Search the Scriptures.

As the Jewish leaders formed around Christ accusing Him of blasphemy and hastily seeking for a way to condemn their Savior, the one they would not accept, He spoke words which spark my soul:

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. John 5:39

Why would He direct these vehement men to the scriptures?  These individuals held leadership positions within the church, and frequently related to scripture doctrine when oppressing and harassing the Savior, as well as others around them that they deemed unworthy of compassion.  Based on their spoken knowledge, these individuals demonstrated that they had experience within the scriptures, so why would the Lord instruct them back to these holy works?

Part of the Savior’s declaration was that these books would bear witness of His actuality, and would assist them in accepting Him as the Messiah who had come to save them from their sins.  Anyone who has read the scriptures can relate truth to that, for they are evidence of Him.  But do we recognize how precisely detailed the scriptures were, and are, in identifying Christ as the Savior of the world?  For they confirm, and verify, that He is, and was, who He claimed to be, even down to His very name.

In second Nephi the first emergence of the full name of the Savior appears in the Book of Mormon as the words, Jesus Christ, are utilized.  Nephi is teaching his people and speaks of the Messiah that the prophets have promised will come.  He distinctly states that this Messiah will bear the name of Jesus Christ.  Nephi quoted these words hundreds of years prior to the Jewish leaders even coming to earth.  Six hundred years before Christ was born, Nephi was aware of His name.  He knew that it would be Jesus Christ that would come to save us all. 

So, where did Nephi receive this information?  We know from our understanding of Nephi and his history that his teachings came from the brass plates.  We know that these plates held the prophetic teachings of the Old Testament, and can be supported by the matching documentation of Isaiah which exists within the chapters of second Nephi.  These exact doctrines were the identical writings that the Jewish leaders had access to.  We can determine that if Nephi could locate the Savior’s name within the scriptures, then the Jewish leaders, who utilized matching works to Nephi, could have known the same thing. 

These leaders of the Jews knew, or should have known, that Jesus was the Messiah because He bore the accurate name.  Furthermore, Nephi knew the exact amount of years until the Savior would be born, and again obtained this information from the writings of the prophets.  Once more, they could, and should, have connected that He was the Redeemer because He was born during the correct year.  And we cannot fail to mention that He satisfied all other prophecies that recognize Him as the Messiah.

Is that not incredible? 

I recently connected this understanding and have been pondering over it ceaselessly.  I have thought of the different scenarios that it offers, and have sought to understand the approach that the leaders took.  What I have established has completely heightened my dedication to the scriptures, and has intensified my yearning to have a personalized understanding of the wonder that these sacred books hold.  All that I have determined can be outlined utilizing two words: search and believe. 

Search

This word was given by the Savior Himself when He requested the Jewish leaders to turn to their books of scripture.  Why did He choose to use the word search?  Why did He not decide to utilize phrases such as: Read the scriptures, or perhaps, Turn to the scriptures?  Because scriptures are books of learning, and to acquire a knowledge of what they hold, we must search them. 

Many Jewish leaders were following worldly patterns that had corrupted divine processes and procedures.  Traditions that were carried down from their earthly father’s became inherited and preferred over directions that were delivered from their Heavenly Patriarch.  Many of these resulted in acquisition of worldly treasures, as well as esteemed positions in society.  They frequently acted with self-righteous behaviors and judged others with a sanctimonious eye.  These attributes and characteristics are not present in the scriptures, for they build us to be more like Christ, and He possesses none of these qualities.  When we really search the scriptures, they link to our souls and become apart of us.  They help construct who and what we are. 

It should be considered that the leaders honestly did not know that Christ was who He claimed to be because they were not familiar with the indications released by prophets of old, who gave recognizable identifiers to help them know the Messiah when He came.  This could be because they were reading the scriptures, but not searching them.  Maybe, they were browsing them, but not releasing the effort to obtain interpretation.  Perhaps, we believe that the plain words of the Savior’s name could not be missed if they had read, but there are many simple things that exists within the scriptures that we overlook and do not discern in our own lives.  Searching the scriptures magnifies even the most noncomplex stories and words, allowing us to discover an expounding that we had not understood prior. 

The scriptures must be approached with studious techniques.  These words have been delivered from a heavenly sphere to explain things we don’t comprehend because of veiled memory, or because it is knowledge we have not yet gained, not even in a our premortal existence.  They add light to our darkened sphere.  We can easily relate this to a temporal example.   Just as in any other area of secular study, to become competent, proficient, or masterful, we have to apply ourselves.  We cannot simply pick up a medical book, scan through it, and then be prepared to administer an important medical procedure.  It takes time, study, focus, and application to be ready to assume such a position.  Knowledge is established with experience and exertion.

The scriptures can be difficult to understand.  In some books there are language barriers.  Imagery is frequently utilized.  Many prophecies have dual nature, meaning that they speak of circumstances which were present during the time of writing, but are also pertinent to our day.  Parables are given frequently by the Savior.  These stories have to be reflected upon to grasp the significance of the message that the Lord is releasing.  Commonly, scriptures are intensified each time they are searched, with supplementary comprehension being given during each study session.  We begin to find that scriptures have the capability to blossom.  They start as simple words and evolve into masterpieces of unveiled recognition.  The best part about that, we flourish along with them. 

We might ask, Why must the scriptures be provided in such a complex manner if they hold such important information?  Why cannot they not be more comprehensible?  The first answer would be a natural one.  The prophets are of ancient generations, clearly with continuation of time our words have not sustained congruity.  However, my favorite determination is that it is due to our Father offering us an opportunity to have the mysteries of His kingdom illuminated through our efforts, by employing our divinity.  We are His heavenly children with potential that matches a celestial realm.  We have the capability to comprehend the meaning and messages that rest within the scriptures, because within us god-like abilities exist.  However, engaging this part of our spirit always necessitate exertion, sometimes with patient laborious efforts.  But we must always recall that we have been designed after a divine pattern, and our capacity will repeatedly astonish us.

Our Father, our Savior, they trust in us.  They have faith in our abilities and show confidence in our potentialities.  What love this demonstrates!  I feel so full of gratitude for a Father that believes in me in such a way that He enables me to gain a comprehension of His kingdom, of His methods, of His path, of His requirements by way of study, instead of providing it for me in a fashion that would deny me the opportunity of individual development.  I crave to be like Him, and He, so tenderly and lovingly, provides me a way to do so.  I will forever love Him for it. 

Our Father does not conduct Himself, nor exhibit His love by controlling methods.  He has provided us with all we need to endure every single circumstance, hardship, or experience that we will encounter in this life.  He has supplied us with forewarning of future events, and has informed us of promised blessings.   He has provided a way for us to hear His voice and to understand His words in an unmistakable way, but He will never force us to partake or listen to His counsel.  He continually encourages, but never coerces, and always permits our agency.  He has utilized His prophets to document, protect, and preserve His words for us individually.  He has specific words in there that He knows you will need to hear during starry or starless moments of life.  He has left them to be a source of light, of direction, and of joy which cannot dim no matter how dark the world becomes.  But it is up to us to decide to partake of that brilliance. 

When we search the scriptures our hearts will come alive.  As we pray prior, during, and after, the Holy Ghost will be our constant companion.  He will take small verses and make them mountains of revelation for us.  We will discover clarity to a confused world that mixes and complicates the beauty of mortal life.  We will find peace and comfort as we realize promises that will be ours as we righteously endure.  These assurances make even the most dire of tribulation endurable.  Our vision becomes better aligned with a celestial perspective, and our temporal viewpoints begin to obscure.  We find that worldly logic always falls short, and that divine communication produces perpetual truth. 

The scriptures prepare us.  They provide instruction and produce insight regarding what is to come, and grant enlightenment that we may never be surprised, nor caught off guard, but instead will be able to recognize the events as fulfillment of prophecy.  They teach us what is required to gain blessings, how to discern good from evil, and how to secure characteristics that escort us towards a perfected state.

But over all, the scriptures introduce us to our Savior.  They teach us what His name is, who He is, how He lived and lives.  They tell us of His love, and of the sacrifices He willing gave that we may have entrance home again.  Searching the scriptures allows us to acquire an everlasting recognition and eternal bond with our Savior.  When we create this connection during this mortal probation, our identification of Him will be uncomplicated when He returns to us, or when we go home to Him.  We will not question if He is truly the Messiah, our Redeemer, our Savior, because our introduction happened long ago.  Instead, we will have the ability to realize His presence, without delay, and hasten to Him, ever rejoicing that the One in whom we have longed for, is at our side.  We will simply be with Him, the One we love, not wondering, nor determining, if He is truth.

Search the scriptures, don’t read them.  Study them, don’t browse.  Make them your source of guidance.  Allow them to be where you turn when questions arise.  Where you go when things seem obscure and uncertain.  Where you fall when life’s burdens are oppressive.  Where you come to find your Savior.  Where you begin your ceaseless attachment to Him.  For within the scriptures we find Him, and within Him, we discover us.

Believe

My first thought when considering this situation with the Jewish leaders was that they did know that Christ was the Messiah, but rejected Him because they disliked what He required, simply because He didn’t match what they pictured Him to be.  During the time of Christ, the Jews were intensely persecuted by the Romans.  They may have believed that the Messiah would enter like a raging solider to bring restitution of their freedom and peace.  When Christ emerged as one who was meek, humble, and forgiving, their hopes of a Messiah who carried a destroying sword of victory were dashed.  They could not, and would not, accept Him because He did not coordinate with their self-produced description of who and what He was.  Perhaps, these individuals searched the scriptures but did not believe in them, or did not believe that the fulfillment of them was heaven sent.

Satan despises that we have such a wealth of sublime knowledge at our fingertips.  He recognizes that even small involvements with the scriptures lessen his power, and intensify our ability to discern his workings.  When we empower ourselves by engaging in searching the scriptures, his next objective is to encourage uncertainties and doubts.  He seeks to have us distrust the words of the prophets, and to compare their words with mortal history or with societal acceptances.  He wants us to create our own version of Christ.  Many times this definition abandons virtuous behaviors and moral characteristics, and instead decides upon a Christ that is forgiving of all, one who overlooks sin, and one who supplies mercy without justice, covering wickedness with His grace.  Essentially, he seeks for us to believe in a Christ that is more compatible with worldly practices, leading us to a place where we basically worship Satan, not the Savior.

Believe in the descriptions of Christ that explain who He is within the scriptures.  Be knowledgeable regarding the stories of His life, His ministry, His teachings.  Recognize what He requires, and how He defines righteousness.  Understand what He promises to us, and what we pledge to Him as we seek towards eternal life.  As we come to know Christ better by way of scripture study we will never be startled at who He is when we meet again, because He became familiar to us through a perfected illustration long ago.

Perhaps, we shy away from the scriptures because what they contain make us uncomfortable.  Scriptures will embrace correction, and we will not find congruous application in all areas, because we are in an imperfect state.  They may produce uneasy feelings about our current choices, situations, or decisions.  We may not like that they hold strict counsel and speak of severe consequence to sinful living.  We cannot flinch from truth because it makes us aware of our areas in need of improvement, for this is one of their exact purposes, to diminish the gray, and the black, that Satan produces to conceal the light.  We should allow the words of the prophets to revitalize our commitment to what is right.  We should permit them to carry us to the Savior’s feet, seeking after the healing that is found within His Atonement.  After all, they are given to lead us to Him.  We must believe in the words of the scriptures, incorporating them into our lives in a way that refines and transforms who we are.  We have to permit them to teach us, to develop us. 

The scriptures are remarkable blessings.  Within the pages of the Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price, we can discover a light that will radiate throughout our entire existence.  These books truly testify of our Savior.  He desires for us to know of Him, which is why He has provided them for us.  He wants us to have knowledge of who He is, how He loves us, and to provide assurance that He will return.  He seeks for us to cleave unto Him, as desperately as He cleaves unto us.  May we do more than read these hallowed words, but search them that they may be a source of revelation and illumination.  An origin for our testimonies, the birthplace of our heartfelt conversion.  May we believe in the words of the prophets, these inspired vessels of the Lord, that we may never be deceived, nor confused, and that we will ever be looking for the events that bring Him back to us.   

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Ask Thee a Sign.

The scriptures are filled with examples of individuals who have sought after signs.  I have utilized these stories regularly in my life to provide reinforcement to the weakened portions which exist within me.  As I have pondered on these various accounts, two specific situations have provided great enlightenment regarding cries for manifestations of truth.

The first is a compilation of chapters regarding the Pharisees who placed continuous targets on Christ to prove that He was the Savior.  These stories fill the pages of the New Testament.  The Pharisees were consumed with receiving validation that Christ was actually who He claimed to be.  They taunted, harassed, and pestered Him with questions, which had been designed to deceive Jesus.  Time and time again, they were convinced that He could not provide a sign, and labeled him a blasphemer and by their societal power, nailed His perfect hands to the cross, ending His mortal existence.  As He hung in agony, they sat below His feet, seeking to dispel the heaviness, which I do not doubt, burdened even their rigid hearts.  Justifying their actions, they asserted that if He truly was the Christ, He could have utilized His power to bring Himself down from the cross.  Again, they lacked a sign that He was the promised Messiah, and that defended their decisions and actions.  Indeed, these men concluded that because there was a void of discernable indications matching their prayers, Christ could not be recognized for who He declared Himself to be.

The second is the story of the Prophet Joseph Smith.  A miraculous account of a young boy, only fourteen years of age, who desperately cried unto the Lord for a sign.  He was surviving in a world were mass confusion regarding religion was rampant.  New beliefs were emerging continuously, each one promising to be the true church of God.  However, Joseph could never feel settled.  When I think of this boy, in these circumstances, my heart is overwhelmed.  He sought for truth among a perplexing world, but his innate spirit, which resided within his heart, could never let him rest with what he discovered.  He was conflicted, in the most complex of ways.  Seeking for a sign of what he should do, Joseph asked of God.  Joseph received an answer in a miraculous way. He was given individualized guidance and solidified evidence with the visitation of the Father and of the Son. 

So, what is the difference between these two events?  Why did Heavenly Father not send a remarkable sign to the Pharisees when they sought to know if Jesus was actually the Christ, but allowed a phenomenal experience to occur to a young boy who was hunting after the true church of God?  There are a multitude of reasons, but maybe the greatest lies within the intentions of the heart. 

Wicked intentions filled the hearts of the Pharisees.  Their objective was not to discover if Christ was the Savior, but to prove that He was not.  They were obsessed with revealing Christ as a fraud, and it was built around desperation.  They fiercely wanted to refute Christ because He simply wasn’t what they wanted Him to be.  They held to their manmade philosophies, which had been created through the generations, and cherished them more than God.  Most importantly, to follow the Lord they had to sacrifice in ways they were unwilling to. 

Joseph’s heart was filled with pure intentions.  He was humble and contrite.  He desired to know of truth, and had no motives to prove or disprove anything.   To locate an answer, Joseph turned to the words God had provided to hear His voice, the scriptures.  There he found a response, and he followed the revelation received, and asked of God.  He was diligent, he arrived in a teachable state, and he sought after God’s will.

Now, these are not the only explanations relating to these contrastive events, nor I am declaring that if we ask of the Lord with a heart equal to Joseph that He will appear before us.  However, these stories can provide immense insight relating to the acquisition of our own revelations when we seek after confirmation. 

Testimonies Require Exertion

To know of Christ, to obtain a testimony, to have a witness of truth, we must labor.  If we are waiting for a testimony to be delivered to us on a golden platter, we will be sadly disappointed.  No.  Testimonies are results of exertion.  We are required to place forward spiritual effort to receive personal revelations.  A testimony is not a blessing which is endowed, but instead, a gift that is presented as we endeavor to secure our spiritual foundations.   How much more do we learn, how much more do we understand, how much more do we appreciate when we have worked to gain something?  There is no comparison.  What we toil to achieve, we treasure differently.

I distinctly recall sitting in the audience of the General Women’s Meeting a few years ago.  As I listened to the words of testimony that left these incredible women’s mouths and felt the magnitude of the Spirit, I craved to have understanding and conviction such as them.  I remember thinking: I wish I could have a testimony and interpret the gospel in the same manner as these women.  Immediately, the Holy Ghost assured me: You can.  Seek after such a testimony, and you will find it.  That experience forged me on a different path, one that I am still traveling today.  As I learn more, and as my testimony strengthens, my desires intensify.  My soul hungers for the truth, and as insight is gained, I yearn for more. 

We must consider if there would be any purpose to this earthly dispensation if our testimonies were supplied in an immediate manner.  No.  The objective of life would be void.  If testimonies were provided from our Father in such a way, we could have remained at home, receiving a fullness of knowledge and understanding within the bounds of heaven.   However, what we would have lacked would be our experience, and our own opportunity to become competent in the principles of the gospel.  We know from the example of our Savior, that experience is essential in achieving perfection.  We must work, with sincerity of heart, to acquire a testimony.  We absolutely have to experience life to learn.  It allows us to build upon concepts.  It provides an opportunity for us to utilize our supernal abilities to become worthy of entrance into a celestial sphere.  How grateful I am for a Father who trusts me, and permits me to absorb, memorize, master, and experience life, that I may become as He is.  What wondrous love is this!

We live in an instantaneous world.  We have become comfortable, and are fond, of expeditious results.  We must leave this approach with the world, and never advance with such a mindset regarding our spiritual advancement.  Perhaps, we have asked, we have looked, or we have sought after an indication of truth in a particular area of the gospel, or maybe in determining if the church is true at all.   After our specified timetable has expired we may exclaim: I searched!  I did not receive an answer.  I cannot believe what has not been confirmed to me.  We cannot, and should not, expect answers to arrive on our agenda.  The Lord’s ways are not our ways, they are perfected.  Our Heavenly Father, and Savior, Jesus Christ, build a testimony, they do not deliver one.    

This quote from Dieter F. Uchtdorf summarizes this reality flawlessly:

The truth is, those who diligently seek to learn of Christ eventually will come to know Him. They will personally receive a divine portrait of the Master, although it most often comes in the form of a puzzle—one piece at a time. Each individual piece may not be easily recognizable by itself; it may not be clear how it relates to the whole. Each piece helps us to see the big picture a little more clearly. Eventually, after enough pieces have been put together, we recognize the grand beauty of it all. Then, looking back on our experience, we see that the Savior had indeed come to be with us—not all at once but quietly, gently, almost unnoticed.

The key word in that entire quote: diligent.  We have to be diligent and persistent in finding our testimonies.  We must apply ourselves, and be willing to sacrifice, especially worldly pleasures and desires, in order to obtain.  This means immersing ourselves in spiritual things.  How can the Spirit ever witness truth to us if we exist in an environment where He cannot be heard, or where He cannot reside.  Indeed, our exclamations regarding the absence of an answer are correct!  We have not received an answer, because we have not provided a passageway in which it can be delivered.  When you read of people, or speak to people, who have had a true conversion to the gospel, it has been accomplished by surrendering distractions, and placing their full heart into the hands of the Lord.  This means pouring out your heart in prayer, studying, not reading, but studying the scriptures, and refusing to participate in any activity or engagement that strangles the presence of the Spirit.  If you truly want a testimony, your actions must witness the pure intentions of your heart. 

There is no greater way to receive answers than through the scriptures.  I have such a burning testimony of this!  Prayers, upon prayers, upon prayers have been answered for me through scripture study.  This is where I hear my Father’s voice as clear and tangibly as if we were speaking face to face.  My testimony of this truth is so overwhelming I can hardly contain myself from shouting it aloud.  The Lord has provided His words, left them, secured them, protected them, through all of these ages, that we may have evidently personalized answers to our heartfelt cries.  It is good to read His words, but most importantly, we must study and ponder His words.  If we merely skim the pages, or read our scriptures in a ritualistic manner to fulfill our responsibility, we will miss the answers that exist within the pages we review.  Submerge yourself in the blessing of scripture study.  I promise, you will find answers there.

Are We Seeking to Disprove?

There are similarities that exist today regarding the way the Pharisees sought for a sign, and the way we may search after own convictions.  If we are constantly seeking to disprove, we will never find truth, only verifications of what we are hoping.  For anything we find that complements and coordinates with our comforts, will become our confirmation of truth.  We must be careful, Satan has the power of deception, and is a frequent user of methods of deceit.

The interesting thing about the Pharisees is that the Lord delivered a multitude of signs demonstrating His power as the Savior.  He healed lepers, He gave vision to the sightless, the crippled walked by way of His restorative hand.  The Pharisees were not blind to these events.  They saw the miraculous healings that took place, and were constantly made aware of all other miracles that Christ provided.  However, they did not see them for what they were, the response to their requests for manifestation. 

Perhaps, they did not interpret these signs because they were too distracted in proving that He was an impostor.  They did not want Christ to be the Messiah, because He restricted them.  Following after Jesus necessitates sacrifice.  These individuals held esteemed political positions, were wealthy, and experienced comforts of life.  Accepting Jesus as the Christ would require them to let go of worldly possessions, titles, and accepted philosophies.  These things stood as their idols, what they cherished above God.  They would do anything to sustain them, including rejecting the One that came to atone for their sins. 

Christ will never be what we imagine Him to be.  He will be more.  When we find Him, we will discover matchless mercy, but it will also be coupled with requirements of work, sacrifice, and abandonment of worldly trends and treasures.  He is worth it.  Forsake all for Him. 

Can we liken this to ourselves in our quest for truth?  Are we not receiving confirmation because we simply don’t want it to be true?  Do we not want the responsibility of following the commandments?  Do the sacrifices we must make to acquire truth rid us of our mindless comforts, or adored hobbies?  Do we feel enticed by the world and wish to experience the “happiness” that it displays by engaging or accepting things that the gospel prohibits?  If our intentions are made up of these things, we will assuredly, never find truth.  It does not mean that signs are not being provided, but instead, we are turning a blind eye because we are hoping the answer is no.

Running After Signs

Persistently running after signs, leaves God behind.  We become caught up in logically confirming God’s existence, and search the world for proof.  We will never find truth when we seek among society.  We must remember, this is a telestial sphere, He reigns in a celestial kingdom.  It must be stated that the gospel will not always appear rational or sensible with a temporal outlook.  But isn’t that what is so great about it?  If it was parallel with worldly ideologies and principles, it would lose all divinity.  At first glance, it will not seem natural to our mortal minds.  However, with my experience, as your testimony enhances, it becomes apparent how perfectly correct it is, and the world’s definitions begin to defy logic.  Opinions of man cannot replace the outlines, objectives, and promises of our Father.  Stay with God.  Do not forge ahead seeking for more enlightenment than He is willing to provide at the present moment, nor lose faith because we do not understand everything within this instant.    

Do we require miraculous events to occur in our lives before we are willing to accept the gospel, or to take the steps towards obtainment of testimony? This is a dangerous.  Astounding visitations and manifestations rarely occur.  This does not indicate that we hold a lesser importance to our Heavenly Father, for didn’t Christ say that blessed are those who believe without seeing?  If we are waiting for an angel to arrive, a voice to sound through the night, or a shock to be sent from the heavens, we may be lodged there, permanently, throughout our mortal existence.  The most tragic thing about this mentality, signs are being continually provided, in equivalently miraculous ways. 

Signs Are Being Delivered

Frequent signs are released from our Father, which have been constructed for us individually.  However, they will hardly arrive in an ostentatious fashion.  If we are requesting or awaiting such a display, we will be dissatisfied.  The Lord seldom, if ever, works in this way.  Our signs may not perfectly correspond to our expectations of appearance, but our Heavenly Father, and our Savior, do release evidence of their existence and actuality, as well as answers to our prayers.  Our responsibility is to be spiritually in tune to recognize them.  We must pray for discernment, that our eyes may be opened, and that our hearts by be tender to these exceptional moments of confirmation. 

Living a life of gratitude is an exceptional way to best identify our indications sent from above.  When we approach life with a thankful heart, we more easily recognize the hand of the Lord in our lives, for He truly provides us with miracles.  Do not overlook these blessings.  If you struggle seeing how He assists you, write down your day, you will find them.  Follow the example of Henry B. Eyring and detail the Lord’s hand in your life, every single day.  You will be amazed at the protection, magnification, and strength that He has provided to you, so intensely that your heart will swell from your very chest. 

Failure to notice our individual wonders delivered from our Father, is driven by pride.  Pride is the destroyer of a grateful heart.  When we forget to acknowledge the Lord in our lives, we begin to believe that we attain and acquire things or experiences because of our own talent or abilities.  Indeed, we forget that behind all our strength is our Father.  Pride is the quickest mode of entry for Satan, and is a gateway for all other types of sin.  It is the greatest of all evils.  We must fiercely avoid it.  Nothing is accomplished, achieved, or obtained without the Lord. 

If you are constantly searching after wondrous events before you allow your heart to convert, you will be left seeking.  If you require gospel truths to match worldly perspectives and reason, you will find yourself on a path that is not divinely constructed.  Satan does have the power to counterfeit the things of God, and he leads many away by doing so.  Although our Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ, do not need to prove their existence to us, for they already live, they provide indications and customized answers to our prayers because their love is endless.  We should not require evidences to demonstrate faith.  However, we must not forget that our Father understands our hearts individually.  He knows that we need to hear His voice and that we need manifestations of truth to solidify our testimonies. 

Ask Thee a Sign

Many within the church, and outside of the church, struggle with faith because they feel like having a testimony means never asking questions.  Perhaps, they view it as being required to follow with blind obedience.  This is not the case, actually it is far from it.  Just as all knowledge is not instantly delivered, the Lord does not require us to immediately recognize and acknowledge all aspects of the gospel.  He sent us here to learn, and He is omnipotent.  He understands that learning involves questions.  He is not instructing us to never ask, but only that when questions arise in our hearts that we allow Him to answer them.  That we fall at His feet to receive insight, and not seek it in the world.  This is truth, for He utilized Isaiah to speak His will concerning this:

Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God…the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Isaiah 7:11,14 

We should not fear approaching our Father with questions, concerns, or current uncertainties.  That is where He wants us to come when we feel unsure.  To Him.  After all, He is our Father.  Our loving, attentive, affectionate Father.  He wants to answer our questions.  He wants us to grow and develop.  He wants us to become like Him, because He aches for us to be back home.   But we must remember that confirmation comes in His own ways, and in His own time, and that it may not be identical, nor as astounding, as experiences that exist within scriptural accounts.  However, it will be so superbly personalized it will entirely overwhelm our souls.  Above all, we must never lose the remembrance that recognition will not be gained without our eager and energetic exertion, nor with impure intentions.  After all, our manifestations, they depend on our heart.  

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Even With an Oath.

I absolutely adore Nephi.  Every person that emerges in the scriptures finds a unique way to touch my soul, but Nephi’s remarkable courage and undeviating obedience seem to have the power to fully stimulate the inner workings of my heart.  Studying the chapters of first Nephi are my treasure.  I learn so intensely, and continue to find incredible applications pertaining to the circumstances we exist in today.  Nephi is inspiring.  His pertinent words encourage us to be someone better, despite a failing society.  They motivate us to break away from worldly produced, and widely accepted, behaviors, to become a peculiar people.  I could compile an entire book with the value I have discovered within his pages.  I am so grateful for him, my scripture hero.

One of the most fascinating stories, to me, regarding Nephi’s exemplary features is demonstrated in chapter four.  Nephi is disguised as Laban to acquire the brass plates.  At this point in the story, Nephi has been able to obtain the plates and begins heading outside of the city walls to where his brothers are anticipating him.  Zoram, Laban’s servant, is beside him.  He is completely unaware that Nephi is actually the one beneath the clothing of his master.  As Nephi and Zoram come into view of the anxiously awaiting brethren, they become terrified, supposing Laban had overtaken their brother and was coming after their lives next.  The petrified men begin to flee.  Nephi quickly calls out to them, assuring them that he is the one that they have perceived to be Laban.  The brothers are consumed by comfort and stop retreating. 

At this point, can you envision how Zoram must feel?  He is rapidly becoming conscious of the conditions he is apart of.  For this man, whom he believed to be Laban, is not his master at all, only another dressed in his clothing.  Surely, this means that Laban has been slain, and he is surrounded by what he probably assumed to be vicious enemies.  I cannot imagine how frightened he was in those initial moments.  Certainly, his heart must have been trembling with terror.  I’m sure he feared for his very life, and was overwhelmed with determining his plan of escape.  The next part is what is so captivating about this story.

Nephi promptly recognizes the servant’s fright, and acknowledges the imminent probability of him escaping.  He grasps onto the quivering Zoram, with all his strength, as well as with the power additionally provided by the Lord.  What Nephi does next allows peace to conquer the panic that rages within Zoram. 

I spake unto him, even with an oath, that he need not fear; that he should be a free man like unto us if he would go down in the wilderness with us. 1 Nephi 4:33

This spoken promise immediately soothed Zoram, and his fear was withdrawn.  Immediately.

And it came to pass that Zoram did take courage at the words which I spake…and he promised that he would go down into the wilderness…1 Nephi 4:35

It is astounding that what releases Zoram’s violent distress is simply words that leave Nephi’s mouth. 

It is important to recognize Nephi’s individual apprehension within this situation.  Although, he had his brothers, I’m certain he was concerned with how Zoram would react and what choice he would decide upon.  He understood that he was not out of danger, for Zoram could create perilous circumstances if he fought back, or retreated to Jerusalem and sent others after them.  However, Nephi’s heart was liberated as Zoram, in return, offered him a vow. 

Yea, and he also made an oath unto us that he would tarry with us from that time forth…And it came to pass that when Zoram had made an oath unto us, our fears did cease concerning him. 1 Nephi 4:35, 37

Once more, plain words dispelled fear.

It is unbelievable to me that spoken words, given one to another, allowed each of them to create an instantaneous relationship of trust.  Zoram willingly followed four men, he had no prior knowledge or understanding of, into the deserted wilderness because he had confidence in Nephi due to a verbal oath he released unto him.  He accepted this promise, even after Nephi had previously succeeded in his righteous ploy to lead him, with the plates, outside of the city dressed as his master.  This event did not trump Nephi’s words.  

Likewise, Nephi requested and accepted Zoram to accompany him and his brothers into stranded territories, although he had been the servant to the very man that sought after their lives.  He trusted that Zoram was different from Laban, and that he could be relied upon because oaths were bonds, and Zoram provided him his pledge.  Simple words had the force of banishing panic, and supplying faith because Nephi and Zoram resided in a society that had unified credence relating to the honor of one’s vows.  Words were depended upon, and when entwined with an oath, especially a sacred oath, were deemed inviolable. Zoram and Nephi exemplify the power of one’s integrity. 

It is unfortunate that these events shock us.  Indeed, this element of Nephi and Zoram’s culture has not prevailed into our western society.  I would not expect a duplicated outcome, if this exact situation was experienced where we are today.  No, most of us would need more than another’s word to relieve our anxious hearts, especially if circumstances had made us apprehensive.  Many would require more evidence of safety before following, or even remaining in position.  Why such contrastive results?  Perhaps, as time has evolved the sincerity of our words has become lost, and has promoted the construction of a wary and skeptical people.  Demonstration of dishonesty and increased frequency of broken promises has created the inability to allow simple words to provide confidence in another’s guarantee. 

Although not consistent among all, a vast majority of our words have adapted into flippant utterances released without much thought.  Promises are delivered, but not kept.  Some are given with an objective of being satisfied, but fulfillment lingers.  Perhaps, when the oath was expressed it was offered in honesty, but along the way desire was lost, ambition was forgotten, and focus was diverted.  Good intentions have never been the producers of virtuous characteristics.  This may be an actuality of our existence here on earth, but it does not have to be accepted, nor illustrated, in our own lives. 

Our existing culture may not protect oaths, encourage dedication, nor defend integrity, but we do not have to become patterned after its transformed behaviors.  We must become distinctively unfamiliar to what occurs around us.  Truly, being strange to the world and its devotees, can be our triumph.  As promise-keeping, actions of honesty, and character building morals dissolve around us, it is essential that we continually encourage these attributes by way of example.  We must seek to create a new template, one that esteems fulfillment of our oaths.  We should motivate an environment where promises persevere, and exemplify that words can, and should, provide trust.  We should persistently promote flourishing integrity, proven through every word, and confirmed by every deed.  Our practice and refinement in maintaining our earthly associations in such a manner, will heighten our ability to faithfully satisfy our eternal covenants, the very ones we have made with our Heavenly Father.

A recurrent misunderstanding regarding covenants is that they are finalized within the moments we make them.  We may believe because we have followed the actions to create these bonds with our Father that we have completed all that is required.  However, the greatest thing about covenants is that they are forever ongoing.  We will never reach a finalized destination regarding the fulfillment of a covenant in this mortal dispensation.  They necessitate continuous enthusiasm and unceasing exertion, which will persist  beyond the veil. 

When we enter a sacred agreement with our Heavenly Father, we promise to act.  We agree to the engagement of virtuous behaviors, conducts, and activities.  We promise to tirelessly contribute all we have, including our time, abilities, and energies in fulfilling our vows.  We must understand covenants by this definition, never identifying them as concluded commitments.  Covenants are not oaths to be remembered on Sundays, during temple worship, nor during any single specified timeframe, but instead should engulf our lives.

The world seeks to pull us away and disturb our remembrance of these covenants.  Naturally, Satan is in the details.  He encourages light consideration and handling of our promises.  Why do you think he has produced a world where oaths are trivial, and words are discharged frivolously.  If we accept it in our everyday interactions and relations, it begins to establish our character, and we attend to our divine oaths in a like manner.  He is devious, small introductions to corrupted principles, erupt into transmuted practices.  We cannot afford to become deceived.  These covenants were made with committed words, pledging our devotion to our Father and His work.  He accepted our simple words, honoring them, that we would fulfill and magnify what we have promised to do, and what we have committed to become.  We cannot break this oath.  We cannot shatter this bond. 

We can best fulfill our covenants to our Father by allowing them to crowd our priorities.  When they are repeatedly the focus of our attentions, they become our primary concerns.  As we do this, our covenants act as a compass, directing and guiding our entire existence.  They aid in decision making and realign our preferences.  They assist us in building and exhibiting integrity, which is a requirement in sustaining spiritual strength.  Indeed, without integrity our spirits cannot thrive, nor can they develop.  Our progression rests on integrity because it collaborates in the design of who we are, and what we can become.   

When we are careless in managing our covenants, we are led into temptations, which can damage our souls.  The Lord has assured us that He will always uphold His promises, as we fulfill our agreements.  However, when we do not keep our word, He is no longer bound.  We receive consequence for our negligence, and lose His protective hand in our life.  We become prey to Satan.  How desperately we need his righteous shield and virtuous defense!  We should seek to perform our commitments to acquire His safety, but more importantly, should eagerly fulfill them as an opportunity to reveal our love for Him.  As we demonstrate loyalty to what we have promised our devotion to Him becomes verifiable. 

A great deal of what was spoken by the Savior was combined with a promise.  Whether a pledge of reward, or a guarantee of consequence.  His words stand as a great beam of light, extending exultation to all who will look unto it.  If you are unfamiliar with what He vows, search after them.  Immerse yourself within the scriptures and you will discover endless commitments.  Accept them, believe in them, hope for them, prepare for them, and most of all, be worthy of them.  Allow them to direct and inspire your life.  Permit them to make you an unusual inhabitant of this earth.  That others may witness your integrity and, like Nephi, may you have the ability to encourage other to engage in life in a divinely dissimilar manner than what exists. 

My favorite thing about covenants with the Lord: I am bound to someone who always sustains and fulfills what He promises.  I need never fear, doubt, nor worry.  His words, no matter how simplistic, match his actions.  I can trust in His oaths, and glory in His commitments to me.  Every covenant that I enter with Him will be satisfied.  Every promise that has, and will, leave His lips will truly come to pass.  He is pure, he is true, every time.  My Savior, my Father, they always keep their word.  

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Learn of Me.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

I’m in love with these words released by my Savior.  Within my record of best-loved scriptures, it can be located near the very top of the list.  It is dear to me as it acts as a source of great stability in my life.  These words supply peace, patience, and perseverance.  Essentially, they assist me in being still, even if circumstances are raging.  I know that I am not alone in finding treasure within these verses, for numerous individuals have fastened them to their middle in the same fashion as I.  It is not surprising that many find common connection with it, for these words are sublime and present ease to even the most complicated moments.

Recently, I have recognized this scripture appearing with continued frequency.  I view it in articles I read, books I study, talks I listen to, lessons I prepare for, and have noticed it within inspired messages that pop into my social media feed.  It is existing all around me.  I concluded that these words must need ubiquitous presence, to provide security to Heavenly Father’s children with the happenings surrounding us.  I observed that others found the same individualized solidity that I had gained from this promise from Christ.  What I didn’t take the time to originally acknowledge, was that the Lord was trying to convey a specific message to me through these cherished words, one that I had not perceived prior.  He was seeking to have me reread His words, desiring that I discover more from them than I had before.  He encouraged me to identify a deeper awareness which would assist in realizing the intensity of His commitment, as I amplified my dedication to Him. 

Being favored, the words within these verses are extremely familiar to me.  Each time I reread them, my smile was full, my joy immense, and I located the same comfort which has always overwhelmed me.  I quickly identified my personalized message, the very one that has always stood out clearly. I remember it vividly because it had been a direct answer to a heartfelt cry to the Lord.  It was not communication I could easily forget, for it had been customized to me in such a way that it engrained itself to my core.   I was grateful to read this scripture every time I came across it, but was unable to decipher the Lord’s whisper, which called to me, saying: Brynn, look deeper.  There is something more for you here.

One night this week as I was reading through the Ensign, I came across the scripture again.  After months of continuous attempts from the Lord, my ears finally perceived His voice.  I was positioned in such a way which allowed the Holy Ghost to reveal further absorption by way of my favorite words.  What I grasped came through three words I had previously never given much heed to: Learn of me. 

Learn of me.  As I pondered over these highlighted words, profound thoughts poured down, tumbling one over the other.  New enlightenment was supplied, targeting areas of my comprehension which were previously untouched, delivering great opportunities for growth.  I discovered an additional piece of distinct communication from my Heavenly Father, conveyed through a scripture I had cherished and reviewed a multitude of times.  This heightened insight added clarification to my original takeaway, and issued me with supplementary understanding in how to acquire peace. 

In these verses Christ is revealing to those who bear weighty tribulations that He can provide them with rest.  Come unto me, He exclaims, knowing that His hands can heal, lighten burdens, and supply hope.  He invites us to take His yoke upon us, because united to His side is where alleviation of heavy troubles emerge.  It makes sense why these two parts initially struck my heart.  I was craving for succor such as this, and through His words, I learned that it could be experienced by faithfully coming to Him.

However, He also requests that we learn of Him.  Why?  Why is it essential that we learn who He is?  Perhaps, it is our extended knowledge of Him that produces an expansion of faith, which distributes extended strength, increased capability, and introduces the desired calm we seek after.  Basically, when we acquire a knowledge of Him, of what He can do, how He can mend, why He is able, and what He sacrificed in order to supply, peace is delivered because our faith in who and what He is becomes firmly planted.  Our willingness to endure trial and suffering enhance, because we know, not just hope, but know, we are not alone, and truly recognize that relief is never out of reach. 

This scripture collides alongside many other verses in the Bible and Book of Mormon, which exist to emphasize the incredible power that accompanies knowledge, and stresses the importance of obtaining it.  Knowledge is our protection.  Entering and existing in these last days, we need every inch of safety we can secure.  The scriptures, as well as past and living prophets, have repeatedly taught how vital spiritual knowledge is to us during this mortal experience.  It acts as our shelter.  It provides stable, unmoving ground, no matter how much the world around us staggers.  It produces a sanctuary within a society that pummels falsifications in every direction.  It furnishes a refuge, one that will sustain through corruption.  Knowledge is our righteous shield, preserving us from even the vilest of evil forces that seek to destroy and pull us off course.  Grasping this, we must ask ourselves, do we value and seek after it as desperately as we should?  

I love the quote from the Prophet Joseph Smith which reads:

A man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge, for if he does not get knowledge, he will be brought into captivity by some evil power in the other world, as evil spirits will have more knowledge, and consequently more power than many men who are on the earth. 

That last portion is incredibly intense: …evil spirits will have more knowledge, and consequently more power than many men who are on earth.   That is eye-opening, and so unbelievably packed with truth. 

The spirits that followed after Satan and reign as his angels are not without awareness.  We cannot disregard this fact, nor should we minimize the great forces of evil that rage against us.  They do have a knowledge of the things that we are currently working to recall, due to our veiled remembrance, here on earth.  Although they lack the opportunity to have the mysteries of God unfolded, and are denied the heightened comprehension that accompanies the process towards perfection, they are not uninformed about spiritual truths and actualities.  We must recall that they, too, existed in the premortal sphere.  If they were unlearned regarding these things, why would they ever seek to fight so hard?  There would be no purpose to drag us from the iron rod.  But they do know, and they do not want us to know, especially Satan.  He wants the power.  He wants the control.  After all, hasn’t he declared this sphere as his place of dominion?  He wants to be great, and knows that we will become greater, stronger, more powerful with every element of understanding we obtain.  Naturally, he is obsessed with distracting, diverting, and disturbing any attainment of magnified knowledge, because he loses authority with each component we access. 

Laboring towards continual advancement of spiritual knowledge is absolutely essential.  Without it we stand weak, and offer targets to Satan.  He utilizes our deficiencies and lack of understanding against us.  He attempts to fill our emptiness and ignorance with doctrines of man, convincing us of falsehoods.  We have to fill our learning with goodness and truth.  We have been taught to study from the best of books, to pore over the words that live within the scriptures, to cling to knowledge that consumes light, and to be persistent, demonstrating faith, even, and especially, when certain areas of our learning is not immediately understood.  This specific element seems to be one that Satan has a giant bullseye upon. 

Spiritual truths can be difficult for our mortal minds to comprehend, and some are not easily interpreted.  Some find certain teachings to be perplexing.  Others experience complexity in reading and grasping scriptures.  Some feel particular doctrine conflict personal beliefs or attitudes.  While others struggle in following counsel that contradicts what the world accepts.  We must not immediately assume that what is being delivered is erroneous because it is not effortlessly comprehended, nor should we become frustrated with ourselves or our abilities because absorption is not instantaneous. How completely normal it is for us to need contemplation, to necessitate reflection.  These eternal truths are being delivered from a celestial sphere.  They are unfamiliar to our immediate surroundings because they are divinely distinct.  There will be portions of spiritual knowledge which will take persistent study to acquire.   We must allow it, but should never forsake it, simply because it does not provide initial coherence or clarity.    

We cannot, and should not shun or shy away from knowledge that is not easily comprehended.  These are individualized opportunities, provided directly from our Heavenly Father, to enhance us and enrich our knowledge banks.  Some understanding requires time, and our Heavenly Father places trust in us, that we will engage in such a way which will enable our misunderstandings to blossom into mastered convictions.  Through diligent study, sincere prayer, and ceaseless patience truth will be delivered.  Whether it be a day, a month, a year, or a lifetime, our efforts will produce reward.  We are never left without, but always abundantly provided for when laboring towards truths of our heavenly home.  However, the responsibility lies within us.  What we choose to do with these situations determines what additional and advanced knowledge we will be conferred.

All things are done in the wisdom of Him.  Knowledge and interpretation is built piece by piece, constructed precept upon precept.  Very rarely, if ever, is it received in an expeditious method.  Our Heavenly Father grants us the portion of knowledge He believes we need, and adds to it as we become ready to receive additional truths.  He will never bestow knowledge that we are unprepared for, or unworthy of.  Not having a perfect knowledge of all, requires faith and denotes obedience.  We must be willing to exert, appreciate, and yearn for further enlightenment.  We must show gratitude for the portions we have received, utilize what we have been allowed in virtuous ways, and seek after more.  As we righteously desire and earnestly labor, further truth and knowledge will be dispensed.

As demonstrated in the gospel, the Lord provides and teaches frequently by way of repetition.  Repetitive behaviors and engagements are what allow us to increase our understanding level by level.  It stands as an example that spiritual knowledge has depth, and that time, combined with patience, are required to obtain a lucid comprehension.  As mortals we can tend to become weary, and may find recurrent activities, to be monotonous and mundane.  We may become detached from the actions that are provided as sources which lead toward enlightenment.  This is dangerous because as we disconnect we lose opportunity to receive expanded insight, and are deprived of revelations which unveil presently misunderstood mysteries of God.  We must refrain from becoming fatigued, finding boredom, or creating careless routines with our actions.  As we participate with a fullness of heart, utilizing eager eyes and active minds, we will encounter experiences that will add profundity to our testimonies.  These moments of illumination have to be perceived through humbleness.  As we approach each opportunity meekly, we arrive in a manner that is teachable.  We enter with the companionship of the Holy Ghost, who is the one which reveals truth and knowledge in unmistakable and individualized ways. 

When we are dealing with an area of knowledge where we find ourselves uncertain, we cannot give heed to worldly deceptions which seek to pervert the truth.  We must not allow temporal opinions, teachings, or perceptions to fill up our hearts, which provide no space for divine training.  This does not suggest blind obedience, but instead encourages steady examination in places where truth can actually be located.  We cannot seek for spiritual certainties by searching the earth and its mortal inhabitants, for it comes from above, not from within.  While we are occupied in scouring the world for our answers, we most commonly discover that we do not find certitudes, but instead obtain worldly alterations of truth.  These findings contradict divine knowledge, and can replace or wither strengthened areas of testimony.  We must look upward when seeking supernal understanding.

When we are concerned, confused, frustrated, or upset, we must seek for answers from portals which extend from the heavens.  Scriptures, words of the prophets, testimonies of others, good books, spiritual courses, and most importantly sincere communication and prayer with our Father.  These gifts can provide access to spiritual awakening.  We must follow after the teachers of truth, our Heavenly Father, and our Savior.  Indeed, we must inquire of the Lord.  For He is the only place where correct answers are delivered.  We must seek where truth can actually be found, not in places where it is simply a mirage.  We must be willing to learn step by step, being led and guided, being taught and directed, being tried and tested.  We must show faith in our Father, and in Christ, that they will deliver the enlightenment that we seek after.  We will find that these specific truths, the ones that take effort and patience to acquire, will be the intensely perfected ones which amplify our testimonies in an incredible manner.  Perhaps, they will become a portion of bedrock within our spiritual foundations.

There is a reason why prophets of old, prophets of new, and even our very Savior while providing words of comfort, encourage us to seek after heightened understanding.  Knowledge truly acts as a powerful weapon against the destroyer throughout our mission on this earth.  Enhanced understanding allows us to experience clear vision despite murkiness and perversion.  As our comprehensions are intensified, his modifications of truth become easily discerned.  We are not deceived by his crafty exaggerations, nor his cunning deceptions.  We provide safety for our souls as truth becomes rooted within them. 

Above all, increased knowledge provides us with clarity relating to the veracity of our Savior, to the actuality of His existence, to the sincerity of His promises, and to the truthfulness of all He suffered and sacrificed.  Our mortal assignments become evident, our purpose is manifest.  Our knowledge will stand as a source of peace, an origin of strength, and a beacon of hope.  We must crave to know more, for surely, it enables us to be more. 

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