On Monday morning when we came in to the office I found a copy of Elder Gene R. Cook’s talk to the missionaries at the MTC sitting on Mary’s desk. I asked it where it came from and she had no idea. As I started reading I realized it was put there for me to find and read…a tender mercy if you would. Here is just one of the stories that he uses to illustrate how faith is a principle of power that should lead to action.

“I remember hearing of a case in the pioneer days somewhere in southern Utah where there had been a long drought and many of the crops were about to die. The bishop had called the ward together and asked them to fast and pray. The saints had done so. On a particular Sunday, the bishop asked them to come together in the afternoon to offer a final prayer that the rain might come.

As one family prepared to leave home, a little five-year-old girl said, “Wait a minute, Dad, I forgot something.” She ran into the house and came out with a bag.

The Saints gathered together in the church courtyard and offered prayer with all of the saints exercising their faith. Before the final “amen” raindrops began to fall, and then it came down in bucketsful. Everyone ran for the chapel. Interestingly enough, there were two people left in the courtyard–the bishop and the five-year-old girl. She opened up her bag and said, “Bishop would you like to share my umbrella?”

Would you think about that for just a moment? A five-year old girl heard that they were going to pray to the Lord with all their hearts that rain would come. As far as the history shows, she was the only one–the only one with an umbrella. That little girl had total faith that it would rain.”

If you would like to read the whole talk just search for “Qualifications for the Work” Eugene Cook.

What was really interesting was that later evening as the couples met at the Mission Home, Elder McCormick, who is serving down in the Keys with his Eternal companion, told us about a story that was published in this month’s Friend about an experience he had while on a trip with his family and how the prayer of one of his young children basically dug them out of a major problem that had him stumped, not to mentioned covered in mud.  Here is the opening paragraph – you can read this in the July 2012 Friend. It is called “Stuck in the Mud” by Annie McCormick Bonner.

“My dad looked like an angry mud monster. Our van and our moving truck were both stuck in the mud on a deserted road. Dad and Mom were trying to move them, but the mud was deep. Each time they tried to drive, the wheels spun and mud flew everywhere. Dad was getting more and more frustrated.”

The story goes on to show how faith can not only move mountains, it can also help dads move stuck trucks.