Life is filled with unexpected turns. When facing trials or unmet desires, how can we maintain our trust in God and His plan for us?
Camille Fronk Olson has faced this question in a very real way throughout her life. The professor emeritus of ancient scripture readily admits that her life looks “totally different” than she thought it would. But by placing her faith in God, she believes He has paved a path for her that is more beautiful than she could have imagined.
On a recent episode of the Magnify podcast, Camille shared a scripture that assured her of God’s love during an unexpected detour.
Reassurance from the Doctrine and Covenants
Camille says that shortly after serving a mission as a young adult, she was hired to teach seminary. She had expected to be married and starting a family by that age, and this new role felt different from where she thought she should be in life.
During one of her first years of teaching, she received a spontaneous phone call from the director for the Institute of Religion at Utah State University. During their conversation, he shared a scripture verse from the Doctrine and Covenants about receiving answers to prayer:
“As often as thou hast inquired thou hast received instruction from my Spirit. If it had not been so, thou wouldst not have come to the place where thou art at this time.” (Doctrine and Covenants 6:14)
“I remember exactly where I was, how I felt, [when I heard that verse], and it was an answer to me,” Camille shares. The scripture helped her realize that, rather than a detour, her job as a seminary teacher was exactly where the Lord had led her.
Because she had sought “instruction from [His] Spirit,” she felt reassured that He would continue to lead her in her future decisions and experiences.
“That’s one of the greatest tests that God gives to us,” Camille explains. “To recognize that He’s with us is to look back … and see who He has put in your path and when. And when things seemed the darkest and the most uncertain, we leaned on Him even more because there was no one else to help us. And in those moments, that little trickle of light, that ray, comes through that said, ‘OK, one more step.’”
The Blessing of Hindsight
Camille got married in her late 40s, which included the blessing of two children and four grandchildren. She acknowledges that while waiting for this delayed desire wasn’t what she initially wanted, she can now look back and see the way the Lord’s hand was in every step. She believes that through His timing and perfect plan, He led her to invaluable educational and professional opportunities that she needed to experience for her own spiritual development.
“I had to keep going back and saying, ‘This is the path that I have right now,’” she says. “It was balanced by seeing other opportunities and what I learned from those and how [they] opened new vistas to me. And I realized, looking back, I didn’t regret any of them. … Hindsight is one of the greatest blessings.”
Hear more about Camille’s story on the full Magnify episode.
Find hope in the waiting
Available at Deseret Book, deseretbook.com, and via Bookshelf+.
More articles for you:
▶ Pres. Holland’s counsel to youth that everyone needs to hear
▶ The quote from conference that’s on my mind weeks later
▶ Amazing temple cake helps build spiritual momentum in California
