"LOOK TO THE LIGHTHOUSE OF THE LORD"

As my life proceeds, I reflect today on many of my life experiences. As life is meant to have various challenging moments along with precious times of exquisite joy; I know that my life has had and will have many more of these moments. 
Yesterday we had a lesson on the closing comments in our recent General Conference from our beloved Prophet Pres. Thomas S. Monson. His counsel for all of us is to look to the lighthouse of the Lord. He stated: "There is no fog so dense, no night so dark, no gale so strong, no mariner so lost but what its beacon light can rescue. It beckons through the storms of life. The lighthouse of the Lord sends forth signals readily recognized and never failing."
In reflecting on that comment along with many thoughts on the lesson; I decided to look at some of my journal writings. I found one particular entry that kind of sums up many of my feelings I have had in those dark hours when it is hard to see the light.  
"Today, I have chosen to come upon the mount of the new Temple in Las Vegas. I came to sort through the complexity of my thoughts and reach a new insight into myself. I really feel so confused in my role in life. I pray for correct direction. It seems like Satan and his angels are working overtime increasing my feelings of doubt, my loss of direction along with discouragement and distortion of perception. My guardian angels must be exhausted, because I know I am."
 On this day as I visited the temple grounds I again said to myself the scripture that always comes to mind when I am searching for direction or peace. "Trust in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not on thine own understanding. It all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy path." Proverbs 3: 5-6.
 While there that day my prayers were answered as they have been on other occasions. Quoting the end of this journal entry I wrote: "I must praise the Lord and be deeply grateful for the special spiritual experience I just had. I had just closed this recording in a spirit of despair and I opened it again in renewed hope.
I chose at that moment to open my scriptures for solace and the verses my eyes fell upon were Moroni 7:33-48. One must read these verses in the Book of Mormon. I will quote just verse 48: "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen."
"I know my Heavenly Father loves me. He hears my prayers. There is hope in Christ. Love can heal. I am grateful for these sweet joyous spiritual experiences I have felt this day. The spirit has bore witness to my soul there is hope and there are miracles."

 Christ is our lighthouse; he will show us the way.  He has shown me the way many times since that moment on the mount of the Las Vegas Temple. I find my solace in the temple and in prayer. There I find the light and feel the peace that only the spirit can give me. The gospel is true; we can find our way through the challenges of life. I know this to be true. "Look for the Lighthouse of the Lord."