Peacefully Powerful

I flew into rochester Minnesota on a beautiful Friday morning. The weather was almost perfect. It was pleasantly cool and sunny outside. I would have enjoyed the climate more had I not been so preoccupied with what was to come the following week. I flew out to Minnesota to have open heart surgery at St. Mary’s hospital, the hospital associated with the world famous mayo clinic. This was not my first open heart surgery. I have had a few surgeries prior to this one, but this one was different. This time, I was old enough to understand all of the risks associated with the operation.   

While my days during surgery prep were not bad, I found the nights were a new challenge for me. My anxiety and nervous thoughts kept me up at night. After taking sleeping meds, drinking warm drinks, and listening to soothing music, I still could not fall asleep. Finally I had a thought, I thought that I needed to listen to the Book of Mormon every night until I fell asleep. When night came and it was time to sleep I began listening to the Book of Mormon. As usually happens when I read the Book of Mormon, a peace came into my life. This peace gradually began to work on me and with the accompanying warmth of my bed, I quickly fell asleep.


I have heard it said that it’s not the experience that teaches you, it is a reflection on the experience that teaches you. As I think back on this experience with listening to the Book of Mormon I am amazed at the effect the spirit had on me. Though the feelings that came as I listened to the Book of Mormon were not intense or grabbing, they subtly calmed me down. Before I knew it, sleep that was not obtainable in any other way came by the peacefully powerful effect of the spirit.