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Music to start each day�

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LESSONS LEARNED WHILE WORKING IN THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES OF AFRICA, SOUTH AMERICA, AND ASIA

THE LORD LOVES ALL HIS CHILDREN

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Education Week 2024� Day One

Uplifting and Encouraging Stories from Developing Countries in Africa, South America, and Asia

The Tender Mercies of the Lord at Home and Abroad:

Lonny J. Ward, M.S., M.B.A.

Director of International Project Development, CHOICE Humanitarian

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1st Class: The Tender Mercies of the Lord at Home and Abroad: Uplifting and Encouraging Stories from Developing Countries in Africa, South America, and Asia

�

Introduction:

This class will demonstrate the universality of the Lord’s tender mercies by sharing stories and experiences of his dealings with his children in Africa, South America, Asia, and the U.S. Using the principles laid out by Elder Bednar in his landmark talk on the subject, I will explore how vast and broad-reaching God’s love is for his children on many continents.

�

The main points of the class are as follows:

�

Introduce the concept of tender mercies: “I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are available to all of us and that the Redeemer of Israel is eager to bestow such gifts upon us.” (Elder David A. Bednar, “The Tender Mercies of the Lord” April 2005 General Conference)

�

Stories and Slide Presentation: As each principle from Elder Bednar’s talk is discussed, I will share personal and moving stories of the tender mercies experienced by people whom I have met in my developing country travels. I will demonstrate how, through faith and diligence, these wonderful people are lifting themselves out of poverty with the help of the tender mercies of the Lord in their lives. (source: Personal travels and interviews; “A Practical Implementation of The Small-Scale Agriculture Model in Developing Countries,” Lonny J. Ward & Erika A. Ward, Published in “Feeding the Forgotten: Agricultural Development for the World’s Small-Holder Farmer)

�

(Stories will be interspersed with the following principles)

�

Principle: The Lord’s tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ. (Elder David A. Bednar, “The Tender Mercies of the Lord” April 2005 General Conference)

�

Principle: “As we face challenges and tests in our lives, the gift of faith and an appropriate sense of personal confidence that reaches beyond our own capacity are two examples of the tender mercies of the Lord: The persistence and the fortitude that enable us to press forward with cheerfulness through physical limitations and spiritual difficulties are examples of the tender mercies of the Lord.” (Elder David A. Bednar, “The Tender Mercies of the Lord” April 2005 General Conference)

�

Principle: “We should not underestimate or overlook the power of the Lord’s tender mercies. The simpleness, the sweetness, and the constancy of the tender mercies of the Lord will do much to fortify and protect us in the troubled times in which we do now and will yet live. When it seems that perhaps we are so totally alone, truly we are blessed by the tender mercies of the Lord and made mighty even unto the power of deliverance.” (Elder David A. Bednar, “The Tender Mercies of the Lord” April 2005 General Conference).

�

Principle: “But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance” (1 Ne. 1:20).

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“Tender Mercies of the Lord”

*All

Info is On The Slide

(Only on text heavy slides)

1st Class: The Tender Mercies of the Lord at Home and Abroad: Uplifting and Encouraging Stories from Developing Countries in Africa, South America, and Asia

�

Introduction:

This class will demonstrate the universality of the Lord’s tender mercies by sharing stories and experiences of his dealings with his children in Africa, South America, Asia, and the U.S. Using the principles laid out by Elder Bednar in his landmark talk on the subject, I will explore how vast and broad-reaching God’s love is for his children on many continents.

---------------------

Stories of Love:
My Bolivia Experience
Goodwell
Prateek
Chad Hymus
Radhika
Guatemala Hurricanes
Guatemala Life Program
How do you recognize God’s love of you and his hand in your life? Journal, Prayer, Ponder, Sacred places(Women going to hilltop to get cell signal for their children’s schooling

�

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“I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are available to all of us and that the Redeemer of Israel is eager to bestow such gifts upon us.”

ELDER DAVID A. BEDNAR, “THE TENDER MERCIES OF THE LORD” APRIL 2005 GENERAL CONFERENCE

- father-in-law knew him. ☺

Introduce the concept of tender mercies: “I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are available to all of us and that the Redeemer of Israel is eager to bestow such gifts upon us.” (Elder David A. Bednar, “The Tender Mercies of the Lord” April 2005 General Conference)

-----

(Stories and Slide Presentation: As each principle from Elder Bednar’s talk is discussed, I will share personal and moving stories of the tender mercies experienced by people whom I have met in my developing country travels. I will demonstrate how, through faith and diligence, these wonderful people are lifting themselves out of poverty with the help of the tender mercies of the Lord in their lives. (source: Personal travels and interviews; “A Practical Implementation of The Small-Scale Agriculture Model in Developing Countries,” Lonny J. Ward & Erika A. Ward, Published in “Feeding the Forgotten: Agricultural Development for the World’s Small-Holder Farmer)

-------------

Elder Bednar, love this quote… especially the word EAGER.

Let me share with you….

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- father-in-law knew him. ☺

Introduce the concept of tender mercies: “I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are available to all of us and that the Redeemer of Israel is eager to bestow such gifts upon us.” (Elder David A. Bednar, “The Tender Mercies of the Lord” April 2005 General Conference)

-----

(Stories and Slide Presentation: As each principle from Elder Bednar’s talk is discussed, I will share personal and moving stories of the tender mercies experienced by people whom I have met in my developing country travels. I will demonstrate how, through faith and diligence, these wonderful people are lifting themselves out of poverty with the help of the tender mercies of the Lord in their lives. (source: Personal travels and interviews; “A Practical Implementation of The Small-Scale Agriculture Model in Developing Countries,” Lonny J. Ward & Erika A. Ward, Published in “Feeding the Forgotten: Agricultural Development for the World’s Small-Holder Farmer)

-------------

Elder Bednar, love this quote… especially the word EAGER.

Let me share with you….

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Available to all of us

I had just spent a week in the sweltering heat on the coast of Peru and was now bouncing along in an old bus at 12,000 feet chilled to the bone due to the thin air and cooler temperatures. I was accompanying a class of veterinary students to the northern most parts of Bolivia in the high Andes to work with rural villages on alpaca production. When we first loaded into the bus, I had been very excited about this new adventure and the students peppered me with questions. I stood in the front of the bus fielding their questions and discussing veterinary work with them. After a couple of hours, the questions and discussion died away and I sat down on the hard plastic seat. After a couple more hours of winding, bouncy roads I began to consider my situation. I hadn’t seen my family in over a week. I couldn’t speak English with anyone. We still had several more hours of this torturous journey to go. The high altitude and cold air had me chilled to the bone and I was feeling very alone. In this hour of despair, I reached out to my Heavenly Father and asked if this is really where he wanted me to be. A spiritual warmth enveloped me like a warm comforter. Tears sprang to my eyes and in my mind I felt the Lord say “You are right where I need you. Keep going I am with you” This sacred experience was an answer to my prayer and gave me strength to finish the trip. It has been an anchor to me since that day that has helped me get through other difficult times. No one in that bus felt or saw anything except maybe me wiping tears from my cheeks. It was just another bus ride. But to me it was a special life changing event as the Spirt of the Lord communed with my spirit.

“Available to all of us”

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Slides 5-7= 6.5 minutes

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blessings,

strength,

protection,

assurances,

guidance,

loving-kindnesses,

consolation,

support,

and spiritual gifts

The Lord’s tender mercies are the very personal and individualized

from

and because of

and through

which we receive

the Lord Jesus Christ.

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Goodwell�Banda��Personal and Individualized Blessings

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Bishnu �and �Prateek��The divine in me �recognizes �the divine in you.�

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“The persistence and the fortitude that enable us to press forward with cheerfulness through physical limitations and spiritual difficulties are examples of the tender mercies of the Lord.”

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Chad Hymas

It's been a roller coaster three days! Navigating travel with the Microsoft glitch has been nothing short of challenging. Missed flights, countless delays, and unexpected nights in hotel rooms. I currently find myself stuck in Atlanta, trying to find a way back to Salt Lake City. I almost had it locked in yesterday until the last minute.��Then, my wheelchair bearing broke. I was completely incapacitated, and it hit me... Despite the challenges, I realized just how good I have it. Even though my body is 95% numb, I’ve been entirely dependent on others for the last 30 hours. Simple tasks like turning my wheelchair, facing a different direction, or getting into a restroom, which I've taken for granted the last 24 years, have only been possible because of the people around me. ��I have been surrounded by countless angels willing to serve me. So humbling!

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“As we face challenges and tests in our lives, the gift of faith and an appropriate sense of personal confidence that reaches beyond our own capacity are two examples of the tender mercies of the Lord.

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Radhika��Personal confidence beyond our capacity

Dilit Cast in Nepal.

Social structure of the caste system in Nepal today

Brahmin – traditionally priests, scholars and educators.
Kshatriya – soldiers, governors and kings.
Vaishya – merchants, farmers, cattle-herders and artisans.
Sudra – laborers, artisans and service providers.

D

Dalits are discriminated against on the basis of caste and “untouchability.” They are not only discriminated by the so-called higher caste people in the Hindu system, but also by people within the same caste. Dalit women suffer much more than Dalit men.alits, the discriminated people under this system, suffer from restriction on the use public amenities, deprivation of economic opportunities, and general neglect by the state and society. https://www.hurights.or.jp/archives/focus/section2/2002/12/dalits-in-nepal-story-of-discrimination.html

Government officials generally ignore, and at times ill-treat, Dalits seeking services from the government. Treated like second-class citizens, services are generally delayed. They are also abused by addressing them with disrespectful words (such as using the word tan instead of Hajur or Tapain).

Dalit women development programs of the government or donor agencies are elaborated without the participation of the Dalit women themselves. This leads to the implementation of development programs that are not applicable to the Dalits.

“Let me tell you my story: My name is Radhika. I was born

into the Dalit caste, considered by my village to be the lowest of

the low. I finished grade nine, but my family was too poor for me

to continue with school. We often went hungry, and my father had

a hard time finding work. My family married me off at the age of

15 to a boy whose family was also very poor.

My husband and I lived with his parents in a three-room

shack. I had to carry water every day. Most days I also climbed

up the mountain to find firewood. There was no time to go to

school. But there was not enough work for our family to survive.

So my husband, Rajendra, decided to go abroad to earn money

to feed our family. He took a loan from a money-lender to pay

a manpower company for a flight to Saudi Arabia. Money lend-

ers and manpower companies cheat and exploit workers. They

charge high interest rates and terribly high fees that often take

more than half of a worker’s earnings. That is what happened to

us. I know of many wives whose husbands were forced to work

for many years before they had paid off the interest and fees from

the loans.

Unfortunately, the company where Rajendra worked was

shut down just two months after he joined it. He was forced to

return home with no pay. This was again a terrible time because

our family was now in even greater debt. Now that my husband

was home, we started our family. Over a few years we had three

daughters. This only added to our money problems.

Before long, my husband decided to try his luck again. He

took another loan and went to the Gulf area for a second time.

Then came the saddest day of my life when a devastating mes-

sage arrived: Rajendra had been found dead in his sleep! I faint-

ed at the shock of this news. The only hope for our family was

now shattered. I was pregnant and not long after Rajendra died,

I gave birth to our fourth daughter. My father-in-law, who was

supposed to take care of his son’s family, forced me and my four

daughters to leave his home. After that I received no support from

my husband’s family. I felt hopeless and thought of taking my

life. But love for my children gave me courage to carry on. Out of

compassion, a wealthy man in our community allowed us to live

in a deserted house.

CHOICE Humanitarian staff learned of my situation. They

invited me to learn how start my own business. After I had com-

pleted this training, I was eager to start my own chicken farm.

One of the CHOICE staff helped me write a business plan so I

could apply for a loan. I received Nepal rupees 40,000 (US $400)

from a perpetual fund created by CHOICE in my village. From

the earnings of my chicken farm, I was able to pay back the loan

in 6 months. For the first time in my life, I don’t have to worry

about the survival of my family. All four of my daughters are go-

ing school and doing well.”

One CHOICE facilitator observed in her field notes: “What

a marvelous change has happened in the life of Radhika and her

children. She is a changed woman, always smiling, telling oth-

ers they too should go through entrepreneurship training. Yet the

truly amazing change is what happened when she was acknowl-

edged by many of the villagers to be a woman that they now truly

trusted and respected. Because of this high regard from other

villagers, she was selected to participate in a leadership training

course, giving her skills she never dreamed she would have.

Within a few years after she had started her chicken farm,

she became one of the most successful women in the village. Later

Radhika achieved the most unexpected of success of all. In

2017, Nepal held the first local council elections in nearly 15

years. Traditionally, very few women have been elected to these

local councils. Imagine how improbable it would be for a low

caste (Dalit) woman to be elected! In June 2017, the government

announced that Radhika was elected to the recently formed Rural

Municipality Council representing Ward 3l in Besishahar.”

Radhika says, “People often say that other people or the gov-

ernment should come and help them to come out of poverty. Now

I realize that doesn’t work. It’s not the handouts but the hands-on

that changed my life.”

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Radhika�Hope and dreams

“People often say that other people or the government should come and help them to come out of poverty. Now

I realize that doesn’t work.

It’s not the handouts but the hands-on that changed my life.” Radhika Pariyar

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��

Successful Businesswoman

Girls going to school

Inspiring community member

Elected official

New home constructed

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“We should not underestimate or overlook the power of the Lord’s tender mercies. The simpleness, the sweetness, and the constancy of the tender mercies of the Lord will do much to fortify and protect us in the troubled times in which we do now and will yet live. When it seems that perhaps we are so totally alone, truly we are blessed by the tender mercies of the Lord and made mighty even unto the power of deliverance.

Principle: “We should not underestimate or overlook the power of the Lord’s tender mercies. The simpleness, the sweetness, and the constancy of the tender mercies of the Lord will do much to fortify and protect us in the troubled times in which we do now and will yet live. When it seems that perhaps we are so totally alone, truly we are blessed by the tender mercies of the Lord and made mighty even unto the power of deliverance.” (Elder David A. Bednar, “The Tender Mercies of the Lord” April 2005 General Conference).

GUATEMALA HURRICANE EXAMPLE

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JESUS ES AMOR

The Lord can prepare us for the crisis that He knows will come to us. We may not realize how he has prepared us until we look back with Spiritual eyes and see His hand in our lives. In Pampa De los Silva, Piura, Peru a group of women were watched over guided and strengthen in their lives. When the COVID crisis hit they were prepared. Eizabeth Zapata and her friends were looking for a way to get out of the rut of poverty. A non profit organization came and gave them all ducklings and the equipment to raise the ducks promising them that this would give them a boost out of poverty. Unfortunately they didn’t have experience or expertise in raising ducks and many died.

Elizabeth and her friends heard about the institute for Central and agriculture and thought that they could help them with their problem. They reached out to our team and we're soon receiving the training that they needed for their duck program. Within a year they had raised several hundred ducks and sold them for a profit. This not only provided them great family income but also helped increase the family's nutrition.��The team also started training them on basic business principles. The women realized that they could get paid more for their ducks if they slaughtered them and sold them as ready to eat ducks. They would arise at 4:00 in the morning to get the docs ready for market each day. This added to their bottom line and help them to do even better. Then one of the women had the idea of actually cooking some of the duck and selling it at the market. They tried this and soon found that it was another wonderful way of adding to their business model. They realized that they didn't have to wait for market Day and they could sell their products by taking orders. About this time one of the women who knew how to make baskets by weaving grass suggested that they could add basket making to their business portfolio. Soon all the women were trained and wolf baskets to sell in the market. Now several years later all of these women are successful and the business world. Their husbands that were skeptical at first have now become their greatest supporters. What I love about this cooperative is their name Jesus as amor or in English Jesus is Love. These women recognize that it was the love that their heavenly father had for them that help them to find the resources to resolve their problems. In my mind their name says it all Jesus is Love. God really does love all his children.��In 2020 when the covid pandemic hit these women were prepared instead of being in abject poverty living on the edge they had business skills resources and money that allowed them to not only go through the covid crisis without difficulty but they were able to support their friends and neighbors also. In this way through a series of events the Lord not only bless these women but blessed many others by helping them to develop their skills and talents. What skills and talents do you have that the Lord is helping you to develop that will be a blessing to you and those around you in the days and years to come?

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Guatemala Hurricanes

After almost 2 years of preparation in July of 2020 we launched Guatemala LIFE, a program to fight poverty in the poorest region of Guatemala. The scare of COVID mad eit virtually impossible for our native team to meet with the local leaders and begin our program. Telephone conversations were ineffective in developing good relationships and in person visits were nearly impossible. For months our team struggled with little progress. Then in October of 2020 hurricane Eta pummeled the area filling valley with lakes of water displacing thousands of people, leaving them with no more than the clothes on their backs. Our team sprang in to actionreaching out to the local leaders and assessing their needs. They needed around $50,000 to provide immediate supplies for over 1000 people. The doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation responded to our cry for help and within a very short time the money was in Gautemala to purchase the needed supplies. However, in that short time the number of people that needed help went from 1000 to 3000. Our director Olger Pop, who is a deot Catholic has a very good relationship with Benjamin Poou, the Mission President. Olger proposed that with the missionaries help they could buy bulk, have the missionaries help repackage the food and literally feed all 3000. President Poou loved the idea and offered the chuch as their central hub. Missionaries and other volunteers gathered, the food was repackaged and quickly hauled to the northern pats of Alta Vera Paz where the flooding was the worst. In a short time the families had food and other needed supplies. The Red Cross had mobilized for this crisis but did not have the 4x4 vehicles to get into the affected areas. They asked for our help and Olger quickly agreed. Working hand in hand with the red cross team we drove from community to community assessing the medical needs and treating the most severe cases. The Red Cross was so impressed with the efficiency and dedication of our team that they asked to partner with us in the work that we do and since then we have completed hundreds of medical expeditions in about 100 communities in the municipality of Chisec in Alta Verapaz.

Shortly after the hurricane Iota came though devastating the countryside again. Working hand in hand with our partners we were able to help assuage the suffering of these children of God. Natural disasters cause get suffering, but in this case they became a vehicle for great change to take place. Due to this emergency relief work our team now had the trust and relationships with the local people to begin training them to be self reliant. With the crisis past our team and partners switched into development mode and began teaching them how to raise their own nutritious food, proper hygiene and other critical skills to accelerate them on the road to resilience and prosperity.

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Relief on the Way

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President and Sister Poou

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The Church in Action

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Build Community Resilience: Poultry and Livestock

315 families and 15 communities participated in vaccination projects.
Over 6800 chicken have been vaccinated preventing thousands of deaths
Estimated $70,000 of increased revenue due to live animals and increased production

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Help Them Help Themselves

Oyster Mushroom Training and Production

Oyster mushrooms production involved 15 communities totaling 233 families.

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From Dependance to Abundance

Families now provide their own food, share with neighbors and sell to the community

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“But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.”

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End of�Day One

Uplifting and Encouraging Stories from Developing Countries in Africa, South America, and Asia

The Tender Mercies of the Lord at Home and Abroad:

Lonny J. Ward, M.S., M.B.A.

Director of Operations, CHOICE Humanitarian

----

1st Class: The Tender Mercies of the Lord at Home and Abroad: Uplifting and Encouraging Stories from Developing Countries in Africa, South America, and Asia

�

Introduction:

This class will demonstrate the universality of the Lord’s tender mercies by sharing stories and experiences of his dealings with his children in Africa, South America, Asia, and the U.S. Using the principles laid out by Elder Bednar in his landmark talk on the subject, I will explore how vast and broad-reaching God’s love is for his children on many continents.

�

The main points of the class are as follows:

�

Introduce the concept of tender mercies: “I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are available to all of us and that the Redeemer of Israel is eager to bestow such gifts upon us.” (Elder David A. Bednar, “The Tender Mercies of the Lord” April 2005 General Conference)

�

Stories and Slide Presentation: As each principle from Elder Bednar’s talk is discussed, I will share personal and moving stories of the tender mercies experienced by people whom I have met in my developing country travels. I will demonstrate how, through faith and diligence, these wonderful people are lifting themselves out of poverty with the help of the tender mercies of the Lord in their lives. (source: Personal travels and interviews; “A Practical Implementation of The Small-Scale Agriculture Model in Developing Countries,” Lonny J. Ward & Erika A. Ward, Published in “Feeding the Forgotten: Agricultural Development for the World’s Small-Holder Farmer)

�

(Stories will be interspersed with the following principles)

�

Principle: The Lord’s tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ. (Elder David A. Bednar, “The Tender Mercies of the Lord” April 2005 General Conference)

�

Principle: “As we face challenges and tests in our lives, the gift of faith and an appropriate sense of personal confidence that reaches beyond our own capacity are two examples of the tender mercies of the Lord: The persistence and the fortitude that enable us to press forward with cheerfulness through physical limitations and spiritual difficulties are examples of the tender mercies of the Lord.” (Elder David A. Bednar, “The Tender Mercies of the Lord” April 2005 General Conference)

�

Principle: “We should not underestimate or overlook the power of the Lord’s tender mercies. The simpleness, the sweetness, and the constancy of the tender mercies of the Lord will do much to fortify and protect us in the troubled times in which we do now and will yet live. When it seems that perhaps we are so totally alone, truly we are blessed by the tender mercies of the Lord and made mighty even unto the power of deliverance.” (Elder David A. Bednar, “The Tender Mercies of the Lord” April 2005 General Conference).

�

Principle: “But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance” (1 Ne. 1:20).

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Humble and Kind��Tim Graw

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What are the Odds?��Tender Mercies