Friend to Friend

Praying for Max

By Elder W. Mark Bassett

Of the Seventy

From an interview with Linda Davies.

Illustrations by Adam Koford

When I was six, an older couple in our ward wanted to find a good home for their dog, Max. They knew our family would love Max. So we adopted him!

A few weeks later, some of our friends came to stay with us for a few days. Our house was full of playful children running all over.

But Max was used to a nice, quiet home. Being in a house full of noisy children made him very nervous. One day when we were playing and laughing, we suddenly realized that Max was gone!

We looked everywhere for Max. I was near tears as my mom drove us all over the neighborhood. We even checked with Max’s first owners. But he was nowhere to be found.

When we got home, someone said, “Let’s pray for Max!” We knelt in a circle and said a simple prayer. We asked Heavenly Father for ideas for where to look for Max.

Just as we said “amen,” a bark came from the closet! It was Max!

Heavenly Father knows each of us and loves us. Answers to our prayers may not always come right away. And Heavenly Father may not always answer our prayers in exactly the way we want. But that’s how we grow in faith and patience.

If you have any problems or just want to talk, Heavenly Father will always hear you!

Find the Match!

Can you find the two dogs that look the same?