My Talk

I was asked to speak on D and C Sect 90:24
This revelation was given March 8, 1833 in Kirtland.  It is given in the section when Joseph Smith is organizing the Bishopric and their duties.  It was also given about a week after the word of wisdom.  There is not a lot of information on this exact verse but Pres. Joseph Fielding Smith commented about this revelation by saying "This is information of the greatest importance and may have came through the prayer of the brethren."

The brethren were praying to know what the bishop was suppose to pray for and this may have been their answer.

Either way the scripture is powerful counsel!

This scripture has three things that we must do.
Search diligently, pray always and believe.
If we do those things we are given a promise that all things will work together for our good.

So today I am going to cover the 3 things and the promise starting with search diligently.
I believe this means the scriptures and modern day revelation but I also think it means to have a thirst for knowledge.  In a talk given by Pres. Gordon B. Hinkley called Seek Learning he says,
You have a mandate from teh Lord to educate your minds and your hearts and your hands.  The Lord has said, "Teach ye diligently... of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and a knowledge also of coutries and of kingdoms- that ye may be prepared in all things" (D and C 88:78-80)

We have been mandated to educate ourselves.  We must search diligently, ask questions and always be striving to learn more.

The second is prayer.  Prayer is a very powerful tool that has been given to all of us.  At any time during the say, we can turn to our father in heaven for guidance.  As a parent, I love this quote by Boyd K. Packer.

"No Father would send His children off to a distant, dangerous land for a lifetime of testing where Lucifer was known to roam free without first providing them with a personal power of protection.  He would also supply them with means to communicate with Him from Father to child and from child to Father.  Every child of our Father sent to earth is provided with the Spirit of Christ, or light of Christ (see D&C 84:46).  We are , none of us, left here alone without hope, guidance and redemption."
Ensign, Nov. 2009

The third thing we must do is believe.  I think that not only is believing having faith but also trusting our own personal revelation.  Every time we pray we may not receive an answer or the answer we were looking for.  Richard G. Scott in a talk called "Learning to recognize and answers to prayers" states

Heavenly Father sees the end from the beginning.  He knows the correct course for us to take even if it doesn't always feel like the most direct one.

And then there is the promise.  That all things shall work together for your good!
No matter how mant trials, speed bumps or hardships we endure we are promised if we keep our end of the bargain that everything will work out for our good.

When I studues and prepared for this talk, I kept being reminded of Jace's birth.  This is my own story of how I did my three parts and the reward that I was given that everything worked out for my own good. 

After Jacoby's birth, there was a few things I knew I wanted different the second time around.  When I found out I was pregnant again I truly feel that Heaven;y Father led me down a very direct path.  It is really hard to explain but every thing that I read or heard during this time seemed to point me in the direction of learning more about labor and delivery , especially unmedicated.

I have never in my life researched, read or had a thirst of knowledge more then I did at that time.  I could not get enough.  I probably read 15 books and countilous birth stories.  I found it inspiring, fascinating and incredible.  I soon found a doctor who supported unmedicated births and a doula and started planning my delivery.

During this time I prayed constantly for direction and knowledge as well as the safety for my baby and my soon to be big brother. 

As I approached my delivery I felt very much at peace with my plan but other worries weighed me heavily.  How was Jacoby going to do, would my mom get here in time.

Finally one Sunday, I asked for a blessing.  I don't remember much what was said but I can tell you that he told me numerous times that GOD WAS IN CONTROL and everything would be ok with my baby, Jacoby and me.  That was the resassurance I needed. 
A few weeks later, 48 hours after my mom got here my water broke and we headed to the hospital.  I had my support team with me and I had done everything that I could to prepare for this day with study and prayer and now it was in God's control.
To make a long story short my labor progressed very quickly.  Fast then any of us had thought possible.  I should have been thrilled with this but everything in me was telling me I needed to slow this down.  My doula and doctor were saying that this was great and I was going fast but I knew I needed to slow it down.
I knew from my study that an epdieral would slow it down but I really hadn't wanted one but as the pain got worse I thought that sounded like the best idea ever and I knew it would slow things down.
They actually gave me an epideral when I had already transitioned but I was not giving them an option not to give me one. 
When I finally got an epideral, things did slow down very breifly and then all of the sudden I knew that was all the time I needed to slow it down.  The idea came to me to turn off the epideral.  I had never heard of anyone doing this before in all my research and either had my doctor or doula. 
Who in the right mind turns off the pain medication to push and that's exactly how every one looked at me when I told them to turn it off about 25 minutes after getting it. 
I waited until I had feeling back in my legs and delivered my baby.  Even with my slowing it down from my first contration to him being born was 3 hours. 
I was lucky in this experience because I was given my reason on why I was inspired to slow things down almost immediately.  My little boy was black and blue and for him he had came too quickly.  He had horrible jaundice and we had to stay in the hospital for a few more days. 
Both my doctor and nurses commented that if he had came any sooner it could have been a lot worse. 
Even though it what not what I had planned, I believed in my own personal revelation and followed it.  I am thankful to my Heavenly Father for my entire experience and especially my sweet baby and that everything turned out for my own good and that my baby, Jacoby and me were all ok.
I hope all of us will remember to search diligently, pray always and believe so that all things will some together for your good.