Being Present, Prepared, and Grateful

Today I would like to speak about gratitude, service, the precious gift of life, and what it means to be present when someone needs us.

I have always believed that being of service is more than simply doing something for someone. Sometimes it means recognizing what needs to be done without being asked. Sometimes it means listening. Sometimes it means being prepared.

And sometimes it means holding someone’s hand while waiting for help to arrive.

I’d like to share something that happened to our family on Friday, October 23, 2026.

A Day I Will Never Forget

Following a recent hailstorm here in Arizona, our air conditioner needed attention. The gentleman who originally installed our unit came to help us determine why it wasn’t working.

He’s approximately 60 years old, and he is still working hard in a profession that sometimes requires climbing ladders and working on rooftops.

He climbed the ladder to our roof, and my husband, Corey, followed him.

At some point, the gentleman realized he had forgotten a tool and returned toward the ladder.

I was inside our home when I heard a terrible commotion, followed by a car alarm.

I went outside to investigate. The alarm continued sounding, but I couldn’t see anyone near the vehicle.

I walked around our house until I reached the back.

There, at the bottom of our stairs, on our new deck, I found the gentleman bleeding terribly from his head.

Corey was still on the roof, calling 911.

I didn’t know whether the man had fractured his skull, broken his neck, or whether he would survive.

He was moving himself down the stairs, headfirst toward the concrete. I found something soft to help protect his head while he continued moving himself.

Then I got the ladder back up to Corey and held it tightly so he could climb down safely.

Corey continued speaking with the 911 dispatcher while I went inside to retrieve a towel.

When I returned, I helped the injured gentleman follow the dispatcher’s instructions.

Remarkably, he seemed to be a moment ahead of what the dispatcher was telling us.

I helped him maintain pressure on his bleeding head.

And then we held hands.

We waited together for the emergency responders.

Now, I want you to understand something.

I wasn’t standing there calmly delivering a perfectly organized response.

I was saying, out loud:

“Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!”

And at the same time, silent prayers began within me.

I was praying to God the Eternal Father.

I was frightened. I was trying not to cry. I was trying not to become physically sick from what I was witnessing.

But I knew I needed to stay with him.

I kept telling him:

“They’re on their way. Keep putting pressure.”

At one point, he asked me what his forehead looked like.

I told him he was definitely going to have a scar, just like mine, and pointed to the scar on my own head.

Later, his children described his injury as going up and over his head like a rainbow.

As the emergency vehicles approached, his telephone rang and began playing an American veterans song.

That sound, in the middle of everything happening around us, is something I still remember.

Meanwhile, Corey was clearing a path so the emergency responders could bring their gurney through.

And I would like to publicly express my gratitude to the 911 dispatcher, the sheriff, and the emergency responders from Carefree Station No. 1.

They arrived so quickly.

When someone is seriously injured, every moment matters.

We later learned that the gentleman had broken his neck. A tool in his pocket had also punctured his chest during the fall.

Thankfully, we have been told that he is not paralyzed and is in good spirits, although his injuries are serious.

I am deeply grateful that he survived.

I am grateful Corey wasn’t the one who fell.

I am grateful that Corey didn’t fall with him.

And I am grateful that I was able to be there when someone needed help.

What Does It Mean to Be of Service?

Since that day, I have thought a great deal about the words of King Benjamin.

In Mosiah 2:17, he tells his people:

“When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”

I have heard this scripture throughout my life as a Latter-day Saint.

But after Friday, I have been thinking about it in a particularly personal way.

When I found that gentleman, I wasn’t thinking about performing an act of service.

I wasn’t thinking about receiving recognition.

I wasn’t even thinking about what I might learn from the experience.

I was thinking about the man in front of me.

He was hurt.

He was bleeding.

He needed help.

And I was there.

Sometimes that is where service begins.

Not with a calling, a committee, or an assignment.

But with a willingness to recognize what needs to be done.

King Benjamin also asks in Mosiah 4:19:

“For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have?”

That question reminds me how dependent we are upon one another and upon our Heavenly Father.

We may spend our lives believing we are independent, capable, and prepared for whatever comes.

But circumstances can change in an instant.

One moment, someone may be standing on a rooftop helping another family.

The next, that same person may need others to help preserve his life.

Service reminds us that none of us is entirely self-sufficient.

We need one another.

Prayer Does Not Always Require Spoken Words

Another thing I have been reflecting upon is prayer.

As Latter-day Saints, we are taught to pray to God the Eternal Father in the name of Jesus Christ.

But we are also taught that prayer is not limited to words spoken aloud.

In Alma 34:27, Amulek tells the people:

“Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually.”

That scripture has taken on renewed meaning for me.

During the emergency, I was saying “Oh my God” out loud.

But inside, I was praying.

I didn’t have time to kneel.

I didn’t have time to close my eyes.

I didn’t have time to organize every thought into a beautifully worded prayer.

I was busy trying to help someone who was seriously injured.

Yet my heart could still turn toward my Heavenly Father.

And that is something I want to share with the young people here today.

You do not have to wait for a perfect moment to pray.

You can pray when you are frightened.

You can pray when you are uncertain.

You can pray when you don’t know what will happen next.

You can pray silently while doing the work that is immediately in front of you.

Our Heavenly Father knows our hearts.

And we can turn to Him even when we cannot find the words.

In Alma 37:37, Alma counsels his Son Helaman:

“Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good.”

That invitation is not limited to quiet moments of study or reflection.

We can counsel with the Lord throughout our lives, including during moments of fear, uncertainty, and responsibility.

The Gift of Agency and Responsibility

I have often said that with age comes responsibility.

But responsibility isn’t simply something we receive when we become adults.

It is something we develop by learning to recognize what needs to be done.

When we see a need, we have a choice.

We can ignore it.

We can wait for someone else.

Or we can do what we are reasonably able to do.

Of course, we also need wisdom.

We need to understand our limitations.

We need to recognize when a situation requires trained professionals.

And sometimes the most responsible thing we can do is call for help, follow instructions, and avoid causing further harm.

That was an important part of Friday’s experience.

Corey called 911.

I helped the injured man follow the dispatcher’s instructions.

Corey cleared a path for the emergency responders.

And when the professionals arrived, they took over his medical care.

We each had something we could do.

None of us could do everything.

But together, we could help.

I believe this is also an important principle in our homes, our wards, and our communities.

We don’t all have the same abilities, experiences, or responsibilities.

But each of us has something to contribute.

In 2 Nephi 2:27, Lehi tells his Sons that we are:

“Free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death.”

Lehi is speaking of the eternal significance of agency.

And his words remind me that our choices matter.

We are accountable for what we choose to do with the opportunities and responsibilities before us.

Agency is not simply the freedom to act.

It also invites us to consider how our actions affect others.

Seeing Others as Children of God

One of the most meaningful memories I have from Friday is looking into that gentleman’s eyes.

I keep remembering the eye contact between us.

I remember holding his hand.

I remember trying to reassure him.

And sometimes, when I think about that moment, I wonder whether I was comforting him or whether he was also comforting me.

There was something very human about it.

We were both frightened.

Neither of us knew exactly what would happen.

But we were not alone.

As children of God, we have opportunities to recognize one another’s worth beyond our circumstances, our differences, or even our relationships.

This man had come to our home to repair an air conditioner.

He was there to provide a service.

And suddenly, the person who had come to help us was the person who needed help.

That reversal has stayed with me.

We never know when our circumstances may change.

Today, we may be the person offering assistance.

Tomorrow, we may be the person who needs someone to hold our hand.

In Mosiah 18:8–9, Alma speaks of people who are willing:

“To bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;”

And:

“To mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort.”

Those words describe something deeply meaningful about our covenant responsibilities.

We are not asked to care only for people whose lives resemble our own.

We are invited to comfort those who need comfort.

To notice suffering.

To respond with compassion.

And to recognize that our lives are connected.

Gratitude for Those Who Serve

I also want to speak about gratitude.

I am grateful for the people who answer emergency calls.

For dispatchers who remain focused while frightened people try to explain what has happened.

For firefighters and paramedics who respond without knowing exactly what they will encounter.

For law enforcement officers who help secure a scene and assist those involved.

For medical professionals who care for people with serious injuries.

And for their families, who share in the sacrifices required by those professions.

We sometimes take these services for granted until the day we need them.

On Friday, we needed them.

And I am thankful they came.

In Mosiah 2:21, King Benjamin reminds his people that even if we serve God with our whole souls, we remain indebted to Him.

I find that humbling.

Everything we accomplish depends upon blessings and opportunities we did not create entirely for ourselves.

Our lives, our abilities, our relationships, and our opportunities to serve are gifts we can use for good.

I also recognize that our gratitude for someone surviving an accident does not mean every family receives the outcome they pray for.

Some families experience terrible losses despite every effort, every prayer, and every act of service.

I do not believe that makes their prayers less sincere or their faith less meaningful.

We cannot always determine the outcome.

But we can choose to show compassion, seek help, and place our trust in God.

Our Families Are Precious

Friday was also a day of family connections.

It was Aunt Robbie’s birthday and my Brother Jason’s birthday.

My Mom was calling me about a conversation we’d had concerning Grandma and Grandpa Garrett.

Jason was calling because I’d asked him to find time to talk on his birthday.

Instead, I found myself explaining that the paramedics had just left our property and the sheriff was still taking our report.

When our boys, Kyle and Jay, returned home, we told them what had happened.

They were both tremendously grateful that their Dad had not fallen.

And I was, too.

I’ve thought about how differently our day could have ended.

How quickly an ordinary family day could become a day of loss.

How important it is to appreciate the people who share our lives.

Sometimes we become so occupied with what needs to be accomplished that we forget to appreciate the people beside us.

But our relationships are among the most precious parts of our mortal experience.

We should tell our families that we love them.

We should listen when they speak.

We should make time for one another.

We should forgive when we can, communicate when things are difficult, and remember that every person is still learning.

We should not wait until an emergency to recognize the value of being together.

In 4 Nephi 1:15, we read:

“And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.”

I love the connection between love and peace.

The love of God can influence how we speak to one another, how we respond to disagreements, and how we care for our families.

We may not always agree.

We may not always understand one another perfectly.

But we can choose to communicate with compassion and treat one another with dignity.

Faith, Hope, and Continuing Forward

Since Friday, I have replayed the experience in my mind.

I remember the sounds.

The blood.

The car alarm.

The emergency vehicles.

The music from the gentleman’s telephone.

And especially his eyes.

I have spoken about the experience with Corey, my Mom, Jason, our boys, and friends.

I am grateful for people who listen.

I am also learning that gratitude and fear can exist together.

I can be grateful that the gentleman survived while still being shaken by what I witnessed.

I can have faith while acknowledging that I was frightened.

Faith does not require us to pretend that difficult experiences are easy.

In 2 Nephi 31:20, Nephi encourages us to:

“Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.”

I love the words press forward.

They remind me that faith is something we continue to practice.

We continue learning.

We continue serving.

We continue caring for one another.

And we continue trusting God, even when we do not know what tomorrow will bring.

My Testimony

I am grateful for the gift of life.

I am grateful for my husband and our children.

I am grateful for our family, our friends, and our community.

I am grateful for those who serve others through their professions and those who quietly serve without recognition.

I am grateful that the gentleman who fell at our home survived and that we have received encouraging news about his condition. I pray that his recovery continues.

Most of all, I am grateful to God the Eternal Father for His love, and for His Son, Jesus Christ.

I believe Jesus Christ showed us what it means to love our fellow beings.

He noticed those whom others overlooked.

He comforted those who suffered.

He served those who needed Him.

And through His Atonement and Resurrection, He offers hope that extends beyond the difficulties and uncertainties of mortality.

In 3 Nephi 17:7, the resurrected Savior invites the people to bring their sick and afflicted to Him, saying:

“For I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy.”

And the record tells us that He healed those who were brought before Him.

I find great meaning in the Savior’s compassion.

He saw people who were suffering.

He recognized their needs.

And He ministered to them.

I know that I am a child of God.

I believe that each person we encounter is also His child.

And I believe that we honor Him when we treat one another with compassion, dignity, and love.

If there is one thought I hope you will remember from my experience, it is this:

We may not always know what someone needs us to say, and we may not always be able to change what is happening. But we can be present. We can be prepared. We can pray. And we can do what is within our ability to help.

Sometimes being of service begins with something as simple as holding another person’s hand and letting them know they are not alone.