How did I know Will was the one for me?

Countdown: Day 14 (or 15 depending on how you look at it)

Last night Will asked me if I still wanted to marry him. I answered with a resounding yes! He was just checking in, he wasn't worried or anxious, and this wasn't the first time he had asked me. I think he does it more to start a conversation about how I'm doing and feeling with it all. Yes, he's always pretty sweet and very caring towards me. (No one throw-up about my love-y comments...I'm engaged and have the right to be loooove-y dove-y.)

Here's the story behind my resounding yes...

I've always felt a strong and personal relationship with my Heavenly Father. I believe He watches over us individually and knows us well enough to tailor a life here on earth with experiences and a whole gamut of emotions that will make us, eventually, like Him. This being said, I don't think He intervenes in our lives often or ever takes our agency away, but I do believe He orchestrates something beautiful from the choices we do make in order to refine us. I know He knows me well, that I am His daughter.

I haven't always had faith in Him answering prayers though. I know He hears me when I pray, but don't expect answers to really big life decisions (e.g. Whom should I marry?). I feel like He leaves a lot of things up to our discretion.

That viewpoint has changed. Now I do believe more than anything that He wants and cares so much that He does answer really big life decision pleas.

It was partly fear holding me back from asking about whether or not it was right to marry Will. Not because I would receive a 'no' answer, but because I wouldn't receive an answer at all, and I didn't want to feel that. My faith was lacking.

Will had taken time to pray and study out marrying me. I knew he had specifically asked God and received an answer that it would be good. He told me. I felt like that was enough for both of us. I knew I wanted to marry him and that God would bless me in it, I didn't need to pray specifically. That was not enough for Will though, and I'm so glad. He was ready and anxious to ask me on August 6, a Monday, but I was feeling ill and hadn't gone to the temple to talk with God about it myself. On Tuesday, he was a little frustrated at the end of the day when I still had not gone, nor had plans to until 'later in the week.'

Don't get me wrong, I wanted to go and to talk with God, I just didn't think it was necessary or that I would receive any special kind of feeling. When he was so concerned and wanted me to go so much, I realized I was being a bum, a real canker, and rescheduled things so I could go in Wednesday morning bright and early.

I went by myself and climbed the stairs directly to the celestial room. I read a particular passage from D & C that was a sweet answer to my question, "Would Will and I make a good match? Is this something You want me to do? Is Will right for me?" After a reading of the scriptures I pondered for awhile and during that time I felt another reaffirming answer of "He is exactly the kind of man I would choose for you, my daughter."

That is something special and sacred to me. My prayer had been answered, God did hear my plea. My faith has been buoyed.

And now you know why, when Will asks me, "Are you sure you're still in for this ride called marriage?" (Because he would totally say something like that...) I can answer with a resounding yes.