Hear Him!

"...I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!" (Joseph Smith—History 1:17) 

This weekend the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints commemorated the 200th anniversary of Joseph Smith's first vision in response to his humble prayer. On that day, he saw both the Father and the Son in a grove that we now call sacred in upstate New York. Furthermore the Church has issued an official proclamation reaffirming the truthfulness and the importance of this miraculous visitation.

Why should we care? The reason members of the Church attach so much importance to this event is obvious. But what about our friends of other faiths? Does this event matter to them? I say it does. Young Joseph's almost unbelievably bold claim supports what is taught in the Bible: that to him or her who asks, it shall be given (Luke 11:9), and that if we lack wisdom, we have but to ask of God in faith (James 1:5-6). God has not left us alone. He has provided the way for us to receive guidance, provided we are willing to hear him when he speaks!

This promise remains in effect today. "Knowing the truth of Joseph Smith’s testimony requires each earnest seeker of truth to study the record and then exercise sufficient faith in Christ to ask God in sincere, humble prayer whether the record is true. If the seeker asks with the real intent to act upon the answer revealed by the Holy Ghost, the truthfulness of Joseph Smith’s vision will be manifest" (Gospel Topics Essays: First Vision Accounts). I share my own testimony with you that I know from my own experience it is true: God answers the prayers of those who ask in faith. He spoke to Joseph, and He still speaks with His children today.

Study in your Mind

At first glance, the idea that we must study for ourselves to receive wisdom may seem at odds with the principle of trusting in God to grant us the answers we seek. However, throughout the scriptures, we find reminders that we need to also put in the effort of finding what it is we're looking for. We must "prove all things" (1 Thessalonians 5:21), we must ask, seek, and knock (Matthew 7:7), we must "meditate... day and night" (Joshua 1:8). God has given us the ability to think, to study, and to reason. He expects us to exercise those abilities and to increase them through careful and deliberate use. That's not to say we need to be scholars in order to receive revelation from God. But we should make use of whatever faculties and resources are available to us, given our own unique situation and circumstance.

Of course, if we rely solely on our own faculties to find the answers we seek, we will either fail, or we will lack the surety of the truthfulness of the answers we receive. Which is why we must pray to God to ask Him if what we have found is correct. These two pieces--study and prayer--are crucial and synergistic. If we neglect either one, we may not find what we seek. However, when we do both, our ability to find answers will be increased in a virtuous cycle: our prayers will be more purposeful and focused, and we will be blessed with confidence and direction in our studies.

This is the fourth in a series of Sour Peppers on personal revelation.

Cry Day and Night

This question follows the Lord's parable of the unjust judge, who agreed to avenge a widow of her adversary, not because he cared about her or her well being, but rather because she kept asking for his help and he didn't want her bothering him anymore. The implication being, if the unjust judge would help the widow because of her persistence, how much more will God, who loves us, grant our righteous desires if we will be patient and persist in prayer unto him and if it be His will.

While this verse can apply to any righteous desire that we have, it is of particular importance when seeking knowledge in the form of personal revelation. We may not receive our answers right away. That's okay. Sometimes (often in fact) we will need to be patient. But while we are waiting to receive our answer, we should continue in earnest prayer, which will demonstrate to our Heavenly Father that the knowledge we seek is important to us, and that we trust that He is able to provide it unto us.

This is the third in a series of Sour Peppers on personal revelation.

Ask in Faith

Somewhat less well-known than the verse immediately preceding it, James 1:6 reminds us that when we ask God for wisdom, we must ask in faith. Remember that faith is a principle of action. In other words, to receive wisdom from God, we must be willing to act on the wisdom we receive. To do otherwise would be like asking an expert navigator for a map to get us through waters we've never traveled before, and then throwing the map away, instead allowing the ever changing winds and currents to take us wherever they will. God is not likely to answer a question asked out of mere curiosity, or motivated only by a desire to confirm what we already believe. But when we humble ourselves enough to acknowledge that He knows the correct path better than we do, and when we are willing to accept whatever answer He gives us (even if the answer is unexpected or unwanted), we may pray for wisdom, confident that the answer we receive will be His will.

This is the second in a series of Sour Peppers on personal revelation.

Ask of God

This is the first in a series of Sour Peppers I intend to do on personal revelation. That is, receiving guidance from God. We start with what is probably the most well known passage of scripture on the subject among Latter Day Saints: the passage from the Bible that inspired Joseph Smith to ask God which of all the churches of his day was right, and which he should join. Joseph had pondered this question for a long time before receiving his answer. He wanted to do the right thing, but in spite of all his best efforts, his studies, and seeking guidance from local ecclesiastical leaders, was unable to come to a decision on his own (see Joseph Smith History 1:5-12). During his studies however, he came across this verse, which teaches us several important things about obtaining answers from God:

• If we lack wisdom (that is, if we don't know the answer to an important question or problem) we can ask God.
• God gives wisdom to all, liberally (in great abundance).
• God does not upbraid, meaning He does not punish us for asking Him sincere questions.
• Those who ask for wisdom will receive it. We may need to be patient, but answers will come.

Joseph received his answer, and we can too. If there is a problem in your life, and worldly wisdom has failed to bring you a satisfactory solution, try going to the Source of all truth: our Heavenly Father, Himself.

Lehi's Gratitude

Armour of God

Peace of God