The Prayer That Helped Elder Renlund Cope with his Wife’s Cancer
During the Relief Society Worldwide Devotional this weekend, Elder Dale G. Renlund shared a personal experience of finding faith in the power of God’s covenants while his wife, Ruth, was facing cancer treatment more than 40 years ago.
During her first hospitalization, I felt devastated and struggled to pray. I felt like my prayers weren’t reaching heaven.
But everything changed one night when Ruth prayed a simple but powerful prayer. Her words reminded him of the power of temple covenants and gave him strength to endure the trial with greater peace. He explained:
I will never forget how she began her prayer: ‘Heavenly Father, we thank you for the power of the priesthood that makes it possible for us, no matter what happens, to be together forever.
At that moment, the barrier he felt between God and him disappeared.
As Ruth’s prayer ascended to heaven, the doctrine of eternal families passed from my mind to my heart.
Through temple covenants, they found peace amidst uncertainty.
Elder Renlund compared his wife’s prayer to counsel from President Russell M. Nelson:
When you seek the power of the Lord in your life with the same intensity with which a drowning person seeks air, the power of Jesus Christ will be yours.”
Thus Ruth prayed, and that power came, he testified.
Where does the power of covenants come from?
Just as divine power sustained the Renlund family during that difficult time, it is also available to all of us. “No matter where you are, this power is for you,” Elder Renlund assured.
He explained that we access “greater power” by making and keeping covenants with God, but clarified:
Baptismal and temple covenants are not in themselves the source of power. The Lord Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father are the source of all covenant power.
Finally, he testified that if we pray to understand how to access this power, especially in relation to the temple endowment, we can receive personal revelation and strength.
The power of the temple will help you heal if you have been hurt, broken, or crushed in any way. You can call upon the powers of heaven to receive revelation and understand the doctrine of Christ.
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