Tender Mercies

In April 2005, Elder David A. Bednar, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, delivered a General Conference talk ("The Tender Mercies of the Lord") which I think will end up being one of the classic talks of the Church and also a classic talk in the lives and hearts of many of the Church members. That talk popped into my head last night, so I just wanted to share my thoughts in relation to it.

Elder Bednar defines the tender mercies of the Lord as "the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ." Throughout his talk, he mentions some tender mercies that he has experienced himself or seen in the lives of others:

• Just before he had to deliver his first Conference talk, the intermediate hymn, although selected weeks before he was called to be an Apostle and therefore assigned to speak in General Conference, was his favorite hymn
• A family whose father/husband had been killed in the military received a tender Christmas card from him, mailed prior to his death and given extra meaning by its timely delivery after he had died
• A priesthood leader who had a dream about a young man in his stake; through the dream the young man was able to know that the Lord knew who he was

Throughout his talk, Elder Bednar emphasizes, "the Lord’s tender mercies do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence. Faithfulness and obedience enable us to receive these important gifts and, frequently, the Lord’s timing helps us to recognize them." He also adds, "We should not underestimate or overlook the power of the Lord’s tender mercies."

Many years ago, I read a quotation that said, "Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous." I thought it was an interesting quotation, but years later, I realized, it's not exactly right. Coincidence is man's way of making God anonymous. God never intended to be anonymous. He wants us to recognize the tender mercies in our lives and know exactly Who has given them to us.

Why, we might ask, does God not want to be anonymous? He commands His people to do their alms in secret, so why does He want His to be done openly?

As with all else that He does for us, God wants us to know that the blessings in our lives are not merely coincidences but are the tender mercies of a kind and loving Father not because it benefits Him but because it benefits us. God does not cease to be God if we don't recognize Him; He's not any less important or any less perfect if we dismiss His tender mercies as coincidences. However, if we recognize that God is bestowing His tender mercies upon us, that helps us recognize that we have a Father who loves us, who wants to help us, and who is very aware of us. He wants us to know that we can turn to and rely on Him. He wants us to know that we aren't alone, that His whole purpose is our salvation and our happiness, and that He is aware of the needs of every individual--including you and me!

Don't make God anonymous in your life. Recognize the tender mercies as gifts from your Father in Heaven who loves you beyond your comprehension. As Elder Bednar noted, the timing of these tender mercies is designed to help us recognize them as being tender mercies, so pay attention and witness the Lord's love in your life.

(Check out this brief video with snippets from Elder Bednar's talk, because he says it way better than I do.)