In 2020, President Russell M. Nelson exhorted all members of the Church to “Let God prevail” in their lives. We invited the readership of SquareTwo to tell us how they have been attempting to do so. How has this guidance changed things in your life? We all will profit from your inspiration!
Full Citation for this Article: Editorial Board, SquareTwo Journal (2023) "Reader's Puzzle for Spring 2023," SquareTwo, Vol. 16 No. 1 (Spring 2023), http://squaretwo.org/Sq2ArticleReadersPuzzleSpring2023.html, accessed <give access date>.
Would you like to comment on this article? Thoughtful, faithful comments of at least 100 words are welcome.
I. Rachel Zirkle
A couple years ago, it seemed like one after another extremely stressful, soul-stretching experience was happening in my life. The events alone were trying, but to have them happen simultaneously felt like trying to keep the walls from closing in. On one of those days, while standing bleary-eyed in the bathroom and feeling sorry for myself, I thought the old adage "when it rains, it pours." Immediately after, I felt so strongly the words, "yes it does, so make room for all the blessings."
I've thought a lot about these words since then, and what they've taught me about how Heavenly Father works and what it means to "Let God Prevail" in my life. We often see pouring as a type dumping out of hard times while we struggle to stay afloat, but I believe He sees pouring as an opportunity to rain down blessings, so much so that there won't be "room enough to receive [them]" (Malachi 3:10). With the hard comes amazing good. Often times the experiences that make us want to walk away from gospel truth and find solace somewhere seemingly easier are the ones that were designed to bring us to a new level of faith, joy, and understanding. I think letting God prevail is learning to have eyes to see things as they really are, to not give up and veer off to something easier or more comfortable, but to push through, hold on, become. Often times for me letting God prevail looks like walking paths I wouldn't have necessarily chosen myself and only see the immense beauty and importance of once I'm far down that road. It looks like moving forward when I'm quite content to stay where I am. It looks like taking an active part in the struggle that ultimately leads to that end goal of victory--I think the adversary counteracts this by trying to get us to do nothing, which seems benign, but if we do nothing, how could anyone prevail? I’ve seen throughout my life that when I turn to the Savior and lay my burdens at His feet, all my shortcomings and sorrows are swallowed up in His victory over sin and heartache. The peace found there is letting God prevail in my life.
_______________________________________________________________________II. Stephen Cranney
There are multiple layers to letting God prevail and be the most important thing in our lives. One is the basics like following the commandments and taking our Church callings seriously, while another one is discerning and accepting His will in particular details of your life. The latter can be quite difficult, since it requires being so sensitive to the spirit that the still small voice is able to override your own subconscious desires and expectations which can obscure what exactly He wants you to do. I've felt that in my own life with career choices and where we live geographically, and President Eyring gave a great example of this:
I have come to know some of what King Benjamin meant when he said that we could become like a little child before God. I have learned from many experiences that the Holy Ghost speaks most often in a quiet voice, heard most easily when one’s heart is meek and submissive, like that of a child. In fact, the prayer that works is “I want only what You want. Just tell me what that is. I’ll do it.”
_______________________________________________________________________III. Ashley Alley
Each year I select a mantra, a short sentence or phrase that I frame that year around in terms of my own mindset and the various goals I set for myself throughout. While crafting my mantra for 2023, I felt inspired to use the following: “I trust in the power of letting go.”
I felt strongly that God had been trying to teach me over the last several years that His ways are higher and greater than mine. I had the thought come to mind that “the wheels are in motion, just let it happen…” and an impression that the pieces of His plan were coming together as they should but not all of them had been revealed yet. In the meantime, I needed to stop trying to jam together the miscellaneous pieces I did have already. I needed to cede control; I needed to be still and allow God’s plan to simply continue moving forward. I needed to stop trying to jump ahead, guess the ending, or write the next part myself. I needed to, truly and deeply, trust in the power of letting go.
And so, for the entirety of 2023 so far, I have been trying to trust Him by letting go of my perfectionist tendencies, learning to embrace the uncomfortable and unknown, and turning to Him more fully and completely through both prayer and faith-filled actions.
_______________________________________________________________________IV. V.H. Cassler
After living over six decades now, I’ve become convinced that God knows better than I do. One of the best ways for me, as an individual, to let God’s will prevail, is to learn to step back and watch Him work His special magic without intervention on my part. Yes, there is a time to do, to fix, to act—and I’ve done a lot of that in my life--but there are also times to sit quietly, to pray, and to place a burden in the hands of God. There is a secret work to be done in the heart, and I think that work is the essence of what is meant by President Nelson’s exhortation to let God’s will prevail in our lives.
Further, I think that while we sometimes clumsily miss the mark, even just asking ourselves, “What would God want me to do in this situation?” is a mindset that God values and appreciates. God can work with the person who is continually asking that question. That is especially the case when God’s will means laying aside our “natural man” reactions to circumstances in our lives. Trying to look at the big picture, or taking the perspective of eternity and eternal bonds, is key. It often means stepping outside our comfort zone, and being willing to do so because it is what God wants of us. It requires not only courage, but also devotion to something much higher than our own wills.
Boy, it’s tough! But there is no other path.
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