“Petitioning in prayer has taught me, again and again, that the vault of heaven with all its blessings is to be opened only by a combination lock.

 One tumbler falls when there is faith, a second when there is personal righteousness; and the third and final tumbler falls only when what is sought is, in God’s judgment – not ours – right for us.

Sometimes we pound on the vault door for something we want very much and wonder why the door does not open. We would be very spoiled children if that vault door opened any more easily than it does.

 I can tell, looking back, that God truly loves me by inventorying the petitions He has refused to grant me. Our rejected petitions tell us much about ourselves but also much about our flawless Father”

Elder Neal A. Maxwell