MEMBER VOICES
The Pandemic: A Blessing in Disguise
“The pandemic has forced us to slow down and has afforded us time to really see the beauty in and importance of our growing family.”
For many, 2020 has been an eventful year. None of us could have imagined the effect that COVID-19 would have on all of us, worldwide. For many years, we have learned in Relief Society about food storage, about being prudent with our spending, and about being thrifty with our finances. I personally could not have predicted such preparation was for times like these in our lifetime.
There have been many effects of the pandemic, but for our family, one in particular has been a surprising and eye-opening—the effect of isolation. Isolation has come as a blessing in disguise. It has forced us to slow down and has afforded us time to really see the beauty in, and importance of, our growing family. We have been blessed with two young boys who can be so different in personalities from each other. The youngest is a bouncy, talkative, extremely curious six-year old, while his older brother is a total opposite. He is a very laid back, humble and gentle nine-year old boy who is living with Dandy-Walker syndrome.
I have had the privilege of watching him come out of his shell during this time of confinement. He has brightened with confidence and taken his role of older brother incredibly and surprisingly well. Like a butterfly, he just needed time and for us to slow down to see what he really is capable of. During this time, his love for the piano has really grown and has taught himself to play Church hymns. Sunday services at home have been such a testimony building experience for all of us.
As for our youngest, we discovered he loves storytelling and enactment. Scripture study time has been filled with moments of wonder and discovery and he has not let any story go to waste. Soon we would realize that the lessons for the week were being prepared for Sunday School at home. His favorite stories to enact are from the Book of Mormon. His toys have become kings who must have their queens, valiant logo-bots who can defeat the evil Lamanite armies in one swipe. This is a child who often didn’t participate in Primary, but now I am so pleased to see he loves Primary again, especially if given the opportunity to participate in, and be creative in, his participation.
The Come, Follow Me for Primary videos within the lessons have become a vital tool in helping us to teach our children to love learning truths taught in the Book of Mormon—truths like priesthood power. My husband has also discovered he enjoys Primary songs and learns more truths from them. Even family quality time has improved exponentially. Game has become part of a daily routine, not just for the kids but for the kids at heart, too. Storytelling is on its way to becoming a family tradition, especially stories of our childhood, childhood games, and even stories about how our parents taught us and even chastised us. All these new norms have developed a very special culture for us.
In all this sudden change, we have received a witness of the power of revelation. When President Russell M. Nelson announced the change to the Sunday program back in 2018, we couldn’t have imagined the need would be so immediate in 2020. My testimony and trust in the Lord have been strengthened—for when we are prepared, we shan’t fear. And it is not just being ready temporally, but also spiritually. The testimonies we have acquired through learning the gospel over the years have been sustaining strengths for us. And for this reason, I can’t help but think that we need to be even stronger for things to come. Home-centered Church has many more miracles for us; we need to receive it with grateful hands—for the Lord truly knows the needs of His people, wherever they may be.