Revelation

I'm gonna have a hard time titling this post.  What I want to title it is something like; "I love the Lord" or "Testimony, I've got one" or "Revelation: this is how it works."  I'm not sure I'm ready for that kind of title.  That definitely sets myself up as a small plates writer instead of a large plates.  I guess I'm in a bit of denial.

I've already got my mind brewing on my next post about our defensive handgun course we took this last weekend.  It's all about the front sight....which I will get into next time.  For now, I will tell you about  "doing all things with an eye single to the glory of God" D and C 82:19

Today in class we were talking about section 98.  The people who lived in Missouri are not happy about the Mormon invasion.  Tensions are rising, mobs are attacking, and thus we get the revelation found in 98.

Jared got hung up on details.  Details like where was the US government?  The church should have been formed in the great awakening and then there never would have been persecutions.  The Lord only loves some people if we need to have such adversity (meaning it only benefited those who went thru it and not their posterity) etc....  After class we were still talking about it and my partner ended up coming back over an hour later with an article for him to read.  She is such a rock star.  I love that she goes home and thinks about how to help my son.  Now, is he going to read it?  He said he wouldn't.  The food can only be brought to his mouth.  He has to take it in, chew it, swallow it, and digest it.  That he can only do for himself.  It's his choice.

I went about thinking about the thoughts I was having about focusing on the front site and making an attempt to work on my lesson for tomorrow -which is finishing out section 98.  I have a little problem with hating to do things I have to do, so I decided that I would listen to that talk my partner brought over.  I went up to his room.  Picked up the papers to see the name of the talk and left.  I pulled it up on BYU speeches and immediately heard a woman's voice.  I thought there was a problem with the link.  I looked again at the text for the talk and there was no mention of a woman starting the talk out.  I skipped forward and heard Elder Hollands voice for the talk called "The will of the father in all things" and realized that it was probably his wife speaking because he was the president of BYU at the time.   I felt guilty about being so snobby and decided to hear what she had to say.

I was a little stunned when I finally listened to her portion of the speech.  I just did a post on the topic to which she was speaking and I had also bore testimony of it during testimony meeting of church yesterday.  It was about how all living things need to fill the measure of their creation.  As she was speaking I realized that I had heard her give this talk before or read about it because I remembered it.  She talked about a tapestry and how we all have a color and make up part of the picture and how the back of the tapestry looks a mess and like it is lacking direction, but the view from the top is the magnificent picture.  She talks about us looking at the different colors or parts of the picture and wishing they were us because we don't like our contribution.  Anyway, I kind of stopped listening because I was thinking about the coincidence of this talk.  I wasn't getting any kind of deep burning in my chest or tears in my eyes, but I definitely thought it curious.  How could I have stumbled upon a talk that witnessed of things I had been trying to testify of to my son.

I decided that I had to go and share this completely miraculous coincidence with my son.  It wasn't until I opened my mouth to tell him of this exciting discovery that the burning in the heart and tears came.  That's when the witness came to me.  There is power and confirmation in acting.  Before I left, I double checked the printed version of the talk he had to see if sister Holland's remarks were on there. They weren't.  I also have no idea if that conversation will compel him to know things for himself, but I at least brought him "the food."

Here's how the Lord works.  Jared had questions in seminary.  His seminary teacher diligently looked for answers to help him.  Jared's mom (who is his other seminary teacher) had a hard time wanting to do her lesson.  She decided she was too lazy to read and wanted to listen to the talk instead.  The beginning of the talk there is an unidentified woman speaking and mom decided to listen despite the fact she was only interested in what Elder Holland had to say.  That talk just so happened to confirm everything Jared's mother had tried to teach him on Thursday when she received inspiration while taking the dog for a walk.

What are the odds?  My teaching partner didn't know about my white board talk with Jared regarding filling our measure.  She did hear my testimony yesterday, but doubt it registered. I didn't talk about my experience with Jared only that I knew we all had potential and God didn't send us here to fail in fulfilling our potential.  Besides, she had no idea that the written version of the talk she was giving him had another talk before it in audio form.  Why did I decide to listen to it?  I didn't read the other article that she brought over for him last week about the creation.  This reminds me of the quote I posted at Jared's computer from Albert Einstein "there are two ways to live,  you can live as if nothing is a miracle or as if everything is a miracle."

Not only do I believe that was a miracle, but that it was revelation.  Elder Eyring had a talk during conference called "Continuing Revelation."  We need to be having revelation.  Not once every 8-10 years.  Every single day.  That is why we need to have our eye single to God.  We need to hear His voice.  He really will tell us all things which we should do.  He can also provide a second witness to the inspiration that we receive, when necessary.  How cool is that?  I mean seriously.  That is what this life is all about.  What you don't want to have happen is what the saints went thru. Some of their problems were because they were not being obedient to the commandments.  We need to be obedient.  We need to be listening and then acting upon council, and then we need to testify of what we know so that our knowledge will become more sure.  

Just like the saints experienced great blessings amongst their trials.  If we put our faith in the Lord during our trials we will be blessed and strengthened and shaped into who we need to become in order to fill the measure of our creation.  This has been my most difficult and trying year in awhile, yet I am experiencing the biggest blessings I have ever received.  I know the Holy Ghost can enlighten our minds.  We can know things that man (the world) doesn't.  I don't have to be a religious scholar to know the truths of the gospel.  I've got to do my part and get information into my head by reading my scriptures, the words of the prophets, and other inspired leaders,  then the Holy Ghost can do his part by making sense of it all - bring me to an understanding.

I don't know how much my son is being strengthened by these experiences but I do know what it is doing for me and I wouldn't trade it for anything!