All Things Shall Be Made Known.

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.