The Atonement, or “at-one-ment”, is the process by which Christ makes us one with God. It is the heart of the Plan of Salvation and the Gospel of Christ. Christ described this goal during his Intercessory Prayer in John 17. He prayed that his disciples and those that believe on their words “all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us . . . And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one” (John 17:21-23). We are most familiar with the cleansing power that flows out of Christ’s Atonement and into our lives as we invite it through baptism and continuing repentance, but becoming ‘one’ with Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father involves more than this. Repentance and baptism are the beginning, but eternal life (life with and like God) requires that we become perfect in one (John 17:23, 2 Nephi 31:17-20).
The Atonement encompasses the entire process of making us whole through cleansing and healing, then making us holy by endowing us with Christ’s desires, discipline, character and capacity. It is ridiculous to imagine the completion of this process during this short mortal life, but it becomes conceivable when we consider eternity ahead. If we offer Christ our broken hearts (Psalms 34:18, 3 Nephi 9:20), He puts them back together and then fills them with His goodness until our “cup runneth over” to bless all around us (Psalms 23:5-6). With lamps well supplied and brightly lit, we are prepared to meet Christ (Matthew 25:1-12).
We define grace as help from Christ given through the Atonement (lds.org, search Grace). All of us are constantly blessed by Christ’s grace whether we recognize it or not. None of God’s blessings could come to us without the Atonement, because through the fall and our own sins we have been cut off from God (Alma 42:6-7, Alma 12:22). Like the nails that connected Christ’s body with the wood of the cross (Isaiah 22:23), and as the iron rod (1 Nephi 15:23-24) or the word of God made flesh (JST, John 1:16), Christ is our connection with God and His blessings. We do not earn grace, for we will never pay Him back for all He has done for us and start to earn blessings (Mosiah 2:20-24). However, because the purpose of God’s plan is our growth and because He respects our agency, some grace or help or blessings are conditional upon our intentions and actions (D&C 130:20-21).
As we invite more grace into our lives, Christ cleanses and heals us, then begins to endow us with His characteristics and expand our understanding and strength. The beginning of this course is a realization of our own weakness and desperate need for Christ’s grace (Ether 12:27), which unfortunately often involves painful experiences. But then as we learn to humble ourselves and rely on Christ, we have more faith, hope and charity bestowed upon us to bring us to Christ not just in physical proximity but in character (Ether 12:28). We begin to know God better because we are more like Him (Moroni 7:48), and thereby make progress toward the goal of eternal life (John 17:3). We feel Christ working in us and through us to magnify our efforts and our strength so we can better do His work (Moses 1:39).
I see this process happening in my life. After years of health problems shook me to the core and exposed my weaknesses in painful ways, I sought to better understand and invite Christ’s grace to help me grow. He has blessed me with experiences that have increased my faith in the power of prayer, and I now have daily joy in praying for others and knowing that my small and simple prayers for them will make a significant difference in their lives. He has helped me learn hope from the big trials I have experienced, so now I have greater peace and do not ‘sweat the small stuff’ as much as I did before. He has endowed me with great love for my husband and children and continues to increase that love as we pray and work (and sometimes fail but always try again) to build an eternal family. As I attend the temple regularly to light my lamp with His truth, He enables me to find answers in the scriptures to the questions I have, and He gives me inspiration that makes me a more effective teacher to my family and to my Sunday School class. When I remember to counsel with Him in prayer about the coming day, He reminds me of responsibilities I might otherwise forget and smooths out my path so I can complete what is needed. He gives me patience with my limitations by helping me see that what I accomplish is enough for now. I know the path is a long one and there is much work and sacrifice ahead, but the changes the Lord has already made in my heart allow me to trust that He will finish the job if I keep putting my hand in His and following where He leads.
November 13, 2014
September 28, 2014
An Unbroken Heart
As I study and gain experience with true conversion or the mighty change of heart (Alma 5:12-13, Ezekiel 11:19), I see that there is an aspect of healing and an aspect of endowment involved. It is about healing that I write today. We often talk about the broken heart that Christ requires (3 Nephi 9:20, Psalms 34:18) as being an obedient heart, like a horse that is broken and therefore obedient to the direction of his master. This is true, and yet it is also true that all our hearts have been in fact broken, damaged and darkened by our sins, by the sins of others, and by the trials that are part of a fallen world. Will we harden our hearts to numb the pain, even though that causes us to become past feeling like Laman and Lemuel (1 Nephi 17:45, Ephesians 4:18-19)? One with a stony heart may ignore the chronic ache of injury, but those who harden their hearts cannot feel the gentle peace and joy that come through the still, small voice of God (1 Kings 19:12). He promises that “after their temptations, and much tribulation, behold, I, the Lord, will feel after them, and if they harden not their hearts, and stiffen not their necks against me, they shall be converted, and I will heal them” (D&C 112:13). Our hearts will not be healed until we entrust them to our Savior.
The temple experience reminds us of this initial process of healing. As Wendy Ulrich has noted*, our wounds need the same care that the Good Samaritan gave to the man injured by thieves and left by the side of the road: to be washed, anointed with healing balm and dressed with a protective covering (Luke 10:30-34). Just as the Samaritan in the parable paid for the man’s care while he convalesced (Luke 10:35), the Savior has paid the price for our healing: “he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Healing a wound is an uncomfortable process, especially when infection has taken hold. To some extent our injured hearts have all been infected by selfishness, pride, and perhaps bitterness. It takes great trust to keep our hearts upon the surgery table while Christ scrubs out the taint of the natural man (Mosiah 3:19, 1 Corinthians 2:14). We will probably find this scrubbing to be a repeated process throughout our lives. But we have the assurance that Christ will be meticulous and thorough in His work. The care with which He directs temple buildings to be constructed reflects the care with which He handles our hearts, for we ourselves are temples of God (1 Corinthians 3:16). Just as graffiti is sanded out instead of just painted over on temple walls, Christ will not content Himself with glossing over our scars but will restore tissue and spirit to their perfect state. Just as each temple window and tile is required to be set perfectly straight, Christ will order our hearts to perfection. We will become unbroken, whole and undivided with complete integrity.
As I turn my heart each day to Jesus Christ and experience the healing that comes from Him, in some ways the process is so gradual that it is only by looking back that I see how much healthier my heart feels than it did years or decades ago. At other times I find that a small piece of inspiration can almost instantly remove a heartache that had been tender for a long time. I experienced this type of healing one day a few years ago. A couple of years previous to that time, I had begun experiencing health problems that were debilitating and confusing. As my condition worsened over the months and doctor after doctor had no help to give, I found it difficult to sleep because of my illness. I spent many nights in great pain, being buffeted by fear and silently crying and praying for help. Although I had often experienced the comfort of the Spirit previously in my life, during those long nights I felt very alone. After a number of months that health problem began to recede, but I felt a little betrayed by the loneliness I had felt. Why had I not been able to feel comfort from the Lord in those dark hours when I needed it most? What had I done wrong so that my prayers were not answered? Why had God allowed this trial when it seemed to make a mess of what I thought was the plan for my life? I persisted onward with my faith in Christ, but there was a part of my heart that still ached.
As I continued to pray, study the scriptures and ponder, I learned that loneliness is sometimes just part of our trials. As Jesus neared the end of His suffering on the cross, He cried out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Heavenly Father had not abandoned Jesus, but Jesus needed to experience the loneliness we sometimes feel so He could comfort and heal us. If I am trying to become more like Jesus – if I want to gain compassion and skill to comfort others, which I do – then I should not be surprised if there are times when God does not immediately relieve my loneliness. This lesson helped to ease but not completely erase my heartache.
A year after those darkest nights, I was driving home from an errand when I remembered a vivid dream where I had experienced Christ’s love in a powerful way. Without words, the Spirit helped me realize that the dream had come right before my illness began. In a matter of seconds, as I turned the car from one street onto another, I suddenly knew that the dream was God’s way of giving me a hug and encouragement at the start of a wrenching but necessary trial. The feeling that my life had taken a wrong turn was erased. The sore spot in my heart disappeared. Through the Spirit, I felt known, loved and healed by my Savior.
I still struggle with plenty of weaknesses, faults and selfishness, but through the quiet whisperings of the Spirit and the experiences I have had, I have confidence that Jesus will finish His work on my heart. The healing part of the mighty change of heart is slow but it is real. This blessing is offered to all people, “black and white, bond and free, male and female . . . Jew and Gentile” for “all are alike unto God” (2 Nephi 26:33). Though the process will continue into the next life, I have firm hope that through Christ’s grace my heart will eventually become seamlessly healed, perfectly strong and completely unbroken.
*Ulrich, Wendy. The Temple Experience: Passage to Healing and Holiness. Springville, UT: CFI, 2012, 55.
The temple experience reminds us of this initial process of healing. As Wendy Ulrich has noted*, our wounds need the same care that the Good Samaritan gave to the man injured by thieves and left by the side of the road: to be washed, anointed with healing balm and dressed with a protective covering (Luke 10:30-34). Just as the Samaritan in the parable paid for the man’s care while he convalesced (Luke 10:35), the Savior has paid the price for our healing: “he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Healing a wound is an uncomfortable process, especially when infection has taken hold. To some extent our injured hearts have all been infected by selfishness, pride, and perhaps bitterness. It takes great trust to keep our hearts upon the surgery table while Christ scrubs out the taint of the natural man (Mosiah 3:19, 1 Corinthians 2:14). We will probably find this scrubbing to be a repeated process throughout our lives. But we have the assurance that Christ will be meticulous and thorough in His work. The care with which He directs temple buildings to be constructed reflects the care with which He handles our hearts, for we ourselves are temples of God (1 Corinthians 3:16). Just as graffiti is sanded out instead of just painted over on temple walls, Christ will not content Himself with glossing over our scars but will restore tissue and spirit to their perfect state. Just as each temple window and tile is required to be set perfectly straight, Christ will order our hearts to perfection. We will become unbroken, whole and undivided with complete integrity.
As I turn my heart each day to Jesus Christ and experience the healing that comes from Him, in some ways the process is so gradual that it is only by looking back that I see how much healthier my heart feels than it did years or decades ago. At other times I find that a small piece of inspiration can almost instantly remove a heartache that had been tender for a long time. I experienced this type of healing one day a few years ago. A couple of years previous to that time, I had begun experiencing health problems that were debilitating and confusing. As my condition worsened over the months and doctor after doctor had no help to give, I found it difficult to sleep because of my illness. I spent many nights in great pain, being buffeted by fear and silently crying and praying for help. Although I had often experienced the comfort of the Spirit previously in my life, during those long nights I felt very alone. After a number of months that health problem began to recede, but I felt a little betrayed by the loneliness I had felt. Why had I not been able to feel comfort from the Lord in those dark hours when I needed it most? What had I done wrong so that my prayers were not answered? Why had God allowed this trial when it seemed to make a mess of what I thought was the plan for my life? I persisted onward with my faith in Christ, but there was a part of my heart that still ached.
As I continued to pray, study the scriptures and ponder, I learned that loneliness is sometimes just part of our trials. As Jesus neared the end of His suffering on the cross, He cried out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Heavenly Father had not abandoned Jesus, but Jesus needed to experience the loneliness we sometimes feel so He could comfort and heal us. If I am trying to become more like Jesus – if I want to gain compassion and skill to comfort others, which I do – then I should not be surprised if there are times when God does not immediately relieve my loneliness. This lesson helped to ease but not completely erase my heartache.
A year after those darkest nights, I was driving home from an errand when I remembered a vivid dream where I had experienced Christ’s love in a powerful way. Without words, the Spirit helped me realize that the dream had come right before my illness began. In a matter of seconds, as I turned the car from one street onto another, I suddenly knew that the dream was God’s way of giving me a hug and encouragement at the start of a wrenching but necessary trial. The feeling that my life had taken a wrong turn was erased. The sore spot in my heart disappeared. Through the Spirit, I felt known, loved and healed by my Savior.
I still struggle with plenty of weaknesses, faults and selfishness, but through the quiet whisperings of the Spirit and the experiences I have had, I have confidence that Jesus will finish His work on my heart. The healing part of the mighty change of heart is slow but it is real. This blessing is offered to all people, “black and white, bond and free, male and female . . . Jew and Gentile” for “all are alike unto God” (2 Nephi 26:33). Though the process will continue into the next life, I have firm hope that through Christ’s grace my heart will eventually become seamlessly healed, perfectly strong and completely unbroken.
*Ulrich, Wendy. The Temple Experience: Passage to Healing and Holiness. Springville, UT: CFI, 2012, 55.
August 19, 2014
We All Belong to God's Family
As Christ works a mighty change of heart in us, we start to view everything and everyone differently. I am finding that when I can see people more as God sees them, it feels natural to treat them as God would have me treat them. As of now my ability to see in this way is not constant, but I have hope that it will become more consistent as I continue to invite Christ to remodel my heart and enlighten my eyes a little each day.
One thing I see with clarity is that our Heavenly Father always sees us as His family. His relationship to us as our Father transcends the relationship of an employer to an employee or a king to his subjects. We may talk about being children of God and call each other brother or sister, but I do not think we fully comprehend that truth, and we often forget what we do understand of it. Or at least I do. But our Heavenly Father and our big brother Jesus Christ never forget those family bonds. In the scriptures They repeatedly remind us of our relationship with Them and with each other. Jesus taught, “all ye are brethren . . . for one is your Father, which is in heaven” (Matthew 23:8-9). Paul reminded us of Jesus’ relationship to us when he stated, “for both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Hebrews 2:11).
As we come closer to God our awareness of our divine family relationships will flavor all of our interactions with others. God taught the Israelites that they should not harden their hearts against any of their poor brethren within the land, and to withhold what those brethren needed was a sin (Deuteronomy 15:7-11). He commanded that their king should study God’s word each day of his life so his heart “be not lifted up above his brethren” (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). The Lord gave a similar commandment to the Nephites, saying, “Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you” (Jacob 2:17). The Lord chose to describe the work of His church in family terms when He commanded Peter, “when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:32).
It is difficult to think of our brethren and sisters ‘like unto ourselves’ when there are obvious differences between us. Some are undeniably more or less intelligent, righteous, or blessed than we are. My experiences as a mother help me understand this commandment. In the past few months my 11 year old son has been allowing his 2 year old brother to come into his room so they can play with Legos together. My older son is obviously more capable than my younger son, and his creations are much more impressive. But I do not love my older son more because his current capacity is greater. I know that my 2 year old will eventually be 11 years old and will create complex Lego spaceships and forts of his own. I also trust that eventually both of them will become adults with the ability to create things of far more significance than arrangements of plastic blocks. I just feel delighted that they are playing nicely and growing together in love. I expect my older son to help his younger brother along, and I expect my younger son to be grateful for the help.
Our Heavenly Father already loves us completely and already sees our infinite potential through Christ’s merits, mercy and grace (2 Nephi 2:8). He knows that eternity will provide plenty of time for all of His children to reach that potential as long as we choose to do the work of growing in light and truth (Proverbs 4:18, D&C 50:24). He assigns those who are farther along to help their brethren and sisters who are coming behind, and He expects us all to be grateful for the help we receive from Him and from each other. Because of my experiences as a parent, I understand that God delights when we play nicely and grow together in love, and He weeps over His children who hate each other instead (Moses 7:28-33).
Understanding and acting on our relationships as brothers and sisters in God’s family is crucial to our progress in the gospel. John taught that he who hates his brother is in darkness, while he who loves his brother abideth in the light (1 John 2:8-9). He further stated that a man who says he loves God but hates his brother is a liar (1 John 4:20). To know God and Jesus Christ is life eternal (John 17:3), and we are promised that those who abound in divine traits, including brotherly kindness, will be fruitful in the knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 1:7-8). I find these scriptures fulfilled in my experiences, for life does seem dark when I am feeling enmity toward another person. When I remember to pray for help to love God and others (those 2 great commandments in Matthew 22:36-40), there is light in my heart and I come to know Christ better.
Even as we respect positions of authority, obey the counsel of the Lord’s chosen leaders, and feel deep gratitude for the sacrifices that good leaders make to serve us; that respect, obedience and gratitude should be suffused with a feeling of brotherly love. I find a quiet joy in remembering that all the people I admire most are actually my sisters and brothers in God's family, and we loved each other before this life. As we lead, teach, and nurture those who are following behind us, we can esteem them like unto ourselves because we know that through the grace of Christ they can reach our current level of progress and continue on toward Christ’s perfection. An attitude of brotherly love overcomes feelings of intimidation by or condescension toward others. As children of God we all just need to commit to the work of growing in the light of the Son of God, and then Jesus promises He can get us all the way to the finish line.
We are all on the same team because we are all family. What a marvelous sense of love and belonging we feel when we remember that God claims each of us as His children and that we are surrounded by brothers and sisters. The delight I feel as a parent when my children love each other is a reflection of the delight our Heavenly Father feels when we treat His children with brotherly love. We should be cheering everyone toward the finish line – regardless of whether they make it there before or after us, at the beginning or at the very last – because heaven is going to be a more joyful place if more of the family makes it there together.
One thing I see with clarity is that our Heavenly Father always sees us as His family. His relationship to us as our Father transcends the relationship of an employer to an employee or a king to his subjects. We may talk about being children of God and call each other brother or sister, but I do not think we fully comprehend that truth, and we often forget what we do understand of it. Or at least I do. But our Heavenly Father and our big brother Jesus Christ never forget those family bonds. In the scriptures They repeatedly remind us of our relationship with Them and with each other. Jesus taught, “all ye are brethren . . . for one is your Father, which is in heaven” (Matthew 23:8-9). Paul reminded us of Jesus’ relationship to us when he stated, “for both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Hebrews 2:11).
As we come closer to God our awareness of our divine family relationships will flavor all of our interactions with others. God taught the Israelites that they should not harden their hearts against any of their poor brethren within the land, and to withhold what those brethren needed was a sin (Deuteronomy 15:7-11). He commanded that their king should study God’s word each day of his life so his heart “be not lifted up above his brethren” (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). The Lord gave a similar commandment to the Nephites, saying, “Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you” (Jacob 2:17). The Lord chose to describe the work of His church in family terms when He commanded Peter, “when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:32).
It is difficult to think of our brethren and sisters ‘like unto ourselves’ when there are obvious differences between us. Some are undeniably more or less intelligent, righteous, or blessed than we are. My experiences as a mother help me understand this commandment. In the past few months my 11 year old son has been allowing his 2 year old brother to come into his room so they can play with Legos together. My older son is obviously more capable than my younger son, and his creations are much more impressive. But I do not love my older son more because his current capacity is greater. I know that my 2 year old will eventually be 11 years old and will create complex Lego spaceships and forts of his own. I also trust that eventually both of them will become adults with the ability to create things of far more significance than arrangements of plastic blocks. I just feel delighted that they are playing nicely and growing together in love. I expect my older son to help his younger brother along, and I expect my younger son to be grateful for the help.
Our Heavenly Father already loves us completely and already sees our infinite potential through Christ’s merits, mercy and grace (2 Nephi 2:8). He knows that eternity will provide plenty of time for all of His children to reach that potential as long as we choose to do the work of growing in light and truth (Proverbs 4:18, D&C 50:24). He assigns those who are farther along to help their brethren and sisters who are coming behind, and He expects us all to be grateful for the help we receive from Him and from each other. Because of my experiences as a parent, I understand that God delights when we play nicely and grow together in love, and He weeps over His children who hate each other instead (Moses 7:28-33).
Understanding and acting on our relationships as brothers and sisters in God’s family is crucial to our progress in the gospel. John taught that he who hates his brother is in darkness, while he who loves his brother abideth in the light (1 John 2:8-9). He further stated that a man who says he loves God but hates his brother is a liar (1 John 4:20). To know God and Jesus Christ is life eternal (John 17:3), and we are promised that those who abound in divine traits, including brotherly kindness, will be fruitful in the knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 1:7-8). I find these scriptures fulfilled in my experiences, for life does seem dark when I am feeling enmity toward another person. When I remember to pray for help to love God and others (those 2 great commandments in Matthew 22:36-40), there is light in my heart and I come to know Christ better.
Even as we respect positions of authority, obey the counsel of the Lord’s chosen leaders, and feel deep gratitude for the sacrifices that good leaders make to serve us; that respect, obedience and gratitude should be suffused with a feeling of brotherly love. I find a quiet joy in remembering that all the people I admire most are actually my sisters and brothers in God's family, and we loved each other before this life. As we lead, teach, and nurture those who are following behind us, we can esteem them like unto ourselves because we know that through the grace of Christ they can reach our current level of progress and continue on toward Christ’s perfection. An attitude of brotherly love overcomes feelings of intimidation by or condescension toward others. As children of God we all just need to commit to the work of growing in the light of the Son of God, and then Jesus promises He can get us all the way to the finish line.
We are all on the same team because we are all family. What a marvelous sense of love and belonging we feel when we remember that God claims each of us as His children and that we are surrounded by brothers and sisters. The delight I feel as a parent when my children love each other is a reflection of the delight our Heavenly Father feels when we treat His children with brotherly love. We should be cheering everyone toward the finish line – regardless of whether they make it there before or after us, at the beginning or at the very last – because heaven is going to be a more joyful place if more of the family makes it there together.
June 4, 2014
Change of Heart, Change of View
In recent months I have been pondering about how our vision is affected by the change of heart that Christ works in us as we make and keep covenants with Him (Ezekiel 36:26, Alma 5:14). We see the connection between a new heart and a new view in the story of Enoch and the city of Zion. As Enoch and his city grew in righteousness, they began to see what and Who they could not see before. God came to walk with Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and dwell with His people in Zion (Moses 7:16). These people received the change of heart that Ezekiel described as being given “one heart” (Ezekiel 11:19-20), for “the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them” (Moses 7:18). Eventually they were taken up to heaven “and the Lord said unto Enoch: Behold mine abode forever” (Moses 7:21). They experienced a profound change of view.
The story of Samson underscores how our vision is affected by breaking the covenants we have made with God. Despite his acceptance of the Nazarite covenant whereby Samson separated himself unto the Lord (Numbers 6:2), Samson was not true to God. He used his great strength in pursuit of his own vain ambitions (Judges 14-16) and arrogantly flirted with danger until he was finally brought down by his enemies. They put out his eyes shortly before his tragic death. His experience corresponds to the loss of spiritual sight that occurs when we reject God’s covenants.
These stories demonstrate in a dramatic way the increase or decrease in our capacity for Spirit-enhanced vision, or discernment, that comes based on our response to covenants with the Lord. We invite the Holy Spirit to be our constant companion through keeping our baptismal covenant to always remember Jesus, be willing to take upon us His name and keep His commandments (D&C 20:77, 79). Then the Spirit enables us to see everything and everyone around us more as God sees them, “for the Spirit . . . speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be; wherefore, these things are manifested unto us plainly” (Jacob 4:13). We also receive the heart-changing power of Christ’s Atonement through the Spirit (Mosiah 3:19). Even greater blessings pour out of the Atonement and flow into our lives through the Spirit as we make and keep covenants with the Lord in His temples.
As I invite Jesus Christ to change my heart by keeping the covenants I have made with Him, I am experiencing the change in perspective as well. I find it easier to be humble as the Lord shows me my weakness (Ether 12:27) and because I see with greater clarity that opportunities and talents are gifts from Him (James 1:17, Moroni 10:3, 18). I perceive that in the past my thinking has sometimes been influenced by ideas that are not true, like the idea that worldly prominence equates with importance. This error is especially damaging to mothers, since much of our work is accomplished without worldly fanfare and yet it has great importance in God’s plan for His children. I am coming to see how my labors as a mother encompass much more than fulfilling my children’s physical needs. I recognize that God has assigned me the responsibility to introduce them to and nurture their capacity to feel His love, upon which love the entire gospel rests (Matthew 22:36-40).
Some time ago I was reading in Doctrine & Covenants 93 where Christ promises that “every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am” (D&C 93:1). While recognizing that God answers such prayers in His own time and way (D&C 88:68), I decided to be bold in exercising my faith and pray to have that promise fulfilled in my life. As I continued to ponder about it over a period of weeks, the inspiration came that of greater worth than a vision of His physical features would be to see, know and comprehend Christ’s love. This ability to really understand charity – both Christ’s love for us and what our love must be for Him and for our neighbors – is the highest expression of spiritual sight, and it enables us to fulfill the two great commandments (Matthew 22:36-40). It leads us to view each person as having the greatest worth because of their status as children of God with infinite potential through Christ’s grace (Moroni 10:32, 2 Nephi 25:23), regardless of their current accomplishments or rank. Eventually this vision or knowledge of Christ’s character will lead us to God’s greatest blessings, for “this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent” (John 17:3).
As I grow in the knowledge of Christ’s character, I have greater spiritual sight to perceive my children as the Lord sees them. I have one daughter who is especially feisty, which is difficult for me to manage because my personality is so much like hers. The Lord has helped me perceive that she has a great capacity to be sensitive and responsive to the Spirit, but along with that gift comes the tendency to be very sensitive and loudly responsive to the provocations of her older brother and other adverse circumstances. Being able to recognize the blessing as well as the challenge of this aspect of her character helps me to be more patient with her. I am a better mother to all my children as the Spirit helps me see and remember that how they act now does not always reflect who they really are and what they really can become. I also see that the “small and simple things” I accomplish as a mother really will bring great things to pass (Alma 37:6).
Isaiah prophesied about a marvelous work and wonder where the wisdom of the wise shall perish and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and darkness (Isaiah 29:14-18). The result of this work will be apparent when Christ returns and “all shall know me, who remain . . . and shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, and shall see eye to eye” (D&C 84:98). The prophet Mormon links spiritual sight with charity: “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ . . . that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (Moroni 7:48). The gift of spiritual sight is essential to enable us to serve the Lord now – as mothers or in any other capacity – and prepares us for that great day when our eyes shall see Him with joy in our hearts because we have already come to know Him.
The story of Samson underscores how our vision is affected by breaking the covenants we have made with God. Despite his acceptance of the Nazarite covenant whereby Samson separated himself unto the Lord (Numbers 6:2), Samson was not true to God. He used his great strength in pursuit of his own vain ambitions (Judges 14-16) and arrogantly flirted with danger until he was finally brought down by his enemies. They put out his eyes shortly before his tragic death. His experience corresponds to the loss of spiritual sight that occurs when we reject God’s covenants.
These stories demonstrate in a dramatic way the increase or decrease in our capacity for Spirit-enhanced vision, or discernment, that comes based on our response to covenants with the Lord. We invite the Holy Spirit to be our constant companion through keeping our baptismal covenant to always remember Jesus, be willing to take upon us His name and keep His commandments (D&C 20:77, 79). Then the Spirit enables us to see everything and everyone around us more as God sees them, “for the Spirit . . . speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be; wherefore, these things are manifested unto us plainly” (Jacob 4:13). We also receive the heart-changing power of Christ’s Atonement through the Spirit (Mosiah 3:19). Even greater blessings pour out of the Atonement and flow into our lives through the Spirit as we make and keep covenants with the Lord in His temples.
As I invite Jesus Christ to change my heart by keeping the covenants I have made with Him, I am experiencing the change in perspective as well. I find it easier to be humble as the Lord shows me my weakness (Ether 12:27) and because I see with greater clarity that opportunities and talents are gifts from Him (James 1:17, Moroni 10:3, 18). I perceive that in the past my thinking has sometimes been influenced by ideas that are not true, like the idea that worldly prominence equates with importance. This error is especially damaging to mothers, since much of our work is accomplished without worldly fanfare and yet it has great importance in God’s plan for His children. I am coming to see how my labors as a mother encompass much more than fulfilling my children’s physical needs. I recognize that God has assigned me the responsibility to introduce them to and nurture their capacity to feel His love, upon which love the entire gospel rests (Matthew 22:36-40).
Some time ago I was reading in Doctrine & Covenants 93 where Christ promises that “every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am” (D&C 93:1). While recognizing that God answers such prayers in His own time and way (D&C 88:68), I decided to be bold in exercising my faith and pray to have that promise fulfilled in my life. As I continued to ponder about it over a period of weeks, the inspiration came that of greater worth than a vision of His physical features would be to see, know and comprehend Christ’s love. This ability to really understand charity – both Christ’s love for us and what our love must be for Him and for our neighbors – is the highest expression of spiritual sight, and it enables us to fulfill the two great commandments (Matthew 22:36-40). It leads us to view each person as having the greatest worth because of their status as children of God with infinite potential through Christ’s grace (Moroni 10:32, 2 Nephi 25:23), regardless of their current accomplishments or rank. Eventually this vision or knowledge of Christ’s character will lead us to God’s greatest blessings, for “this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent” (John 17:3).
As I grow in the knowledge of Christ’s character, I have greater spiritual sight to perceive my children as the Lord sees them. I have one daughter who is especially feisty, which is difficult for me to manage because my personality is so much like hers. The Lord has helped me perceive that she has a great capacity to be sensitive and responsive to the Spirit, but along with that gift comes the tendency to be very sensitive and loudly responsive to the provocations of her older brother and other adverse circumstances. Being able to recognize the blessing as well as the challenge of this aspect of her character helps me to be more patient with her. I am a better mother to all my children as the Spirit helps me see and remember that how they act now does not always reflect who they really are and what they really can become. I also see that the “small and simple things” I accomplish as a mother really will bring great things to pass (Alma 37:6).
Isaiah prophesied about a marvelous work and wonder where the wisdom of the wise shall perish and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and darkness (Isaiah 29:14-18). The result of this work will be apparent when Christ returns and “all shall know me, who remain . . . and shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, and shall see eye to eye” (D&C 84:98). The prophet Mormon links spiritual sight with charity: “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ . . . that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (Moroni 7:48). The gift of spiritual sight is essential to enable us to serve the Lord now – as mothers or in any other capacity – and prepares us for that great day when our eyes shall see Him with joy in our hearts because we have already come to know Him.
May 4, 2014
Eve Was a 'Get It Done' Girl
I suppose most women of faith have wondered about what really happened in the Garden of Eden. What were Eve’s thoughts when she reached for the forbidden fruit? Was there a better way to go forward with God’s plan than what happened there? Was the mother of all living really as foolish as the world portrays her, or was she just as valiant as any of the other heroes in scripture?
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints understand the Fall differently than other Christians. Instead of a tragic mistake, we believe the Fall was a necessary part of God’s plan for His children, because the purpose of the plan is to grow and no one does much of that in paradise. While in the garden, Adam and Eve were not yet mortal and were therefore unable to fulfill God’s commandment to “multiply and replenish the earth” (Genesis 1:28). As part of the Fall, changes occurred to their bodies that allowed them to have children and to experience trials that would help them grow (Russell M. Nelson, The Atonement, Oct 1996 General Conference).
God commanded Adam not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil because “in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17), but He gave man his agency to choose for himself. As long as Adam and Eve lingered in the garden, God’s plan for the growth of His children paused, and the rest of us watched and waited for them to step into mortality so we could have our chance to do so as well. When Eve received her “first lessons in the world of spirits” (D&C 138:56), she learned about God’s plan and was valiant enough to be chosen as the “mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20). Though her memory of those experiences was veiled when she came to Eden, I wonder if she still felt a sense of some greater purpose for herself and Adam. As Eve wandered the garden and delighted in its beauties, did she yearn to do and be more than she was in that place and state?
Like faithful women today, Eve must have been blessed with extra sensitivity to the Holy Spirit who confirms truth, and she would have been prepared to make sacrifices in support of God’s plan. I find it difficult to believe that this chosen woman acted out of selfishness when she ate the forbidden fruit. Instead I believe her receptiveness to truth and willingness to sacrifice would have been the deciding factors in her confrontation with Satan, the serpent. He did what he so often does today and mixed truth (“your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” Genesis 3:5) with lie (“Ye shall not surely die” Genesis 3:4). Eve recognized the truth that she was meant to have her eyes opened and grow in wisdom, and was willing to act in faith to fulfill that purpose even if death was part of the deal. Satan’s attempt to thwart God’s plan backfired when Eve’s actions moved the plan forward instead. In this confrontation between “the father of all lies” (Moses 4:4) and the mother of all living, Satan came away looking foolish. Since that time he has worked to influence perception to make Eve seem the fool instead, and he has in large measure succeeded.
One problem with Eve’s actions in the Garden of Eden was that she did not counsel with her husband and with God before taking action. My husband and I have learned that difficulties arise when we make big decisions without first counseling together and with the Lord. Perhaps Eve and Adam had already had that conversation many times and Adam was unwilling to move, even if it was a move forward. Still I wonder what would be different if the two of them had decided together to forge ahead – despite the certainty of death as part of the process – and had presented their plan to God before taking that step.
After the Fall, Adam was commanded to worship by sacrificing the firstlings of their flocks to the Lord (Moses 5:5). He later learned that these offerings were symbolic of the sacrifice that our Savior, the lamb of God, would make during the Atonement (Moses 5:6-7). Eve herself became a symbol of the Atonement, for she chose to suffer, bleed and eventually die in order to give life to others of God’s children. The physical pain of bearing children was not the only sorrow she experienced (Genesis 3:16). What did she feel when she learned that one of her beloved children had been murdered by another of her beloved children? Experiencing either situation – a murdered child or a child who murdered – would have been crushing, but experiencing both together must have been devastating to their mother. Truly her sorrows were multiplied, and yet Eve foreshadowed Jesus’ life here as well. She saw through the excruciating sorrow to the joy ahead and ran with patience the race that was set before her (Hebrews 12:1-2). When Adam prophesied “concerning all the families of the earth” (Moses 5:10), did he mention their many-great-granddaughter Mary greeting the risen Lord immediately after He had overcome all the effects of their Fall through the Atonement? Eve heard these prophesies concerning their children, their granddaughters and grandsons, and “was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient” (Moses 5:11).
When I consider the events of the Garden in light of the characteristics of faithful women – and surely the one chosen as mother of all living was especially faithful – I am able to see past the distortions of the father of all lies to recognize Eve’s magnificence. She was committed to God’s plan and was willing to accept the heavy costs to fulfill her part in it. Perhaps there was a better way to carry out the move toward mortality, but the fact that she had wisdom yet to gain is a testimony of the importance of God’s plan for His children. If we already knew and had already experienced everything we needed in order to be wise, mortality would not be necessary. But we do need this chance to grow, and Eve’s courage and sacrifice made it possible for us to have it. She was a ‘Get It Done Girl’, a true hero, and I want to be more like her. Thank heaven for this brave and generous mother to us all.
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints understand the Fall differently than other Christians. Instead of a tragic mistake, we believe the Fall was a necessary part of God’s plan for His children, because the purpose of the plan is to grow and no one does much of that in paradise. While in the garden, Adam and Eve were not yet mortal and were therefore unable to fulfill God’s commandment to “multiply and replenish the earth” (Genesis 1:28). As part of the Fall, changes occurred to their bodies that allowed them to have children and to experience trials that would help them grow (Russell M. Nelson, The Atonement, Oct 1996 General Conference).
God commanded Adam not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil because “in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17), but He gave man his agency to choose for himself. As long as Adam and Eve lingered in the garden, God’s plan for the growth of His children paused, and the rest of us watched and waited for them to step into mortality so we could have our chance to do so as well. When Eve received her “first lessons in the world of spirits” (D&C 138:56), she learned about God’s plan and was valiant enough to be chosen as the “mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20). Though her memory of those experiences was veiled when she came to Eden, I wonder if she still felt a sense of some greater purpose for herself and Adam. As Eve wandered the garden and delighted in its beauties, did she yearn to do and be more than she was in that place and state?
Like faithful women today, Eve must have been blessed with extra sensitivity to the Holy Spirit who confirms truth, and she would have been prepared to make sacrifices in support of God’s plan. I find it difficult to believe that this chosen woman acted out of selfishness when she ate the forbidden fruit. Instead I believe her receptiveness to truth and willingness to sacrifice would have been the deciding factors in her confrontation with Satan, the serpent. He did what he so often does today and mixed truth (“your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” Genesis 3:5) with lie (“Ye shall not surely die” Genesis 3:4). Eve recognized the truth that she was meant to have her eyes opened and grow in wisdom, and was willing to act in faith to fulfill that purpose even if death was part of the deal. Satan’s attempt to thwart God’s plan backfired when Eve’s actions moved the plan forward instead. In this confrontation between “the father of all lies” (Moses 4:4) and the mother of all living, Satan came away looking foolish. Since that time he has worked to influence perception to make Eve seem the fool instead, and he has in large measure succeeded.
One problem with Eve’s actions in the Garden of Eden was that she did not counsel with her husband and with God before taking action. My husband and I have learned that difficulties arise when we make big decisions without first counseling together and with the Lord. Perhaps Eve and Adam had already had that conversation many times and Adam was unwilling to move, even if it was a move forward. Still I wonder what would be different if the two of them had decided together to forge ahead – despite the certainty of death as part of the process – and had presented their plan to God before taking that step.
After the Fall, Adam was commanded to worship by sacrificing the firstlings of their flocks to the Lord (Moses 5:5). He later learned that these offerings were symbolic of the sacrifice that our Savior, the lamb of God, would make during the Atonement (Moses 5:6-7). Eve herself became a symbol of the Atonement, for she chose to suffer, bleed and eventually die in order to give life to others of God’s children. The physical pain of bearing children was not the only sorrow she experienced (Genesis 3:16). What did she feel when she learned that one of her beloved children had been murdered by another of her beloved children? Experiencing either situation – a murdered child or a child who murdered – would have been crushing, but experiencing both together must have been devastating to their mother. Truly her sorrows were multiplied, and yet Eve foreshadowed Jesus’ life here as well. She saw through the excruciating sorrow to the joy ahead and ran with patience the race that was set before her (Hebrews 12:1-2). When Adam prophesied “concerning all the families of the earth” (Moses 5:10), did he mention their many-great-granddaughter Mary greeting the risen Lord immediately after He had overcome all the effects of their Fall through the Atonement? Eve heard these prophesies concerning their children, their granddaughters and grandsons, and “was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient” (Moses 5:11).
When I consider the events of the Garden in light of the characteristics of faithful women – and surely the one chosen as mother of all living was especially faithful – I am able to see past the distortions of the father of all lies to recognize Eve’s magnificence. She was committed to God’s plan and was willing to accept the heavy costs to fulfill her part in it. Perhaps there was a better way to carry out the move toward mortality, but the fact that she had wisdom yet to gain is a testimony of the importance of God’s plan for His children. If we already knew and had already experienced everything we needed in order to be wise, mortality would not be necessary. But we do need this chance to grow, and Eve’s courage and sacrifice made it possible for us to have it. She was a ‘Get It Done Girl’, a true hero, and I want to be more like her. Thank heaven for this brave and generous mother to us all.
April 15, 2014
Where Are Women in Scripture?
At times I have wondered if women’s roles and responsibilities – and women themselves – are less important to God since they are mentioned relatively infrequently in scripture. But I know that can’t be true because I feel the Lord’s love and esteem for me and for all His daughters. Still I wonder if the gospel could not be taught just as well through the perspectives and experiences of women along with those of men. When I pray and ask Father in Heaven to help me understand why the scriptures are the way they are, He first reminds me that He is perfectly just. There is no injustice in Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ or the Holy Ghost, so when something in God’s plan seems unfair to me it is because of my limited perspective. Then the Lord reminds me that He does not rate importance the same way the world does. He tells us, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9). The world equates worldly prominence and recognition with importance, but that is not the Lord’s way. Every knee did not bow to the Son of God during His mortal life – that comes later (Isaiah 45:23). So women who follow His way should not be surprised if we do not receive full recognition for our work here in mortality, important though it may be.
Another lesson comes from remembering the purpose of scripture: “But these are written, that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:31, 1 Nephi 19:18, preface to Book of Mormon). The Lord makes it very clear that all people are invited to receive this gift of life through Christ: “He inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female” (2 Nephi 26:33). Though many righteous people and their significant responsibilities are recorded in scripture, the ultimate purpose of scripture is not to honor them over those who are not mentioned; it is to persuade us all to believe in and be saved through Christ. Our ultimate goal is not to have a place in scripture; it is to receive eternal life, which is the greatest of God’s gifts (D&C 66:12, Romans 6:23), the ultimate happiness (Moses 5:11) and the goal of the plan of salvation (Moses 1:39). The Spirit confirms that the relatively few references to women in scripture do not mean that women are less righteous or less important than men in accomplishing God’s work.
The Lord also reminds me that He has given women the gift of being especially sensitive to nuance and to the Spirit. As mothers learn to keep one part of their mind listening for the waking cry of a sleeping baby, they also cultivate their ability to always have one part of their mind listening for the guidance of the Holy Ghost. As mothers develop their capacity to be sensitive and responsive to the needs of their children – even when those needs are not expressed verbally – they also nurture their gift of being sensitive and responsive to the promptings of the Spirit – even when that inspiration is not expressed in words. These gifts help us understand truths even when they are not spelled out plainly or repeatedly, and they more than compensate for the extra work we have to do to apply male perspectives and experiences in scripture to our own lives.
As I study the scriptures for subtle confirmations of God’s appreciation and honor for women and their responsibilities, I find plenty of evidence. The Lord established the importance of righteous wives and mothers in the life of the prophet Abraham, who sent a trusted servant far away to find a faithful woman to be the wife of the chosen son, Isaac. When this servant prayed for a sign to identify the right woman, the Lord acknowledged the importance of his task by guiding Rebekah to fulfill the sign (Genesis 24). Through Isaac and Rebekah the covenant promises of the Lord to Abraham were and continue to be fulfilled. It feels very significant to me that Jesus’ mother was given a place in Nephi’s vision about the love of God (1 Nephi 11). She stood as a first witness of God’s love, just as mothers have throughout history and continue to do today. Though we do not find much information about their mothers, we see that the miracles that blessed the 2,000 stripling warriors occurred because of the foundation of faith and obedience laid by these faithful women (Alma 56:47-48, Alma 57:21).
Many confirmations of God’s respect for womanhood and much guidance on how to fulfill our roles come from the example of Jesus during His mortal ministry. The book of John has been described as God’s love letter to His children, and I feel this especially applies to His daughters. John records that the “beginning of miracles” occurred in response to a request from Jesus’ mother, Mary. It is helpful to note the clarification from Joseph Smith about Jesus’ response to her request, “Woman, what wilt thou have me do for thee? that will I do; for mine hour is not yet come” (John 2:4, Joseph Smith Translation). Surely the One who gave the commandment to honor both father and mother (Exodus 20:12) would speak to His own mother with great respect. Can you imagine how noble and revered the word ‘woman’ must sound when He speaks it? Mary Magdalene was honored to stand as the first mortal witness of Christ's resurrection at the completion of the Atonement, the most significant event to occur in all of history (John 20:11-18). John’s teachings on the importance of charity, or Godly love, gain greater meaning for women when we remember that the prophet Mormon used a female pronoun to describe charity (Moroni 7:45), and the motto of the church’s organization for women is ‘Charity Never Faileth.’ When we enlist the guidance of the Holy Ghost and search the scriptures for the Lord’s perspective on women, He will guide us to truths we have not noticed before. While the scriptural references to women may seem small and simple (Alma 37:6), the Lord through His Spirit is prepared to make up for the lack of detail and truly bring about great things in the hearts and lives of His beloved daughters.
Another lesson comes from remembering the purpose of scripture: “But these are written, that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:31, 1 Nephi 19:18, preface to Book of Mormon). The Lord makes it very clear that all people are invited to receive this gift of life through Christ: “He inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female” (2 Nephi 26:33). Though many righteous people and their significant responsibilities are recorded in scripture, the ultimate purpose of scripture is not to honor them over those who are not mentioned; it is to persuade us all to believe in and be saved through Christ. Our ultimate goal is not to have a place in scripture; it is to receive eternal life, which is the greatest of God’s gifts (D&C 66:12, Romans 6:23), the ultimate happiness (Moses 5:11) and the goal of the plan of salvation (Moses 1:39). The Spirit confirms that the relatively few references to women in scripture do not mean that women are less righteous or less important than men in accomplishing God’s work.
The Lord also reminds me that He has given women the gift of being especially sensitive to nuance and to the Spirit. As mothers learn to keep one part of their mind listening for the waking cry of a sleeping baby, they also cultivate their ability to always have one part of their mind listening for the guidance of the Holy Ghost. As mothers develop their capacity to be sensitive and responsive to the needs of their children – even when those needs are not expressed verbally – they also nurture their gift of being sensitive and responsive to the promptings of the Spirit – even when that inspiration is not expressed in words. These gifts help us understand truths even when they are not spelled out plainly or repeatedly, and they more than compensate for the extra work we have to do to apply male perspectives and experiences in scripture to our own lives.
As I study the scriptures for subtle confirmations of God’s appreciation and honor for women and their responsibilities, I find plenty of evidence. The Lord established the importance of righteous wives and mothers in the life of the prophet Abraham, who sent a trusted servant far away to find a faithful woman to be the wife of the chosen son, Isaac. When this servant prayed for a sign to identify the right woman, the Lord acknowledged the importance of his task by guiding Rebekah to fulfill the sign (Genesis 24). Through Isaac and Rebekah the covenant promises of the Lord to Abraham were and continue to be fulfilled. It feels very significant to me that Jesus’ mother was given a place in Nephi’s vision about the love of God (1 Nephi 11). She stood as a first witness of God’s love, just as mothers have throughout history and continue to do today. Though we do not find much information about their mothers, we see that the miracles that blessed the 2,000 stripling warriors occurred because of the foundation of faith and obedience laid by these faithful women (Alma 56:47-48, Alma 57:21).
Many confirmations of God’s respect for womanhood and much guidance on how to fulfill our roles come from the example of Jesus during His mortal ministry. The book of John has been described as God’s love letter to His children, and I feel this especially applies to His daughters. John records that the “beginning of miracles” occurred in response to a request from Jesus’ mother, Mary. It is helpful to note the clarification from Joseph Smith about Jesus’ response to her request, “Woman, what wilt thou have me do for thee? that will I do; for mine hour is not yet come” (John 2:4, Joseph Smith Translation). Surely the One who gave the commandment to honor both father and mother (Exodus 20:12) would speak to His own mother with great respect. Can you imagine how noble and revered the word ‘woman’ must sound when He speaks it? Mary Magdalene was honored to stand as the first mortal witness of Christ's resurrection at the completion of the Atonement, the most significant event to occur in all of history (John 20:11-18). John’s teachings on the importance of charity, or Godly love, gain greater meaning for women when we remember that the prophet Mormon used a female pronoun to describe charity (Moroni 7:45), and the motto of the church’s organization for women is ‘Charity Never Faileth.’ When we enlist the guidance of the Holy Ghost and search the scriptures for the Lord’s perspective on women, He will guide us to truths we have not noticed before. While the scriptural references to women may seem small and simple (Alma 37:6), the Lord through His Spirit is prepared to make up for the lack of detail and truly bring about great things in the hearts and lives of His beloved daughters.
March 25, 2014
Walking On Water
Some time ago I experienced several years of health problems that were painful, confusing and scary. Before these trials I felt confident in my ability to valiantly live the gospel of Jesus Christ, but as they progressed I began to feel like I was drowning. As years went by, my thoughts turned repeatedly to the story of Peter walking through the predawn darkness on the sea of Galilee to reach Jesus (Matthew 14:22-33). During my youth I could not understand why Peter ever looked away when it was so simple to see that keeping his focus on Jesus would keep him from sinking. As an adult I realized that maintaining my focus on Jesus would protect me from sinking in my trials, but that simple goal was not easy to achieve when waves of pain and winds of fear were constantly threatening to swamp me. I spent a lot of time choking with my head barely above water, and I often wished I could get back into the boat where it was safe and comfortable. But gradually I began to recognize the important lessons the Lord was teaching me.
The Lord's words illuminated my experience: "If men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them" (Ether 12:27). I realized that the Lord was blessing my efforts to come to Him by exposing my physical, mental and spiritual weaknesses. If I humbled myself and continued to exercise faith in Him, eventually He would make me strong. My prayers changed from desperate pleas to rescue me immediately to humble requests for just enough grace to endure the day well. The pain and uncertainties remained, but with a sense of wonder I recognized the Lord's hand reaching into my heart and gently lifting me above the tempest.
We are not capable of walking on water nor coming to Christ without the buoyant strength of our Savior. In Ether 12:28 the Lord explains how we - like Peter - will finally reach Him. He says, "I will show unto them that faith, hope and charity bringeth unto me." These characteristics of Christ are the stepping stones that bring us to Him, but only those with humility can reach them through the illuminating and uplifting power of the Atonement.
Just as dawn brought light to the breathless and dripping Peter, the darkness in my life eventually lifted as many health challenges abated. I can still see my weaknesses, but like Peter I have experienced the Savior's buoyant strength. He continues to show me how faith, hope and charity work a mighty change in my heart to bring me to Him. This quiet miracle seems no less wondrous to me than learning how to walk on water.
The Lord's words illuminated my experience: "If men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them" (Ether 12:27). I realized that the Lord was blessing my efforts to come to Him by exposing my physical, mental and spiritual weaknesses. If I humbled myself and continued to exercise faith in Him, eventually He would make me strong. My prayers changed from desperate pleas to rescue me immediately to humble requests for just enough grace to endure the day well. The pain and uncertainties remained, but with a sense of wonder I recognized the Lord's hand reaching into my heart and gently lifting me above the tempest.
We are not capable of walking on water nor coming to Christ without the buoyant strength of our Savior. In Ether 12:28 the Lord explains how we - like Peter - will finally reach Him. He says, "I will show unto them that faith, hope and charity bringeth unto me." These characteristics of Christ are the stepping stones that bring us to Him, but only those with humility can reach them through the illuminating and uplifting power of the Atonement.
Just as dawn brought light to the breathless and dripping Peter, the darkness in my life eventually lifted as many health challenges abated. I can still see my weaknesses, but like Peter I have experienced the Savior's buoyant strength. He continues to show me how faith, hope and charity work a mighty change in my heart to bring me to Him. This quiet miracle seems no less wondrous to me than learning how to walk on water.
March 20, 2014
Stand As Witnesses of God's Love
Each Sunday young women across the church recite the promise that they will “stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places" (Young Women Theme, Mosiah 18:9). These beloved daughters of God are preparing to fulfill the important missions He has assigned to them. As I ponder the importance of sacrifice in divine love, I realize that the Lord has entrusted each mother with the responsibility to stand as the first witness of His love to her children. Even before our babies are born, we witness of the Savior’s selfless love when we endure morning sickness, overwhelming fatigue and the painfully stretched body that is required to create a physical body for them. We testify that our Savior loved us enough to suffer for us while we labor to give our children birth. We teach of God’s constant loving care while nursing babies in the middle of the night, even as we weep in the darkness from exhaustion. A mother’s tenderness prepares her children to recognize the tender mercies (Psalms 145:9, 1 Nephi 1:20) of the Lord throughout their lives. In His perfect plan, our Heavenly Father ordained that children would experience His love from the very beginning of mortality through their mother. The testimony of mothers stands even stronger when fathers engage in the parenting to stand as additional witnesses of God’s love.
The prophet Nephi was given a vision about the love of God (1 Nephi 11) when he approached the Lord with his questions about a similar vision given to his father. Nephi saw a beautiful tree, and when he asked for the interpretation, he was first shown the mother of Jesus. Then he saw scenes from Jesus’ ministry, including His death. In this vision Mary stood as a first witness of God’s love, and all mothers have the opportunity to follow her example and testify through our lives of the selfless love of our Savior. Women who do not have the opportunity to become mothers in this life also find ways to stand as witnesses of God’s love and thereby find great purpose and fulfillment. My unmarried sister is a good example to me of this. She nurtures relationships with her nieces and nephews despite the great cost in time and money. She reaches out in love to family members who no longer come to church. If they ever decide to come back, their way will be easier because she has witnessed to them of God’s unfailing love for them. Like my sister, women do not need to wait for marriage and motherhood to begin standing as witnesses of God’s love in ways that bring significant blessings to God’s children.
The worldly voices around us do not encourage women in making sacrifices to stand as witnesses of God’s love. The idea that men’s roles and responsibilities are more important and Godly than women’s roles and responsibilities is confusing to many. Even for good women, it is easy to be swayed by the idea that having children and caring for them is nothing but drudgery, and the important accomplishments in life are found elsewhere. I remember a time during college when I realized how greatly I had been blessed with opportunities to learn. My parents and countless teachers, coaches and other leaders had invested much in my growth. I pondered about why the Lord had granted me so many opportunities to be educated and develop talents. I thought He surely must have some great mission for me to accomplish later in life, but I could not imagine what it might be. Several years later I learned the answer. As I sat on my bed rocking my first newborn baby, the Lord brought that question back to my mind. The warmth of the Spirit wrapped around me and confirmed that this was why the Lord had invested so much in me. I could not perceive it as a college student, but mothering my children was the significant mission that required so much preparation.
How important is the responsibility to teach of God’s love? When Jesus was asked to state the greatest commandment, He responded, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40). Paul taught, "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love" (Galatians 5:14, also 1 Timothy 1:5). As I ponder these verses, the Lord helps me see how His gospel really does ‘hang on’ or have its basis in love. All of the commandments have charity, or Godly love, as their underpinning – love of God, His love for us, and the charity we feel for our neighbors. The second commandment is interpreted to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, but Jesus taught a higher way to love others. “A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another" (John 13:34). We are to love and serve others as Jesus loved and served, and when we are filled with charity, living His gospel of loving service feels natural.
I remember hearing a counselor talk about the emotional damage people experience when they do not experience love from and develop a strong attachment to a caretaker early in life. I realized that while caring for my little children, I was fulfilling more than just their physical needs. I was also nurturing their capacity to love throughout their lives. The ability to love does not develop in a vacuum. We develop the capacity to love – and live the gospel – by experiencing God’s love, and we do that first through the love of our mothers. How grateful we are for the hope of healing through the Atonement for those who do not receive love early in life. Women have divine gifts that make them especially capable of sharing Christ’s nurturing and healing power with those who have missed out on love in their lives. As mothers we can spare our children much hardship by fulfilling their need to be encircled in the arms of their mother’s love – and thereby in God’s love (2 Nephi 1:15) – from the beginning of life.
Jesus set the perfect example of how to teach of Godly love, or charity. He set aside His great capacities and important responsibilities as “the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning” (Helaman 14:12) to come down to earth, live as a mortal, and serve. Throughout His ministry, Jesus made time to minister to individuals, not just large audiences. Mothers follow this pattern when we set aside other talents and opportunities for recognition to care for each of our children. At the last supper, Jesus humbly washed the dirty, smelly feet of the apostles. Does this not parallel the service of mothers who spend their days changing smelly diapers and cleaning up the other messes their little ones make? Is there a more pure way to love “not . . . in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and truth?" (1 John 3:18) Even though Jesus was the Son of God, every knee did not bow to Him during His mortal life – that will come later (Romans 14:11, Mosiah 27:31). So we who follow His way should not be surprised that we do not receive full recognition for our work in this life, important though it is. God always sees and blesses those who serve Him, but often those blessings are not fully manifest until the next life.
In the plan of salvation, women were not assigned the labors of mothering because we were not capable of anything greater. Rather, the Lord expressed great trust in women when He assigned us the crucial responsibility to stand as the first witnesses of His love to our children and thereby introduce them to the Godly love which supports the entire gospel. With this perspective in mind, we understand that every sacrifice that is required of us as women and mothers can prepare us to love as our Savior loves.
The prophet Nephi was given a vision about the love of God (1 Nephi 11) when he approached the Lord with his questions about a similar vision given to his father. Nephi saw a beautiful tree, and when he asked for the interpretation, he was first shown the mother of Jesus. Then he saw scenes from Jesus’ ministry, including His death. In this vision Mary stood as a first witness of God’s love, and all mothers have the opportunity to follow her example and testify through our lives of the selfless love of our Savior. Women who do not have the opportunity to become mothers in this life also find ways to stand as witnesses of God’s love and thereby find great purpose and fulfillment. My unmarried sister is a good example to me of this. She nurtures relationships with her nieces and nephews despite the great cost in time and money. She reaches out in love to family members who no longer come to church. If they ever decide to come back, their way will be easier because she has witnessed to them of God’s unfailing love for them. Like my sister, women do not need to wait for marriage and motherhood to begin standing as witnesses of God’s love in ways that bring significant blessings to God’s children.
The worldly voices around us do not encourage women in making sacrifices to stand as witnesses of God’s love. The idea that men’s roles and responsibilities are more important and Godly than women’s roles and responsibilities is confusing to many. Even for good women, it is easy to be swayed by the idea that having children and caring for them is nothing but drudgery, and the important accomplishments in life are found elsewhere. I remember a time during college when I realized how greatly I had been blessed with opportunities to learn. My parents and countless teachers, coaches and other leaders had invested much in my growth. I pondered about why the Lord had granted me so many opportunities to be educated and develop talents. I thought He surely must have some great mission for me to accomplish later in life, but I could not imagine what it might be. Several years later I learned the answer. As I sat on my bed rocking my first newborn baby, the Lord brought that question back to my mind. The warmth of the Spirit wrapped around me and confirmed that this was why the Lord had invested so much in me. I could not perceive it as a college student, but mothering my children was the significant mission that required so much preparation.
How important is the responsibility to teach of God’s love? When Jesus was asked to state the greatest commandment, He responded, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40). Paul taught, "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love" (Galatians 5:14, also 1 Timothy 1:5). As I ponder these verses, the Lord helps me see how His gospel really does ‘hang on’ or have its basis in love. All of the commandments have charity, or Godly love, as their underpinning – love of God, His love for us, and the charity we feel for our neighbors. The second commandment is interpreted to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, but Jesus taught a higher way to love others. “A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another" (John 13:34). We are to love and serve others as Jesus loved and served, and when we are filled with charity, living His gospel of loving service feels natural.
I remember hearing a counselor talk about the emotional damage people experience when they do not experience love from and develop a strong attachment to a caretaker early in life. I realized that while caring for my little children, I was fulfilling more than just their physical needs. I was also nurturing their capacity to love throughout their lives. The ability to love does not develop in a vacuum. We develop the capacity to love – and live the gospel – by experiencing God’s love, and we do that first through the love of our mothers. How grateful we are for the hope of healing through the Atonement for those who do not receive love early in life. Women have divine gifts that make them especially capable of sharing Christ’s nurturing and healing power with those who have missed out on love in their lives. As mothers we can spare our children much hardship by fulfilling their need to be encircled in the arms of their mother’s love – and thereby in God’s love (2 Nephi 1:15) – from the beginning of life.
Jesus set the perfect example of how to teach of Godly love, or charity. He set aside His great capacities and important responsibilities as “the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning” (Helaman 14:12) to come down to earth, live as a mortal, and serve. Throughout His ministry, Jesus made time to minister to individuals, not just large audiences. Mothers follow this pattern when we set aside other talents and opportunities for recognition to care for each of our children. At the last supper, Jesus humbly washed the dirty, smelly feet of the apostles. Does this not parallel the service of mothers who spend their days changing smelly diapers and cleaning up the other messes their little ones make? Is there a more pure way to love “not . . . in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and truth?" (1 John 3:18) Even though Jesus was the Son of God, every knee did not bow to Him during His mortal life – that will come later (Romans 14:11, Mosiah 27:31). So we who follow His way should not be surprised that we do not receive full recognition for our work in this life, important though it is. God always sees and blesses those who serve Him, but often those blessings are not fully manifest until the next life.
In the plan of salvation, women were not assigned the labors of mothering because we were not capable of anything greater. Rather, the Lord expressed great trust in women when He assigned us the crucial responsibility to stand as the first witnesses of His love to our children and thereby introduce them to the Godly love which supports the entire gospel. With this perspective in mind, we understand that every sacrifice that is required of us as women and mothers can prepare us to love as our Savior loves.
Why So Much Sacrifice?
I had much time to ponder my questions for the Lord while I spent painful months recovering from a surgery that was needed to correct complications from my pregnancies. One day during this time, my wonderful husband was helping our daughter learn how to ride her bike when she twisted the handles sharply and caused them to fall together. He injured his toe and it was sore for several weeks. At one point he expressed frustration that he could not complete the needed training for an upcoming triathlon because his toe was too sore to run. For months I had been barely able to sit up straight because of surgery and other painful complications. I did not feel very impressed with his sacrifice. I wondered again as I had before why so many of the sacrifices of parenting fall heavily on mothers.
Women are strong, but much of our strength goes toward the capacity to bear children instead of building stronger muscles. The resulting disparity in physical strength between women and men has made women vulnerable to oppression and abuse. When women choose to stay at home with their children instead of pursuing a career, they become financially vulnerable. Even women who never have children in this life experience many of the burdens that go along with a body capable of bearing children. Why must this be? Could there not be another way to accomplish God’s plan for us? Is it offensive to the Lord for me to ask Him those questions?
Pondering these things leads me to the words Jesus spoke as He suffered in Gethsemane. “And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt” (Mark 14:35-36). Even Jesus asked if there might be another way to accomplish God’s plan that did not require His great sacrifice, but there was not. My suffering may have exceeded my husband’s sore toe, but Jesus’ suffering far eclipsed anything I have experienced. What did He know and understand that made Him willing to sacrifice so much? What must I know and understand to enable me to sacrifice willingly as Jesus did?
John wrote of the answer: “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso . . . seeth his brother hath need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” (1 John 3:16-17) Love is the reason Jesus suffered willingly – love for His Heavenly Father and love for us. And you and I cannot understand His love without knowing sacrifice.
A favorite hymn teaches that “sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven" (Praise to the Man, LDS Hymnbook, p. 27). Jesus suffered the Atonement to bring about great blessings for all of God’s children. The Lord swells my heart with the truth that I follow my Savior’s example through my mothering sacrifices and thereby bring about great blessings for my children and for me. He reassures me that He does not mind my questions when I come ready to listen to the answers. In fact, I feel that He welcomes these conversations and the chance to teach me through the Spirit.
Women are strong, but much of our strength goes toward the capacity to bear children instead of building stronger muscles. The resulting disparity in physical strength between women and men has made women vulnerable to oppression and abuse. When women choose to stay at home with their children instead of pursuing a career, they become financially vulnerable. Even women who never have children in this life experience many of the burdens that go along with a body capable of bearing children. Why must this be? Could there not be another way to accomplish God’s plan for us? Is it offensive to the Lord for me to ask Him those questions?
Pondering these things leads me to the words Jesus spoke as He suffered in Gethsemane. “And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt” (Mark 14:35-36). Even Jesus asked if there might be another way to accomplish God’s plan that did not require His great sacrifice, but there was not. My suffering may have exceeded my husband’s sore toe, but Jesus’ suffering far eclipsed anything I have experienced. What did He know and understand that made Him willing to sacrifice so much? What must I know and understand to enable me to sacrifice willingly as Jesus did?
John wrote of the answer: “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso . . . seeth his brother hath need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” (1 John 3:16-17) Love is the reason Jesus suffered willingly – love for His Heavenly Father and love for us. And you and I cannot understand His love without knowing sacrifice.
A favorite hymn teaches that “sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven" (Praise to the Man, LDS Hymnbook, p. 27). Jesus suffered the Atonement to bring about great blessings for all of God’s children. The Lord swells my heart with the truth that I follow my Savior’s example through my mothering sacrifices and thereby bring about great blessings for my children and for me. He reassures me that He does not mind my questions when I come ready to listen to the answers. In fact, I feel that He welcomes these conversations and the chance to teach me through the Spirit.
Ask and It Shall Be Given You
One of the oft-repeated promises in scripture is “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Matthew 7:7, KJV, 3 Nephi 27:28-29). Speaking of our day, the Lord promised, “and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit" (Joel 2:29). Every time I read those words, I feel the Lord inviting me to seek the fulfillment of those blessings in my life. Over the years I have had many questions about my roles of woman, wife, mother and daughter of God, so I have accepted the Lord’s offer to teach me by the Spirit as I ask, seek and knock. I pray repeatedly that I will discern my place in His plan – my worth, roles and responsibilities – more as He views them and less as the world views them.
The woman at the well (John 4:5-30, 39-42) is an inspiring example of Jesus responding to a woman’s questions, encouraging her growing faith, and revealing Himself to her. Jesus’ disciples and the woman herself were surprised that He would speak with her. Sometimes even faithful women today do not expect the Lord to actually communicate with them, but Jesus demonstrated that He is ready and willing to teach us. The woman at the well expressed her witness to her neighbors and brought many of them to Jesus so they could gain their own testimonies. We can follow her example of asking the Lord our questions and sharing our witness of His answers to help others come to Him.
The scriptures teach how we can approach the Lord with confidence that we will receive the answers we seek. John wrote, “if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God" (1 John 3:21). When we are full of charity (Christlike love) and virtue (moral cleanliness), the Lord promises “then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine . . . shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven” (D&C 121:45). Selfish attitudes or degrading thoughts create a barrier between us and the Lord and block the answers He would like to give to us. As I have sought understanding from God, I have learned that answers come as I quickly turn away from thoughts or actions that are offensive to Him and instead find ways to serve others – especially my family – with love.
One answer came to me through the Spirit when I was assigned to teach a Primary class consisting entirely of 10- and 11-year old girls. I knew they wouldn’t long remember many details from individual lessons, but I felt they might remember a consistent theme if I made it part of all the lessons. I prayed to know what this overarching message should be. As I pondered about different ideas over many days, I began to see a mental picture. I saw myself standing next to my Savior with His arm around me. Though I could not see Jesus’ face clearly, as I looked up at Him I knew He had a big smile on His face. I could feel that He was delighted in the good things that I am and that I do. I knew that He also felt this way toward the girls in my class, and this was the message I most needed to teach them.
Many of the answers we seek in life cannot be had from Facebook posts or discussion groups or even from statements of church doctrine by themselves. We each need personal revelation from the Lord to help us understand the mission He has for us. We need Him to teach us through the Spirit how to view and respond to our individual challenges. We need His power to transfer the doctrine of His gospel from stone, ink or screen onto the “fleshy tables of the heart" (2 Corinthians 3:3). As we develop our ability to learn through the Spirit, we are guided by the assurance that all truth harmonizes together because it all comes from God. I find that General Conference acts as a check for the inspiration I receive. As I hear ideas in conference that parallel and echo the inspiration I am receiving, then I know I am on track.
As beloved daughters of God, we can approach Him with the confidence born of charity and virtue to ask Him our pressing questions. Though answers generally come slowly, “line upon line, precept upon precept; here a little, and there a little" (D&C 128:21, Isaiah 28:10), we wait with the assurance that the Lord “giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not" (James 1:5). Ask, seek, knock.
All references to the Bible are from the King James Version. References may be read in full by going to lds.org and typing the reference into the search box.
The woman at the well (John 4:5-30, 39-42) is an inspiring example of Jesus responding to a woman’s questions, encouraging her growing faith, and revealing Himself to her. Jesus’ disciples and the woman herself were surprised that He would speak with her. Sometimes even faithful women today do not expect the Lord to actually communicate with them, but Jesus demonstrated that He is ready and willing to teach us. The woman at the well expressed her witness to her neighbors and brought many of them to Jesus so they could gain their own testimonies. We can follow her example of asking the Lord our questions and sharing our witness of His answers to help others come to Him.
The scriptures teach how we can approach the Lord with confidence that we will receive the answers we seek. John wrote, “if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God" (1 John 3:21). When we are full of charity (Christlike love) and virtue (moral cleanliness), the Lord promises “then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine . . . shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven” (D&C 121:45). Selfish attitudes or degrading thoughts create a barrier between us and the Lord and block the answers He would like to give to us. As I have sought understanding from God, I have learned that answers come as I quickly turn away from thoughts or actions that are offensive to Him and instead find ways to serve others – especially my family – with love.
One answer came to me through the Spirit when I was assigned to teach a Primary class consisting entirely of 10- and 11-year old girls. I knew they wouldn’t long remember many details from individual lessons, but I felt they might remember a consistent theme if I made it part of all the lessons. I prayed to know what this overarching message should be. As I pondered about different ideas over many days, I began to see a mental picture. I saw myself standing next to my Savior with His arm around me. Though I could not see Jesus’ face clearly, as I looked up at Him I knew He had a big smile on His face. I could feel that He was delighted in the good things that I am and that I do. I knew that He also felt this way toward the girls in my class, and this was the message I most needed to teach them.
Many of the answers we seek in life cannot be had from Facebook posts or discussion groups or even from statements of church doctrine by themselves. We each need personal revelation from the Lord to help us understand the mission He has for us. We need Him to teach us through the Spirit how to view and respond to our individual challenges. We need His power to transfer the doctrine of His gospel from stone, ink or screen onto the “fleshy tables of the heart" (2 Corinthians 3:3). As we develop our ability to learn through the Spirit, we are guided by the assurance that all truth harmonizes together because it all comes from God. I find that General Conference acts as a check for the inspiration I receive. As I hear ideas in conference that parallel and echo the inspiration I am receiving, then I know I am on track.
As beloved daughters of God, we can approach Him with the confidence born of charity and virtue to ask Him our pressing questions. Though answers generally come slowly, “line upon line, precept upon precept; here a little, and there a little" (D&C 128:21, Isaiah 28:10), we wait with the assurance that the Lord “giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not" (James 1:5). Ask, seek, knock.
All references to the Bible are from the King James Version. References may be read in full by going to lds.org and typing the reference into the search box.
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