As Latter-day Saints, we often speak in sweeping generalities about the Lord’s abundant love for His children, yet our experience of that love most often comes on a personal level, in the form of strength and comfort amidst our particular challenges. Such experiences are the focus of this engaging collection of true stories told by ordinary members of the Church, each testifying of the Savior’s extraordinary care for us, both as individuals and as families. Set in a variety of situations, from the familiar surroundings of home to dramatic scenes of danger, these first-hand accounts of divine love in action describe quiet affirmations as well as miraculous interventions. This second volume in the beloved series Angels Round About shows us how the Spirit brings luminous meaning to everyday moments and inspires us to seek that heavenly influence in our own daily lives.

Right after I graduated from the University of Utah in nursing, I
found a job in the postsurgical intensive care unit at Primary Children’s
Hospital in Salt Lake City. While I was working the afternoon shift
(three to eleven p.m.), an eight-year-old boy came into our unit after
spending several hours in surgery. He was born with several birth
defects, and during this surgery, the doctors had worked on some of
his heart deficiencies.

He came into the unit at about three p.m., and I was assigned as
his nurse. Nursing care on post-surgical heart patients is very intensive.
The small patient had tubes everywhere so we could monitor his heart,
lungs, and oxygen levels in the blood. He couldn’t talk because of the
tube that had been inserted into his lungs, and he was sedated with
medications to decrease the load on his heart. His parents came in
every hour, as permitted, to check on him. Each time, I would give his
parents updates on his condition.

Everything seemed to be going well when I ended my shift. I was
scheduled to be back at seven a.m. the next day (they call that a short change),
so when I returned, I was reassigned to this young boy. His recovery
seemed to be going smoothly until about noon. All of a sudden, his heart
stopped. We started resuscitation immediately. Unfortunately, his heart
could not take the added stress, and he passed away.

It was a tough time for the parents. After I cleaned the body, I spent
some time with the parents so they could grieve the loss of their son. It
was an emotional day for all of us.

When I went home that afternoon, I was exhausted and wasn’t in
the best mood. My brother, his wife, and their children were visiting my parents. I tried to socialize, but with the thought of this young boy’s
death still vivid in my mind, I found it difficult. Soon my father turned
to me and said, “If you can’t handle being a nurse, maybe you should
find another occupation you would enjoy more.”

I froze. I had said nothing to my family of my experiences throughout
the last forty-eight hours or of the loss of one of my patients, and his
criticism touched a nerve. I felt a flash of anger and yelled, “How dare
you judge me. You don’t know what kind of nurse I am or what it’s like
being a nurse.”

The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted yelling at my
father. I left the room and rushed to my bedroom. I threw myself
on my bed, feeling hurt, exhausted, and frustrated, all the while still
grieving the loss of my patient. As tears streamed down my cheeks, I
prayed in my mind, Father, why is my father so insensitive?

Immediately, I felt a warmth forming at the top of my head and
flowing down my body. It felt as if someone had placed his hands on
my head. As the warmth flowed throughout my being, I felt at peace.
Then I heard a quiet voice in my mind say, Forgive him, for he does not
understand.

Never before had I experienced such a powerful spirit enter into
my soul. This experience taught me that not only does God care about
me, but He also cares about that little boy, my father, and anyone else
who judges without cause and speaks without knowing.

L.C. Liandan lives in the Midwest. She has been a nurse for more
than thirty-five years. Presently, she travels throughout the country teaching
employees and employers how to be safe in the workplace. She also loves to
write and read in her spare time.