A Legacy of Faith

I have been working on a history of my grandmother. She wrote the following about her mother (my great-grandmother) who was widowed after just 21 years of marriage and left to raise a large family alone.

My grandmother writes:

“I can never remember sitting down for breakfast but what we knelt down and had a family prayer. It was a must at our home. You all know the slogan today, "the family that prays together stays together.” Mother knew she needed lots of help to keep her family close to her and our Heavenly Father was her best source of strength.”

In my living room hangs a large oval frame with a picture of this woman named Sarah Jane. When I think that my life gets hard, I think of her. I think of her challenges

I have concluded that Sarah Jane was a strong woman and filled with faith. I like to think that I have inherited some of her strength and I can do hard things too. She gives me courage. I am grateful for the legacy of faith that Sarah Jane left. However, I also wish I knew more about Sarah Jane’s faith. How did she endure those long hard days? How did she raise a family alone?

No matter our circumstances, we each have an opportunity to leave a legacy of faith for those who come after us. I am reminded of Pres. Eyring’s counsel in the Oct 2007 General Conference:

“Tonight, and tomorrow night, you might pray and ponder, asking the questions: Did God send a message that was just for me? Did I see His hand in my life or the lives of my children? I will do that. And then I will find a way to preserve that memory for the day that I, and those that I love, will need to remember how much God loves us and how much we need Him. I testify that He loves us and blesses us, more than most of us have yet recognized. I know that is true, and it brings me joy to remember Him.”

I hope that I can leave a legacy of faith for six nieces and nephews that I love with all my heart. I hope that perhaps one day they will gain strength and courage from my example of faith in God, faith in His plan for my life, and faith in the timing of that plan.