems as though there is always another assignment to complete, another meeting to attend, another event to be planned, a person to call, and a place to be.
Sometimes it can be a little overwhelming.
Sometimes it feels like there is an impossible mountain of tasks, which I can’t even begin to climb. That I’m not prepared with the right shoes to quite possibly walk one more foot uphill.
Sometimes I pretend that if I forget the reminders are there, they’ll somehow disappear, and I won’t have to worry about them anymore.
Sometimes I let those pesky little reminders get the best of me — and I allow them to creep past the walls of my mind, armed with discouragement and despair. I convince myself that there is no possible way that all these things can get done. That I, an imperfect person, couldn’t possibly finish and accomplish the great tasks ahead of me.
When I get to this point, when all hope seems to have deserted me, and there is nothing to look forward to…that’s when it happens.
In an instant, a church activity becomes the best part of the night; my best friend texts me to tell me that we can be friends forever; my mom checks in to make sure I’m alright; the contract goes through; I win a free pizza; or my dad calls me to give me a listening ear.
Then, new sorts of reminders start popping up everywhere.
The picture of President Thomas S. Monson, the man I know to be a prophet of God, smiles down at me from the mirror next to my door. A bulletin board full of pictures of my friends and family, scattered with uplifting notes, reminds me life is full of good things. Note cards with scriptures tucked carefully next to my bed, and a picture of my favorite Mormon temple sitting on top of my dresser, keep me aware that life is so much more than just the mundane tasks that we do every day.
I am reminded, as one of my favorite scriptures from the Book of Mormon says, “…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 Nephi 1:20).
“Tender mercies,” I believe, are the sweet assurances that God is looking after us each and every day. They are the simple moments in life that lift our spirits and remind us that everything is going to be okay.
I have grown up knowing that the Mormon faith is true. It defines so much of what I’ve done in my life, and it continues to help guide my decisions in many ways. I am grateful for the peace that my Mormon beliefs and testimony give me, when I face challenges that threaten to tear me down.
One thing I do know for certain is that the Lord listens to every prayer, to every concern, and knows the deepest, most precious desires of our souls. He knows who we are because He loves us. He wants us to be happy, and He wants us to be the very best people we can possibly be.
So that in all the mess of reminders that flutter in and out of my days, it’s amazing to me, how the ones He sends, are the ones that make doing the other ones so worth it.
More than anything, He just gives me hope to keep on going.
This article was written by Katelyn Ericson, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Katelyn recently completed her MBA at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University. She received her undergrad degree at Brigham Young University-Idaho in English, professional writing. She currently works for Deseret Digital Media.
Additional Resources:
The Lord Jesus Christ in Mormonism
