The hardest part of believing in miracles can be wondering if they’ll ever happen in our own lives.
We read about the Red Sea parting or the empty tomb on that Easter morning. We may listen to a testimony about how something worked out when all hope was lost. But when our own burdens feel staggeringly heavy, it can be difficult to recognize how heaven is working for us. We may wonder if we have been forgotten.
If miracles are truly happening every day, can we see them?
Latter-day Saint author Leona Winger spent a decade studying miracles with a desire to help others see the hand of God more clearly. She completed the manuscript for Miracles Have Not Ceased just days before her death. When her team courageously brought the book to readers in 2024, they wanted to carry forth her conviction that we can learn to seek, expect, and recognize miracles.
Jayne Osborne, one of the publishing team members, with the completed book at Leona’s grave.Two years later, that invitation to discover miracles in our daily lives is reaching readers in some very unexpected places, such as with the men at the Utah State Prison or in local nursing homes.
Remembering Miracles Behind Prison Walls
Those serving time in prison held a special place in Leona’s heart. She firmly believed that no one was beyond the reach of the Savior’s love.
That belief helped guide a visit to the Utah State Prison, where Sue Troff, Leona’s trustee and a contributor to the book, joined another member of the publishing team to give a presentation about miracles. They spoke about divine worth and the ways God can work in our everyday lives.
As the men participated, they began to share experiences of their own. Some remembered moments from early childhood. One man recalled a special experience he had not thought about since he was a boy.
“They basically seemed to have had very hard lives, hard upbringings, and yet, God was present in their lives both then in their youth and still now even in prison,” Sue said. As they reflected, they could also identify moments when God had remained with them. Their circumstances had not erased those experiences. Taking time to remember helped bring them back into view.
After the presentation, another man approached Sue with a realization. He had asked God for miracles and answers to prayer. He had received blessings, but it had never occurred to him to go back and thank Him.
His experience offers a question for all of us: What might we remember if we paused to look back with gratitude?
Making Room for Hope at Nursing Homes
Proceeds from book sales help fund complimentary copies for people who might otherwise be unable to access it. Another area Leona often served was in her local nursing home. The team made it a priority to go to those residents and make sure they got the book and heard their presentation.
Sue recalled that many residents welcomed the presentation. One woman, however, returned her copy.
“I don’t believe in miracles anymore. So this isn’t for me,” she said.
The encounter stayed with Sue as this woman’s sadness lingered with her.
For someone who has experienced deep disappointment, an invitation to believe can feel tender. We do not always know what another person has prayed for, waited for, or lost.
The Savior’s promise, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you” (John 14:18), speaks to that need. We need His presence while we are hurting, even when we cannot see how our circumstances will change.
Sue wished the woman might have felt able to try a story or two and spend a little time reflecting on her own experiences with God. She believed those small moments could offer comfort and help her begin looking for miracles again.
That is part of the purpose of Miracles Have Not Ceased: to give readers time and space to consider how God has been involved in their lives.
Finding God in Our Own Story
Alongside accounts from the scriptures and personal experiences, the book includes questions at the end of each chapter that invite readers to reflect.
Where have we received guidance? When has comfort come? What experiences do we want to remember and preserve for those we love?
For one reviewer, Scott S., the book brought comfort after the devastating loss of his wife to leukemia. He described the blessings, guidance, and peace that followed her death and recognized his own experiences in the accounts Leona had gathered. He also gave a copy to his son.
Another reader, Barry R., began studying miracles while serving with his wife in the France Lyon Mission. Although he was already studying the subject, he found that the book helped him deepen his understanding and strengthen his desire to recognize and document miracles to the Lord’s glory.
These responses reflect the personal nature of Leona’s work. As readers consider the experiences of others, they are invited to revisit their own.
A memory may return. A blessing may become clearer. An experience once overlooked may become something worth writing down.
Miracles Have Not Ceased Now Available in Spanish
Miracles Have Not Ceased has been recently released in Spanish, with a Spanish audiobook on the way.
To celebrate, the publishing team is offering the Spanish ebook free during the first weekend in October. It is an opportunity to begin a personal study of miracles or share the book with someone who would enjoy reading it in Spanish.
Leona finished her work hoping it would help others recognize a loving, involved God. That hope continues each time a reader pauses to consider a sacred experience, records a blessing, or remembers that the Savior has been near.
What might you discover if you made a little room to remember?
Explore the English edition of Miracles Have Not Ceased, or find the Spanish edition and free ebook promotion here.
Aleah is a graduate of Southern Virginia University, where she studied English, Creative Writing, and Dance. She now works full time as a marketing and product manager, writer, and editor. She currently hosts the podcast “Single to the Glory” about singlehood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Aleah served a mission in California and loves baking, Lang Leav poetry, Gaynor Minden pointe shoes, and Bollywood movies.
