Marriage is a big deal in the Church, so it's understandable that many LDS single adults feel discouraged or disheartened. One such woman, 26 years old and a student at Harvard, wrote to Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In her letter, she said, "I have felt the trial of singleness overtake me."
Elder Oaks took to Facebook on Monday to provide his response, a heartfelt and touching tribute to God's timing and a message of inspiration for all who struggle with being single.
I received a letter from a woman studying at Harvard University. I was impressed with its content. She said, “I am only 26 and I have felt the trial of singleness overtake me.”
After sharing more in her letter, she concluded: “I was walking home from work one afternoon one year ago, pouring my heart out to God, telling Him my deepest desire was to be a wife and mother. I was stopped in my tracks as a powerful thought and feeling came into my heart and mind. The thought was that I was wrong. The deepest desire of my heart should be discipleship of Jesus Christ and then the second can be to be a wife and mother. My outlook on life has changed since then. I had them switched around. I know all the blessings promised will be mine, but this will happen in the Lord’s time and not mine.” What a powerful thought!
Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught, “Since faith in the timing of the Lord may be tried, let us learn to say not only, ‘Thy will be done,’ but patiently also, ‘Thy timing be done.’” We may say, “Thy will be done,” but when your heart is aching—perhaps you’re not yet married and you desire to be—it would be wise to also say, “Thy timing be done.” Ask the Lord for continued revelation to guide your life.
The Lord has His own timetable for His children. In life’s experiences, including marriage, parenthood, and many other things, each timetable will be different. We must have faith and trust in the Lord to know that He is there and that He loves us. All promised blessings will one day be yours.
