Almost
200 years ago Joseph Smith lived in a time where religious confusion
abounded. He says, “In the midst of this
war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be
done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If
any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?” (JSH 1:10)
I
don’t know about you, but I often feel confused. Should women hold the
priesthood? Why exactly is legalizing
homosexual marriage a bad thing? Now I
want you to understand that I believe our prophets and I support 100% what they
say, but I still have had these questions.
I still have felt confused. Then
there are the questions that haven’t been addressed by our prophets: What diet
is the best for my family? How should I
best educate my children? What is the
best way to lead my family? Who should I vote for? I have found many conflicting opinions in my
quest to find answers to these questions.
I have often wondered, just as Joseph did, “who of all these parties are
right; or are they all wrong together?
If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?”(JSH 1:10)
Bishop
Gerald Causse, First counselor in the Presiding Bishopric wrote in the August
2012 Ensign, “All members of the Church at some time in their lives face
moments that test the sincerity and strength of their testimonies. Braving
these trials of our faith helps us stand firm in a world that is falling more
and more into the depths of confusion. This confusion is evident in the barrage
of messages that surround us. With the advent of the Internet, for example, an
uninterrupted avalanche of contradictory opinions and information invades our
everyday lives. These contradictions can become disconcerting and paralyzing.”
Luckily
further study of the First Vision and the Restoration helps us to know that we
don’t have to live in confusion! God
will lead us to experiences because he has a plan for us, the Atonement is real
and He does answer prayers!
Heavenly
Father is in charge of our lives! As I
read the First Vision I see Heavenly Father directing Joseph Smith’s
family. First of all he moves them to
Palmyra where religious conflict is huge (and “conveniently” right next to
where Moroni buried the gold plates), then
he inspires Joseph to read James 1:5, after reading that scripture
Joseph records how he felt:
“Never did any passage of scripture come with
more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to
enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again
and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to
act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would
never know…At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in
darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of
God. I at length came to the determination to “ask of God,” concluding that if
he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not
upbraid, I might venture.” (JSH 1:12-13)
Joseph
didn’t just come upon that scripture. We
know his family studied scriptures on a regular basis, and we know that the
Bible is full of scriptures that teach us that God answers prayers. Joseph was led to this scripture that night
because it was what he needed. He felt
such a power as he read that scripture. Listen again: “Never did any passage of
scripture come with more power to the heart of man…it seemed to enter with
great force into every feeling of my heart.”
Heavenly Father knew Joseph and He had a plan for Joseph. He knew that reading this scripture and
receiving such strong feelings would lead Joseph to venture to ask God. And once Joseph asked, God could and would
answer.
I
have felt led so often in my life; led on a path that I might not have chosen
on my own, led to answers to my questions, led to feel more beautiful, led to
true healing. Last General Conference I
saw a news article about the women who tried to get into the priesthood session
at General Conference. I decided to read
the article because I wanted to know what crazy things these women had done in
order to show their misunderstanding of church doctrine, but I was amazed at
how respectful they were. So I decided
to look at their website. After reading
their website I felt extremely confused, a few days later I was led to read a
blog that addressed this event. The
author of the blog answered all of my questions! Then I saw a YouTube video where Sheri Dew
was addressing this very issue and she again answered my questions! Heavenly Father knew of my questions and He
led me to find the answers. Heavenly
Father knows your questions too and He will lead you to find your answers. Not all answers come immediately, but you are
given knowledge “line upon line, precept upon precept” as you are ready for the
answers. Joseph studied and studied
before he finally came to the conclusion that he could ask God. We now know that we can ask God.
After
Joseph decides to ask God, he goes to a private place, in the Sacred
Grove. He kneels down and he starts to
pray: “I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I
had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which
entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind
my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it
seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. But, exerting all my powers to call upon God
to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at
the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to
destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being
from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt
in any being.” Satan is real and so is his power. However, Joseph learned that Christ’s power
is greater, “just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light
exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended
gradually until it fell upon me…It no sooner appeared than I found myself
delivered from the enemy which held me bound.” (JSH 1:15-17)
Elder
David A. Bednar, in last April’s General Conference said: “The Father’s plan is
designed to provide direction for His children, to help them become happy, and
to bring them safely home to Him with resurrected, exalted bodies. Heavenly
Father desires us to be together in the light and filled with hope. In
contrast, Lucifer labors to make the sons and daughters of God confused and
unhappy and to hinder their eternal progression. The overarching intent of the
father of lies is that all of us would become “miserable like unto himself” (2 Nephi
2:27).
Lucifer wants us ultimately to be alone in the dark and without hope.”
Satan’s
power is intense and compelling. And
being “natural men” we all succumb to it, “for all have sinned, and come short
of the glory of God;” (Rom. 3:23) But just as Satan’s power is real, so is Christ’s. Because of His Atonement, we all have the
power to overcome Satan’s attempts to “lead us carefully down to hell.” (2 Nephi 28:21)
Of
all the truths learned from the Restoration, a clearer understanding of the
Atonement is one of the most important.
Because of the restoration we learn from Alma that Christ “shall go
forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this
that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains
and the sicknesses of his people.
And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death
which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities,
that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may
know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their
infirmities.” (Alma 7:11-12)
Christ
understands our pain. Christ understands
our weaknesses. Christ still loves
us! Over and over again I hear the
questions of people asking: how could God allow children to be born to parents
who will abuse them, sell them into slavery, or where all they will know is
hunger, or war? How could God allow
people to die in earthquakes, or tsunamis or tornadoes? Why does God rescue some and not others, it
is so unfair. My only answer to all of
this is Christ’s atonement. He knows
each of our pains, and he knows what is best for us to grow and become like
Him. He gives us experiences that will
make us stronger and refine us! I love
the imagery from this scripture from First Nephi 21:15-16(Also found in Isaiah 49): “For can a woman forget her
sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea,
they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel. Behold, I have
graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before
me.” Kent F. Richards of the Seventy
further clarifies in the April 2011 General Conference, “Sometimes in the depth
of pain, we are tempted to ask, “Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no
physician there?” I testify the answer is yes, there is a physician. The
Atonement of Jesus Christ covers all these conditions and purposes of
mortality.”
We
also learn that we can be forgiven. In
D&C section 58:42 it reads: “Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same
is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.”
The
Atonement is powerful. I know that in
all my studying, my finite mind will never be able to fully comprehend the
Atonement. But I am thankful for the
restoration of the gospel that has helped me to increase my knowledge and
testimony of the Atonement.
God
answered Joseph’s prayer, “I was answered that I must join none of them, for
they were all wrong;” (JSH 1:19) and he will answer your prayers too! Joseph’s prayer was unique to him and his
circumstances. I know of stories of many
people, who prayed to find truth, but I only know of one person who prayed and
received a visitation from God the Father and Jesus Christ and they only came once. However, it was essential that they appeared
to him in order for him to be able to fulfill his mission. Joseph prayed many other times and his
prayers were answered in so many different ways. Sometimes he received an angel, sometimes he
received a revelation, and I’m sure that sometimes he just received promptings
or a feeling of peace.
Because
of the restoration we received the scripture: “Yea, behold, I will tell you in
your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and
which shall dwell in your heart.” (D&C 8:2) What a
relief it is to know that God will answer my prayers in my personal way.
Elder
Richard G. Scott said in October of 1989’s General Conference, “Communication
with our Father in Heaven is not a trivial matter. It is a sacred privilege. It
is based upon unchanging principles. When we receive help from our Father in
Heaven, it is in response to faith, obedience, and the proper use of agency.
It
is a mistake to assume that every prayer we offer will be answered immediately.
Some prayers require considerable effort on our part. True, sometimes
impressions come when we have not specifically sought them. They generally
concern something we need to know and are not otherwise able to find out…When
He answers yes, it is to give us confidence.
When He answers no, it is to prevent error. When He withholds an answer, it is to have us
grow through faith in Him, obedience to His commandments, and a willingness to
act on truth. We are expected to assume accountability by acting on a decision
that is consistent with His teachings without prior confirmation. We are not to
sit passively waiting or to murmur because the Lord has not spoken. We are to
act.”
And
then Elder Neil L. Anderson taught in the leadership training held last June:
“As we act in faith, we often find that the blessings from the Lord are
different than we expected but much better than we imagined.”
Often
times it isn’t until we look back after the experience, or the trial is over
that we can see God’s answer to our prayers, but I know that He loves us so
much that He will answer our prayers in the way that is best for us!
Confusion
abounds in today’s world. It won’t go
away until the Second coming of Christ ushers in the millennium. We are wandering around in the mists of
darkness, but we have a rod to hold onto.
We have truths that have been restored and we have living prophets and
apostles. As we heed those truths and
listen to the words of our leaders we will stay safe from the “fiery darts of
the adversary.” (1 Nephi 15:24) I know that we are led by a loving Heavenly Father and he only
wants the best for us. I know that we
can use the Atonement to help us through our sufferings and our need to repent;
as we learn more about the Atonement we can understand more about Heavenly
Father and Jesus Christ’s love for us.
And I know that Heavenly Father answers our prayers in a way that is
personal to us and will help us to accomplish our work on the earth.
