In his talk, “Has the Day of Miracles Ceased?”, Elder Donald L. Hallstrom provides some interesting thoughts on miracles.
Elder Hallstrom discusses what defines a miracle. In his talk he says,
“Often we describe a miracle as being healed without a full explanation by medical science or as avoiding catastrophic danger by heeding a clear prompting. However, defining a miracle as “a beneficial event brought about through divine power that mortals do not understand” (encyclopedia of Mormonism 1992) gives an expanded perspective into matters more eternal in nature. This definition also allows us to contemplate the vital role of faith in the receipt of a miracle.”
This led me to think about miracles. Often as I read the New Testament I wonder, where are the modern day miracles? Where are people having devils cast out, cripples walking, the blind seeing? Have miracles ceased? Elder Hallstrom’s talk is a reminder of something important: Miracles have not ceased.
What a fascinating thing that during the age of constant miracles, we think miracles have ceased. Glasses make those with terrible eyesight see. Lasers are used to treat poor eyesight. Giant tubes with propellers fly people across contintents. Emergency personnel have extraordinary equipment to save lives. We travel at unbelievable speeds, seeing the whole world in days. We talk to and see someone on the other end of the globe like it’s no big deal. Have miracles ceased? We are surrounded by miracles.
These obvious miracles through technological advancements can sometimes distract from something even more profound. That is that every single breath we take is a miracle. When is the last time you pondered child-birth? Really thought about it. Two people love each other, unite with each other, and then a child grows from nothing in the belly of a woman who carries that child. That child has a mixture of DNA from their parents. That child enters the world and within months is breathing, eating, walking, and talking. We call it “the miracle of child birth” but when is the last time you really thought about it? What a miracle this life is. We’re surrounded by miracles, every moment is a miracle.
Which leads to this thought: Faith proceeds the miracle. Why? Because faith sees the miracle. Faith is the recognition of the miracle. There is no miracle without the faith.
“A beneficial event brought about through divine power that mortals do not understand.” What do we really understand about our ultimate benefit?
In his talk, Elder Hallstrom talks about the family of a man who survived a hiking accident. All rational medicine and scientific data said he should have been dead. Elder Hallstrom said,
“I had a profound impression—a spiritual witness—that Holly and each of the five beautiful children who sat in the living room around their parents have such faith that they could have accepted whatever the outcome might have been that day and they still would have spiritually prospered.”
Is that not the miracle? That something so tragic could occur and a family could become stronger and grow and become better from a heart-wrenching trial?
What if that man survived because of the faith of his wife and children? What if he could have died and it wouldn’t have impacted any of their faiths? What greater miracle than this: Hope and peace.
Miracles come after the faith – why? Because faith makes the miracle. The miracles aren’t that someone is healed but that whether or not they were healed, it would be for their ultimate benefit. Do we have faith not to be healed and to trust God in all things?
“Neither at any time hath any wrought miracles until after their faith” (Ether 12:18).
Faith IS the miracle. And miracles are recognized by our faith.
Stop and look around you. This life is a miracle. Thank God every day for it.
No Coincidences 