The Hand of God in Your Life 

Good morning, BYU! You are a beautiful sight!

I’m so happy to be here with you on April Fools’ Day! I assure you that I will play no April Fools’ pranks during our time together and that this devotional is not a joke. This is how I know it’s not a joke: When President Vorkink called me in December to ask if I would speak at a devotional, I asked him if his request was a joke. He said no. But then he said that the date of the devotional would be April 1!

As a freshman at BYU in the fall of 1985, I lived in Budge Hall in Helaman Halls, just to the west of here. Two of my sisters and one of my brothers also lived in Budge. Back then, Budge was a girls’ dorm. (I see you, Budge boys!) My friends and I would arrive early at the Marriott Center for devotionals each week to get a good seat. If we arrived early enough, we would get to sit on the nice seats on the floor. One week the prophet Ezra Taft Benson spoke, and you can bet we were there early. I have photographic evidence of that event, but even with the state-of-the-art camera I had at the time, it’s hard to even make out the prophet’s face! [A photo was shown.]

I love BYU devotionals—gathering as a campus community once a week to sing, pray, learn, and be spiritually uplifted.

My parents taught me from a young age to look for and recognize God’s hand in my life. Today I’m excited to share three proven and effective ways to see how Heavenly Father is an integral part of each of our lives. These strategies aren’t new, but I hope that after our time together today, you’ll see them in a fresh light and feel inspired to implement them in your life, especially as we approach the end of the semester and finals week. The three concepts are pray daily, write in your journal, and read your patriarchal blessing.

Pray Morning and Night

One way to recognize God’s hand in our lives is through personal prayer each morning and night.

For a few years I have been trying to follow President Russell M. Nelson’s counsel about beginning each day with a prayer. Our prophet taught:

Each new morning is a gift from God. Even the air we breathe is a loving loan from him. He preserves us from day to day and supports us from one moment to another (see Mosiah 2:21).

Therefore, our first noble deed of the morning should be a humble prayer of gratitude.¹

When we regard each morning as a gift from God and we begin each day with a prayer of gratitude, our days start with a focus on what God has given us.

In 2023 I learned something to add to my morning prayer when Elder Joaquin E. Costa of the Seventy told us how he begins his mornings:

When I wake up, instead of looking at my phone, I say a prayer. Even a simple prayer. Then I read a scripture. This helps me with my weekly covenant that I make as I partake of the sacrament to “always remember him.”²

I know it’s difficult not to look at your phone first thing when you wake up, but if I can do it and Elder Costa can do it, you can do it!

By starting each day with prayer and scripture study, we set ourselves up for success. Remember, the first thing we do each day is the thing that always gets done. If you make prayer and scripture study your first priority, you’ll do them every day.

Then, before going to bed, take time for another prayer. Evening prayers give us the opportunity to reflect on the day and share with Heavenly Father what we’ve experienced and accomplished.

My evening prayers aren’t always memorable, but one that was memorable occurred when I spent the summer in Switzerland following my freshman year at BYU. The year was 1986. It was my first time alone in a foreign country, my German wasn’t great, and our faith wasn’t well known at all. I struggled to fit in because I didn’t drink alcohol and I wanted to go to church on Sunday. During this time I wondered if my life might be easier if I didn’t follow what I’d been taught.

One night I decided it was time to ask God if everything I believed about the Church and the restored gospel was true. I read the Joseph Smith story in the Book of Mormon, and then I knelt and prayed. I wanted to know right then that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that the Book of Mormon was true and that everything I believed and stood for was true.

The moment I began praying, a profound sense of the Spirit filled my little attic bedroom. The spiritual power I felt was so strong that I truly believed that if I opened my eyes, the angel Moroni himself might be there. The image that came to my mind was of the angel Moroni appearing to Joseph Smith in Joseph’s bedroom. At that moment I knew that everything I’d prayed about was true, and I’ve never forgotten God’s hand in my life that night.

In our evening prayers we can reflect on our day, report to Heavenly Father about our day, repent, and go to bed feeling close to Heavenly Father.

Elder Costa told us that we can remember the Savior every day as a result of our prayers. He said:

When I “remember Him,” I feel a desire to change, to repent. I find the source of energy to keep my covenants, and I feel the influence of the Holy Ghost in my life. . . . It helps me to endure to the end. Or at least to the end of the day! And in those days that I fail to remember Him all day, He is still there, loving me and telling me, “It’s OK; you can try again tomorrow.”³

This is the true message of daily repentance!

In 2019, President Nelson taught us about the importance of daily repentance:

Nothing is more liberating, more ennobling, or more crucial to our individual progression than is a regular, daily focus on repentance. Repentance is not an event; it is a process. It is the key to happiness and peace of mind. When coupled with faith, repentance opens our access to the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

. . . Experience the strengthening power of daily repentance—of doing and being a little better each day.⁴

Then, in 2022, President Nelson counseled us to “discover the joy of daily repentance.”⁵

You might be wondering how to find joy in daily repentance. I understand—it may not sound very enjoyable. In fact, one of my ministering brothers once suggested that the term repentance should be rebranded to sound more joyful than dreadful. Daily repentance involves taking time each night before bed to reflect on the day: recognizing what may have gone wrong, what we might have done that wasn’t quite right, or what we failed to do. It may not always be comfortable, but if we remember that repentance frees us from guilt for the things we’ve done wrong, we will see God’s hand in our lives through Christ’s Atonement each day.

The Atonement of Jesus Christ is central to the process of repentance, offering us the healing and forgiveness we need. To help us understand the power of the Atonement in our lives, President Boyd K. Packer shared a profound insight in his final address to the Seventy of the Church in 2015. He taught: “The Atonement leaves no tracks, no traces. What it fixes is fixed. . . . It just heals, and what it heals stays healed.”⁶

By including reflection and repentance in our evening prayers, we will recognize God’s hand in our lives and be able to erase our mistakes every single day.

Write in Your Journal

The second way to see God’s hand in your life is through keeping a journal.

Before you dismiss this idea, hear me out. By taking just a few minutes each day to write down one way you’ve seen God’s hand in your life, you’ll quickly build a powerful record of His influence in your life.

I started writing in a journal on my tenth birthday. One of my best friends gave me a journal for my birthday. When I unwrapped it, I was not thrilled. My friend said she had decided to give me a journal that year for my birthday because every time she came over to play, my parents were both seated at the kitchen table writing in their journals. Now, all these years later, I truly appreciate the gift.

One of my favorite stories about keeping a journal comes from the Music and the Spoken Word broadcast on January 8, 2023. Lloyd D. Newell shared a powerful message about recognizing God’s hand in our lives that was based on a beautiful talk by President Henry B. Eyring. 

Brother Newell said:

Many years ago, a man resolved to write in his journal at the end of each day. It’s a resolution many people make, but his journal entries were different. They weren’t just a log of what happened that day. Before he wrote, he would ponder this question: “Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?” As he made it a habit to reflect on that question, he began to see evidence of God’s loving intervention that he hadn’t noticed before. . . . Somewhat unexpectedly, the more he recorded God’s goodness, the more he became aware of it. . . .

. . . Beautiful blessings and minute miracles surround us. . . . And they’re clear to see if we take the time to look: the kindness of a stranger, the concern and care of a loved one, moments of quiet peace and clarity amid heartache and turmoil, the beauty of this magnificent world.

One of the best places to find God’s hand in our lives is in the kind acts of others. . . .

So when someone reaches out with a hand of kindness, think of it as God’s hand. When someone shares a helpful, hopeful, or compassionate word, think of it as God’s voice. When someone expresses genuine love, think of it as God’s love. And above all, when you feel inspired to reach out to others, embrace the opportunity to be God’s hand in their lives.

The more we look for God’s beautiful blessings and minute miracles, the more we will see them—and the more we’ll want to keep looking for them. Imagine the joy and peace that will come as we resolve to see God’s hand in our lives each day.⁷

Brother Newell also said, “Whether you’re a journal keeper or not, there’s great value in pausing and asking, ‘How have I seen God’s hand in my life today?’”⁸

As we focus on recognizing and recording God’s hand in our lives, it becomes easier to see His influence in both the big and small moments. For example, just a few weeks ago my brother Scott took me to a BYU basketball game. For those of you who followed BYU’s exciting run to the Sweet 16, it was the home game against Kansas. While we were enjoying the game, I looked across the arena and saw President and Sister Reese sitting in their row. This sight reminded me of a story from my freshman year at BYU.

After the game I checked my journal and found that on Saturday, December 13, 1985, I attended the BYU versus Pepperdine basketball game with a friend. Here’s what I wrote, but keep in mind that I was eighteen years old at the time:

We got there way early. In the program there was an updated section on those missionaries who are on the BYU team and are on missions now. It was so cool to read about Marty Haws [whom I’d gone to high school with] and Brian Taylor [who is now Elder Brian K. Taylor]. About seven minutes into the game, I looked across the court from us and saw President Jeffrey R. Holland [the BYU president at the time] and his family. I really wanted to have him sign the book he wrote that I’d bought Mom and Dad for Christmas, so my friend and I went back to the dorm, carefully unwrapped the present [that I had waited in line to have hand-wrapped at the BYU Store], ran down the stairs of portal H to the front row, and passed the book with a note in it past the security guard to President Holland. President Holland stood up and waved to me. [He has known my parents for decades.] Then he sat down and wrote the following:

“To Ken and Janet, With best wishes, and thanks for sending Teresa to us, Jeff.”

The book was However Long and Hard the Road.⁹

Although I didn’t specifically write that I recognized God’s hand in my life that evening, reading what I had written brought back the memory of realizing that Heavenly Father knew me.

If you’re not already writing something down each day, start now—begin today. Take a break from doomscrolling and watching social media videos, put your phone down, and write down one way you saw the hand of God in your life that day. At first it might be a bit challenging to break free from your phone habits, but as you make this a daily practice, you’ll begin to write your own story through the lens of God’s love for you. Over time you’ll have countless stories of when you saw and felt God’s hand in your life, and you’ll start to recognize miracles every day.

As you begin to record the moments in which you have seen God’s hand in your life, you may find it becomes a powerful tool for reflecting on your journey. This practice of recording events, experiences, and feelings has a long history of significance. It reminds me of a novel by the Austrian author Peter Handke called Die Wiederholung—or, for those of you who don’t speak “the celestial language” of German,¹⁰ the English title is Repetition. Studying this book in a graduate seminar on contemporary Austrian literature thirty years ago left me with a lasting lesson about the importance of recording life’s events, experiences, and feelings.

The novel follows the journey of Filip Kobal—a young man from Austria’s Slovenian-speaking minority—as he retraces the steps of his long-lost brother who had disappeared years earlier after crossing the border into Yugoslavia. Filip embarks on a quest for identity, memory, and linguistic belonging.

As Filip travels through Slovenia, he immerses himself in the language and culture, reflecting on the significance of words, history, and repetition as a means of understanding himself. His journey becomes one of self-discovery as he gradually finds a sense of connection to his brother and to his ancestral roots. The novel explores themes of language, identity, and the power of storytelling to refine and convey personal memories in a clear and expressive form—one that ultimately fosters connection.

When reflecting on his experience that he hadn’t yet recorded, Filip said:

What I had experienced . . . was not yet a memory. And memory meant not that what-had-been recurred but that what-had-been situated itself by recurring. . . . In being remembered, it first became known to me, nameable, voiced, speakable; accordingly, I look on memory as more than a haphazard thinking back—as work; the work of memory situates experience in a sequence that keeps it alive, a story which can open out into free storytelling [and] greater life.¹¹

By recording his experiences, Filip was able to turn his experiences into recorded memories—and, as a result, I learned that when we record our experiences, they become memories we won’t forget.

Even though I’ve known that I should always notice and recognize the hand of God in my life, there have been times when I have felt that things in my life were happening just because I was in the right place at the right time or because of other circumstances. At times I’ve felt like an imposter or a fraud in different situations when I haven’t felt that I was smart enough, intellectual enough, spiritual enough, or good enough.

During the first year of my master’s program in German literature at BYU—while my dad was serving as president of the Austria Vienna Mission—I eagerly accepted an invitation to be a graduate teaching assistant for the six-month Vienna study abroad program. Later I learned that the department chair had chosen me not because of my strong German proficiency or teaching skills but simply because my family was there and they assumed I’d be willing to go. However, recognizing God’s hand in this experience helped me see that regardless of their reasoning, He had orchestrated this incredible opportunity for me.

Another pivotal moment came when I was admitted to the interdisciplinary PhD program in second-language acquisition and teaching at the University of Arizona. I had been hired for a one-year position at Arizona State University to teach German and to oversee the TAs. During my first semester the dean expressed interest in keeping me on staff but explained that without a PhD, I would need to enroll in a doctoral program to continue teaching. Since ASU didn’t offer a German PhD program that interested me, I began exploring other options. Someone mentioned the PhD program at the University of Arizona in Tucson, so I met with the director—a professor from Germany—to learn more. The program sounded intriguing, so I applied.

While awaiting admission decisions, a French professor at ASU mentioned that the program only accepted about 5 percent of applicants, making my chances seem slim. Despite this, I was admitted. The first semester was challenging yet fulfilling, and I felt I had finally found my true academic path. Later I learned that one key factor in my acceptance was my faculty position at ASU. Since both the University of Arizona and ASU are state institutions, the hope was that if I completed the program, I could contribute to training my language colleagues at ASU.

Throughout my studies I often doubted my intellectual abilities and writing skills compared to those of my peers. However, over time I came to see this experience through a different lens—one that recognized God’s hand in guiding me and in opening doors I hadn’t even known existed. To this day I recognize that if I hadn’t been admitted to and completed this PhD program, I wouldn’t have met my husband, we wouldn’t have our two wonderful children, and we wouldn’t be at BYU today.

By reflecting on these experiences and by recognizing God’s hand in every aspect of my life, I have come to understand that my achievements and opportunities have been made possible through His guidance.

Study Your Patriarchal Blessing

The third method of seeing the hand of God in your life is through studying your patriarchal blessing. Every time you wonder what you should do with your life, study your patriarchal blessing. Every time you want to feel God’s love, read your patriarchal blessing. Your patriarchal blessing is your own personal revelation, and it is scripture just for you.

President James E. Faust, a former member of the First Presidency, taught, “If, through our . . . blessings, we could perceive only a small part of the person God intends us to be, we would lose our fear and never doubt again.”¹²

We learn about our mortal blessings, responsibilities, and warnings in our patriarchal blessing:

A patriarchal blessing is intended to be a road map that helps guide a person through life. . . .

A patriarchal blessing is given by a patriarch, a man called . . . to give such blessings. The patriarch places his hands on the head of the recipient and says the words he receives through divine revelation. The words of the blessing are transcribed so the recipient can have a written copy to study throughout his or her life.¹³

And we have been given this advice:

Those who have received a patriarchal blessing should read it humbly, prayerfully, and frequently. It contains personal revelation and instructions from Heavenly Father, who knows our strengths, weaknesses, and eternal potential. Patriarchal blessings may contain promises, admonitions, and warnings.¹⁴

Our daughter Madeline, who is currently serving in the Hawaii Laie Mission, finds comfort in her blessing and in recognizing God’s presence in her life.

My father, a patriarch, has given our two children their patriarchal blessings. Our daughter received hers on the Saturday of general conference weekend in April 2023. We were overjoyed when, shortly after, both Elder Randall K. Bennett and Elder Kazuhiko Yamashita spoke about patriarchal blessings.¹⁵ Their messages were powerful reminders of God’s hand in our lives.

As you prepare to study your patriarchal blessing, remember that its length does not determine its significance. President Faust taught, “My own blessing is short, and it is limited to perhaps three-quarters of a page on one side, yet it has been completely adequate and perfect for me.”¹⁶

Former prophet Heber J. Grant said:

That patriarch put his hands upon my head and bestowed upon me a little blessing that would perhaps be about one-third of a typewritten page. That blessing foretold my life to the present moment.¹⁷

My father’s patriarchal blessing was brief, and at first he felt it was somewhat generic. However, he later realized the significance of one of the promises. He was told he would play a key role in bringing the gospel to many countries. As a young man he served in the Germany Frankfurt Mission, so he initially thought that promise referred to just two countries: the United States and Germany. But in 1990 he was called to preside over the Austria Vienna Mission. In 1991, Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia were added to his mission, and in 1992 he brought the first missionaries into Albania. Since then, my parents have served in Salzburg, Austria, the Johannesburg South Africa MTC, and Thailand. As a young man, my dad didn’t know what God had planned for him, but God did—and it was all foretold in his patriarchal blessing.

Eldred G. Smith, the last general patriarch of the Church, taught, “A person having received a patriarchal blessing . . . has the first right of interpretation of that blessing.”¹⁸ Your blessing is unique to you. No one can interpret your personal scripture from Heavenly Father the way you can—not your parents, your siblings, your patriarch, or even a General Authority.

In my mother’s blessing, she was promised she would have sons and daughters. When my parents’ first child was born, it was a girl. Then Melinda came—a second girl. After that, Julie, Allison, Mary Jane, and Michelle followed. After she had had six girls, friends and family began suggesting that perhaps her blessing meant she would have sons in the next life or maybe she would have sons-in-law when her daughters married. But my mother remained prayerful and firmly believed that sons would be born to her. She wasn’t surprised when her next child was Scott and the last one was Kurt. She knew what her blessing meant, and she had faith in God’s promise, claiming that blessing with confidence.

I received my patriarchal blessing during my senior year of high school, just a few weeks before my eighteenth birthday. When I first received it, I thought it was really cool, but I didn’t fully understand it. My mother taught me an effective way to understand my patriarchal blessing, and I’m excited to share it with you. Whether you’re young or have had your blessing for years, this approach will work for you.

First, as you study your blessing, pray for the guidance of the Holy Ghost. This kind of studying isn’t like preparing for finals—there’s no stress, no exam, and no right or wrong interpretation. It’s about personal reflection and understanding.

Also, keep in mind that just because something like a mission, marriage, college, or coming forth in the morning of the First Resurrection is not specifically mentioned in your blessing, it doesn’t mean that these events won’t take place. Your blessing is not a comprehensive outline of everything you’ll do in your life. I hadn’t planned on serving a mission, but after a meaningful night of mission stories with my roommates, I decided to go. I served in the Germany Frankfurt Mission, the same mission my dad had served in. My time in Germany shaped the course of my life, influencing my choice of major, my graduate studies, my profession, and my commitment to lifelong service.

Next, to analyze your patriarchal blessing, take three pieces of paper. Label the first one Blessings, the second one Commandments and Responsibilities, and the third one Warnings. Then begin reading your blessing line by line. As you read each line, decide which category that line fits into.

Blessings

Let’s start with the Blessings category. Here are some from my own blessing:

1. I was born of goodly parents. This is a great blessing! Remember, a blessing doesn’t have to include the word bless.
2. I am blessed with the blessings given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
3. I am blessed with great faith.
4. I will be directed to a young man to marry in the temple.

I like to review my Blessings page when I’m having a tough day or need some comfort.

Commandments and Responsibilities

The next page is Commandments and Responsibilities. Commandments and responsibilities are your strengths. Here are four from my blessing:

1. Keep yourself clean and unspotted from the sins of the world.
2. Help at all times to set standards for others to follow.
3. Heed the counsel of your parents.
4. Seek learning at all times.

I like to review this page on fast Sunday, when I feel close to the Spirit and can reflect on my personal commandments and responsibilities.

Warnings

The third page is for Warnings. While commandments and responsibilities highlight our strengths, warnings point out our weaknesses. These warnings offer guidance on areas we should work to strengthen. Sometimes they begin with “If . . .” Here are some examples from my blessing:

1. If you keep yourself clean, you will always have the Spirit.
2. If you are prayerful, the Lord will direct your thinking and actions by His Spirit.
3. Be faithful in order to receive these blessings.
4. Heed your parents’ counsel.

It’s a good idea to read your Warnings page when you’re feeling confident or certain of yourself.

Some statements in your blessing may fit into two or even all three categories. In these cases, list those statements under each relevant category.

Sometimes a scripture may be quoted, either partially or in full. If that happens, take the time to familiarize yourself with the scripture. In my blessing I am instructed to keep myself clean and unspotted from the sins of the world. Two scriptures have helped me better understand this responsibility and what it means for me.

The first is in the New Testament—James 1:27:

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

The second is Doctrine and Covenants 59:9–10:

And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;

For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High.

You may come across short quotes or phrases given specifically to you in your blessing. In mine I’m told, “Be not cast down. Go forward unafraid.” This has become a meaningful reminder in my life. It’s important enough that I could put it on a sticker for my water bottle or laptop, but because it’s so personal to me, I probably won’t.

By studying your patriarchal blessing, you’ll come to recognize how Heavenly Father has blessed you, how He’s blessing you now, and how He will continue to bless you in the future. The meaning of your blessing will evolve at different stages of your life, so make it a habit to study it regularly. This will help you stay aware of your blessings, responsibilities, and warnings, no matter what phase of life you’re in.

In reflecting on the nature of patriarchal blessings, President Faust offered valuable insight about their purpose and the conditions attached to them. He taught:

All blessings are conditional upon worthiness regardless of whether the blessing specifically spells out the qualifications. The patriarchal blessing is primarily a guide to the future, not an index to the past.¹⁹

President Thomas S. Monson beautifully described the significance of patriarchal blessings, emphasizing their role in our eternal journey. He said, “A patriarchal blessing literally contains chapters from your book of eternal possibilities.”²⁰

Choose to Recognize God’s Hand

In conclusion, here are three key takeaways from this devotional on how you can recognize the hand of God in your life:

• The first takeaway is to begin each day with a prayer of gratitude and to end the day with a prayer in which you reflect, repent, and recognize God’s hand in your life.
• The second takeaway is to set aside time each day to write down one way you saw God’s hand in your life that day.
• The third takeaway is to study your patriarchal blessing.

I know that Heavenly Father loves you and that He is actively involved in our lives. Choose today to start recognizing His hand in your life. As you do, you will come to understand His will for you, grow closer to Him and our Savior, and gain a firm assurance that His hand is always with you. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

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