Teresa Bell, BYU German language professor in the College of Humanities, shared three ways to see God’s hand in life at the BYU devotional on April 1.
Beginning with sharing her own love for the devotional experience since the beginning of her time at BYU in Fall 1985, Bell shared that she had been taught at a young age to look for and recognize God’s hand in her life.
Bell shared that the three concepts for recognizing that Heavenly Father is important in the lives of everyone are, “daily prayer, journal writing, and your patriarchal blessing.”
Bell said that for a few years, she has been trying to follow President Nelson’s counsel of beginning each day with prayer.
“When we regard each morning as a gift of God and we begin each day with a prayer of gratitude, our days start with a focus on what God has given us,” Bell said.
In 2023, Bell shared how she learned from Elder Joaquin E. Costa of the Seventy something to add to her morning prayer.
"When I wake up, instead of looking at my phone, I say a prayer, even a simple prayer," Bell, quoting Elder Costa, said. "Then I read a scripture."
Bell added her personal testimony to the effectiveness of replacing the temporal habit with a spiritual one.
“Remember, the first thing we do each day is the thing that always gets done," Bell said. "If you make prayer and scripture study your first priority, you’ll do it every day.”
Bell noted that though each morning and evening prayer won’t be memorable, some will be.
Bell shared a profound experience she had with prayer from her time in Switzerland following her freshman year at BYU.
She was struggling to fit in because she didn't drink alcohol and wondered if her life would be easier if she didn't follow what she had been taught.
In praying to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet, the Book of Mormon was true and everything she believed about the Church and the restored gospel was true, she received a feeling of overwhelming confirmation from the spirit.
“I knew that everything I’d prayed about was true, and I’ve never forgotten God’s hand in my life that night,” Bell acknowledged.
The second way Bell shared to see God’s hand was to keep a daily journal.
"By taking just a few minutes each day to write down one way you’ve seen God’s hand in your life, you’ll quickly build a powerful record of His influence in your life,” Bell said.
Bell recounted that her journal keeping began when her friend gifted her a journal when she turned 10 years old. This gift has now become an important part of her life.
Bell detailed in her journal an experience when she bought a copy of "However Long and Hard the Road," by then-BYU President Jeffrey R. Holland for her parents. She shared how her journal entry brought back her realization that Heavenly Father knew her.
Bell promised the same feeling for the audience.
“As you make this a daily practice, you’ll begin to write your own story through the lens of God’s love for you,” Bell said.
Her final point to help in recognizing God’s hand was "studying your patriarchal blessing."
“Every time you wonder what you should do with your life, study your patriarchal blessing," Bell said. "Every time you want to feel God’s love, read your patriarchal blessing.”
Bell told the audience that by doing so they will "come to recognize how Heavenly Father has blessed (them), how He's blessing (them) now and how He will continue to bless (them) in the future."
Bell concluded her counsel on seeking God’s hand by saying, “Heavenly Father loves you and He is actively involved in our lives. Choose today to start recognizing His hand in your life.”