Lew Wallace’s novel Ben Hur opens by relating the story of the three wise men seeking the Christ child. In the story, the three men meet and each tells how he came to be a Seeker of the Messiah. One Wise Man says to his companions, “The most I am sure of is that I am doing a Master’s will... When I think of the purpose I am sent to fulfill, there is in me a joy so inexpressible that I know the will is God’s.”
Each of us can be Seekers of the Messiah Jesus Christ. Like the Wise Man, we can be sure as we feel the Spirit of the Lord that we are following a will Higher than our own. We can feel inexpressible joy as we turn our hearts and service to God.
To experience this joy, we must do two things. First, we must seek out eternal truth; this includes seeking a testimony of the doctrine of Christ, and seeking out what God’s will is for us specifically. Second, when we find out what God’s will is for us, we must try our best to do it. As I talk more about these two steps, I want to encourage you to listen to the Spirit as I speak. I will probably not say anything that you have not heard many times. But I testify that there is power available in revisiting the basics of the gospel. If you make a habit of listening at church with the Spirit, questioning prayerfully what message you should get from God, you will feel empowered by the Spirit as you seek the goodness of Jesus Christ. And I’m happy to tell you that you have just as much responsibility as I do in making this talk meaningful for you.
Joseph Smith set an example for us of how to find truth and how to know God’s will for us. Joseph observed the world and people around him, studied the word of God available to him in the scriptures, and pondered deeply on the things that he saw and read. These habits led him first to ask the question, “Which church is true?”, and his consistent studies also led him to the words of James, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him.” Joseph prayed and asked to know which church he should join. In answering, God the Father called Joseph by name and gave Joseph his answer personally. Joseph’s dedication to finding truth led to the Restoration of the fulness of the gospel on the earth.
Like Joseph, we can be observant and diligent in spiritual studies, we can ask questions, and we can receive answers to our prayers. Answers often come as principles that are applicable to everyone, but we can know that God is answering our individual prayer as surely as if we heard Him say our name and answer us face to face.
Though there are many questions that are interesting and mind-expanding to ask, there are some questions that we cannot afford not to ask. Preach My Gospel calls these “questions of the soul.” A few of the many questions that we must at some time ask include these: Is there a God? What is the purpose of life? Why does God allow evil and suffering to occur? How can I find peace and joy? How can I strengthen my family relationships?
James promises that when we lack wisdom, we can ask God in faith and God will give to us freely. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said in a recent CES devotional, “ there is one source of truth that is complete, correct, and incorruptible. That source is our infinitely wise and all-knowing Heavenly Father...Our loving Heavenly Father offers His truth to us, His mortal children.” We will find truth and peace as we search for the right questions to ask God, and the answers to those questions.
The answers to our prayers may come immediately, as did Joseph’s answer when he went to the grove and asked which church was true and was literally visited by God our Father and His Son.
Sometimes, however, prayers may not be fully answered for a very long time, or through the course of extensive or difficult experiences. This does not necessarily mean that we have done something wrong. When Christ was on earth, his disciples referred to a man born blind and they asked Jesus, “Who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus replied that the fault was neither the man’s or his parents’. Rather, the man had been given that difficult experience so that “the works of God should be made manifest in him.”
When we are struggling to receive an answer, or we are waiting for something to happen in our lives, we cannot assume that we aren’t receiving an answer because we’re unfit to receive an answer or blessing. If we are living worthy, in time we will see God’s works made manifest in our own lives and in the lives of those we love.
In addition to studying the scriptures and other good books, pondering, and praying to our Heavenly Father, consistently and frequently attending the temple according to our abilities and circumstances can be a powerful tool in obtaining answers to prayers. The Old Testament prophet Jehoshaphat prayed with the Jews in the temple court and said to the Lord, “If, when evil cometh upon us, we stand before this house, and in thy presence,...and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.” If we can have faith as Jehoshaphat did, we can seek guidance in the temple and we can know that the Lord will “hear and help.”
In order to consistently receive answers to our prayers, our intention must be to listen to and act on God’s reply. We will find the process of receiving answers most rewarding if we keep our focus on fulfilling God’s will, and avoid clutching unyieldingly to our own. We have divine natures, and oftentimes our desires align with God’s. But when their is a discrepancy between the two, we should be prepared to choose God’s will over our own. Where would we be if we could not depend on our Savior to do the same, and put His Father’s will first? The Savior too sought His Father’s guidance. In that fateful Garden of Gethsemane, “he went... and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”
Had not Christ chosen His Father’s will by fulfilling His role as Savior and Redeemer through the Atonement, He and we would have lost the fulness of joy that is now available to us. As the prophet Nephi taught in the Book of Mormon, we would “be shut out from the presence of our God...to remain...in misery.” With Christ as our example, let us not cut ourselves off from God, but instead trust that God’s way leads to a fulness of joy.
If we do not feel that we have received an answer to a question we have asked, we can move forward, relying on the things we know, and doing our best to choose good and not evil. Sister Julie B. Beck assured us in General Conference of 2010, “there is not a wish or desire that the Lord has implanted in our hearts in righteousness but will be realized, and the greatest good we can do to ourselves and each other is to refine and cultivate ourselves in everything that is good and ennobling.” We can keep this in mind as some answers are not fulfilled until long after we ask for or expect or hope for them.
The prophet Enos remembered this when he prayed that a record would be preserved that would assist in bringing salvation to the Lamanite descendants. He understood that the fulfillment of this prayer would occur long after he had passed away; in modern-day missionary work, we see a witness that God is answering Enos’ prayer. If our desires are righteous, we can be assured that they will be fulfilled in time.
Another difficulty we may have as we seek personal revelation is discerning between God’s answer and our own separate emotions. I was having this struggle a few months ago as I considered serving a mission. I asked God again and again to give me some definite confirmation that I was doing His will, but still I was never sure what were my mortal emotions and what was the guidance of the Spirit.
My answer came as a friend, guided by the Spirit, showed me part of a devotional by Elder Bednar to the missionaries in the Provo MTC. Elder Bednar’s words were along the lines of, “When you can’t tell the difference between the Spirit and your emotions, quit worryin’. Quit worryin’, quit analyzin’, quit stewin’. Focus on being a good boy, or a good girl, and God will not let you enter a spiritual trap.” Elder Bednar’s words brought me comfort and the courage to move forward toward a mission, for which I am very grateful.
Receiving personal revelation should be a habit that we try very hard to develop. Sister Beck said that “The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life.“ This is because it is actively applying the Atonement of Jesus Christ to ourselves.
Personal revelation would be pointless and unrewarding without the Atonement of Christ. Without the infinite sacrifice of our Savior, we would not be able to be cleansed and guided by His Spirit. God would not be able to grant our petitions for joy; instead we would be hopelessly bound by our sins and by physical death forever. Because the Atonement truly was performed by Jesus Christ, we can pray to God in hope. We can receive the comfort and guidance that His Spirit provides. Christ is our Advocate, making it possible for God to say as He does in Isaiah, “Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”
God’s answers to our prayers will always lead us to believe in Christ, and to trust in and live by His Atonement. As we receive personal revelation and go forward, we will make mistakes and may become discouraged. We can be comforted by the words of Isaiah which say that “the everlasting God...fainteth not, neither is weary....He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” God will never tire of hearing our prayers, and as Jesus taught, “how much...shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him.”
God provides personal revelation to perform his work and glory, which is to “bring about the immortality and eternal life of man.” The means by which He accomplishes His work is the Atonement. Personal revelation allows us to enact the process of applying the Atonement to our lives. We should cherish the desire to have eternal life, for God declares that it is “the greatest of all gifts.”
We should also cherish our mortal lives now. President Uchtdorf said, “We shouldn’t wait to be happy until we reach some future point, only to discover that happiness was already available—all the time! Life is not meant to be appreciated only in retrospect.”
Personal revelation is how we can obtain the happiness that is available to us now and eternally. We receive revelation from God “in our mind and in our heart,” by the power of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is what brings a feeling of peace when we find goodness. It is the power by which we receive answers to those “questions of the soul” that we may ask. The Book of Mormon prophet Moroni promises that “by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things,” and Jesus declares that “the truth will make you free.” It will make us free from sin and sadness, and free to feel peace and joy.
As we consistently seek personal revelation from God, He will bless us. He will show us the way. The questions that are important for us to ask will come into our hearts, and as we receive answers, we will feel empowered to contribute to the goodness that is in the world. God answers every sincere prayer, and he does so gladly and with love. We will be prompted by the Spirit to make and keep sacred covenants with the Lord, and our relationship with Him will grow stronger and sweeter.
The Lord works in mysterious ways. I was moved for my very first time on my mission about six weeks ago, and through an inspired district, I've learned to appreciate TOAST a little more.