Professor Teresa Bell’s devotional taught us that it’s not about doing more; it’s about doing what matters with purpose.
Sometimes the most powerful spiritual connection doesn’t come from trying something new. Instead, as Professor Teresa Bell (Second Language Acquisition and Language Teaching) believes, it comes from seeing old routines with fresh eyes. In her BYU Devotional on April 1, 2025, she counseled listeners to view three well-known practices—praying, journaling, and studying patriarchal blessings—not as routine habits, but as sacred opportunities to help “Heavenly Father [become]. . . a [more] integral part in each of [their] lives.”
Pray to Remember Him
For anyone familiar with Latter-day Saint theology, Bell’s first recommendation to pray in the morning and at night does not sound new or innovative. But she asked her audience to change their perspective on prayer. Rather than thinking of this practice as a habit, something that can be done without any thought, think of it as a way to intentionally fulfill the sacramental covenant “to always remember Him.”
Bell said that being deliberate in prayer can lead to powerful spiritual experiences. She recounted a personal one she had that has stayed with her ever since she was a young college student. One night on a study abroad, Bell felt out of place because of her religious values—particularly her decision to abstain from alcohol and attend church. For the first time, she considered her relationship with God and His church, and she prayed to know how to move forward. Bell said, “The moment I began praying, a profound sense of the spirit filled my little attic bedroom. . . . I knew everything I prayed about was true. And, I’ve never forgotten God’s hand in my life that night.”
Writing with His Hand
Bell then recommended keeping a journal—which, again, feels like advice everyone’s heard—but she asked the audience to not dismiss it so quickly. She invited all to ponder the question “How have I seen God’s hand in my life today?” for a few minutes each day. “You’ll quickly build a powerful record of his excellency,” Bell noted.
She read an entry of her own that detailed an experience she had with President Holland, who was BYU’s president at the time. She shared her gratitude for her decision to write down that experience, saying, “Reading what I had written brought back the memory . . . that Heavenly Father knew me.” Bell promised listeners that writing down moments where they could see the hand of God in their lives would help them better understand their own relationship with Him. She said, “You’ll begin to write your own story through the lens of God’s love for you.”
Categorizing Blessings
Bell concluded with an invitation to study your own patriarchal blessing. She acknowledged that it can be hard to know where to start since your blessing is unique to you, so she gave some suggestions. She encouraged the audience to read their blessing line by line and categorize the content into these three groups: blessings, commandments and responsibilities (or strengths), and warnings (or weaknesses). Bell said that doing “this has become a meaningful reminder of my life. . . . By studying your patriarchal blessing, you will come to recognize how [your Heavenly Father] has blessed you, how He is blessing you now, and how He will continue to bless you in the future.”
Bell testified of the power and peace she received from acting on her own advice—though it may seem like something you have heard and done before. She said, “Choose today to start recognizing His hand in your life. As you do, you will come to understand His will for you and . . . that His hand is always with you.”
Listen to Teresa Bell’s full devotional here.