Our Earthly Care Package

By Lauren Madsen

After having my first baby, a sweet friend visited and brought me a basket with a candle, a book, lotion, and a onesie all tucked inside. There were things I knew I would need (the onesie and the lotion) as well as something I didn’t know it would be nice to have (a book, for the late night feedings).

The night my little family of three moved into my parents’ house, we found a basket on our bed overflowing with comfort food and activities for our daughter. The perfect welcome for a mom on bed rest, a worn-out dad, and a busy preschooler.

When my husband and I arrived at our hotel room in The Bahamas, we walked in to find a beach bag filled with flip flops, towels, snacks, bottled water, and sunblock. Practically everything we would need to make the most of our beach vacation!

In each of these experiences, the givers seemed to have gone through a thought process like this: What would be the most useful things they might need right now? What would be the most helpful? What would help them feel special and loved?

As the receiver, I felt humble gratitude for the givers’ thoughtfulness and attention to my needs. In reflecting on these welcome gifts or care packages, I can’t help but think about Heavenly Parents and our Savior Jesus Christ, and the loving and generous gifts they provide.

M. Joseph Brough, a counselor in the Young Men General presidency, quoted Elder Uchtdorf in general conference: “Our Father in Heaven knows His children’s needs better than anyone else. It is His work and glory to help us at every turn, giving us marvelous temporal and spiritual resources to help us on our path to return to Him.” 

Brother Brough then went on to say: “Listen to those words: Heavenly Father knows what you and I need better than anyone else. As a result, He has developed a personal care package suited to each one of us. It has many components. It includes His Son and the Atonement, the Holy Ghost, commandments, scriptures, prayer, prophets, apostles, parents, grandparents, local church leaders, and many others—all to help us return to live with Him someday.” A few of those “many others” could include temples and covenants. 

I imagine the gifts in our earthly “care package” were never meant to just add more to our to-do lists or complicate our existence. Rather, these gifts are invitations to make our lives better and more purposeful. They are helpful, useful, and can help us feel loved.

Those who know me well know that I pride myself on being a good gift giver. There are few things that sadden me more than to see that a gift I have thoughtfully given has been discarded or hidden away and unused. 

If we want to be counted among the gracious receivers of our earthly care package, we can do two things: acknowledge the gifts given and use them to optimize our mortal experience as well as those around us. Remember what Elder Stevenson once taught, “Heavenly Father’s generous compensation for living in perilous times is that we also live in the fulness of times.” Living in the last days, we have countless gifts available. Will we choose to use them?