My family joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the 1970s in Seoul, Korea. Ever since joining the Church, sharing the gospel with family on both sides of the veil has always been on the minds of my mom and her youngest sister. With divine guidance, they collected many genealogy books over the years, and my mom transferred the records, which were written in Chinese characters, onto separate pieces of paper in Korean. Those papers could later be uploaded to the Church genealogy system.

By 2007, my mom had hundreds of sheets done, which meant tens of thousands of names of my ancestors. I felt that I needed to help enter those names into the genealogy system. My sister even bought me a computer to do so, but I did not jump right into it. It soon became apparent, however, that my ancestors were done waiting.

About two weeks after my sister bought me a computer, I was laid off from my job. I was upset only for less than a second because a clear and strong impression came: “Perfect! I can do genealogy!” That feeling overpowered any negative feelings. After the first few days, I had an idea of how long it would take to enter all the names: if I did about 1,000 a day, I could finish in six months. I prayed and asked Heavenly Father that I would not get a job before I finished entering the names. Then I set to work as if this were my full-time job.

Those six months were the most spiritual and happiest time of my life, even more spiritual than being a missionary or a teacher at the missionary training center. I felt the Holy Ghost so strongly daily, giving me impressions, and my mind was open to gain a better understanding of the gospel. It was a very sacred time. I finished in a little under six months. A week after I finished, I accepted a job offer, where I stayed happily for many years.

The Lord works in mysterious ways. I am grateful that He provided a way for me to find relief from an unpleasant situation—and even turn it into a life-changing experience.

Jihae Kwon is an associate professor at Brigham Young University–Hawaii, faculty of arts and letters.

Learn more from the author

In this collection of talks by women for women, you will find testimony that, as He did for Esther, the Lord will meet us where we are. We were made to enjoy the highs of life just as much as we were prepared to rise above the lows. We are here for a reason. We were made for this.

More

More articles for you:
▶ A surgeon’s mistake caused me intense suffering. What I know now about God
▶ 6 temple stats that might surprise you
▶ How temple worship brought miracles to a teen struggling with friendships