1. Something that made you laughout loud2. Something that made you cry3. A question you have4. An answer you received5. Someone you are grateful for

Number a piece of paper 1 thru 5.Take 45 seconds per number to write downyour answer to each question. The memoriescan be recent or long past.Now fold the paper up and set it aside. We’llcome back to it later.

Write numbers 1 thru 5 again. Readthese questions and write down thefirst thing that pops into your head:

1. Name the noisiest place you’veever been2. The dirtiest room in your house3. A place you visit in your dreams4. Somewhere you never want tovisit again5. Where you spend the most timeoutside of your home

There is no place or circumstancewhere we cannot pray.

It doesn’t matter where we pray. Takeour friend Willie, for example :

There was nothing sacred about the grove until a prayer was uttered.

In the moment that a prayer is spoken or thought or felt that place becomes our SacredGrove. It could be our car, the bathroom or our back yard.

The Prayer of Willie Brown

On a different piece of paper…

With a prayer on their lips and faith in their hearts the early Saints crossed the country to“establish Zion” in the Utah Valley. As difficult as the journey was, for many that would bethe easy part. The first group arrived in the valley on July 24th 1847; almost harvest time.They didn’t have the luxury of “coming home” to warm houses, beds

The pioneers prayed to their Heavenly Father then went out to fight thecrickets. They used everything they could think of; they would beat themwith brooms, try to burn them out with fire, and drown them with water,but the crickets kept coming. And the saints continued to pray.

As the following spring appeared, they planted their crops once more and werelooking forward to a wonderful harvest … and crickets came … thousands of crickets …. and they began devouring the crops.

Presented by Jessica J. James

and food, and the desert floor was hard, unyielding and dry so beforethey could build homes for their families they went into thesurrounding mountains and diverted streams to soften the valleyfloor so they could plant their crops, and pray for a small harvestbefore the cold winter set in. They barely had enough food to make itthrough that harsh winter.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidencystated:“When our wagon gets stuck in the mud, God is much more likelyto assist the man who gets out to push than the man who merely raises

his voice in prayer—no matter how eloquent the oration.”

When it seemed that it was too much and too late, their prayers wereanswered in an unusual way. Flocks of seagulls flew in from the westand began gorging themselves on the crickets then flying away anddisgorging. They did this over and over until every. cricket was gone.

Let me share a few Seagull Answers from others’ experiences:

Kelby Stephens had just returned from his mission and was living in Jackson Hole, Wyomingwhile he prepared to return to RICKS College in Idaho. It was his goal to try out for thefootball team there and boy did he need to get in shape (it’s a post-mission thing). He workedcrazy hours at an industrial Laundromat, 2 miles from his home and had to be to work beforemost of us would like to even think about waking up. How was he going to find time totrain…? Football was really important to him, so he made it a matter of prayer, knowing thatthe Lord would help him find a way in his busy schedule to work out and build his muscle,strength, speed and endurance.

Kelby was determined. And he had a vision!Well, the Lord heard… And the Lord answered…

Kelby’s truck died. He ran the 2 miles to work everyday for a loooong time!

This story is firmly set in my mind. And each time a prayer of mine is answered in anunexpected way I call it a “Seagull Answer.” All of us have had, and will continue to have,“Seagull answers” if we take time to notice them.

What do we fight our “crickets” with? Are we actively pushing our wagon? Or do we pray thensit back awaiting results?

Today on Temple Square in Salt Lake City there is a SeagullMonument in honor of that answer to prayer. Reminding us,

The pioneers understood the principle of action.

Pray as if everything depends on the Lord, then work as ifeverything depends on you.

“When life gets to hard to stand… Kneel.”

Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve says this, “With even yourstrongest faith, God will not always reward you immediately according to yourdesires. Rather, God will respond with what in His eternal plan is best for you,when it will yield the greatest advantage. Be thankful that sometimes God lets

you struggle for a long time before that answer comes. That causes your faith toincrease and your character to grow.

Listen to Kirk Duncan’s experience:

“I was out spending the day in the mountains with my 2 boys who were still young enough forone to be in car seat and the other in a booster seat. It was early in the morning and the groundwas all frozen. I could see from the top of the canyon, a road down to the highway. It was steepand twisty. By the time we reached the bottom of the canyon the sun was up and warmingthings. And… there was a gate between us and the highway. I could see the highway, I justcouldn’t get to it. We would have to drive back up the road and around the mountain.

I let the kids out to play, and while they were playing the sun was warming the ground turningeverything nice and slushy. I loaded the kids and backed up and within ten seconds was stuckaxles deep in mud. No cell phone. No one knew where we were. I told the boys,.

Then I heard in the background the sound of four-wheelers. And over the hill came four big guys on four-wheelers flying right towards us.

Cameron started giggling and screaming, “that’s themdaddy! Those are the angels that came to help us!” and helaughed again and said, “look! Angels drive fourwheelers!”

They came right up to the car, two big guys on each sideand in five minutes we were out of the mud.

I remember looking in the rearview mirror and seeing those four guys standing next to theirfour-wheelers waving at us as we drove away. And as we were driving away Cameron said onemore time, “Wow dad, I didn’t know angels drove four wheelers.”

I caught the last bit of the prayer when I got back in the car, “…and please send people to us‘cause we’re stuck and we need to go home. Name of Jesus. Amen.” I was smiling because itwas so cute.

As soon as he finished he looked at me and exclaimed, “Dad!” I looked at him in the rearviewmirror and asked, “what Cameron?” “They’re on their way!” I just smiled. We hadn’t seenanyone all day long and there was no way anyone would be coming down that road. He wasinsistent that the “angels are almost here” and I nodding, mumbling “ok.”

‘ummm, guys we’re stuck.’ Mydad?’ ‘I don’t know how we’reat me and said, ‘I wanna say a,Cameron, you do that’ as I.

son Cameron asked ‘what we dogoing to get out.’ My son lookedprayer.’ I responded, ‘Okay,climbed out to see the damage.

A young boy had just finished hugging and kissing his family good night andwas headed up the stairs to bed when he turned around and thoughtfully

asked, “I’m going to pray now, does anyone need anything?”

And a little child shall lead them…

Take 1 minute to read through your 5 items on the first page.

Using 3 minutes write a letter toHeavenly Father using one ormore of those 5 points.

Dear (Your Name),

Love,Heavenly Father

A man standstallest when he is

on his knees.Love,

(Your Name)

Dear Heavenly Father,

Using another 3 minutes writea letter to yourself fromHeavenly Father.

Your Prayer His Answer

As we ponderwhat to write,our hearts will

be drawn toSeagull

Answers wehave already

received.

Somewhere, some time this child was taught to pray and believe in answers.

The family that prays together, stays together.

Now instead of each of us saying a prayer right now, we are going to write a prayer.And then we’re going to write an answer.