More than Coincidence: Remembering Jesus Christ in Your Story

Christ Relentlessly Pursued Me with Sierra

• Lily • Season 1 • Episode 34

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Have you ever felt like you wanted to grow closer to Christ but don’t know where to start? Our guest, Sierra Larson, shares how her pivotal experience at a fireside with Elder Bednar brought a renewed sense of direction and clarity by highlighting the importance of choosing Christ and His covenant path despite life's temptations. Sierra’s story is a moving testament to the power of feeling pursued by the Lord and the joy that comes from spiritual rebirth.

We wrap up by exploring the simplicity of gospel living, warning against the dangers of perfectionism, and how reflecting on our powerful covenant relationships with Christ enable us to produce miracles and become spiritually reborn in Him.

Please reach out to me if you are interested in sharing your story! I would LOVE to hear from you. :)

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**Transcripts available on website!

Speaker 1:

Hello everyone and welcome to More Than Coincidence, remembering Jesus Christ in your Story as the author and finisher of our faith, our Savior writes personal experiences into each of our lives which can later strengthen, empower and bring us peace upon reflection. This podcast is dedicated to sharing these anchoring memories from everyone's unique stories in order to collectively remember and testify of the reality of Jesus Christ and his presence in our lives. I'm your host, lily, and I'm very excited to share these experiences together. Good evening everybody. Tonight we have Sierra on the podcast. How you doing Great, hi, welcome, welcome. Would you mind introducing yourself for everybody?

Speaker 2:

Sure, my name is Ciara Larson. I currently live in Tampa, florida. I'm in the Brandon Stake. I'm serving as the Stake Relief Society president right now. Um I am in the air force, uh, serving with the chaplain corps, and I am. I am also a therapist, so um I'm a licensed clinical social worker. I specialize in trauma and um I see clients in illinois and also in florida via telehealth. So I really love doing that.

Speaker 2:

Wife and mom of three, I have three kids, yeah, nolan, hazel and Marcy, so they're five, three and one, and I love tacos if anybody that knows me knows that Sierra loves tacos Me too. Tacos are the best my main thing, like I yeah, I literally just like ate three of them just now. I love tacos. That's awesome. That's like yeah, so yeah, that's me.

Speaker 1:

I super appreciate you taking the time to chat with me and I'll just ask you the question, Sierra what memories do you have in your life that you reflect on, that prick your heart and remembrance of our Savior Jesus Christ and anchor you to him?

Speaker 2:

Okay.

Speaker 2:

So yeah, there's always a story that I tell and I love telling it because it's just so incredible to me and I love telling it because it's just so incredible to me.

Speaker 2:

I'll start by bringing up I think it was Elder Kieran at a general conference that said you know, the Lord is in relentless pursuit of you, and I loved that. I wrote this whole song on it because it just pricked my heart, like you said, like, and I just and I think it has so much to do with my story and realizing that you know, I I was pursued, like you know, as a child of God, and so I was born in the church. My grandma was a, was the convert in the family, so she joined the church in Chicago Heights back in I think the 70s, and so that was just amazing, you know, at the time, like she joined the church and my family, you know, stayed in, and so I was raised in the gospel. I've always had a testimony of, you know, christ and of Heavenly Father, and I feel like the world just wants to tell us like, oh, you need money to be happier.

Speaker 2:

You need to be in this relationship to be happy. You need to be noticed and you know all of these things to be happy. And so I just felt like I guess kind of like wayward, I guess I don't know. I felt like I was in the church, you know I was doing my best, but at the same time, like I just still I was like one foot in, one foot out, like I want like almost like two different lives, you know, yeah, and it just really got to a point where I had to choose and I knew I wanted to choose Christ.

Speaker 2:

Like I knew, like I'm like the line, the lines are splitting. Which side do I?

Speaker 1:

go and I'm like I want to be over there with Christ.

Speaker 2:

But I just like, didn't know how, like, I was really trying, but I'm just like I don't know where to start, like I want to go do the whole Jesus thing.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, no exactly, but I just didn't know where to start. Like I want to go do the whole.

Speaker 2:

Jesus thing? Yeah, no, exactly, but I just didn't know how to start, you know, and it was. It was great because I went to a fireside and I was living here in Illinois, so, but I live in, I lived in Southern Illinois, so it's right by Missouri, and so I think it was like the St Louis stake at the time had Elder Bednar come for a YSA like Q&A thing. This was years ago, I think, 2011, 2012. And so I decided to go. I was still on the fence but I was like I never really met an apostle before, like I didn't grow up in Utah, so I'm like I don't, I never really met an apostle before, like I didn't grow up in Utah, so I'm like I don't know, this is kind of cool.

Speaker 1:

I've been in Utah a long time and I haven't met an apostle either, so you're good.

Speaker 2:

I don't know in my head.

Speaker 1:

They're all just like walking around when everybody gets to see them all the time.

Speaker 2:

You know that's funny, so so for me it was going to be really exciting to see you know an apostle and um, I just had this really distinct impression like you need to prepare to go to this, and I was like okay, so I like did my best like I, you know, prayed and like tried, you know, to be prepared.

Speaker 2:

I got there early, I sat down and, right, you know, just kind of meditated and pondered and and um, oh man, I remember when he walked in, there was this like presence. You felt like the spirit so strong, but you also felt like that this is an apostle like this, this man has like authority, like this is an apostle like. And you felt that when he walked in and um, I remember everyone's like asking their questions, um, there were a bunch of like really good questions asked and he was answering them just so well. And um, there was um a question he, they, they had asked like different things about, um, just like the church and policies, and like what's this like, what's that? That's like. I remember that one question someone asked was like what's it like to see Christ?

Speaker 2:

and he was like, well, you know, if you have a relationship with him, you'd know you wouldn't have to ask me that you'd know what it's like to be in his presence, something like that. I hope I didn't misquote him. That's really interesting. So that was yeah, it was so powerful. And the theme for me that night was that our generation, like you guys, are going to do this work. You guys are going to like you're so important to the work. You got to do all of these things. You have this great work to do and I had already had my patriarchal blessing, so I knew that I had this like role. Like I knew that I was supposed to do this thing right and I wasn't sure what it was, but I knew I had this work to do right and so I was just like I get that I'm supposed to be doing this work, but I don't know how, so I just like raised my hand and I stood up in front of.

Speaker 2:

In my head it was like hundreds of people. It probably wasn't that full, but, remembering it, it was like full.

Speaker 2:

A bunch of people and it was like thousands of people and I'm just standing there with my mic. I don't know who, whomever was there, but I'm standing there and I just like I asked this question. I'm like we know we're supposed to do this work, but like, where do we start? Yeah, and it was like I just remember his eyes. I can see him now, like I remember his eyes, like staring into my soul, and I like I was so uncomfortable because I was like don't look at my soul right now.

Speaker 2:

He sees me. He sees me, you know, but it was so. It was so powerful, but it was also loving, yeah, and he looked at me and said, sierra, what I'm about to tell you you already know, but you need to be a good girl. And I was like, oh, my goodness, and he's. He went on to tell me, like, you need to be a good girl and it's through your example that you're going to be able to like, share, you know this witness of Christ and you're going to be able to go and and serve and, um, do all of these like incredible things and preach the gospel to a world, and your children are going to serve and your children are going to just do all of these amazing things. I'm not married at this time.

Speaker 2:

Like oh, and so little like why is a me is like. I get married, I have kids, which I knew but it was just nice to hear an apostle say that like prophesy over my life I like that's literally what it was.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's like, it's like a second patriarchal blessing. Basically is what that sounded like it really?

Speaker 2:

was and some things were almost quoted like it was very, it was so powerful, wow, and I just remember that and I just remember him telling me like Siri, you need to be a good girl, and I liken it like you know, paul, on the road to Damascus right like it was just such a like extreme intervention for me of like, no, like God was like I know you, I see you, I know that you're willing.

Speaker 2:

This is what I need you to do right like I need you to like leave this behind and I need you to become someone else. Yeah, and I was totally willing to do that. I just didn't know how. And when he said, like you need to be a good girl, I was like, oh okay, so I'll just do that. Because right before and and not that I you know I think I just was like really cherry picking my you know my commandments, you know I don't know how to say that, but there were some that I was like this is a serious commandment, I'm gonna keep this one. But there were others that I was like this is a serious commandment, I'm going to keep this one, but there were others.

Speaker 1:

I'm like that's just a suggestion, right, right.

Speaker 2:

For me, being a good girl just meant like no, like everything, all the commandments Right. Oh, you meant all of them, and obviously I probably sound so ditzy right now, but like I was like no, oh, you mean all of them, all of them, and I was like yeah, oh, you mean all of them. All of them mean I was like, yeah, no, all of them, right, okay, um, but I remember too going up to like shake his hand, and I never felt more uncomfortable in my entire life, like I didn't want to look at him.

Speaker 2:

I just like I was so uncomfortable because I was just like you know and I I knew that if I were to die that day, that's how I would feel in the Lord's presence, and I wasn't okay with that.

Speaker 1:

Wow, that's really interesting.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and I just was like you know, not you know, and so it was just from then on I was like, okay, I wasn't you know, I wasn't like I wish I could be. Like, yeah, the next day I was just just like the saint and I never did anything wrong, but it was just like the start of the process for me.

Speaker 1:

Exactly.

Speaker 2:

And that process was so beautiful because it was like striving. It wasn't so much like all at once, but it was just like you know, um, president Nelson says the Lord loves effort. Like I was putting effort into being obedient, I was, instead of just like kind of doing whatever, like I was intentional about keeping the commandments I was intentional about my prayers.

Speaker 2:

I was intentional about, you know, becoming somebody else, becoming someone in Christ, and that intention really just led me on this amazing journey and just deepened my relationship with Christ so much. So then, not too long after that, I ended up graduating early, uh. So I graduated uh undergrad in three years and I took that fourth year and I had felt really inspired to move out to Las Vegas, which I'm like. I feel like I'm the only person in the world that's ever been inspired to move to Las. Vegas.

Speaker 2:

I promise it was of the Lord, but it was, and it was an amazing experience um being out there. But it also taught me, like you know I had, I still had some ways to go, like I still had a ways to go and um were you just working out there or like what?

Speaker 1:

like I was working, it was like an internship that took you there.

Speaker 2:

No, no like, literally, I graduated on a Saturday, um, and then, no, I graduated, I think, on a Thursday or Friday. Saturday I like had a graduation party and I think Sunday I went to church, I got a blessing and me and another friend like hopped in the car with two suitcases and like moved out west.

Speaker 2:

Like it was so wild but it was so divine, like when I tell you there were so many miracles. I should have been homeless so many times out there. There were so many miracles that, yeah, and I love it. So this is such a like side story, but it's coming to mind in because I guess father's day is tomorrow but so one of the one of the like miracles that ended up happening.

Speaker 2:

I didn't have a car when I was out there and I had this job interview. I had gotten a ride out, but I was going to take the bus back. I'm terrible at public transportation. I got lost on this bus bus system. I had, like my phone was dying.

Speaker 2:

I was calling my mom, who called my uncle, who called a family, an old family friend that was a neighbor to my family a long time ago, um, who ended up somehow, by some miracle, finding me um, because my phone died, found me, picked me up, we went. He fed me, fed me, he went, we went to fridays and then, um, we went, he, he took me back and he's like let just borrow one of my cars. Like you can borrow my car until your car gets here, because I was getting a car shipped out. He's like you can borrow one of my cars right and I was like, oh my gosh, and like, just such a good family friend and him, him and my grandma actually ended up getting married. Yay, so like and I mean it was like I want to say eight years, seven or eight years later, because he asked me about her.

Speaker 2:

Then he was like how's your grandma, don't worry about it, like you're not gonna like talk to my grandma, but it was like meant to be yeah, they got married, oh man. I think they've been married maybe two or three years now yeah, I think they're coming up on there. Yeah, so it's just like crazy. Like going out there was so inspired because that was always the story about him like my grandma knew that he like took good care of his granddaughter he had no, he had no reason to otherwise, you know. But now just I know, got him some points. I think that's so they're married.

Speaker 2:

That's legit yeah, that has nothing to do with anything that I'm talking about, but it's just an amazing story.

Speaker 1:

But I feel like that's just part of the web, isn't it Like it was this one random thing that was like a ministering angel that happened to be a blessing in your life and now in your grandma's life. But I feel like that's how God works, isn't it? Absolutely, it's like these random little things that you're like, but I feel like that's that's how God works, isn't it? It's like these random little things that you're like. I have this really funny story and Jesus is like yeah, I plan that definitely, definitely so.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, we call him Gramps, so shout out to Gramps. He'll probably listen to this, but yeah so fun yeah, so, yeah. So then, um, so I'm out in Vegas, I'm working. Um, I used to be one of those people that are like in the Sam's Club, like the people you don't try not to make eye contact with because there's so many stuff, yeah, right which was also super awesome because it made me like not afraid I ended up serving a mission.

Speaker 2:

this is kind of spoiler alert to the end of the story, but it I'm maybe not afraid to knock doors Like I could go up to anybody and talk to anybody, because I literally was sitting there for hours a day talking to people as they walked by trying to sell these like hair straighteners and pierogies and stuff Right right.

Speaker 2:

It was an amazing experience and it definitely prepared me for a mission. But anyway, going back of how I just ended up going on a mission was so I had been doing that. I think I ended up leaving that job. I found another job. But I got my degree in psychology. I knew I always wanted to be a therapist. My plan was always to have a private practice and so I was like do I go to UNLV? What do I like? Have a private practice? Um, and so I was like do I go to UNLV? What do I like? Where do I go? What do I do? Do I get this job? Do I stay here? Do I um, go on a mission? Like, what do I do? So I went to the temple, because that's where I go when I have big questions and um.

Speaker 2:

I love the temple, I love the temple. I just such like, just like a plug into Like it's just like an amazing place.

Speaker 2:

So I was in the Las Vegas temple and I was doing baptisms and I was just kind of sitting just looking at the baptistry. I don't even think I did baptisms that day, I don't think I could. I think it was in between, like shifts at work or something. But I think I think it was in between, like shifts at work or something. Um, but I think I just did confirmation.

Speaker 2:

So I'm just sitting there like praying, trying to figure out what I want to do, and um, a temple worker came in and was like hey, like who are you, you know, talking? And all of a sudden she just goes have you ever thought about serving a mission? And I was like, actually, like I filled out my papers once but I never finished. Yeah, and she was like you should really like think about serving a mission. I was like, okay, I'll think about it. And so then I'm just sitting there praying, like whatever you do. And then a second one comes up, like later, and it's just like everything's not about survey admission you're like you might have had to tell me twice, but you don't need to tell me three times.

Speaker 1:

I'll go finish my paper.

Speaker 2:

That's so cool. That's what I did. I like went home and finished paperwork, um, and it was awesome. It was the best experience ever. Yeah, I, uh, I went um. There's so many things that like got me on my mission too. I went, ended up going um.

Speaker 2:

So my, so my mom and my, my uh, my dad, dad, so I have my dad, my dad, dad, my dad dad, um, and my mom are divorced um and so, um, he's not a member and so he and he hasn't really been a big fan of the church at this time, like before my mission and stuff, and um, I was always just like, oh, I'm gonna have to tell him I'm going to mission, he's not gonna support it.

Speaker 2:

Um, and I ended up telling him it was just like such a miracle that he like flew out to Vegas and like we did this like epic road trip, like across like he brought me all the way back to Illinois and helped me get my stuff, like um, I stayed with him for a couple weeks before I left and it was just really like he was just so supportive he was, so I was so surprised because I was so like. I was like, oh, no, he's not gonna.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I was so worried, but no, he's just so supportive, which was to me. It was so like I was like, oh no, he's not gonna. Yeah, I was so worried, but no, he's just so supportive, which was to me. It was just like a huge miracle. And then it ended up um, because I was, you know, I was working, but I was working commissions and stuff, so it wasn't like.

Speaker 2:

I was making a ton of money out there, and so my my dad, um, and my like, and my mom the ones that are married still, um and my grandma, all were, like we'll, we'll pay for your mission. Like, just go, we'll pay for it wow and when I went, all three of them, for some reason or another, got like a promotion or a job or something that they were making like 20 percent more than what they were making for all three of them like it was just like the most incredible thing they were making, like 20 percent or whatever more.

Speaker 2:

They got like raises and all of this stuff while I was gone, um, because they were paying permission, so it was like a really cool thing.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, um, but yeah, I served oh, sorry, I was about to ask you where you served in the dominican republic.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, santiago mission. So I, oh my goodness, everyone thought I was dominican. I'm not dominican, um, uh, like by blood. I say I'm dominican by heart, but not by blood. But but I love the dr. The people are amazing. I was in the most amazing areas um, my first area was like mal, and then I went to porto plata about now navarrete, like all of just the most beautiful places in the world and the most amazing people, such um, just amazing christians, like it's a very christian country, um, and that's it's really cool to see everybody just like praising christ.

Speaker 2:

You know, all the time like you know, and like just so unapologetic, just like completely like yeah, like anything. They'll say. They're like how, how are you today? They're like thank the lord, I'm doing great.

Speaker 1:

Like you know like cool, yeah, like in one.

Speaker 2:

you know, in spanish they're just like oh, every, every day is just the Lord gives me blessings. It's just the way that, in the way that they talk, the way that they are, so it's the best mission in the world. They actually just made it into two missions now, so that's been pretty cool, but, yeah, there are so many miracles on my mission that just were amazing. Um, the biggest thing about my mission, though, I will say because, like I said earlier, you know there's. So the world says like you need this to be happy, you need that, you need, you know all of these things, but on your mission, all of that gets taken away, like, yeah, you know, you have no money, you know you don't have you're like not dating you're, you know you're not like.

Speaker 2:

All of that stuff is gone.

Speaker 2:

And you're left with Jesus, like that's all you got Right. That was such a blessing for me, though, because I had never been happier. You know, it was just me and Christ, and even though my mission was really hard, I will say that, like my mission, I got my appendix out. My mission I don't know how much of this. I had a medical issue, yeah, um, and we don't know what it was, so it was never diagnosed as anything so I have to be careful about this, because um it was never like diagnosed as anything.

Speaker 2:

Um, they couldn't figure out what it was right um, what I think it probably was after like researching later, was an electrolyte imbalance from like a stomach thing that I had, um, but basically like kind of died a little bit yeah, I died on my mission, but it's okay, I came back.

Speaker 1:

It was like it was just for a second. My pulse came back, you know, but I think it's so symbolic, but it's okay, I came back to life. It was just for a second.

Speaker 2:

My pulse came back, you know. But I think it's so symbolic. I think it's so symbolic because you know we're supposed to die right Like we're supposed to be spiritually reborn through. Christ. Exactly, yes, exactly, you literally had that on your mission. Yeah, it was such a representation of that for me because I did not come back the same person at all.

Speaker 2:

Like at all, like if anyone's known me before my mission and knew me after, like I'm not the same person at all and I'm so grateful for that. It's been such like a journey and just the Lord, just like the love he just loves me so much and it it was my mission was such an example to me of like the power of being obedient and having faith, like those two things right, because if you're obedient, you know obedience brings blessings. Right, but like what it does is it gives you access to the spirit. Because the things that God asks you to do, it's not just like because he feels like asking you to do it, it's because those are the things that will offend the spirit. Like if you or that, or you know what I mean like if you're doing those things, it's gonna offend the, the spirit, right, right. And so he asks you not to do them.

Speaker 2:

And so when I wasn't doing the things that would offend the spirit and I'm just focused on doing all of the things that you know heavenly father asked me to do, right, I just had, I was just full of the spirit and I could make decisions easier, I could speak by the spirit, I could like act, you know in a way, and you know as the as a missionary have, the ways that I was able to pray in faith and over people and and those things and the delegated authority. I had to do that and the power that came from that was amazing, like when President Nelson I have such a strong testimony of women that can um that he said uh, I think it was plea to our sisters that we need women that can call down the powers of heaven and realize miracles. I hope I didn't misquote that. I'm a really bad quoter but go and look at it.

Speaker 2:

But I mean, it's something to that effect. It's the essence. Yeah, you got it. Yeah, that's the essence of it, right, but just I learned how to do that on my mission. I learned how that faith to like, that faith and obedience to just call down the powers of heaven, to minister to other people and no matter what it is. And I've used that ever since, like I came back from my mission, I've used it in my callings, I've used that in chaplaincy, I've used that, you know, in so many ways and it's been so powerful. It's been like I can't even I could fill three podcasts of all the miracles that I've seen, you know just over, miracles and blessings over my kids, miracles and blessings over other people, my covenantal relationship with Christ, because I've gotten more joy within that relationship and I've become a person that I appreciate and enjoy and love way more within that relationship. I don't really like myself outside of it Anytime.

Speaker 2:

I feel, like I'm like not praying enough, or you know, not not praying enough, but like when I feel disconnected from the Lord. I'm like oh, sierra, you're kind of a grump, like you're not really that fun for me to be around myself you know.

Speaker 2:

But when I am, you know, when I'm praying and and and not praying just to pray, but praying to have that close relationship, to talk and to stay connected with the Lord, like when I'm in that space, it is joyful. It's so joy it doesn't matter what's going on in my life, like I'm still able to feel joy upon the circumstance, but it's a joy that overcomes any darkness and any hard time, because I know that the Lord lives and I know that he loves me and I know that he's there for me and I know that you know it's going to be okay and it's going to work out in whatever way it needs to, because the Lord, you know is there yeah.

Speaker 2:

And I have that, that trust, but my mission really built that trust and I've been able to use that. But kind of going back to my point of like being a different person, so I think it was not this last chaplain conference, so like I don't know if you know this, but every October during general conference they do like a like chaplain conference, which I never knew yeah, so you get like extra conference, which is really cool, so if you ever think about being a chaplain.

Speaker 2:

That's like one perk you can like even if you're a spirituality in October.

Speaker 2:

Oh my goodness oh my goodness, it's amazing. And so we had, um, elder Irene come and speak to us and after we got to go up and shake his hand and, oh my gosh, it was the most amazing thing because now I'm like, I'm in my uniform, you know, I go up and I shake his hand and I just look into his eyes. I'm like one, I can look into his eyes. That's a change. That's a change. It was such a change and but I felt so comfortable there, like it was just I was able, for like a split second, to just feel like love and joy and peace and warmth all in, like this. The time it took to shake his hand and walk away right and like, you know, like he started, like he was tearing up, I was tearing up, I was tearing up, like it was, but it was just like just one second. But it was the most amazing experience because it was such a contrast to when I met Elder Bednar. Yes, not that Elder Bednar is amazing, but I just wasn't.

Speaker 1:

But it was. It was you that changed, it was me.

Speaker 2:

Right.

Speaker 1:

It was you, in a spiritually different place.

Speaker 2:

Completely. I was, I was, I was completely a different person. I'm a completely different person, you know, and and I think you know, I this last, come follow me. I know people are listening to this later, but we just did Alma five Right, and just listening to it, like, have you been spiritually born again of Christ? Like, yeah, I have, and if so, can you feel so now? Yeah, I still do, and it's so joyful and I get so excited about that and I just, and so then, at this point, like I just want to share that, you know, like I would want to say, like, you know, everybody can have this, everybody can just start fresh, can be someone different, doesn have to be defined or by their past or you know who they were. Like, they get to be new and they get to be new in Christ and I think that's what a relationship with Jesus Christ does is it completely changes you to become this person that you never even imagined you'd be. I never. I didn't so much know what a chaplain was you know growing up Like.

Speaker 2:

I don't know what that is Like. I never wanted to serve a mission. I got out of my patriarchal blessing and I looked at my grandma, um that you know, the one that converted and um, I looked at her and I was like how am I supposed to do all this without serving a mission? I'm not going, yeah.

Speaker 2:

I definitely went um. The answer is I wasn't gonna do all that without serving a mission, but that was okay. Um, but yeah. So I just really appreciate the gospel for personally, what it's done for me, because I feel like I am a this this is sounds weird, but I feel like I'm one of God's miracles. Because if if he, like changing water to wine was his first miracle and everyone was like, oh, like you completely changed a whole person inside and out.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, exactly, and he literally can do that with everybody, with everyone like and and like we don't deserve.

Speaker 2:

I didn't deserve it. Like it's just so humbling, it's like you love me that much, you love me so much, you sent an apostle yeah, literally an apostle to come like get me back on the right path. Like that to me, when you know elder kieran says like he's in relentless pursuit of you, like that to me is relentless pursuit yeah like he will stop at nothing if you're open and willing, all he can't change your will, that's the only thing he can't do.

Speaker 2:

Like, you have to be willing. And if you are even a little bit even willing to be willing, right like yeah, if you even have a desire to believe, right like, willing to be willing he can work with that.

Speaker 1:

Did you plant the seed? Have you planted the seed in the good soil? Are you nurturing the good soil right?

Speaker 2:

exactly, exactly. So, yeah, that's my story that's.

Speaker 1:

That's amazing. Well, I had I had just so many thoughts while you were talking. I should have wrote them all down. My first thought was I love how you were talking about being able to be in a space to have the spiritual clarity to I don't know, to call down the powers from heaven, like to me.

Speaker 1:

That's something that I've really been pondering about. At least, when President Nelson talks about it, he make it seem really simple. I feel like whenever I think about it or I try and like study it, I'm like, oh man, like I really want to understand this, and I think the fact that you're saying no, I'm still able to do these kinds of things within my covenantal relationship with Christ, I think is really powerful. Kinds of things within my covenantal relationship with Christ, I think is really powerful. And do you have, do you have any other kind of like thoughts or things you might want to share specifically about that? Because I think that that is something really important that a lot of women need to know and to hear is when we are in that covenant relationship with Christ, there is power and that we can produce miracles, you know, if it's his will.

Speaker 2:

So um, first thing, I would say, like, just exactly how I like, how I do it, I don't know Like, for me, I feel like, first have the spirit and don't offend it. If you're going to have the spirit and when I say have the spirit, I like to think of it like you're hosting, like you're inviting the spirit over to your house you need to be a good host. You can't have, like the music that's going to offend it. You can't have, you know, whatever in your home that's going to offend this really important guest because it's going to leave, right, or he's going to leave, you know, right, or he's gonna leave, you know.

Speaker 2:

And so I try and think like that and try and keep my myself like in a place where I can feel the spirit when I need, when I need it, like I or try, and you know, have it as much as I can. And from there I just listen and I say what do you want me to do? Like, where are we? What do we need? And um, I've had just really powerful experiences where it's like um, I've learned, if I'm ministering to someone or if I'm talking to someone, I pray for them. They tell me they need something. I ask. I've asked people in the airport before.

Speaker 2:

It's been really awkward, but I'm like, hey, it's kind of nice though, to be a chaplain, because people expect you to be, like you know, churchy, I guess so it's not like out of norm, like that's like who you are and it's who I am anyway, but like it, it just kind of helped me, so I would, I would was talking to someone at the airport, mentioned that I'm a chaplain, um, they were going to like basic um. I was like, can I pray with you? Like can I pray for you? Um, and so just like praying with people because that's something I've learned too like working with other denominations, like if we say like, oh okay, well, I'll keep you in my prayers, other people will pray, like other churches is like my holy envy. Like other people will be like we're praying now. Like we're praying now.

Speaker 2:

I pray in hospitals all the time, like, and it's just like I love it because there was, oh, I'll give you an example. So there I was, in the hospital. My kids have asthma, so I'm in the hospital a lot. They're fine, everyone's fine, but we just have to go to the ER a lot. So I'm in the hospital with one of my kids I can't even remember who it was and I hear this lady crying in the bathroom talking about how much pain she's in and she's like this person, like the doctors can't figure it out and and she's crying and I'm like, oh, I'll pray for her and I keep trying to leave and the spirit's like go back.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I'm like but, she's in the bathroom and I don't want to tell like this is like go back, go back. And I'm like, but, but I don't want that. It's like, no, you. I was like, okay, okay, I'm gonna stop being willful, I'm gonna start being willing. I'm like, okay, I'll wait. And I just knock on the door and I'm like, hey, you know, I heard your conversation is um, and I like to say this just because it makes me feel comfortable. But I was like you know, um, you know, I heard your conversation, um.

Speaker 2:

I might have said I'm a chaplain maybe I didn't, but I was just like um, can I pray with you? Can I pray for you? And she's like, oh, my gosh, yes, she's on the phone. She's like this lady just came in and she's gonna pray for me. And so we just prayed. And then she was like I was getting ready to leave. She's like, nope, I'm praying for you now. And then she's like praying over my daughter and like everything or no, I think it was my son that was sick, I, I don't know Whatever, but yeah, it was my son.

Speaker 2:

He had this leg thing and I actually really was freaked out. If it was asthma, I probably would have been okay, but he had something. He's fine, but he had this thing with his leg and she prayed for me and it was just such a powerful experience. But it was like such a prayer of faith and healing and I don't, you know, I don't know, I can't, I wish I could be like. Yeah, I ran into her later and she was completely healed, like I didn't, I don't know, but I have faith that she would like she was comforted.

Speaker 2:

I know she was comforted and she probably was healed Like she could have been, you know, and asking like okay, and like you kind of just listen for what that person needs, and then you say it and you have faith that like god's gonna give it to them. And obviously I'm not laying hands, I'm not like, I'm very, I'm not like doing all of the priesthoody things, I'm not putting oil on or whatever right, but it's a prayer in faith asking for, like listening to the spirit and praying in faith and asking for what that person needs and having faith that, as an obedient covenant keeping person in in the gospel and in the, you know doing what I'm supposed to be doing and in the, you know doing what I'm supposed to be doing, being led by the spirit that those things like will be granted by the lord, if it has, if it's his will, right, right, I don't know how different.

Speaker 2:

I've never given a priesthood blessing.

Speaker 2:

I don't know. I can only ask my husband, but I've talked to him about it and he's like, yeah, it feels pretty much like that. I don't know, I'm not saying that that's like a priesthood blessing or anything like that, but I am saying that it's still powerful. I am saying that it's still possible for us as women with faith and keeping our covenants, being obedient, doing all the things we're supposed to, to be able to bless people's lives in a way that isn't superficial, but in a way that is so powerful that you know can calm the storms of the sea, that can heal the sick, that the lame can walk, that you know comfort and the spirit and the power of heaven can be upon the people that we're praying for in a way that I don't think that we all fully grasp collectively, um, and maybe we do, I don't mean to generalize, but I think collectively. If we understood that, what could we do in this world? Yeah, right, like we collectively, as women, really exercise that to its fullest potential and went out and ministered in that way.

Speaker 2:

Right, it's powerful, it's really powerful and you know there will be so many blessings and miracles upon the earth. I love the. There was a talk where he was talking about like how people were raised from the dead. Do you remember?

Speaker 1:

that one? Yeah, it was from this past conference.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, and I was like, yeah, I believe that, like, I believe that that happened and I believe that that still happens, and I believe that, like I believe that that happened and I believe that that still happens, and I believe that there are angels, I believe that people are miraculously healed, the way that Christ, you know, just touched the garment and she was and it dried up and it when healed, you know, and by his word, you know, I, you know, by his word it's healed and and I know that that's true, I know it and and you know, as we continue to build faith in that, you know and have faith that that can be possible and that is not only something that men have access to, but we as women can, can access that as well. Yeah, and in that way, you know, listening to the spirit, being led by the spirit, praying with faith and calling down the powers of heaven right um, by the spirit.

Speaker 2:

You know, as we do, that we'll see more of those kinds of miracles throughout the earth right, and we can be ministering angels yeah, yeah, go ahead.

Speaker 1:

Well, one of my thoughts I was thinking as you were talking about that is do you feel like we maybe over complicate the gospel then and that that is kind of something that is a pavilion that kind of covers us and blocks us from this true potential? Because as I'm sitting here listening to you say all these things, I'm like man, like I really wish, I really wish I could do these things, but I'm sure, in order to do that, I have to read my scriptures for two hours a day, I have to pray for X amount of time and really like, how do you really give your prayers this intention that you're talking about? How do I really, you know if, oh my gosh, ministering so hard? You know, I feel like there are so many things that we feel kind of go into what makes us spirit, what makes a spiritual person, or what gives us, what qualifies us, I guess, for that, in order for us to have all of these blessings, does that make sense?

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah. So you feel like you're complicating it too much, or maybe it it it actually does require a lot of energy, or maybe it's just a little more nuanced than that. Like this is something I've been pondering about because I feel like for me, I'm a really perfectionistic person. I have I'm a really a type. I have a lot of tendencies where it's like, yeah, gold, participation trophies, yeah, I don't do those.

Speaker 1:

It's like I'm either in with Jesus or I'm out and today, if I didn't get all this stuff in that I want to do for Jesus, then I'm a failure right, yeah, so I know, for me, in my own world, I kind of complicate things and I feel like when I, when I see the world from that way, I don't have hope or I don't have faith that I can access these miracles. That you're, that you're talking about so what would you say to someone like me who's like yeah, you know what?

Speaker 2:

that sounds nice, but yeah, so I okay so many things, so I get that's a whole another podcast you probably do again. But, um, I actually so I'm a therapist and I actually see a lot of members who struggle with like perfectionism and stuff, right. Um, and I I'll say this I do my best with the scriptures.

Speaker 2:

Like I open my script, like you know, I have days where I sit and I read I probably like I'll read really great, like it's a good, it's a good scripture session, or I'll listen to you know my podcast and I'm just like fully in it and I'm just getting all of these inspirations, like I have those days, um, I have days where I'm like, oh, it's been a couple days, I've run my scriptures, man, okay, my bad, you know, and I'll like, I'll repent and I'll just try again, you know, and so, um, and I still am able to like to feel the spirit and do these things.

Speaker 2:

I think for me personally, I'm really strict about like certain things. I'm strict with the do nots and I'm working on the deuce, if that makes sense. So I'm really strict with the like. You know, don't watch anything that would take make the spirit feel uncomfortable. I'm strict with like. I listen to a lot of Christian rap because of my past life. In my past life, I listened to a lot of hip-hop and I really still with like. I listened to a lot of Christian rap because of my past life and my past life, I listened to a lot of hip hop and I really still like like the sound, you know like the the rhythm and I love to dance and you know so.

Speaker 2:

so now I listen to all just Christian music and it's a lot of like the the don't that I really focus on, but and I'm just trying my best right now with the dues, Like that's, like you know, praying and with intent and reading my scriptures and going to the temple, like all the dues.

Speaker 2:

I'm striving in um the don'ts, I'm just like I've, I've done that. I don't want to do that Like. That's kind of like where I am with that, you know. But I think, like I said, the Lord just loves effort. I don't, I don't yeah, you know, if you want to. In that context, like, do we overcomplicate things? Sometimes I think we do. When I talk to people that feel like you know'm not, I'm not enough for the lord um, and or I'm like I'm not where I need to be, I'll say things like well, just put your scriptures out on your table and look at them once a day. If you can do that, you did your job that day. And then the next week I want you to like go and touch it, like don't read it, don't pick it up, just touch it, yeah. And then the next week maybe, like flip the pages and put it down, like pick it up, put it down, and then, like you know, and so on and so forth.

Speaker 1:

It's the intention.

Speaker 2:

It's the, it's the intention and I think it's the process. You know, it's the process of becoming like christ, right, it's not that you need to be like christ right now, right, because that's a process and wherever you are in the process, as long as you were in process of it, you're in where you're on the path. God said stay on the path. So you're on the path. If you're trying, if you're striving Right, and I think that as long as you're doing that, you're okay. Like you can have the spirit, you can do these things.

Speaker 2:

I will say that on the days that I do a really good scripture study tend to be the days where I talk to someone that needed that, that scripture that day, or I needed it, or someone like you know. So I will say that that it's helpful. I will say that if I'm more intentional about my prayers and I'm listening to the spirit as I'm praying, I tend to get inspiration to pray for people that I probably wouldn't have, and I find out later why I had a friend, and it's so funny. It always surprises me and I tell my husband like I can't believe that happened. He's like you do this all the time.

Speaker 1:

I don't know why you're surprised by it.

Speaker 2:

So I had this friend that was having a baby, yeah, and I just remember feeling so inspired to just pray so hard for her as she had this baby. I just was so worried about her and I'm not normally, you know, I didn't really have a reason to worry, but I was just so worried for her.

Speaker 2:

and then I found out, like months later, that she had had this like terrible complication and that she like you know, you know, and it was a miracle that she, it wasn't worse and and it's just those kinds of things that you know, that day when I felt inspired to say that prayer, like that's what I needed to be doing, right, and, as long as you're open and willing, the Lord can take that.

Speaker 2:

You know, I I left one time I was at I, I was at bootcamp, or not bootcamp, like OTS but I call it bootcamp for people that don't know what that is, but um, I was at bootcamp and I remember just feeling so inadequate for some reason. And the Lord just very distinctly said I didn't call you to do this because what did he say? Cause you were confident or something like that.

Speaker 2:

I was like, I didn't well gee thanks, no, but he said I called you to do it because you were willing. I knew you would do it because you were willing to go and do it. And sometimes that's all we need is just our, our willing hearts. Um, I mean, I'm 32 and I'm a stake release society president. When I got that phone call I was like yeah, that sounds really intimidating.

Speaker 2:

I mean I have like I just had my baby. She was I don't even know. She was like like six months when I got called. So I had this like six month old baby I'm. You know, I just got, like I was going on my orders, Like I was like what?

Speaker 2:

And one of the things my stake president said and I actually love that he said this, so it's not like I wasn't offended at all but he said we called two other people and they turned us down and we really need somebody to do this, and it was like the same thing. I didn't call you because you were competent, I called you because you were willing. Yeah, because the Lord.

Speaker 2:

I mean I could try my best and I could be the, I could be the most competent on the planet, but the Lord could do so much more with me with a willing heart, than he could do with somebody that like thinks they know it all and thinks they know what they're doing. If you're, if you're willing and open and what's the word like malleable, submissive to God, like he works miracles through you. You don't even like you put in your best effort, but the effort that you put in he multiplies by so much. So you could read one scripture that day, and that one scripture could save someone's testimony if you shared it with them. So I I wouldn't so much focus on you know, am I doing everything perfectly?

Speaker 2:

I would focus on am I, am I trying, am I striving, and am I willing to get better, and am I willing to listen, you know? So, yeah, I hope that answered your question.

Speaker 1:

No, I think that was great. I got goosebumps. I was like okay, I'm willing God, I'm willing Jesus, I'll try, I'll keep trying.

Speaker 2:

That's all he wants, you're good.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, well, if there are, are there any other final thoughts that you have or any other things that you would like to share, or would you just like to leave us with a testimony?

Speaker 2:

I'll leave you with the testimony. I know that our heavenly father loves us all of us, every one of us so much that he sees us. He loves us in in our worst and broken state, like we have, like we feel like we're just like down in this pit and down in the dumps and feel like we can't get out and that we feel so unworthy and just buried by grief and mistakes and loneliness or whatever it is. And he sees that all perfectly and he loves us still. He loves us so much that he sent his son, his only son, and let him go through tragic and gruesome and the most unconceivable, like pains that we like, literally just like, can't even fathom. His child right, his baby, his perfect baby, put him on a cross for us and there was no way that we were even remotely deserving of that, knowing exactly how wicked and awful we were. He did that for us because he loves us and there's nothing that we could possibly do that would negate that love. And he is desperate to be with us again, in the way that a parent is desperate for their child um, any parent that would be separated from their child, like that desperation and and longing for that child to be with that child again. He feels that immensely, um, and there's nothing that again, nothing that we can do to to take that away.

Speaker 2:

Um, I know that we are all as children and we all can feel that love um I'm grateful for and I I believe and know that the gospel has been restored to its full glory and it's on the earth today that um, all the keys that are held in the temple, um, and the work that we do there is sacred and I invite everyone listening to go to the temple or think about the temple, or read about the temple or just like, be Christ-centered and temple attending in whatever way you can, because the world distorts so much.

Speaker 2:

There's so much distortion in the world about what's true and right and good, and if you go to the temple, you'll reorient yourself and understand what truth is and what right is and um, and have a clear understanding of who god is, um, so I invite you to go and I bear my testimony of that. I know the Lord is in relentless pursuit of us and he will not stop. He will not stop and if we allow ourselves to even be willing, to be willing to follow Jesus Christ, it will change us and we will become like him, and that's the goal of life is to strive to become like christ in any way we can. We to love god and love people as best as we can. And if we can do that and strive to do that, I believe that we'll come to a time where we will be in his presence and we will feel worthy to be there. And I testify of that and I know these things are true, and I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Speaker 1:

Amen. Well, thank you, sierra, for your time tonight, and I really appreciate it.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, of course, thank you.

Speaker 1:

Thanks again for tuning into More Than Coincidence, remembering Jesus Christ in your story. Please follow us on social media or share us with a friend. If you have an experience you'd like to share, feel free to reach out to morethancoincidencerememberhim at gmailcom. I can't wait to hear all of the amazing memories you all have of our Savior. See you next time.