The Tender Mercies of The Lord *

What Are Tender Mercies?

Elder Bednar defined the tender mercies of the Lord as “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.” Further, he taught that “the tender mercies of the Lord are real and that they do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence. Often, the Lord’s timing of His tender mercies helps us to both discern and acknowledge them.”

Directly before he stood to deliver his address, the congregation sang his favorite hymn. This he identified as a tender mercy from the Lord. He recounted, “A loving Savior was sending me a most personal and timely message of comfort and reassurance through a hymn selected weeks previously”

Recognizing Tender Mercies

Take time to recognize the Lord’s tender mercies in your life. Have you experienced these or similar tender mercies?

• A phone call from a friend at the exact moment you needed to talk
• A text to brighten your day
• A song on the radio that spoke peace to your mind
• A visit with a family member that clarified indecision
• A thought that solved a problem
• A story that provided an answer
• A service that relieved a struggle
• A trial that deepened your ability to empathize
• An answer to a heartfelt prayer
• A strength you didn’t know you had
• Counsel that offered comfort
• Forgiveness you needed to heal

These and countless other moments are more than mere coincidence. They are the tender mercies of the Lord. As we exercise faith in Jesus Christ and humbly choose to follow Him, He will abundantly bless us with His tender mercies.

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As sons of God, He gives us tender mercies. Not because we have earned them, but because we are his children. Whenever I recognize a tender mercy, I feel the Lord is saying to me: "I know you and I love you."

* Borrowed from www.mormon.org