Stand in Holy Places

To my son, 

                I was touched by a story I read about yesterday involving President Nelson. About 45 years ago, a woman named Trudy Olmstead was pregnant with twins when she found out that she had a problem in her lung. Doctors told her that she needed to have it operated on and that the babies in her needed to be killed before they did the operation. She couldn’t accept that, and so she and her family sought out other doctors who might be able to help her. Her father reached out to President Nelson who was a famous heart surgeon at that time. Here is what happened: “He described his daughter’s dire medical condition — and her doctors’ general consensus that she should abort the twins if she wanted to survive. Dr. Nelson asked to see Trudy’s records, including her X-rays and all of her doctors’ notes. Immediately, Andersen flew to Salt Lake City to personally deliver them to the surgeon. ‘My dad handed my records to Dr. Nelson,’ said Trudy Olmstead. ‘Dr. Nelson put them to his chest and told my dad, “The Lord and I will talk about this tonight — I’ll call you in the morning.”’” He trusted in the Lord and would not accept that the babies needed to die. Dr. Nelson agreed to perform the difficult operation. He described what happened in these words: “The tumor was so close to the heart that I did not have a clamp narrow enough to put a clamp on the artery and still have space for the cutting blade of the scissors. Therefore, the pulmonary artery had to be cut without being clamped. My only option was to put my finger in the artery to stop the blood and keep my finger there until I was able to suture the artery closed. All the time, I kept thinking, ‘I have three lives depending on my finger.’” That must have been an incredibly tense moment, but miraculously, the surgery was a success. Trudy and both twins survived, and one of those twins is now the head coach of the BYU women’s volleyball team.

Through the faith of President Nelson and that whole family, the Lord provided an amazing miracle. This story highlights the need we have for faith in the Savior during our challenges. We know that there will indeed be great difficulties in our time as described by the Lord: “And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men’s hearts shall fail them, and they shall say that Christ delayeth his coming until the end of the earth. And the love of men shall wax cold, and iniquity shall abound.” He also said this: “And there shall be earthquakes also in divers places, and many desolations; yet men will harden their hearts against me, and they will take up the sword, one against another.” That sounds kind of scary! But despite these dire circumstances of the last days, Jesus does not want us to be afraid. With faith in Him we can face any challenge. He said: “But my disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved…. Be not troubled, for, when all these things shall come to pass, ye may know that the promises which have been made unto you shall be fulfilled.” The Lord has promised to help His Saints who believe in Him and seek to stand in holy places away from the evil influences of the world. He described a future day when His disciples will build up Zion which “shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God; And the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion…. And it shall come to pass that the righteous shall be gathered out from among all nations, and shall come to Zion, singing with songs of everlasting joy” (Doctrine and Covenants 45:26-27, 32-33, 35, 66-71). The Lord will protect His people in the great challenges that are up ahead. As we make covenants like baptism with Him and strive to keep His commandments, we will be prepared to build up Zion where safety lies. I hope that you and I can continue to stand in holy places by praying, studying the scriptures, going to Church, and striving to do what He would do. As we do that, the Lord will support us in all our challenges, and we will have nothing to fear.

Love,

Dad