God Gave Me Peace

By Olivia Araya, Chillán, Chile

The connection I enjoyed with Heavenly Father helped me through a very difficult time.

As we prepared to sing during a dedicatory session of the Concepción Chile Temple in 2018, all the members of the young adult choir I was conducting had the same goal: do the musical and spiritual work necessary to give God our best offering.

With the choir members, from two stakes in the city of Chillán, I dedicated myself to being as pure as I could be. I wanted to reflect the Light of Christ in my life. I wanted the offering we gave God in His holy house to be as perfect as possible. I knew that if we did our part, Heavenly Father would help us, and we would sing as He would have us sing.

During the dedication, we sang with our voices and our hearts. I think angels sang with us. The sound of the choir was perfect. We felt that the grace of God was with us and that He was pleased with our offering. That feeling stayed with me for a long time.

After the temple dedication, I felt spiritually nourished and at one with Heavenly Father. I felt a stronger connection with Him than I had ever experienced. That connection was so strong that I felt spiritually directed in what to ask for when I prayed (see 3 Nephi 19:24).

By the time of the temple dedication, I was five weeks pregnant. A few months later, I miscarried my baby. That was a terrible time. I felt so sad, especially when I learned that I might not be able to have more children.

But this difficult experience occurred at a time when I felt the most spiritually strong. I understood that I had been prepared for this moment by means of the offering we had rendered in the temple. The spiritual strength I had experienced helped me overcome this trial because Heavenly Father was with me and gave me peace.

A short time later, God blessed my husband and me with a miracle. We were overjoyed when our son, Arturo, received a little sister, Daniela.

I would not have been able to weather that experience without the close connection I had enjoyed with Heavenly Father. I knew that everything would be OK and in accordance with His will. Remembering these things still fills my heart with joy and gratitude.