An Inspirational Path from Disability to Discovery: Fanetta Higley's Story - Latter-Day Lights

Have you ever pondered why adversity often shapes the most resilient among us? Fanetta Higley might just have the answer.

Born with a lifelong disability, her journey took her on an unlikely path - from the chilly expanses of Alaska to the vibrant culture of Texas, serving an LDS mission. We learn about her experiences, how she transformed her disability into a source of strength, and how she eventually got married and had children.

For anyone who has faced hardships, Fanetta's story is a testament of faith, discovery, and determination that will inspire you.

*** Please SHARE Fanetta's story and help us spread hope and light to others. ***

To WATCH this episode on YouTube, visit: https://youtu.be/WBi72yk5rpA

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Also, if you have a faith-promoting or inspiring story, or know someone who does, please let us know by going to https://www.latterdaylights.com and reaching out to us.

Transcript

Scott Brandley: 0:00

Hi everyone, I'm Scott Brandley.

Alisha Coakley: 0:02

And I'm Alisha Coakley. Every member of the church has a story to share, one that can instill faith, invite growth and inspire others.

Scott Brandley: 0:10

On today's episode we're going to hear how One Woman's life long journey with a disability has helped her discover God's path for her. Welcome to Latter-day Lights. Hey everyone, welcome to another episode of Latter-day Lights. We're so glad you're here with us today. We're really excited to introduce our guest with you, fanetta Higley. Fanetta, how are you doing?

Alisha Coakley: 0:40

Good, good, awesome, good, fanetta. So you reached out to us. How did you, how did you discover Latter-day Lights?

Fanetta Higley: 0:49

I looked it up on the internet. It was looking for a new podcast. I saw a couple episodes and I loved them.

Alisha Coakley: 0:58

Aw cool, Do you have one? that's a favorite.

Fanetta Higley: 1:03

I do have a favorite. The one that I heard was a woman that lost her, or that her mom was gone and that she was having a rough time with her dad or whatever. And it was hard. She grew out of that and she grew up to inspire people that you can grow from where you are and from hard times and things like that, because everybody has hard times.

Alisha Coakley: 1:29

Yeah, yeah, definitely. Well, we are so glad that you found us and that you are enjoying the episodes. We love hearing stories and we're very excited to hear yours today. But before we do, Fanetta, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Fanetta Higley: 1:46

My name is Fanetta Hickley and I moved from. I'm from Alaska originally and I lived there for 20 years. I prayed and I knew it was time for me to go. You can say here it's like, no, I need to go. It's like, and I sold my house and my husband moved to Utah like in March, and I moved in June instead of. The Lord led me here, Wow.

Scott Brandley: 2:18

I have two beautiful children And you're married.

Fanetta Higley: 2:22

I am married. I have two beautiful children there in Alaska and I will be going there in a week to see my younger daughter graduate high school.

Alisha Coakley: 2:31

Oh, that's, so exciting.

Fanetta Higley: 2:33

Yes, it is.

Alisha Coakley: 2:33

Very cool, very cool. Now where in Alaska, because I almost moved there and then we ended up in Texas instead.

Fanetta Higley: 2:40

but I'm curious about what you grow. I'm in South of Anchorage or Eastern. I'm in the Valley. I mean, what's the former area?

Alisha Coakley: 2:49

Oh, okay.

Fanetta Higley: 2:49

Gotcha But.

Alisha Coakley: 2:51

Alaska is beautiful, so is Texas Nice. Texas is a little less green.

Fanetta Higley: 2:58

Yes, it's very nice for you.

Alisha Coakley: 3:00

But yeah, i'm definitely enjoying some of that warmer weather. I didn't realize how much I missed warm weather, so it's good, it's good.

Scott Brandley: 3:09

Oh yeah, you're a Florida girl, huh.

Alisha Coakley: 3:12

You know okay. So listen, i grew up in Florida. I was not born there and I will probably go visit for, like, disney World, but I was not like a Florida girl, like I didn't fish, i didn't eat seafood, i didn't like going to the beach, i hate frogs, humidity is bad for my hair, so I wouldn't say I'm a Florida girl. But I do like warm weather, i think too. So I love the cold and the snow, but I also love the warm weather.

Alisha Coakley: 3:39

So well that's awesome, Fanetta. So you have two kids, you said, and in your youngest is graduating high school now, Yeah, 2018. Very cool Now. Do you have any special hobbies or passions?

Fanetta Higley: 3:57

I like to draw and I like to color. Oh great, yeah, very cool. And I have a cricut machine or a machine that can do cards and things like that, so I do that stuff.

Alisha Coakley: 4:14

Oh, so fun. So you're kind of crafty? huh, Yes, I am. Oh, that's awesome, Very cool. I like to pretend like I'm crafty but I'm not really prepared to like Scott's daughter Clarissa. She's an artist, she's a She's got some skills and she has a cricut, just like you.

Fanetta Higley: 4:35

Oh cool.

Scott Brandley: 4:36

Those things are pretty fun. They are Awesome. Well, Fanetta, why don't you tell us your story today?

Fanetta Higley: 4:43

Okay, i was when I was younger. I was always told that I couldn't do stuff and things like that, and it sucked with me for a while. I wanted to write a book when I was younger And I got deterred away from it, so I never really pursued it, no more. And so when I got older I said to myself I could do what I want. It's like not everything is what I want, but it's like I'm not going to let my disability overcome me. What kind of disability.

Scott Brandley: 5:22

Do you have Fanetta?

Fanetta Higley: 5:23

I have several policies because I have a specificity My right arm is. It starts with the H, i don't remember what it's called, but I've been telling almost like, yeah, i know what kind of disability I have, so I knew that. I never knew it. I mean kept away from different things, and it's like I look it up and find out what it is. And so I live away from my family and they're like I've said that I moved away, but it's like I needed to find my own way and do what I needed to do. It's like, yes, i am disabled, but I don't think I need to live with my mother my whole life. I'm married and have two beautiful girls, yeah. And so it's like when I was in high school, it was like people would say, well, they would tease you because of my disability and things like that. But I never knew the church had anything or about disabilities and people. I've never seen any of it. I've never seen any of it. And when I was growing up I saw a bunch of it. But And I grew up, i got baptized at the age of nine, so I consider myself a convert, and so back then it's like you wore the white dresses in the water. My dress kept coming up dunked like eight or nine times, and finally my mom goes well, you don't have to do this if you don't want to. But I felt guilty if I didn't do it. So finally they had me kneel down and be baptized that way And it's like I was crying, but it's like what do you do? And so for me being in the church and having my family say you have to go to church, i didn't have a choice to say I don't want to go or not. So I went.

Fanetta Higley: 7:27

My parents were both in the military. My mom got divorced about 10 years after, back in the 70s, and so after I got baptized, we moved around quite a bit. My grandmother came along with us sometimes And it was just hard on me and mostly hard on me, my brothers and sisters. When I would do stuff and when I would follow them, they would say you need to go home or you can't do this or that. And so I felt left out and, being a third oldest, it's like I shouldn't be left out of all the things. My older, one of my older brothers, took me under his wing like oh yeah, you could do this or that. And 10 years after high school I am have a letter, but I got interviewed when I was back in Germany And the school interviewed me about being disabled and being able to overcome my disabilities and how I could work, because a lot of places today and back then would not hire disability people Right, and so that was kind of hard for me. It's like, even though there are disability people and like me, it's kind of hard. And so when I put in my paperwork to go on a mission, my mom goes well, you might not be able to go on a full-time mission, you go on a mini mission. But it's like I wasn't gonna take no for an answer, it's like. So I put my paperwork in and did all the things I needed to do In October 97, i went on my mission to Texas and I went to San Antonio.

Fanetta Higley: 9:28

I went to take the San Antonio mission And, yeah, my first mission was all the way in Waco. But I read them. I started reading the book a moment and I studied the scriptures and I had a couple of the scriptures memorized. There's one that stuck to me in the MTC and it helped me quite a bit on my mission and still today And the scripture is flipping 413. I could do all things through Christ with strength as me, and I believed that. And so, before I was giving my farewell, talk the Lord let me know that this is the true church. Because I had in my mind it's like, okay, it's just going, i'm going to church in this. But I had a strong feeling that this was the true church and that I was going on a mission that the Lord wanted me to go here. Oh wow. But every one of my companion taught me a lesson on my mission.

Fanetta Higley: 10:34

So the first companion that I was with I had a feeling to, because we went to go see this one lady, or it's one that wanted to know more about churches, like. So we gave her a book of words. She gave it back to us and said she didn't want to, and so I had a feeling to go back there. But I waited three days. I said, oh yeah, we're supposed to go back here And my time. I went back. My companion said you need to go talk to her, you need to bury your testimony, and so I did. She didn't take. She did take the book of words. She I don't know if she ever read it, but I did.

Fanetta Higley: 11:14

But during my testimony I did plant a seed, yeah, and so when I was in my still my first area, we were able to get like two or three people my first area to be baptized And I was able to go to their baptisms and get them prepared. One of the couples we were doing there was a eight year old boy that was living with his grandparents And he was afraid of the waters. So we went teaching him about the water and like, put like this stuff animal down and say this is what it's going to be like And the white clothes it's like. and even the day that he wanted he was going to be baptized, he was still scared But I was able to talk to him and encourage him like this is okay, i will be here, and so I was able to to leave the music And my other companion was able to give a talk And so he calmed down, he was able to be baptized And then in that state, my first year was six months And then I went down to the, to San, towards Antonio, but on my mission it's like I grew so much And it's like I, i, i read the Book of Mormon. I missed it before Christmas and I made sure I was gonna read the whole Book of Mormon before Christmas and Memorized what I needed to to memorize and I got it and I completed it. I completed that part And so it was. It was, it was really good And so I keep it checked was like two of my companions now that that that live here in Utah.

Fanetta Higley: 13:10

When I got off my mission because I came home early I The first time I came home early on the medical I had a medical late arm medical prom, and so my Psych president was saying, well, we could, we're gonna, we're gonna, we're gonna really soon.

Fanetta Higley: 13:27

Now It's like, no, i need to go back on my mission, i need to go back in psych and and I knew from the Lord saying I needed to go back for at least three more months. And I did that and I came. and I came home early in my mission president Was able to call my mom and say, well, well, we think that it's, she needs to come home. The the Lord was telling my mission president and me and was time to go home. And so my mission president said if you could try to do 100% Your last two weeks of your mission And I think I did 110%. But when I went home, my, my parents, my mom, really she said I wasn't, it wasn't an honorable mission because I came home early, not deterred me. I deterred me again because it's like I, i serve the best I could for 15 months and I was able to back I, we had nine baptisms. We.

Alisha Coakley: 14:30

That's awesome.

Scott Brandley: 14:32

Yeah.

Fanetta Higley: 14:33

Yeah, and I in every area that I went to. It helped me quite a bit, though. Downtown San Antonio I can't remember where, but that where the temple was That's the area I served in. It's where they put the temple.

Alisha Coakley: 14:47

That is so cool.

Fanetta Higley: 14:50

Hopefully one of these days I'll go back in and and and see the temple And I'm see some people that I was able to convert to the temple or to the church.

Scott Brandley: 15:01

Mm-hmm.

Alisha Coakley: 15:02

Yeah, absolutely. So you know, we just had the oh, i'm gonna I forget exactly what they're called like the mission presidents of the Service, missionaries. So we have the, the proselyting missionaries, which that's what you went on is the proselyting mission right, Yeah right.

Alisha Coakley: 15:23

And so now the church just recently, in the last few years I believe, they implemented the service missionary program for people that do have disabilities or struggles with mental health or for whatever reason. Maybe, you know, maybe it's it's too difficult or not possible for them to go on a, you know, 18 month to two year proselyting mission. Do you ever, i guess, like Have you ever, thought about the fact that you're kind of a pioneer? Right, like, yeah, i mean, you went and you said, you said yourself you weren't able to finish the whole 18 months, but you got so close, right, you did 15 months, yes, i did. And and so do you kind of look at yourself as like a pioneer for, for showing the church that, like, we, you know, we're ready, like with, like there are people who You know Can still serve even with their struggles, right, like, yes, yeah, how, how do you like, what do you think about that? What do you think about the service missions?

Fanetta Higley: 16:31

and you know, I do like the service mission because when COVID hit, or after COVID, the in the people in the elders or sisters that had like as per or different things, they came back and they're able to, they could they're able to do service missions in, like the church storehouse or something like that. So they they're still on Serving, but in, but at home and being able to be and take care of what they need.

Fanetta Higley: 17:00

Yeah and before it's like They weren't really doing that. When I was, when I started my mission, when I was in the MTC, there was another sister that was Disabled. I don't know where she went, but It's just kind of neat that how how others people that are disabled that are able to go on missions, are Able to do that, because a lot of times that they're not allowed to do that. Yeah or or or. They can't because they're, because they're too too hand-capped.

Alisha Coakley: 17:35

That's awesome. So can I ask you It? because especially I feel like for you know, for young men, and there's definitely more of that expectation. You know that's like that's part of the priesthood and and stuff like that to serve missions, but for young women and especially back in, when did you go on your mission? Was it the early?

Fanetta Higley: 17:54

97? 97 or There was 80, or, yeah, 97, you're right 97.

Alisha Coakley: 18:01

Okay, yeah. So like even back then, like it was it? there was just so few Women that were serving missions, right, like it, just it wasn't even like a a big normal thing. So how did you, how did you get to that point where you were like I'm gonna serve, you know, not only did you have the fact that you know you were a woman and it wasn't Like the standard, you know, for women to serve missions back then, but also you still had this disability that You know you were struggling with. How did you get to that point to want us a remission?

Fanetta Higley: 18:33

Well, i had. Well, i was dating someone online and then I went to see him in New Mexico And he was just a friend of mine And so when he saw me off, because I saw him get his patriarchal blessing His name was Matthew, i don't remember last name now But he said I should go on a mission and instead of me going back to your Germany, i went with my mom to Alaska. But we stopped it in Salt Lake and I wanted to see the temple and the Lord says go on a mission. And I It got loud like go on a mission. So I turned to my mom, said I'm going on a mission. So when I got to Alaska I went to my second president and said I need, i'm going on a mission, i need paperwork. And so they set me up and when I got back to Germany I was able to get my Um, well, my paperwork done, get my physical things, like that.

Fanetta Higley: 19:28

But it took, it seemed like it took a while because with the with, with, like July, when it's a pioneer day, was like, am I going to ever get it? So, and then it's like, when it came, it's like, and I didn't open it, it's like, yeah, i'll probably, if I ever go to Texas, did they have all this and stuff like that. It's like we went to a Members house and they were going to take this Yeah, this is all this. I'll talk a bad about it. Then I opened my Mexico. It's like Texas, like, oh my gosh, the Lord told me something.

Alisha Coakley: 20:04

Too funny, wow. So what are some of the things that you think your mission helped you with the most? because you said you did a lot of growing.

Fanetta Higley: 20:12

I Did a lot of growing. I was a because every mission or companion helped me, but I was, like um, able to grow. It's like being away from family is like. I was able to learn to know like I could do this. I can not say, well, you can't do this, that, and so I was able to grow with everyone and also with my say, my mission present, my area presidents and stuff like that. They were able to help me in And continue to do with the things I need to do site And they were. None of my components were negative and I was able to go in their full face, smiling and know that this is where the Lord wanted me to be, and by reading the scriptures and studying my books and because now you, they do it all on on the computer or whatever, or have no iPhone or iPhones or whatever to To call their mom the parents weekly say we didn't have that back then, they didn't do that.

Fanetta Higley: 21:19

We had the right mission letters every week. We had to write letters like we're going to talk in church or whatever like that. So we had to write a writer parents weekly and So with the mission present, with they would call out or they call us or they come up on a On a special thing and see how we're doing, and so we can never do anything wrong or whatever. I would never do that, but it's like The Lord knew that this is where I needed to be and it's like, yes, i'm disabled and I can do stuff and I was afraid of thunderstorms and one time it was the storms got real bad and wake up, and so we were back up church and I got a blessing from the elders And after that I was, i wasn't afraid of storms. Yeah, it had a rain, we had thunderstorms never got into a tornado, but there was flooding. That we couldn't do and things like that. But where was the Lord needs me go? I pray and I know that where the Lord says me that's where I need to be.

Scott Brandley: 22:23

Wow, that's awesome. Yes, where did you go after? what did? what happened after your mission?

Fanetta Higley: 22:30

I. I went to college for a little bit in in Anchorage and then six. Then in August I said I'm going to go to be why you are on bricks called. So I put my paperwork in my mission present, wrote a little or talk to be why. You wrote a letter to him, and so I put my paperwork in, i wrote a letter or I did my essay. They accepted me and that's where I met my, my husband, six months later after I got there. So I met him back in January, right after Christmas and stuff or just before Christmas.

Scott Brandley: 23:06

And was he going there too?

Fanetta Higley: 23:08

Yes, he was. So I got to meet his mother, his family, and it's like they. They fell in love with me really quick. They let me know that And they didn't. Then they didn't. They didn't they accept me for for who I was. They didn't say, well, you're disabled, i don't want to my my boy or whatever, everybody except me for who I am. They still do. They still do today.

Alisha Coakley: 23:35

That's so great, yes, so look at you. I mean, from going, you know, from living this life where you're told you're not able to do all of these things because your disability to going above and beyond and serving a mission, going to college, moving away from your family, like that, that is phenomenal. It really, really is. And and you guys had babies Right, and I'm just motherhood is so hard anyway. How was, how was that? how was raising babies with a disability?

Fanetta Higley: 24:11

It's kind of hard to raise babies or people with disabilities, and and I did I was able to do that for until my two one my daughter's 10 and the other one was 14. My mother got involved and said, well, i shouldn't have had kids, and in all that and so and also the sake of they in the state said, if I didn't have my sister or family take care of them, the state would take them and I would never see him again. And so my sister took them. And so my sister had my kids from the eight, from six, from six, from one was in sixth grade and one was in ninth grade. And so it was kind of hard because I didn't see him daily. I saw him once a week and then when my sister took him for the first time, it's like I couldn't see him for like two weeks until they got used to living where my sister and my sister's house. And so at Christmas it was, it was okay, but we left right afterwards and my kids cried because it's like, where's mom and dad going? it's like, yeah, we went to see my husband's parents and their family for Christmas And they couldn't go because it's like they were, they were just living in my and my sister's house, so going good with one, my kids. But Wow, my sister was strict on a little bit. So my youngest one always slept with me and things like that. And so when she first moved there to my sister's she wanted to sleep with my sister because it's like that's all that she knew It's like. And so my sister was like well, you can't be doing this, i don't think you should see her and see them. For a while I was like that upset me. It's like, hey, these are my kids.

Fanetta Higley: 25:56

And so after my kids left and went to my sister's, i decided to get a job. It's like I went through the school system and the first couple of years they wouldn't let me do it. And then I did substitute because I worked at the cafeteria monitoring kids and stuff. And I do that for a couple of years until assignment, until I went open in the school in Palmer And so the school was called Colonial School. My daughter actually said my mom's good person hired her So they did wait for interview. No, i was like three days later, but I had to. My grandmother was really sick. So I said I need to take care of my grandmother before I started working. They said okay, and so February 3rd of 2015, i started working there And I did that until I left in 2021. Wow.

Scott Brandley: 26:58

So you got to see your kids at school.

Fanetta Higley: 27:01

I got to see my youngest one at the middle school from 6th until eighth grade.

Scott Brandley: 27:07

Wow.

Fanetta Higley: 27:07

And then I left. Then I got to see her until she was in 10th grade and then I decided to leave and go where my husband was And my mother didn't like that because I lived with her for eight months And that was not good for me. And then I prayed about huh.

Scott Brandley: 27:27

I was going to say so. Once you, once your kids, moved with your sister, and it was rough at the beginning, did you figure out, you know, did that relationship work out?

Fanetta Higley: 27:37

The relationship with my sister.

Scott Brandley: 27:39

With your kids and your sister.

Fanetta Higley: 27:42

Yeah, it did work out with my sister. We still had, we still were had buddies sometimes, but most, but most of the time it was okay And so she liked. My sister likes to tease a lot, So we like, so I'm learning to like, take it a little bit, but it's not bad teasing.

Alisha Coakley: 27:59

Yeah.

Fanetta Higley: 28:01

But but she's just looking after me too, just like everybody else is. And when I left Alaska this last time, it's like, well, you shouldn't have left. And so once I left my the state because I'm because with state of Alaska, because I'm disabled, so I had Medicaid and Medicare They said, since I use their use of Medicaid system, that the state was going to take, take everything. So they took all the money from my house. So I can't get a house now here in Utah, oh darn. And so now it's like I have to pay Alaska back over four cents and $4,000 and $7. And I'll never be able to pay that back because I don't, we don't have that kind of money. And so if I do buy a house, or whether the state of Utah would take it, if, if, if me except they have to meet my husband. So it's like we have to live in an apartment. So that's what I'm doing right now. I have a small apartment with my husband.

Alisha Coakley: 29:01

So it seems like like the Lord kind of lets you go through quite a few different situations to to grow from each one. You know, like he didn't just give you. You know, have you have this disability right? You still had to experience life the way that we all do, where relationships are tricky and family can be a little bit hard And you have to, you know, deal with finances and with what you're going to do for your career, and you know, like navigating all those waters, how, how has how has going through all of these hardships for you? How has that helped you in your testimony?

Fanetta Higley: 29:39

Well, it's helped me quite a bit because because the Lord put stuff, things in, in, in in my way so I could grow, and that's how I've been since I've been in Utah. I've been it'll be two years this, this June But when I first got here in 2021, i got a job at DI to to get a a film of what career I wanted.

Fanetta Higley: 30:06

So, after the I went to the family store or family dollar tree or family tree, i can't remember what it is anymore, but I went there and I worked there nine months and then I applied for the school district at the bus, at the bus aid, and I've been working there for for a year now. Wow, and so I'm hoping. And I just had so, so soldier surgery back in December of this of last year And so I spent from January until April out of work and I was like deep, i was like in a hard depression and crying a lot because I wanted to go back to work. I didn't. I'm a person that likes to work and like to do stuff, and so I was like getting down to myself and I know the Lord was when I prayed.

Fanetta Higley: 30:59

The Lord says you need to get up and and do what you need to do, and I was like I'm not putting you here to, to to put you down. We grow and I and there was a talk a while back. It was Albert Holland. He was talking about where a husband had lost his son because he was he backed up and and up to his driveway and put stuff in there And when he went to pull away. He felt a bump and when he went out or back he found out that he ran over his son. I remember that And so and that got him, because the Lord put hard things on everybody. It's just not the Lord's doing that everywhere, all over, especially in days like this. These are the last days the Lord will. It's coming. It's like if we do what we need to do, the Lord's gonna be bless us. The disability, because I was on the disability thing where we got the wait list.

Fanetta Higley: 32:14

You know that I was in that program for like 20 years or 15 years, but one of the ladies says you can do what you want, you have the ability, and so I learned from different people And so and I learned from that. It's like I don't take no for an answer, i will do 110% of what I wanna do, and things like that. So I just keep doing what I can. My bishop now knows that and I've given talks and things like that. I gave my first talk last year when I was 53.

Alisha Coakley: 32:51

Really Yeah.

Fanetta Higley: 32:53

I gave my first talk in sacrament.

Alisha Coakley: 32:56

Wow. And now look, you're doing a podcast. I am In my talk.

Fanetta Higley: 33:01

We're talking about hard things, about how the Lord gives us hard things in these times.

Alisha Coakley: 33:10

So I love that you were able to come on here today especially. I mean, it just blows in my mind that you only gave your first talk not too long ago. That's incredible that it's been that long, because you definitely just feel like a natural Perfect. You didn't seem nervous or anything like that. I have two best friends in Utah and neither one of them will come on my dang show. Scott knows both of them.

Alisha Coakley: 33:41

I know, They are just they don't want to get on here, but you just stuck right up and shared your story and some beautiful insights And just thank you so much for that. Fenita, you're welcome.

Scott Brandley: 33:57

Yeah, i really admire your willingness to just go for whatever you want to do and just make it happen. That's pretty cool. I have a friend growing up. I had a friend growing up. He's still my friend, but he was deaf And he struggled. But he was like you. He was like I'm just gonna do what I want to do And I learned sign language and that helped me as a person. His disability helped me to be a better person And it helped the people around him to be better people. So in some ways that it's a blessing to others. And I don't know, what do you think about that? Do you feel like a disability can be a blessing, or has it been a blessing in your life? What? how do you look at that?

Fanetta Higley: 34:56

Well, i look at that as the Lord put me here for a reason with disabilities and for me to grow and also to be able to help others that don't know about disabilities, that God put us here for a reason and that we're learning from them. And so if they want to tease people, there's people like me that don't want to take it, but it's like they're losing out on what they have. And people with disabilities are growing and do what they want to do. And I think that everybody needs to love everybody and do what we're supposed to do, and I remember from conference that President Nelson says that we need to love everybody and repent, because if we're not repenting or we're not letting people or saying sorry to them or do what we need to do, the Lord's not gonna help us, because we need to do what we need to do to be able to move through our heaven and father one day and the Lord saying yes, you've done that, you can come in.

Scott Brandley: 36:14

Yeah, i'm sure it can be hard to be bullied or to have people not saying nice things to you, and it would be easy to turn that into hate and into anger, but it feels like instead you've decided to forgive them and to take the higher road. Yes, so that's awesome.

Fanetta Higley: 36:42

Thank you.

Scott Brandley: 36:44

Do you have any Fanetta? do you have any last thoughts that you'd like to share for those that are listening?

Fanetta Higley: 36:50

Well, for those that are listening, the Lord is here to help us in being disabled like I am, and different people. We're just like everybody else. We have two hands. some have two hands, some can talk, But if you see someone like disabled, talk to them and try to get to hear them in what they have to say. Some might not talk, but they understand what you're saying and you can grow from them And I hope that anybody that does this or goes into church or whatever or sacrament, love everybody. don't just mock them or talk behind their backs.

Alisha Coakley: 37:33

Yeah, absolutely Well, fanetta, this has been such a nice, just experience getting able to see the way that you've been able to grow through your hardships and that you're still continuing to like press forward and to latch on to that faith that you have in our Heavenly Father. We really appreciated having you as a guest on our show today and we really appreciate you reaching out to us to share your story. We hope that it definitely can light up the lives of those listening and to our guests Yeah, to our guests, guys thanks again for tuning in with us this week. If you have a story that you'd like to share, we would love to hear from you. We love having a variety of different guests on and a variety of different stories on.

Alisha Coakley: 38:28

You guys can always head over to Latterday Lights. com and at the very bottom of the page there's a form you can fill out. You can also find us on Facebook. That's how Fanetta did it, right, and you just sent us a little Facebook message. It was pretty simple. You know you can friend Scott and I. I'm on social media way more than Scott is, but that's okay. You can always send us a friend request.

Scott Brandley: 38:50

I'll still be your friend, you will.

Alisha Coakley: 38:53

It just might take him a little while to accept it, but we would. We would absolutely love to hear you guys' story and how you can light the world.

Scott Brandley: 39:03

So yeah, thanks so much, Fanetta, for being on the show.

Fanetta Higley: 39:06

Thank you very much.

Scott Brandley: 39:07

For being, for being, a light to others, and until next week. we hope you have a great one and we will talk to you then.

Fanetta Higley: 39:17

All right, thank you, bye-bye.