Chapter 11, Elder Donald L. Hallstrom

Elder Donald L Hallstrom of the Seventy, during the October 2017 general conference, gave a talk titled, “Has the Day of Miracles Ceased.” He relates the experiences of a man who had a serious climbing accident. He spoke of all the coincidences that related to the rescue and treatment, and the miracle that the man didn’t die from his injuries.

He then shares:

In pondering the experiences of the family, I have thought much about the circumstances of so many others. What about the innumerable faith-filled, priesthood-blessing-receiving, unendingly-prayed-for, covenant-keeping, full-of-hope Latter-day Saints whose miracle never comes? At least in the way they understand a miracle. At least in the way that others appear to receive miracles.

He continues: My limited knowledge cannot explain why sometimes there is divine intervention and other times there is not. But perhaps we lack an understanding of what constitutes a miracle.

We often describe a miracle as being healed without a full explanation by medical science or as avoiding catastrophic danger by heeding a clear prompting. However, defining a miracle as “a beneficial event brought about through divine power that mortals do not understand” gives an expanded perspective into matters more eternal in nature. This definition also allows us to contemplate the vital role of faith in receipt of a miracle.

Fast Sunday, June of 2015, ten months after Lorna passed away,  Cindi Lindeman, a sister in our ward, was bearing her testimony. She had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She said the family were praying for a miracle.

As she said “we’re praying for a miracle,” I heard in my mind; The miracle for our family was that I died.