Morgan Jones Pearson, host of LDS Living’s All In podcast, recently spoke at a Brigham Young University–Hawaii devotional. Her remarks were uplifting and personal, emphasizing trust in God with our personal stories.
She shared an experience from the life of her father-in-law, Elder Kevin W. Pearson. Elder Pearson’s infant son was diagnosed with a rare form of eye cancer, retinoblastoma. At three months old, one of his son’s eyes would need to be removed, and the other had tumors that needed immediate attention.
“There had been no blessing, and clearly the Lord had not intervened,” Elder Pearson said. “Our faith, it seems, had been no more than vain hope. My faith was shattered. I began to question everything I had ever believed. … I felt betrayed and angry. I was overcome with pain.”
But in that moment, he felt the following impression in his mind and heart: “Kevin, he is my son, too.” That moment deeply impacted how Elder Pearson navigated the next six years of health struggles with his son.
Morgan went on to discuss how trusting God amid life’s challenges can make all the difference for us.
“The beauty of trusting God is that it means trusting that while we cannot see the end from the beginning, there is One who can,” she says.
The Story Comes Full Circle
At the end of her talk, Morgan circled back to the story of Elder Pearson and his young son—who is now grown up and Morgan’s husband:
“I wish I could go back and show that young dad what I see every day as his son plays with our children. I wish he could’ve somehow known that I believe, in many ways, that cancer is the thing that makes his son so wonderful, that painful years of wearing goggles playing sports made him empathetic and kind.
“That years of medical treatments and surgeries would instill in him a love and gratitude for his parent that make him a wonderful son and an incredible father. That his appreciation for life and the opportunities it gives makes my life so much better.
“And that his goodness, that no doubt stems from that moment his dad chose to trust God, is the thing that makes me fall in love with him all over again every day.
“I wish that young father could have seen, just for a moment, what I see every day in his son. But if I could go back to that young dad, I would be spoiling a beautiful part of the story.”
You can listen to the full talk here or in the player below.
Find the most recent episode of All In wherever you listen to your podcasts.
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