“And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will.” (Words of Mormon 1:7)
I found myself sitting in the state courtroom in Annapolis, Maryland. The attorney sitting next to me was quickly trying to prepare me to testify to the General Assembly concerning third-party insurance companies. He asked me to tell my story in hopes to persuade the delegates to no longer allow third-party insurance companies to operate in the state of Maryland. Just outside the courtroom doors, my sister was pacing the floor with my nursing baby. How did I get there? This story involved pneumonia, a high-risk pregnancy, and no health insurance.
My sojourn began in January 1989. My two young children, Sam (Samantha age 2 ½) and Jake (age 1), were sick with the flu. My husband Joe had recently been diagnosed with pneumonia, and I was in the early stages of my third pregnancy feeling quite tired and nauseated; yet, grateful I was healthy enough and able to care for everyone.
Joe, who was usually the epitome of health with his athletic build and olive skin, was by far the sickest. He had lost over 15 pounds, and was quite pale and weak. I contacted my brother, Randy, and my brother-in, Robin, to come and give Joe a blessing. When they came into the house they were chatting and light hearted until they ventured upstairs. All conversation stopped when they laid their eyes on Joe. With great care and sincerity, they anointed him with oil and gave him a Priesthood blessing of health. Among other things said, the blessing stated Joe would recover 100%, which we were grateful.
“Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another.” (D&C 90:24).
Just a few months later, early in my second trimester of pregnancy, I began to feel labor pains. Sure enough, upon examination my doctor told me I was dilated, and my pregnancy was now labeled “high risk”. Being four months pregnant with two young, active children to care for, my doctor laid out the restrictions for the rest of my pregnancy which I followed with near exactness.
Next came the notification. Early in my last trimester, I was notified that my insurance company was bankrupted and would be unable to pay for my care and delivery. Being consumed with life, I realized at that moment the previous bills for the children’s illnesses, Joe’s pneumonia nor any of my earlier doctor’s visits had been reimbursed.
So, at seven months pregnant I called my doctor to tell him I could not pay for my pregnancy visits or delivery. At that time in history, my pregnancy would have been labeled a “pre-condition” and not covered by a new insurance company. Graciously, my doctor immediately cut a third of his rate, and placed me on a hospital program that would give me a flat rate as long as I was in and out within 24 hours which included labor, delivery, and after care. Since my pregnancy was high risk, I knew many things could have gone askew, making a “one day” hospital visit an unviable option.
I am still grateful to this day, over 34 years later, that all things went better than we thought possible. Our son Stephen was born healthy and strong; I had no complications at delivery, and we exited the hospital within 24 hours. In addition, Joe has never again had pneumonia.
“Prayer is a sacred privilege and commandment that allows us to communicate with a loving Heavenly Father. . .Those who diligently seek the Lord’s guidance can be blessed with personal revelation.” (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Lesson 10: Prayer and Revelation.)
Just a month or so after Stephen’s birth, an attorney contacted me. He asked if I would be willing to testify in front of the Maryland General Assembly against third party insurance companies. I said I would, although I had no experience whatsoever testifying in court. This is when I sought the one being in the universe who could help me.
Knowing the delegates would be questioning me, I asked the Lord if he would help me prepare to testify. I especially desired to know the questions they would ask and hoped to receive help preparing the most appropriate responses. During this time, when I had a quiet moment, I would mull over questions in my mind and possible answers. I would feel a sense of peace or calming when the best answer surfaced.
When the court date arrived, I found myself sitting with the attorney in a surprisingly busy courtroom as the assembly members scurried in & out of the room chatting to each other. After the attorney made his statements, the mic was turned to me. I was amazed at how relaxed and confident I felt as the assembly members questioned me after I told my story. Once my testimony was complete, the attorney quietly turned to me saying he was surprised at how well I was able to present myself. He explained that he had done this dozens of times and still felt nervous. Considering my status as a young mother with a nursing baby, my confidence was quite unexpected. I told him it was easy since I knew all the questions they would ask and had prepared my answers ahead of time. He looked at me dumbfounded, knowing the questions were impromptu, and not understanding how that was possible. I explained it was God who helped me.
“He knows everything about us. He knows what we need . . . He has infinite power and capacity to sustain and guide us. He is always willing to . . . help us in all things, both temporal and spiritual. . . Prayers enable personal revelation and spiritual gifts through the Holy Ghost. It is the spiritual channel made available to all of God’s children giving us constant access to our Eternal Father, His Beloved Son, and the Holy Ghost.” (Pearson, Kevin W. The Power of Personal Prayer. 2011/sep. Accessed 6 Mar. 2024.)
Within the next several months, I found myself in court again. This time I was asked to testify in a federal court in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania against the owner of the third-party insurance company. Myself, and only two other victims out of the many thousands were asked to testify. The first was a young mother like myself, who had also lost her insurance while expecting. Unfortunately, her baby had been born with complications. The hospital had put a $250,000 lean against her home since the insurance company abandoned her and she did not have the money to pay. She smiled and simply said she never planned on moving!
The second person was a surprisingly happy young man, who had spent three months in the hospital with pneumonia. He said he owed the hospital over $500,000. He grinned and said, “You can’t squeeze blood out of a turnip!” knowing he could never pay the debt. Meeting these two people who seemed at peace even though their lives had been turned upside down from complications, illness, and insurmountable debt, had been a privilege.
I have no idea how things turned out for this young man and new mother. I do know we were offered a reimbursement for a tenth of our losses which we declined. This decision was imparted to the people I had met. They needed it far more than we did. However, I do believe it was no mere coincidence that these two people, out of the many thousands who could have been asked to testify, had the same afflictions Joe and I had faced. I knew this was Spirit testifying to me that the Lord took care of our family.
Elder David A. Bednar stated: “The spirit of revelation is not restricted to the presiding authorities of the Church; rather, it belongs to and should be operative in the life of every man, woman, and child who reaches the age of accountability and enters into sacred covenants. Sincere desire and worthiness invite the spirit of revelation into our lives.” (Bednar, Elder David A. Bednar. April 2011, General Conference. The Spirit of Revelation.)
I hope this tale will give the readers assurance that the Lord is listening to our prayers and opening our minds to receive his answers. I will be forever grateful for the power and spirit of revelation. It has come often as answers to my prayers in the most profound ways.
“Behold, thou knowest that thou hast inquired of me and I did enlighten thy mind; and now I tell thee these things that thou mayest know that thou hast been enlightened by the Spirit of truth; Yea, I tell thee, that thou mayest know that there is none else save God that knowest thy thoughts and the intents of thy heart. I tell thee these things as a witness unto thee—that the words or the work which thou hast been writing are true.” (D&C 6:15-17)
