ANSWERS TO PRAYERS

This is stake conference weekend for us. I really, really, really enjoy the Saturday session the best. For years James had to go to the 4:00 meeting. I would pick him up and we would go to dinner. Since we moved back to the Joplin Stake we go to Fred and Reds for dinner. This has become tradition for us. Now that he doesn't have to be at the 4:00 meeting we were able to not rush this tradition. We dropped the children off at Grandma Ruby's house and picked up Steve to take him with us. We enjoyed our Spaghetti Red very much. It was great.

There were great talks during this meeting. This is the one meeting that I can pay attention without my children, or many other children, and take everything in. The new Oklahoma City President and his wife spoke along with some other people. The one person that I love to listen to and learn so much from is President Jones. He seems to always talk about something that I need to hear. He breaks it down into the basics and makes it simple. He is an amazing man. I will write what I have learned more for me, but I hope that this will help someone that needs a little insight about this.

President Jones said that he has been asked several times how to recognize answers to prayers. He told us that most of the time the answers are in the scriptures.

Then he explained how time was kept back there. He said that in the night about 6:00 p.m. until about 6:00 a.m. the time was divided into watches. There were four watches.

He explained that in Mark chapter four after the five thousand were fed he sent the disciples out in the boat. In verse 48-49 it says,"And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. But wen they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit..." President Jones said that they were dismissed in the first watch. Jesus watched them toil with rowing and it wasn't until the fourth watch that he walked on the water to them.

Our prayers are answered in the fourth watch, not the first. He said that God is a fourth watch God. He talked about Joseph Smith. When Joseph went to the grove to pray Satan tried to bind him. It was in the last minute that Joseph saw a pillar of light.

Another example that he gave was in Genesis 21. Abraham sent Hagar with bread and a bottle of water. The water was spent. She put the child under the shrub. She prayed and in the 4th watch she was shown where there was water.

President Jones also referenced Isaiah 65:24, "And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." He said that Heavenly Father knows our needs and knows what we are going to ask before we ask.

What if the 4th watch doesn't come? President Jones said that sometimes it takes a long time. He talked about Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail. He was there for five months. When he was there for four months God answered him. Doctrine and Covenants 121:7 "My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;" Joseph was in Liberty Jail for another month before being released.

President Jones also said that sometimes things don't change. Sometimes it is us that need to change. We need to ask ourselves what we can learn from this.

President Jones referenced 2 Nephi 2. I think it is Verse 11, he never said, but it goes with what he said. If anyone that was there knows what verse it is please let me know. But he said that there needs to be suffering. He read out of a book by President Kimball. He said that if every prayer was answered, if every sick person was healed there would be no suffering and learning.

I always get so much from President Jones talks and am grateful to be able to have my cup filled by a man of God. I realized what I need to work on and what things I am doing great at. Sometimes we beat ourselves up not realizing that Heavenly Father loves us and doesn't want us to beat ourselves up.