Lo, I Am With Thee

This week, our scripture reading included the first scripture that ever spoke to me, D&C 24:8:
"Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many. But endure them, for lo I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days."

Back in 1989, I was pretty lonely. Jason (my boyfriend for my entire freshman year), had just left on his mission. And Jenny and Michelle, two of my three best friends, were in Israel for Study Abroad for the summer. My mom didn't want me sitting home pining for Jason, so asked me to consider staying at BYU for Spring Term. She even offered to pay for it. 

I agreed, but like I said, it was a lonely, lonely time. One where I spent a lot of time talking to myself while I walked to and from school, couldn't eat real food because I was sad and spent a lot of time playing solitaire. With cards. Alone in my bedroom. My four roommates were like strangers to me and we didn't spend time together. They were in beauty school and I think we spoke only a few times the whole summer. My only company was my little boombox singing When in Rome and REO Speedwagon over and over again while I sat on the floor of my bedroom playing solitaire and eating licorice bites from the bulk bin at Food 4 Less. 

I was really good about reading my scriptures that summer and was starting to really desire to know for myself if The Book of Mormon was true. I had a fantastic religion class that buoyed me spiritually. I knew there was a God. I'd had a significant experience with God in high school. But I didn't really know his place in my life. What was the purpose of life, anyway? Was life destined to be sad and lonely? Did God care about people who weren't perfect? 

One day I looked up some scripture references, including D&C 24:8 and that particular verse profoundly resonated with me. At that moment, my eyes were opened and I knew God cared about me. I knew he would be with me throughout my life. What I didn't know was even though that Spring I was very lonely and going through a hard time, the next semester was going to be much, much more challenging. But God knew. And I relied on that scripture often during the coming year and the very real promise he made to me that he would be with me, even unto the end of my days. It still brings me comfort.