A Blind Woman Experiences the Temple Through Spiritual Eyes

Bessy Nobuo is from the beautiful island of Palau.  Life became more difficult for Bessy in 2009 when she lost her sight.  She had a new baby girl and a three-year-old son at the time. 

She found out about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from her older brother who had been invited by his friends to go to church.  Bessy Nobuo is from the beautiful island of Palau. Her parents have not joined the Church yet, but they support her and like to see her happy.

When she was expecting her daughter, she began to lose her sight.  The doctors thought it might be due to complications from her pregnancy.  Her sight continued to get worse.  After giving birth to her daughter in 2009, the doctors discovered a tumor in her brain.  She was sent to the Philippines to remove the tumor.  The doctors were able to remove the tumor but the damage to her eyes would remain.  She was grateful to have the gospel in her life at this time.  Unfortunately, two years after losing her sight, her husband left her.  She moved home so that her mother could help her with her children and to help her get around as she struggled in this dark new world.  She has never seen her daughter’s face, but she said that she knows her daughter is beautiful. 

After fourteen years of blindness, her attitude now is a lot different.  She said “.  It was hard for me to accept this trial in the beginning.  When I first went blind, I thought Heavenly Father was punishing me because through high school and college, I became inactive in the Church.  I never served a mission. Before I was blind, I used to work at a special education resource center. When I became blind, I had to give up my job.  I felt like I was losing everything; my sight, my husband, my home, and my job.”  Before going blind, Bessy was able to receive her associate degree in office and administration. She now considers her blindness a blessing. 

She leads a disability organization in Palau.  She uses her disability to access services and improve services for others who have disabilities.  She depends on Heavenly Father’s love, care, and strength.  She is grateful that she was able to have her children baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Her children are now teenagers and have become inactive in the Church. She prays that they will return to the gospel. She said: “I am keeping my covenants now.  My desire to learn more about our Heavenly Father and our Savior led me to try my best to come to the temple. I’ve always had a picture of a temple in my house.” 

Bessy was able to come to the temple to receive her own endowment in May 2024.  She said: “It’s been an exciting experience to come to the House of the Lord.  I’ve had a very good experience.  I know that when I go back home, I will be facing a lot of challenges and struggles in trying to keep up my promise to be obedient and faithful to the commandments.” Bessy said that it will be hard because of her surroundings and colleagues. It will be hard with her family as well because they are either not members or they are inactive, and they live together in the same house.  She says: “I am the only active member who is going to church. I know that if what I’ve covenanted with Heavenly Father, I can ‘see it’ through with His help and guidance along with the comfort of the Holy Ghost. I rely on my faith to ‘see’ things that I really can’t see.   I believe and know that what it says in Alma 32:21 is true.”

“And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.”    

“I know that Jesus Christ will lead and guide me.”  Bessy didn’t know if she was going to be able to come to the temple.  It’s hard for her to have to rely on others for help.  She said that the branch members have been so good to help her, especially those who brought her to the temple to receive her own endowments.  They all try to help each other to stay strong. She related her experience of going through the temple for the first time by saying: “I had a thought that once I come to the temple, I will receive my ‘candle’.  Once I am done with the temple, the Lord will light up the candle and help me navigate through this journey of life.  Whether or not I receive my sight or not, with that little light I know it will spread in my surroundings and keep those ‘dark corners’ away from me and other scary things beyond that.  I just have to keep myself clean and worthy so that I can always have the Spirit to keep me company and keep my candle burning bright.  Maybe I can be a light and help others from turning a ‘blind eye’ to the Lord.” She said that now she is happy to be blind and tries hard to stay happy.  She said that she likes to laugh, and it helps her stay in a peaceful happy state.  Bessy encourages everyone to come to the temple where you will feel Heavenly Father’s presence.  That feeling, to her she said, is the most truth she can get out of living in the world.  She said: “Going to the temple is worth the effort to get there. It’s not easy going there without sight, but I try to see with my spiritual eyes. I would encourage others to hold on to what you believe.  It’s more about what you feel than what you see. I am trying to lead my children by example.  The gospel has helped me to be a better mother.