Asked & Answered - Accepting Guidance

I’m so very grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ here on Earth today, and grateful for the truths we have with the fullness of the gospel as well as the things we know we can receive, including revelation from God.

The Dark Ages were called such because the world was literally a darker place when Christ’s full gospel and light was taken from the earth. We believe that the dark ages officially came to an end and light was restored to the Earth again when Joseph Smith was called as prophets of old were, to restore the fullness of the gospel to world again. Bringing back the exact same church that Christ had established while he walked the earth in ancient times.

In ancient times people received revelation (as we read in the bible) and during the dark ages, that revelation was largely taken away. Since the restoration we have had that part restored fully to us. Our Church leaders receive revelation directly from God and then they pass that information to us and let us know what God would have us learn. Parents can receive revelation for their families, and individuals have the ability to get personal revelation on matters that will help us with our own direction and growth in life.

Our personal revelation can be received through thoughtful scripture study, prayer, fasting and priesthood blessings. We are free, and even encouraged to, ask our heavenly Father for revelation pertaining to our current circumstances. In our quest for insight and direction from our Father in Heaven, however, we must always be willing and ready to accept whatever council that might be, even if it is the farthest thing we thought we would hear.

God is out Father and as such he loves us deeply and knows what we need to do that will do us the most good and help us grow to become our best possible selves.

My son hates to read. He’s not bad at it, but reading is a lot harder for him naturally than numbers and math are. Numbers click in his head and he is seriously kind of scaring me as to how far advanced he will be in High School and I know I will be in no position to help him with his math assignments. But for now, reading is his challenge and when we sit to practice reading and read books, he wants me to just read the book to him. I read to him all the time, but when it is his time to read to gain that skill, I may as well be pulling his teeth while pinning him down and ripping out his hair for all the effort it takes and the frustration he shows to skill he is learning.

So, I believe, it is with us and God. He gives us guidance and direction when we ask for it. Sometimes it might be something easy and natural that we just get and it clicks with us and while we grow from it and are better for it, it is not a challenge at all. Other times, he asks us to do something that is so completely opposite of what we would choose for ourselves and so far from what we thought ourselves capable of we might be hesitant to obey.

But obey we must if we wish to reach our full potential.

There’s a story about a man who went fishing in a small boat, and he rowed far from the coast. After he was quite far off from the shore his boat sprang a leak. The boat sank and the man was left alone. He could swim so fear wasn’t pressing yet. After a long time of swimming he realized that he needed help and no one was around to offer it. Being a man of great faith, he knew that if he prayed to God for help, God would help him. So he prayed. After his plea for help was sent up to heaven, only a few minutes past before the coast guard came along and offered assistance to the man. The man refused saying, “Thank you! But my God will save me.” An hour or so passed and a deep sea fishing vessel pulled close to the man. The captain yelled, “Man overboard!” and the crew promptly rushed to save the man who was drifting farther and farther to sea. But the man again refused saying, “Thank you! But my God will save me.” A long time after that, the man was quite far out at sea and the water was getting rougher and waves were starting to overcome him. A rescue helicopter was overhead and a latter was lowered with a man hanging from the bottom to help drowning fellow. But once again, the man refused saying, “Thank you! But my God will save me.” After nearly fighting the man to pull him aboard the helicopter the man drowned and was lost forever in the sea. The man opened his eyes in heaven, bewildered and frustrated. HE found God and said, “I prayed to you! I had faith in you! Why did you not save me?” God looked at His son and replied with tears in His eyes, “My dear son, such faith you had, and I wanted to save you. Three times I tried to help you, but you refused the help.”

When we ask for guidance, revelation and help from Heavenly Father we need to be in tune enough with His spirit that we can recognize the answer when it comes, because oftentimes it will come from somewhere we don’t expect it. When we get the answer, even if it’s not the answer we want, we must be willing to try to be humble enough to listen to that. Even if the answer comes from a source other than what we think it should have.

If God has something to tell you, He will tell you! He will try to tell you directly using the Holy Ghost to touch our hearts and our minds with a still small voice, but as humans, we tend to let that voice be buried and remain unheeded. If we ignore that voice, most times, the moment is lost and we don’t get a second chance. But once in a while, God will continue to try to reach you. The message he has for you is so important that it must be heeded and obeyed. So he will try those next to you. When that happens, the message will be blunt. There may be a chastisement, but it will be out of love. At that point it is our solemn duty to obey and follow what God has told us. No matter the voice used to relay the message, no matter the message itself.

Blessing are promised to those who obey the commandments of God. And as we strive to follow His will and keep His commandments and abide by his council we will be blessed continually.

Let us not doubt His love for us. Let us follow His guidance and continually seek for further light and knowledge. We are blessed with the ability and gift of revelation. Let us ask for it! But be willing to follow that guidance and council and even chastisements if it is what we need. No matter how hard reading is for us, our Father knows it is a skill that will bring us great joy, happiness and blessings in the future!