Today I'm honored to bring you a truly remarkable conversation with Merrilene Pat Osife.

Pat's life story reads like a testament to the power of faith and the guiding hand of providence. Born on the San Carlos Apache reservation and named Merrilene after "Merry Christmas," Pat's journey took an extraordinary turn at age eight when she entered the LDS Indian Placement Program. For nine years, she lived with foster families in Utah, learning English in just one week and embracing an education that would shape her entire life.

But Pat's service to the Lord was just beginning. At seventeen, what was supposed to be a two-month youth mission in New Mexico turned into a year and a half of dedicated service, where she learned Navajo through the gift of tongues and became a senior companion to full-time missionaries at just eighteen years old.

Throughout her life - as a mother of five, a career woman working for the Gila River Tribe, and a faithful member of the San Tan Branch for over fifty years - Pat has exemplified what it means to follow the iron rod and trust in the Lord's plan, even through profound loss and challenges.

Today, she shares her wisdom about staying close to our Heavenly Father, the importance of scripture study, and her powerful testimony of Jesus Christ. This is a conversation you won't want to miss.