In Phillipi, Paul and Silas were thrown in jail. At night, they sang and prayed. “Suddenly, there was a great earthquake,…and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed” (Acts 16:26). The jailer, waking and seeing the door open, was about to kill himself. But Paul called out, “Do thyself no harm: for we are all here” (Acts 16:28). They were able to teach the jailer and his family, all of whom were baptized.
In October 2020, when many activities around the world were curtailed, Elder Gary E. Stevenson and his wife, Lesa, had the opportunity to meet virtually with about 600 missionaries serving in Australia, many of whom were exclusively working from their apartments. Elder Stevenson shared the story of Paul and Silas, and then he shared several other stories from the scriptures in which God’s servants were able to share the gospel while they were imprisoned:
- Paul’s subsequent confinement in Rome, during which he “expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening” (Acts 28:23).
- Alma and Amulek’s captivity in Ammonihah for many days, after which they were miraculously delivered, and the people came running to see the two missionaries emerging from the ruins of the collapsed prison. (See Alma 14:26-29.)
- Nephi and Lehi’s deliverance from prison in the land of Nephi, in which they were “encircled about with a pillar of fire” and heard the Lord speak in “a still voice of perfect mildness”. About 300 people saw this miracle, and “the more part of the Lamanites” were subsequently converted, “because of the greatness of the evidences which they had received” (Helaman 5:24, 30, 50).
- Joseph Smith’s incarceration in Liberty, Missouri, during which he received and wrote profound revelations which have comforted and inspired millions. (See Doctrine and Covenants 121, 122, 123.)
And there are many more stories in the scriptures of people drawing closer to God, experiencing miracles, and sharing the gospel while in prison. Elder Stevenson pointed out that all of these individuals “were defined more by what they were able to do with the Lord’s help than by what they could not do as a result of their confinement and restriction” (“Highly Favored of the Lord,” General Conference, October 2020).
We may not be in prison, and we may not have the same restrictions on our activities that most of us experienced during the pandemic, but all of us have constraints. We exercise faith in God by taking advantage of our opportunities instead of focusing on what we can’t do.
Today, I will focus less on my constraints and more on my opportunities. I will accomplish what I can, within my current circumstances and with the Lord’s help.