“By Small and Simple Things”

Since her injury in a car crash in 1986, Jen Best, a member of the Cottonwood First Ward, Salt Lake Cottonwood Stake, has suffered from severe spasticity resulting from a twisted brain stem. Unable to walk, she is confined to a wheelchair, but through priesthood blessings and extensive physical therapy, she has recovered her speech and the use of her left hand. She has been able to use this hand to fulfill her calling to serve in the Family Record Extraction Program.

Using one finger to “hunt and peck” on the computer, Jen types family history information. It is then submitted to the temple for baptisms, endowments, and sealings. Jen knows that diligence is more important than typing speed. Before she begins typing, she prays for the Spirit to be with her to help her type accurately and also to feel the spirit of the work.

“My calling is a blessing,” says Jen. “I’m so thankful I survived my accident and could go to the temple. Now I want to help others who have gone on and haven’t been able to go to the temple themselves.”

Jen’s faithful service in her calling is a reminder that “by small and simple things are great things brought to pass” (Alma 37:6).—Rita Ann Best, Salt Lake City, Utah