The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.

The sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. — Isaiah 60:19-20

Seven long months had passed since my beloved mother had died. Though her death was not unexpected, the profound sense of loss and grief I was experiencing was. I never could have imagined how deep the well of sorrow went. As the months wore on, it felt as though my heart grew heavier and my soul emptier. My responsibilities as a wife, mother and stake primary president seemed overwhelming. There were days when I wondered if I would ever feel happiness again or feel joy in those responsibilities.

While on my knees in prayer, I would plead for relief, for courage and most of all strength to meet the needs of my family and the needs of the ward Primary leaders and children.

Though the scriptures had always been my source of comfort and guidance, it was as if I couldn't find what I was searching for; I didn't realize I wasn't quite ready for what the Lord would share with me.

During this period of deep grief, while attending a general primary training session the week before general conference, I was blessed to hear a talk and counsel from Sister Patricia Pinegar. During the course of her talk, she flashed the following scriptures onto a screen with an overhead projector: Isaiah 60:19-20. As I followed along while she read the scripture, I began to weep. I fumbled for my scriptures and quickly opened them to Isaiah. Over and over I read the words "but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light" and the words "and the days of thy mourning shall be ended." How those words pierced my sorrowing heart, and how I felt the Lord's love wrap around me!

It was at that moment through Sister Pinegar the Lord did use the scriptures to answer my many fervent prayers. I could feel Him declare to me that He would be my light, my strength and joy. He whispered to me that it was time for me to let go of the profound grief, that I would be all right … and I was.

The healing of my heart and soul began.

—Christine Peterson Kiefer, Western Hills 5th Ward, Kearns Utah Western Hills Stake

"Living by the Scriptures" is another in a series of Church News reader response articles. Was there a time when a particular scripture touched you, when it offered comfort, guidance and much-needed support? If so, please describe your experience in 250-300 words, giving the scripture reference and telling how it affected you.

Send your submission to Church News, P.O. Box 1257, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110. Fax (801) 237-2524. E-mail: churchnews@desnews.com