Divine Signatures

I recently started reading Divine Signatures by Gerald Lund. He discusses from his own experience, and the experience of others, how we can build faith and strengthen our testimony through God's divine signature. This excerpt from the book illustrates Lund's definition of a divine signature:

God loves His children and it pleases Him to bless them, especially when they are striving to do His will. These blessings, also called "tender mercies", come in many different forms and in many different ways. Sometimes, the Lord sends His blessings in such a highly unusual, dramatic, or precisely timed manner, that it might be likened to a "divine signature." It is as though the Lord "signs" the blessing personally so that we will know with certainty that it comes from Him. In doing so, God not only gives us the blessing, but at the same time, He also strengthens our faith and deepens our testimony of Him.

Lund goes on to explain tender mercies in our lives and how we are able to recognize them. He speaks of mercy in the midst of affliction, quoting Doctrine & Covenants 100:15 which states, "all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good" (emphasis added). I have personally read this scripture many times. But this time I stopped to ponder. I often think that the trials I have been called to bare are to individually teach me a lesson. Maybe this is not so much the case. As the scripture says, all things shall work together for our good. Perhaps it is the culmination of affliction over the course of life that brings us the good we need. For me it is so hard to see the "good" in mid hardship. I know I am not alone in this. But what I understand now is we often don't see the benefit of affliction until the passage of time has healed our hearts and opened our eyes to the beauty of the refiner's fire. How wonderful this is. What a marvelous mercy God bestows on us, not out of spite, but out of a love so great, our mortal minds can't comprehend. After all, it is life itself that gives us the experience necessary for the eternities.

What a beautiful realization this has been today. Divine Signatures by Gerald Lund (author of the fictional series, The Work and The Glory) comes highly recommended by me! You can find it at a Deseret Book Store near you or online at www.DeseretBook.com. If you are not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and would like to find the scriptures I referenced, you can look them up at www.lds.org, or as always, ask your Mormon Neighbor!