The promised blessings that the Lord commits in releasing to
His children during the Millennial days are individually remarkable. When I study the chapters of scripture
that describe this period of life, it sends my heart into a palpitating
frenzy. I yearn to be numbered
among those who experience life at the Savior’s side, where enmity cannot be
found, death, as we understand it, does not transpire, and where the only tears
that spill from our eyes are produced from the euphoric beat of our heart. The brilliance of such an existence is
so contrastive from where we currently reside, that it may seem as though it is
nothing but a beautifully woven fable, but it is not. It is an assured and certain reality for those who encounter
life with devoted loyalty to the Lord.
Perhaps, that is why I have my heart set upon it so firmly. My solid trust in the words of my
Father do not waiver, so I recognize that only time must pass away before the
words which exist in the books I so cherish, become a current time
reality.
The grandeur of each blessing our Heavenly Father and Savior
have covenanted to, create difficultly in identifying a favored one, but I
believe my heart has dedicated itself to its dearest: the endowment of absolute
knowledge and understanding. Listen
to the majesty that describes this gift:
Wherefore, the things of
all nations shall be made known; yea, all things shall be made known unto the
children of men. There is nothing
which is secret save it shall be revealed; there is no work of darkness save it
shall be made manifest in the light; and there is nothing which is sealed upon
the earth save it shall be loosed.
Wherefore, all things which have been revealed unto the children of men
shall at that day be revealed; and Satan shall have power over the hearts of
the children of men no more, for a long time… 2 Nephi 30:16-18
I have a soul that craves knowledge. I have been aware of this appetite for as long as I can
recall. I have a deep love for
learning, and an extensive devotion to study. I appreciate the way it enables me to utilize pieces of my
spirit that are in an undeveloped state.
When I examine a topic which was once unfamiliar, and find that it
becomes elucidated, I can almost feel the enhancement of my being. I appreciate the new insights I
discover, and the way my discernment is sharpened. I have always enjoyed applying this to temporal learning,
but realized the intensity of my adoration when I implemented it in spiritual
study. I have become consumed in
immersing my soul in the things of the gospel, allowing my mind to comprehend
the messages my spirit conveys, and enabling my heart to absorb the light it
discovers. I have recognized the
way it connects me, piece by piece, to who I was before I crossed the
veil. My hunger for understanding
attaches me to the premortal daughter of God my heart remembers.
Knowing that this is a portion of my composition, it is easily
understood why this promised blessing would be dear to my heart. However, as I have observed events that
have emerged, especially in the short span of this past year, I find myself
wondering if this blessing will not be correspondingly cherished, standing as
one of the greatest for many of us.
A Time of Testing
Lack of
understanding has always seemed to be the spark which ignites the flames of opposition
against things of the Lord. Our
mortal minds seek for logical pathways.
We want to know, we want to understand, we want to unravel the uncertainty
before we follow. This desire is
not surprising. This reaction is
entwined with our gift of agency. We
seek for comprehension because our innate spirits want to use the agency we
were endowed. We want to ensure
that we are making decisions, and engaging in commitments, that are true. This is good, and our Heavenly Father
thoroughly rejoices in our employment of this celestial blessing. However, we must not forget the way our
experience here on earth is defined, for it is continually described as a
mortal probation, a time of testing.
Distinguishing this as a testing period, suggests that we are
here to demonstrate what we already know to be true. This test is dissimilar to other assessments we may
participate in within a temporal setting, for our earthly trial is covered by a
veiled remembrance. We were not
sent to earth to be taught new truths.
This is not a primary step within our perpetual experience to teach us
of Him, His existence, or of His plan before, during, or after this life, for
we have already been instructed of these things. We learned at His side, by His hand. That is why it is just that we can come to this earth through the veil. We knew the truth so perfectly, that it
was ingrained into our very core, truly embedded into every inch of who we were
and are. It is fair that we do not
recall all things at this time because we have been supplied with all we need
to recognize the truth when it is revealed
to us.
This is
exact reason why the word restoration
is utilized when describing the gospel.
Restoration signifies the return of something to its former condition. The gospel and its certainties are not
new understandings, they are returned truths. No, this test is not to gain new knowledge and then to illustrate
them, but instead to exemplify our ability in recognizing the truths we have
previously been taught, and to walk by faith when the fullness of that precept
has yet to be unveiled. Indeed, we
can define this earthly opportunity as the application portion of our celestial
assessment.
The word faith summarizes the difficulties of our test. Our mortal desires seek to dispel this part
of the trial because it is hard.
We find inconvenience in not having a perfect knowledge of all things,
and when full understanding is not immediately delivered, we conclude that it
is erroneous. The world simply
does not want to walk by faith, but instead seeks to be steered by logic. The only complication with this is that
rationality is created by the wisdom of man, and man holds such a restricted comprehension. Their knowledge is created by what they
can feel, see, and reason with.
Anything that requires loyalty without sight, obedience without extended
explanation, and commitment which violates popular ideologies, is seen as
fallacious. The terrestrial mind
necessitates palpable proof, with detailed blue prints, before dedicating their
heart.
Our memory must never leave behind the certainty that this
experience was meant to be complex.
It was designed to stretch our souls to new horizons, reaching to the
heights where our Father and Savior prevail. The challenging circumstances, which most commonly blanket
our lives, enable us to become more like them. They empower us to obtain all that is essential to emulate Their
abilities, echo Their capacities, and to have a paralleled mastery of comprehension
with Them. It is an inescapable
pathway to attain perfection. We
labored intensely during our premortal existence to acquire a secured
foundation of knowledge, one that would reinforce us throughout this mortal
test. We must exert as fiercely as
we did then to perpetuate the innate understanding that currently resides
within us.
Knowledge-it is a
gift
The greatest treasure I have discovered, and will forever more
protect within this scripture, is the awareness that knowledge is a gift. A divine blessing from our Heavenly
Father. It is such an
exceptionally remarkable and uniquely precious bestowal, that it is given as
one of the final rewards for abiding faithfully. This realization is extraordinarily significant because it
alters our perspective on the acquisition of enlightenment, and is contrastive
to the way the world acknowledges this endowment. For the carnal man believes that they are instantaneously
entitled to an unabridged understanding.
They do not accept faith as a prerequisite to acquisition, and view
obedience that is led by trust in the divine to be blind compliance. As always, man’s way is not a replica
of our Father’s methods.
Knowledge
is not supplied if we are unworthy of it.
Revelation is provided bit by bit, as we are prepared to receive
it. If we demand understanding so that
it may stand as a symbol of personalized verification of our doubts, it may
never transpire. We may find that
commands or orders of ultimatums surrounding a possession of heightened
comprehension may be withheld. However,
If we truly crave revealed
understanding, are diligent in our efforts to have mysteries unfolded, and seek
after wisdom with pure intent, guided by a virtuous heart-it will come. A
loving, tender Father desires to share His advanced illumination with His
child. Knowledge is conferred
through acts of obedience, and in my experience, is poured upon us while
dutifully endeavoring even, and especially, when our understanding meets a current boundary. When we endure through these moments,
our parameters will be extended, our knowledge becoming limitless.
Now, this is not to say that the Lord disregards His children
which struggle with faith. He is
always seeking for His lost sheep.
He is aside them continuously, matching every footstep. Although they may misinterpret the
symbols of His presence, He never retires. I believe that He repeatedly delivers a divulgence of truth
to these individuals, but because of a hardened core, His messages are
obstructed. The problem with many
who seek understanding as a sign of proof is that as quickly as the
illumination is delivered, it is dispelled because of a forbidding heart. One cannot perceive the whisperings of
the Father, given through the Holy Ghost, if their communication centers have
become frigid, rent of spiritual vitality. He seeks to provide the personalized enlightenment that is being
requested, and desires to supply cornerstones to begin the construction of spiritual
foundations, but finds that these divine transmissions reach untouched ears and
vacant souls. He simply cannot get
through, nor does He force to be heard, for He fiercely defends our agency of
choice. Indeed, the receiver must
permit the teachings of the Holy Ghost to obtain the witness of truth that they
have determined they need before following after the Savior. Regrettably, because of the pride which is suffocating their supernal
sensitivity, many are unable to secure what they necessitate.
It Comes As a
Whisper
Our Father-He is not a God of secrets. Although our understanding is not
complete within this earthly probation, it is not by reason of a reticent Lord
who seeks to conceal or hide away truths for His security, nor to keep us under
His command. Rather, we are not
ready at the current state for the
awakening and return of the absolute collection of celestial truths. However, as we prepare, we will reach arranged
positions, and the Lord will deliver personal revelation so astounding our
hearts will bulge from our middle.
Our knowledge banks will
expand and will spill into our souls, filling us to our very brim.
It is our duty to be alert and active in recognizing these
dispatched insights. Most
regularly they will not arrive in over-elaborate displays. Rarely, does the Lord work in such
ways, for it is Satan that constantly seeks for a show to attract attentions. Instead, more commonly, they will be
recognized in quiet moments where the confusion is wiped from the mind, wisdom
is manifest, and the beat of the heart becomes unrestrained. For these discoveries are communicated
by the Holy Ghost, and His voice is but a whisper. But for those of us who have heard Him, we know that the
whisper is anything but small, for it has the ability to light a fire within us
which engulfs the soul. We must
not let these communications go unnoticed because we are too distracted and
determined in observing a miracle.
One is being supplied, and it
is extremely personalized, down to the smallest detail. Our illumination will be intensely incredible,
and will stand as phenomenal entries in our intimate memories, equal to recordings
of visitations of angels within scriptural accounts.
The Last Inning
Faith is being target in an immense way. The world’s mumblings are becoming strong,
and can, at times, seem overpowering.
Articles displaying ferocious antagonism towards our beliefs, posts
eloquently spun to convince us of the falsity of our religion, and personal opinions
which emphasize and linger on the lack of perfect understanding signifying it
as a corrupted religion seem to be appearing at a rapid pace. I am astonished to see how many emerge
and whirl through social media feeds, and am severely saddened to witness many
I cherish become subject to their persuasions. There is no coincidence that fierce opposition is accelerating
at the same speed as the hastening of the work of the Lord. Satan realizes that this is the last
inning, and he is employing all of his prepared techniques and carefully
constructed strategies. He is
desperate, because he knows the outcome does not end in his favor. As a plot of revenge he desires to
seize as many of his righteous brothers and sisters as he possibly can,
bounding them to his side to share his miserable fate.
It can be extremely difficult to sustain faith and to
extinguish doubts with such a collision of opposition being thrust towards us. However, we can be buoyed and
strengthened by the clarity that our Father delivers about these events, for He
speaks about them specifically. Many scriptures, particularly in the
Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants, explain that Satan will target the
gospel and seek to make us question the Lord’s ways and plans because of our currently limited comprehension. They clearly state how intense it will
become in these last days. They
very ones in which we currently reside.
It is a clever attack that Satan is utilizing, for lack of understanding
can produce feelings of vulnerability, and vulnerabilities can make us
susceptible to his snares.
We cannot allow our doubts to trump our confidences, but
instead should permit our convictions to dwindle our uncertainties. These carefully placed scriptures can
increase our fortitude and deepen our commitment to our faith, for they are
perfectly provided that we need never worry, fear, nor become startled by what
emerges around us. They also
assist us in recognizing how flawlessly the Lord knows Satan’s tactics, and how
strongly He protects His righteous children. What strength His words provide as we receive heightened
discernment, which rescue us from Satan’s most advanced deceptions. Nothing is new, nor surprising, to our
Lord. His love and devoted shield
of defense have the ability to invigorate our hearts, and reinforce our
tenacity to stand as a light within a darkened sphere. As we feast upon His words and as we
authorize the Holy Ghost to teach and guide us, our righteous desires will be
entrusted unto us. This knowledge
will have the power to melt the forces of objection and block the ever-chattering
sources which attempt to shatter our hope.
We must accept that there will be sections of understanding where
we will be required to walk by faith.
These portions of comprehension may be veiled even up to our last
breath. These areas may seem to
defy logic, but always have a divine purpose. We cannot meet these current
unknowns with anger, frustration, or insecurity. We must remember that these are the precisely placed
portions of our test which we must overcome to receive exaltation. If we are steadfast and sustain with
unequaled devotion, in time, all
knowledge will be conferred and our understanding will be entirely
restored. Our focus must be placed
on being worthy of such a incredible blessing, instead of stopping our
progression until we have acquired every last fact. For if we insist on standing still until all has been
reinstated, we may find that our grip is weakened upon the rod of iron, and we
become captive to the vast darkness which steals souls.
Keep Your Eyes Fixed
Do not be
unfaithful to your heart, cleaving to things which only currently produce logical clarifications. Our souls, which hold divine restorations of understanding, were
made to bear and master sacred comprehensions, not mundane interpretations. Do not accept a pathway which limits
our ability to receive revelation and halts the delivery of blessed
enlightenment. Stay true to your
beliefs even, and especially, when they are being targeted or victimized. Satan desires to have us believe that
we follow the Savior in a sightless manner, and utilizes others around us to
magnify his voice until it reverberates in our ears. However, we can powerfully declare that although the world
may be unperceptive to divine manifestations, we are not. The
unveiling of our spirit has begun, and we cannot deny the witness of truth
which has attended the many glorious revelations which have been endowed to us. We delight and are dedicated to
them.
Allow your heart to be a source of light, one where His voice
is frequent, clear, and intelligible.
Go to Him with your doubts, not to man who builds fabricated factualities
and defines them as infinite actualities.
No matter how eloquently twisted words may be, if they detach us, or
urge us to be removed from Christ, they are not words worth absorbing. Defeat discouragement on your knees. Conquer fright by searching His reassuring
words which grant simplifications to expanding confusion. Triumph over Satan by diminishing his
presence and depleting his voice, and superseding him with anything, and everything,
that encourages and sustains the Spirit.
Stay strong in your convictions and remember the moments that awakened
your soul, for these are your personal
communications, spoken from your Father,
which constructed your foundation. When you are backed up to the wall of
faith, conserve your loyalty and confirm your devotion, it will allow you to
climb it. And above all, labor
continuously and ache virtuously after the immeasurably perfected gift of
knowledge. Exerted efforts will
grant you a lack of unutilized time, which will liberate you from aimless activities
which rob you of divine development.
Instead of being swallowed by the careless expressions of worldly “understanding”,
keep your eyes, and ears, fixed upon the Millennial moments, the ones where all things shall be made known.
