Sometimes you hear stories of amazing miracles, and the video below is one of them. (And this is an amazing miracle, a blessing and answer to thousands of prayers. I’m moved by the gratitude of this Mormon family, recognizing God’s hand in their lives.)

But what of the stories of sadness, tragedy, loss, and grief — also after as many prayers have been offered and faith exercised? Does God love someone less because He allowed loss to happen? Does having faith always mean that we will get the answers we want?

Read a story of a tragic loss here —  and feel of the faith in this Mormon woman’s perspective, as she also recognizes God’s hand in her life and helps answer these questions.

Both of these stories, each with a completely different outcome, testify of the same truths: God is there. He hears and answers prayers. He is very aware of our lives. Life has a purpose.

And we testify that death is not the end.

Even though sometimes the miracles don’t come fully until the next life, they are still just as real.

Sometimes I think it’s all too easy to equate faith with being able to get what we want. But I sometimes see the strongest evidences of faith in those who don’t have their prayers answered as they would have liked. When I see their unbending hope, diligence, patience, and love — for God and others — as they move forward in spite of heartrending difficulties in the present time, I understand more the power of faith.

Who shall separate us from the ^alove of Christ? shall ^btribulation, or distress, or ^cpersecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are ^amore than ^bconquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to ^aseparate us from the ^blove of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35, 37-39)

How grateful I am for miracles — both those that come now, and those we know will also come later, through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. How grateful I am for the faith of others that strengthens my own.

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