The Tender Mercies of the Lord

I am over half way finished with my comprehensive exams!  I passed the first one with high marks and am still waiting to hear back on the second exam on Modern Latin America.  Combined between my exams on Tuesday and Friday, I wrote nineteen pages and had to have referenced more than sixty books and authors.  And so at the moment, I have to admit that I can't think of much more than a few lines to write here.

The only things I could think of were a couple of experiences during the exams.  The first experience happened early Tuesday morning.  I woke up around five and after getting ready I thought that I could either study my notes again or study the Book of Mormon.  I quickly reached for the Book of Mormon realizing that there was no other book I needed more that particular day.  My notes might have helped me to remember one more book or one more date, but nothing else was going to provide me with peace and calm like the Book of Mormon and my morning prayers.  When I got into the exam, I took that peace and calm with me and when I opened the envelope with the questions I found the question listed that I was best suited for from the professor I worried the most about.

The second experience happened on Friday as I was writing my answer for my question on the Mexican Revolution.  As I was writing, I realized that I had forgotten the name of a very important figure in the Revolution.  For these exams you are alone in a room with no windows and nobody watching you.  I had my notes in my bag because I had brought them to study over during the hour before the test.  It hit me that I could easily retrieve those notes and find the name I needed.  It was just "one name," and "I had had to memorize a lot of names for these exams."  But my parents did not raise me that way and I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ.  I said a prayer and asked for help in remembering the name.  The answer did not come immediately.  I moved on and wrote another couple of pages.  But after about thirty or forty minutes, the name came into my mind.  It was a testimony to me that the Lord was watching over me.  But even if the name had not come, I'm grateful that I made the decision not to look at my notes.

I don't mean to use these experiences to brag.  They meant far more to me than they will probably mean to anyone else.  They served as reminders to me that the Lord does indeed bless His children with His "tender mercies" according to our faith.  When it became obvious Friday night that I had come down with my traditional November chest cold, these experiences served as reminders that the Lord will bless me if I will continue to strive to do His will.

Brett