D&C 50:44 Wherefore, I am in your midst, and I am the good shepherd, and the stone of Israel. He that buildeth upon this rock shall never fall. 45 And the day cometh that you shall hear my voice and see me, and know that I am.
As we talk about hearing his voice, we need to remember that there are two parts to hearing, one is getting a response and the other is listening! When we talk to our Heavenly Father it is easy to get frustrated when we don’t get an answer, but sometimes we forget to do our part; we must listen. It takes a little effort on our part to pause and wait for a response! With all the noise of the world it is difficult to listen, but possible when we apply the true and simple principles of prayer and scriptures. The time we set aside for those two key communication tools, will give us time to listen.
“May we ever strive to be close to our Heavenly Father. To do so, we must pray to Him and listen to Him every day. We truly need Him every hour, whether they be hours of sunshine or of rain. May His promise ever be our watchword: “I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”-Thomas S. Monson
“Many years ago, I traveled on a small plane with a newly certified pilot at the controls. At the end of our flight, we were cleared to land. But as we neared the ground, I heard an alarm in the cockpit warn the pilot to “pull up.” The pilot looked to the more experienced copilot, who pointed in a downward direction, away from the runway, and said, “Now!”
Our plane rapidly moved to the left and down, then climbed back to an appropriate altitude, reentered the landing pattern, and arrived safely at our destination. We later learned that another aircraft had been cleared for takeoff. Had we followed the instructions of the alarm, we would have veered into, rather than away from, the oncoming plane. This experience taught me two important lessons: First, at critical moments in our lives, we will hear multiple voices competing for our attention. And second, it is vital that we listen to the right ones.” -David P. Holmer
As I read this story it reconfirmed my devotion to do my best to listen to the prophet without hesitation, and with exactness. He is a steady, constant in a world of confusion. Our prophet today is amazing, because he too lived under many prophets, who were ordained to lead the world by the mouth of Christ, and he teaches us by example to follow with exactness. Now he stands at the head of the church, prepared for decades, as he served as an apostle, under the direction of other prophets and apostles, directed by Jesus Christ. It’s a beautiful system that God has designed, so that we can have confidence that we can trust the prophet and follow them, blindly if necessary.
I love the story President Russell M. Nelson shares of an experience he had in following the advice of the prophet, and then looking hind sight the result of what happened.
“In 1979, while serving as Sunday School general president, I was invited to attend a Regional Representatives seminar during which President Spencer W. Kimball gave an inspiring address about opening the doors of nations then closed to the Church, such as China. He challenged all present to study the Mandarin language so we could offer our professional skills to help the people of China.
To me, President Kimball’s challenge seemed like a prophetic mandate. So that very night I asked my wife, Dantzel, if she would be willing to study Mandarin with me. She agreed, and we found a tutor to help us. Of course we didn’t learn to speak Mandarin very well, but we learned enough that, when I was invited the very next year (through a series of highly unexpected events) to go to China as a visiting professor to teach open-heart surgery, I was in a better position to accept the invitation.
Fast forward six years to 1985, the year after I had been called to the Quorum of the Twelve. One day I received an urgent request to go to China to perform open-heart surgery on their famous opera star, regarded throughout China as a national hero. I explained that my full-time ecclesiastical responsibility prevented my coming, but the doctors in China pleaded with me to come at once to perform the life-saving operation.
I discussed the matter with my quorum president and the First Presidency. They felt impressed that, as a favor to the people of China, I should make the trip and perform the operation.
That I did. Gratefully, the operation was a success! Incidentally, that was the last open-heart operation I ever performed. It was in Jinan, China, on March 4, 1985.
Now, fast-forward again, this time to October 2015, just three months ago. Wendy and I were invited to return to Shandong University School of Medicine in Jinan. We were amazed when I was warmly welcomed as “an old friend” of China and was reunited with surgeons I had taught 35 years earlier. A highlight of our visit was meeting with the son and grandson of that famous opera star. All of these amazing experiences were enabled for one reason: I heeded the counsel of a prophet to study Mandarin!” -President Russell M. Nelson
The truth is that we, “We live in a world with many voices seeking our attention. With all the breaking news, tweets, blogs, podcasts, and compelling advice from Alexa, Siri, and others, we can find it difficult to know which voices to trust.” -David P. Holmer
With all the noise and confusion relentlessly chatting at us, how do we know what to do and what to listen to? We can rest assured that listening to the wrong voice will never lead us to Christ or to happiness. Boyd K. Packer taught that we “will ever make a serious mistake without first being warned by the promptings of the Holy Ghost.” That’s a powerful statement. We can rest assured that the Holy Ghost will ALWAY warn us of the wrong voices, it is up to us to head that warning, and make the necessary adjustments to flee from whatever we are being warned of.
This leads us to the right voice. The right voice is the Holy Ghost who directs us perfectly in the direction of our Heavenly Father and Christ. He will not lead us astray.
“Consider this beautiful quote from a latter-day Apostle: “The gift of the Holy Spirit … quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands and purifies all the natural passions and affections, and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates and matures all the fine toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness and charity. It develops beauty of person, form and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation and social feeling. It develops and invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens, invigorates and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being.”
The Holy Ghost can do for us physically, spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and intellectually what no man-made remedy can begin to duplicate.”-Linda K. Burton (Parley P. Pratt)
How do we know if we are hearing the Holy Ghost? “The Spirit speaks to different people in different ways, and He may speak to the same person in different ways at different times. As a result, learning the many ways He speaks to us is a lifelong quest. Sometimes, He speaks to our “mind and in [our] heart” in a voice that is small yet powerful, piercing “them that … hear to the center.” Other times His impressions “occupy [our] mind[s]” or “press … upon [our] feelings.” Other times our bosom will “burn within [us].” Still other times He fills our souls with joy, enlightens our minds, or speaks peace to our troubled hearts.”-David P. Holmer
“I would like us to discuss learning the language of the Spirit—how He speaks to us and how we can increase our ability to hear His voice. Just as learning an instrument or a language is a process, learning the language of the Spirit is also a process, one that is vital for each of us to learn, whether we are recently baptized or long-time members of the Church.” -Linda K. Burton
The truth is that it takes time to learn to listen. It is not something that happens overnight. We must practice not only hearing the soft whispering of the Holy Ghost, but we must practice following it. I have learned that I am the safest if I follow all good feelings. We can guarantee that the Holy Ghost will guide us in perfect alignment with Heavenly Father’s will. He will never direct us to act in a way or do something that is contrary to how the Lord has asked us to act. So if we have a good impression, and we act on that impression, we will see good fruits. I don’t worry anymore if the thought is my own or the Holy Ghost, if it is a good thought, I am better to follow it. This has been the best policy for me, because over time, I have developed a strong connection with the Holy Ghost, and I feel I am able to get clear direction, most of the time. It’s always going to be a bit difficult when talking spiritually, because we never get to sit down and have a face to face with the Holy Ghost, or to pick up the phone and ask a question, where we can get a clear, undeniable answer.
“True disciples love the Lord more than the world and are steadfast and immovable in their faith. They stay strong and firm in a changing and confusing world. True disciples love to listen to the voice of the Spirit and of the prophets and are not confused by the voices of the world. True disciples love to “stand in holy places” and love to make holy the places where they stand. Wherever they go, they bring the love of the Lord and peace to the hearts of others. True disciples love to obey the Lord’s commandments, and they obey because they love the Lord. As they love and keep their covenants, their hearts are renewed and their very nature changes.” -Massimo De Feo
One key point in this quote is that we must live in a way that the Holy Ghost can dwell with us. We must stand strong and be faithful in our actions. It is an important concept to not only understand but to teach our children that the Holy Ghost cannot dwell in unclean places. We can feel the distinct difference when we are exposed to or when we choose to be in places that are unclean, full of things that the Lord has taught against. My daughter recently went to EFY. This is her second year, so she already knew how wonderful it was. The first day she found two friends who were cute and obviously “cool”. As the day went on she found herself miserable, because they talked about all the other girls behind their backs, they mocked the talks given, and bragged about their lifestyles at home, that didn’t align with the gospel. At the end of that day, my daughter wanted to come home, she said she couldn’t feel the spirit, and didn’t see any reason to be all the way at EFY if the spirit wasn’t present. There was nothing she could do, so she decided to find new friends the next day, so that she didn’t feel caught in the middle of constant gossip. These new friends were kind to everyone, even when they weren’t around, they loved the gospel, and lived their life according. My daughter couldn’t believe the difference. The Spirit was so strong that day, and she was filled with happiness. The rest of the week was wonderful, but she was thankful for that distinct experience of feeling the absence of the Holy Ghost. What a great lesson for all of us. We need to pay close attention to what we are doing, how our conversations are, the movies we are watching, and the language we are using. As we do this, we will find ourselves filled with the Holy Ghost.
“Seeking His voice in any one of these places is good, but seeking it in many of them is even better. And when we hear it, we need to follow the direction that is given. The Apostle James said, “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only.” And President Thomas S. Monson once taught: “We watch. We wait. We listen for that still, small voice. When it speaks, wise men and women obey.”-David P. Holmer
One of my favorite ways to communicate with the Lord, and to get answers from the Holy Ghost is what I call the Wendy Nelson challenge: Which combines two of our greatest communication tools into one awesome challenge. Prayer and Scriptures are two acts on our part that show our true desire to follow the Lord, and to put him first. When we make those two part of our every day routine, we find tender mercies pouring into our lives.
“Would you be willing to try an experiment for 30 days?
Daily kneel and thank your Heavenly Father for the scriptures. Tell Him the one question you most need to have answered that day. Plead to have the Holy Ghost with you as you read. Then open your scriptures anywhere, and read until you find the answer. Try it for 30 days and see what happens.” – Wendy Watson Nelson
I have been doing this almost everyday since 2016. I journal all my answers, and the best answers come when I look back and see what I felt, then I can see a sequence in my questions as well as in my answers. It has been an amazing challenge, which I rely heavily on. There are still times when answers don’t come.
So what happens when we are trying to do everything right and the answers are still not clear, or don’t seem present? These can be very frustrating moments. These are the moments when I break down and “cry” to the Lord. Usually in hind sight we can see the blessings, but at the time that we are seeking them we can feel alone and desperate for love from our Heavenly Father. I believe even the most faithful have moments of despair and loneliness when it comes to communication with the Father. Not getting a clear answer does not mean we are doing something wrong, or that we are not worthy. It simply means we have to wait upon the Lord, and that can be the most painful part of the whole process. Satan wants us to think that if we don’t get an answer immediately then Heavenly Father isn’t listening or doesn’t care. Our lives are full of instant gratification, so we need to pause and realize that God doesn’t always deal instantly. Sometimes the waiting is part of the lessons learned. Sometimes it’s just the timing, and we can’t see the end, so we panic. Sometimes, we can’t control others decisions, and so the desired result that we want is held up by the choices of others. All of these scenarios require patience, and often lots of it.
“As a result, we have learned that answers are sometimes slow to come. This can be because it is not the right time, because an answer is not needed, or because God trusts us to make the decision ourselves. Elder Richard G. Scott once taught that we should be grateful for such times and made this promise: “When you are living worthily and your choice is consistent with the Savior’s teachings and you need to act, proceed with trust. … God will not let you proceed too far without a warning impression if you have made the wrong decision.”-David P. Holmer
With all these ideas firmly planted in my mind, I have found that it’s still not easy. I suppose it’s not meant to be easy. As I think about the early pioneers and their faith to continue to follow the prophet even though everywhere they went they faced severe persecutions. Then Joseph Smith was killed. Though we all know this isn’t Joseph Smith’s church, it is Christ’s and we can see that he has lead it perfectly over the years, and will continue to lead it perfectly, it doesn’t make that time any easier for those pioneers. They must have had moments of feeling “all was lost”, or “what are we doing”, or “why won’t you (Heavenly Father) lead us to safety when we are trying to follow you faithfully.” I am positive many tears where poured out while on their knees begging for help. I am sure that Nephi had moments of confusion when his family followed the Lord to leave all they had and go to America. So why did the bow break when the family was hungry, why did Laman and Lemuel fight against them continually, why did journey have to take 8 years, just to make it to the waters to cross. Then they had to build a gigantic boat, large enough to handle the strength of the ocean and to carry everyone including supplies. I am sure that Paul had days when his faith wavered just a little as he faced multiple beatings and imprisonment. The point is that if you are feeling alone, and that your prayers aren’t answered, or that you are having a hard time hearing the Lord, you are not alone. The greatest people who have ever lived, from all time periods, had many trials, ones I am sure they didn’t ask for. Yet, now when we look at these greats, they stand as examples of who we want to be. Let us keep the faith as well. When moments of frustration hit, don’t let it consume you. Brush off, get up, and keep working, keep listing, and keep following. Someday, your faith will stand as a beacon to others, even if it’s just your own posterity, which over a few generations becomes countless.
“And so, we need to decide which among all the different voices we will obey. Will we follow the unreliable voices advocated by the world, or will we do the work required to allow our Father’s voice to guide us in our decisions and protect us from danger? The more diligently we seek His voice, the easier it becomes to hear. It is not that His voice gets louder but that our ability to hear it has increased. The Savior has promised that if we “hearken unto [His] precepts, and lend an ear unto [His] counsel,” He “will give [us] more.” I testify that this promise is true—for each of us.” -David P. Holmer
Here is the full talk:https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2019/04/27homer?lang=eng
-Sherri Jorgensen
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