We Are Not Alone

The path of a birth mother is oftentimes a long and lonely one. So often since placement I have felt alone in the world, especially with few close friends and no place to go for unconditional love, understanding and support.

At these times, I have found comfort in the words of former Relief Society General President Sister Sheri L. Dew. The November 1998 Ensign contains one of my favorite of her talks, entitled "We Are Not Alone."

Here are some of my favorite parts:

"The pain of loneliness seems to be part of the mortal experience. But the Lord in His mercy has made it so that we need never deal with the challenges of mortality alone ... We have been promised the constant companionship of the third member of the Godhead and hence the privilege of receiving revelation for our own lives. We are not alone!

"The Holy Ghost enlarges our minds, our hearts, and our understanding; helps us subdue weaknesses and resist temptation; inspires humility and repentance; guides and protects us in miraculous ways; and gifts us with wisdom, divine encouragement, peace of mind, a desire to change, and the ability to differentiate between the philosophies of men and revealed truth. The Holy Ghost is the minister and messenger of the Father and the Son, and He testifies of both Their glorious, global reality and Their connection to us personally. Without the presence of the Spirit, it is impossible to comprehend our personal mission or to have the reassurance that our course is right. No mortal comfort can duplicate that of the Comforter."

What a comfort it is to know that no matter what may befall us, if we live worthy of it we can have the companionship of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, to bring us peace help us feel God's love. And there is no earthly peace that can compare to the peace the Spirit brings us.

God loves us so much more than any of us can even begin to imagine. I am so thankful for that, and for the Comforter that allows me to know it.

Life

“Life isn’t always easy. At some point in our journey we may feel much as the pioneers did as they crossed Iowa — up to our knees in mud, forced to bury some of our dreams along the way.

We all face rocky ridges, with the wind in our face and winter coming on too soon. Sometimes it seems as though there is no end to the dust that stings our eyes and clouds our vision. Sharp edges of despair and discouragement jut out of the terrain to slow our passage…

Occasionally we reach the top of one summit in life, as the pioneers did, only to see more mountain peaks ahead, higher and more challenging than the one we have just traversed.

Tapping unseen reservoirs of faith and endurance, we, as did our forebears, inch ever forward toward that day when our voices can join with those of all pioneers who have endured in faith, singing, ‘All is well! All is well!’ ” (M. Russell Ballard Ensign, May 1997, 61)