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hand in their lives and often express itwith the phrase “I am so much gratefulto God.”A few years ago a faithful familyexemplified for members of our wardthat same trust in the Lord. Arn andVenita Gatrell were living a happylife when Arn was diagnosed withan aggressive cancer. The prognosiswas devastating—he had just a fewweeks to live. The family wanted tobe together one last time. So all thechildren gathered, some from distantlocations. They had only 48 precioushours to spend together. The Gatrellscarefully chose what mattered mostto them—a family picture, a familydinner, and a session in the SaltLake Temple. Venita said, “When wewalked out of the temple doors, itwas the last time we would ever betogether in this life.”But they left with the assurancethat there is so much more for themthan just this life. Because of sacredtemple covenants, they have hope inGod’s promises. They can be togetherforever.The next two months were filledwith blessings too numerous torecount. Arn and Venita’s faith andtrust in the Lord were growing, asevidenced in Venita’s words: “I wascarried. I learned that you can feelpeace in the midst of turmoil. I knewthe Lord was watching over us. If youtrust in the Lord, truly you can overcomeany of life’s challenges.”One of their daughters added: “Wewatched our parents and saw theirexample. We saw their faith and howthey handled it. I would never haveasked for this trial, but I would nevergive it away. We were surroundedwith God’s love.”Of course, Arn’s passing was notthe outcome the Gatrells had hopedfor. But their crisis was not a crisisof faith. The gospel of Jesus Christ isnot a checklist of things to do; rather,it lives in our hearts. The gospel “isnot weight; it is wings.” 4 It carriesus. It carried the Gatrells. They feltpeace in the midst of the storm. Theyheld fast to each other and to templecovenants they had made and kept.They grew in their ability to trust inthe Lord and were strengthened bytheir faith in Jesus Christ and in Hisatoning power.Wherever we find ourselves on thepath of discipleship, whatever ourworries and challenges may be, weare not alone. You are not forgotten.Like Deric, the Saints of Africa, and theGatrell family, we can choose to reachfor God’s hand in our need. We canface our challenges with prayer andtrust in the Lord. And in the processwe become more like Him.Speaking to each of us, the Lordsays, “Fear . . . not; . . . I am with thee:be not dismayed; for I am thy God:I will strengthen thee; . . . I will helpthee; yea, I will uphold thee with theright hand of my righteousness.” 5I share my humble but certainwitness that God our Father knowsus personally and reaches out to helpus. Through His Beloved Son, JesusChrist, we may overcome the challengesof this world and be safelydelivered home. May we have faithto trust in Him, I pray in the name ofJesus Christ, amen. ◼NOTES1. Moses 1:39.2. 1 Nephi 1:20.3. Spoken by the character of C. S. Lewisas portrayed in William Nicholson,Shadowlands (1989), 103.4. Harry Emerson Fosdick, Twelve Tests ofCharacter (1923), 88.5. Isaiah 41:10.May 201483