By Cristie Gardner

Working with usually refers to “partnering with.”

The LAW is created by and aligned with God: therefore, working with the Law means partnering with God

In 1988 I was pregnant with our eighth child.  We had a seven passenger Volkswagon bus and I became quite concerned about where we were going to place this new little person who was soon to be born.  We had saved up $9000 to purchase another vehicle, but no more.  With seven children ranging in age from two to fifteen, I did not have time nor means to go from car lot to car lot searching.  I had to be efficient.

One morning I knelt down, and with a calm intensity set my desire before the Lord.  I told Him we needed a new car.  It had to have 11 seats and lots of storage space (my husband was Scoutmaster, and we were always bringing a friend along when we went places).  It had to be a late model and it had to be reliable.  It had to be under the requisite $9000 and we needed it RIGHT AWAY! And then, I added, "if it doesn't matter to Thee, I'd really like it to be gray on the outside and have a burgundy interior."  That afternoon, I picked up the local weekly newspaper, which I seldom, if ever, did.  I didn't have time!  But my eyes rested on an ad in the classifieds.  "1987 Dodge Ram Van, 11 passenger.  $8995." I felt as if the ink was in bold print, so brightly and clearly the ad appeared.  I called the number and spoke with the dealer.  He said it was actually a 15 passenger van, but it was missing the back seat, leaving a lot of storage room.  That was why the odd number of seats, unlike any other vans of its type. I asked the condition of the car.  He said it had quite a few miles (forgot to ask for low mileage), but because of the newness of the car and his assessment of the condition he knew they had virtually all been freeway miles.  I verified the price.  Then I asked what the color was?  Gray, he told me.  I asked about the interior.  "Oh, it's that dark red color, I don't know what they call it."  Burgundy?  I asked.  Yeah, he said, that would describe it.  I told him we would be by later that afternoon to buy the car.  He was astonished.  You haven't even taken it on a test drive!  You haven't seen it.  But no, I knew, as surely as I knew anything, that that van was a direct answer to prayer.  It served us beautifully for many years.

Well, I had stumbled onto something.  I didn't know fully at the time what it was, and I'm still not sure about all the details, but I do know this:  GOD OPERATES ACCORDING TO LAW.  

I began to realize then, as I realize now, that as we align ourselves with His laws, we can literally bring about the blessings we desire.  

This began a quest--a passion, if you will--for identifying and understanding divine laws.  In my search I came across hundreds of hints and tips, messages in General Conference, messages in the Ensign and manuals, even messages in other religious faiths that coincided with our own messages and revealed laws.

Each law contains a consequent blessing.  But the blessing is not always manifest in the way we anticipate.  One of the most confused "blessings" we anticipate is financial prosperity.  We might assume that paying our tithing will result in financial abundance.  But sometimes God prospering us is in a much greater, longer lasting, more powerful way (sometime I’ll tell you about our miracle with tithing and family unity).  

I have learned, time and again, that when I’m not getting an answer to prayer, I’m asking the wrong questions.  What law do I need to understand and live more fully?  And how can I partner with God?  “There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated.  And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.”  D&C 130:20-21

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