I was moving into student housing for fall semester of my freshman year at BYU.  The parking lot was full of students and cars and every person walking back and forth was carrying something.  In the days before back up cameras, I cautiously backed my car out of the parking stall with my eyes watching out the back window.  I was almost out when I heard a dreaded crunch as the front of my car nicked the back end of the car in the stall next to me.  Though the dents on both cars were small, I felt sick.  I left a note with my name and phone number on the car I’d hit and went into my apartment to call my parents.  My dad picked up the phone, I explained what had happened, and waited through the moment of silence.  He gave me our insurance agent’s phone number and then to my surprise, he chuckled and told me of a time he had performed well at an athletic event.  With the adrenaline of post game exuberance, he pulled his car too sharply into his parent’s driveway and nicked the edge their house.  Though my situation remained the same, I smiled.

Remarkably, a couple of weeks passed without a phone call about the dent I had caused.  Then while making a quick trip with one of my new roommates, I was surprised to find the car I had hit was hers.  “Did you see my note?” I asked.  She replied that the scratch wasn’t enough to notice and not to worry about it.  She never mentioned it again. 

While mortals do not always react with kindness and circumstances are rarely erased, the Lord leaves no doubt about how He will respond when we reach out to Him.  “I am He that comforteth you…Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive;” (2 Nephi 8:12; 3 Nephi 9:14). Whether we turn to Him or not is completely up to us, how He will greet us when we do is assured.