mormon – Pointing Toward Hope

Hearing and Hindering Part 2

I divided this blog into 2 parts. So if you haven’t listened or read part 1, go back and do that. It will give you some context. This is Episode 49 Hearing and Hindering part 2.

Today is a subject that I approach with a little trepidation. And the reason for that is that I really don’t want to dwell on something negative. Or give any credit to the adversary. However, I do believe it is incredibly crucial for us to understand how the adversary works, so that we can avoid those fiery darts (or be shielded from) as I talked about last week. And one of the things that I have learned throughout my life is that Satan is especially cunning at getting us to fall for his evil ways.

He’s been successful once or twice in getting me to walk away from the Gospel and the church that I dearly love. I have grown up learning daily how to walk in the ways of Christ. So you would think that would be enough to ward off all of Satan’s ploys. But unfortunately that is not enough. In fact I think he works even harder when we are trying to be obedient and live righteously.

I mean think about it. We have been on this Earth for less than 80 years (most of us less) but the adversary has been around since the beginning of time. So he has had a lot of practice honing his evil skills. Which makes it that much more important for us to be ever vigilant in keeping ourselves prepared and aware of the way that he works on each of us individually.

Last week we talked about specific habits, or patterns that we use to effectively learn how the Lord speaks to us and prompts us. And this week we are going to talk a little bit about the contrast of that. Which is how the adversary lulls and tempts with certain ways or approaches that are tailored, unfortunately, to us as individuals. And works to get us to stop those good habits that we’ve worked so hard to create. So it’s so important that you learn how this happens for you, so you can put those habits back in place. It’s time to fight back.

I will be referring alot to Peter M. Johnson’s talk from October 2019, Power to Overcome Adversity, (one of my Absolute favorites talks of all time).

One thing that I have learned to be wary of, is how slowly Satan works. It happens SO slowly! Think of the 1% marginal gains that we talked about last week. The fiery darts that he throws can be almost imperceptible if you aren’t paying attention. One small act at a time. One small thought at a time. One small step at a time. And before you know it, you’re doing or saying things that you never ever thought you would. Going places that you never imagined. And worse than that is that you have accepted it and even believe that it’s the right way to do things or say things. Or right where you need to be.

Ugggg I hate to even think about how awful he is. I heard Marie Osmond say once that she won’t even give him a name. She call’s him “scratch”. Because sometimes he acts like an itch that just won’t leave you alone.

But the great thing is this! We were being prepared long before this lifetime with all of the tools that we need to fight the battles that will come our way. We are taught by President Nelson that we are “choice spirits who were reserved to come forth in the fulness of times to take part in laying the foundations of the great latter-day work.”

In Doctrine and Covenants 138:56 We read: Even before they were born, they, with many others, received their first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to come forth in the due time of the Lord to labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men.

Which means that we are all pretty skilled already. But those skills do take some honing.

And one of the ways that we do that is to put on the WHOLE Armor of God on! As explained in Ephesians 6:10-18 And we’ll talk about this in a little bit.

In The Book Of Mormon (another testament of Jesus Christ) Mormon Chapter 8 gives us insight into today’s world, Moroni says he has seen our day, and it includes wars and rumors of wars, great pollutions, murders, robbing, and people who tell us that there is no right or wrong in God’s eyes. He describes people who are filled with pride, caught up in the wearing of expensive clothing, and who make fun of religion. He is shown people who are so obsessed with worldly things that they allow “the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by”³ without being noticed. Sounds a lot like today’s times doesn’t it?

But we should not despair, it is the Lord’s way that will lead us to life eternal!

The prophet David O. Mckay taught: Christ is the light to humanity. In that light man sees his way clearly; when it is rejected, the soul of man stumbles in darkness. No person, no group, no nation can achieve true success without following him who said:

“I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12.)

Are any of us exempt from the power of the adversary? Nope, however, through it all, our Savior is with us. He is the advocate to the Father! So even if we fall prey to some of the adversaries’ lies, and make mistakes that we feel keep us from the light, there is always a way back. I am living proof of that!

So in what ways can we learn how Satan works on us as indivduals. Well, Elder Johnson had something to say about that. He said, “You are elect sons and daughters of God. You have the power to overcome the adversary. The adversary, however, is aware of who you are. He knows of your divine heritage and seeks to limit your earthly and heavenly potential by using three Ds:

Deception
Distraction
Discouragement”

Now it’s important to note that there are more ways than what Elder Johnson refers to that the adversary uses, like doubt, rejection, stress, etc. But I loved how he used these 3 because I think they are probably common among most people.

Deception, This is a very sneaky way that is used. For example, how many times have you heard commercials or seen ads promising instant weight loss? Or here’s how you can have the body you always wanted in as little as 1 week? I don’t think these people do these things intentionally to hurt us. But I do believe that it is a tool of deception to get us to forget who we are and where we came from. And to focus on our physical bodies rather than our spiritual potential.

]We are sons and daughters of the most high God. And there is no magic pill, or workout that can ever change that. But sometimes we sure feel like we need to be more than we are don’t we? Elder Johnson says, “The adversary attempts to deceive by having us forget who we truly are. If we do not understand who we are, then it is difficult to recognize who we can become.”

Distraction Wow! This is a big one right?! We have everything we could possibly think of to keep our minds busy and too distracted to realize what’s really happening. Remember how slowly I said that the adversary works? Just think about this for a minute. According to statisa.com As of 2019 and 2020, the average daily social media usage of internet users worldwide amounted to 145 minutes per day! That’s more than 2 hours, which doesn’t seem too terrible right? I mean our parents probably spent equal amounts of time watching the T.V. before the invention of the smartphone.

But think about it this way. 145 minutes per day is 14 hours per week. 728 hours per year! That’s roughly 30 days out of a 365 day year that we waste staring at our screens looking to be entertained or engaged in some way. Wait what? Nearly one whole month a year? Holy moley! That’s alot.

Now I’m not saying that there are not great things on social media that can be teaching you and helping you to learn and grow. I mean I would consider podcasting/blogging a form of social media so there is that! Haha.

I did my own little experiment of social media a few weeks ago when I went on a trip to visit family. I was there for 10 days and so I thought, “you know”, I am just going to delete all my social media apps so I can be fully present for my family while I’m there. I don’t want any distractions making me waste my time with them. And you know what’s crazy? I hardly missed it at all!

I was having such a good time enjoying my “extra” time with them that I even decided to extend it another week after I returned home so I could be prepared for General Conference. And guess what? That was really hard. I had a little more free time. And I think Satan works extra hard on all members of the church before General Conference. The last thing he wants is for us to receive personal revelation from the Lord through our prophets, seers, and revelators. He’s a sly one!

There are a whole lot more distractions than social media. But I just wanted to give you a peek at one of the ways the adversary uses pretty effectively.

The third D from elder Johnson’s talk is “discouragement. We may get discouraged when we compare ourselves to others or feel we are not living up to expectations, including our own.

I was watching a show the other night with my bonus son. And I couldn’t believe it when I heard a statement that hit me hard. Discouragement is one of the big ways that the adversary uses to get to ME personally.

Last week I talked about how I put on a brave face or sometimes I refer to it as a mask or “the happy face”. I do that so people will think that I’m fine and not be uncomfortable around me. So when I heard this it really sunk in. It said, “A mask doesn’t heal the wounds. A mask only hides them.”

It got me thinking about all the reason’s that other people put on a “mask” Whether it be illness, identity, abuse, etc. Sometimes I even think that as a mom with small children we can put on that brave face even though we are so stressed and so spread thin that we can barely think straight.

But one thing that I’m sure of, is that Satan tries to get us to keep that mask on. He feeds us with even more reasons that we should be discouraged such as, comparing ourselves to other moms or others who have gone through similar things and come out sparkling. He tells us that people won’t believe us, or will laugh at us, or that we will feel even smaller than we already feel. He may make us feel like we aren’t living up to other’s expectations of us, or maybe even our own expectations!

^{I am inviting you today to join me and take off your mask. Let yourself be vulnerable. It is the only way that we will be able to heal the wounds of the darts that have already found their mark. Most of the thoughts that we have that discourage us are truly just that! Thoughts! So if we can take off that mask we may find out that there are a lot of people who are waiting to support and help us walk our journey.}

Elder Johnson goes on to say “please do not let anyone steal your happiness. Do not compare yourself to others. Please remember the loving words of the Savior: John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

^{So how do we do it? How do we find this peace, remember who we are, take off our masks, and overcome the traps of the adversary?}

^{Ironically, alot of the same patterns and habits that we learn to apply to hear the Lord speak to us are the same as those that help us to ward off and stay safe from the adversary’s attacks.} ^{So another reason to be very vigilant in making and keeping those good habits. And remember that it is the 1% gains (being consistent with them) each day.}

^{What I wanted to mention today and discuss a little is what I talked about earlier today.}

Putting on the whole armor of God. This is something that you have to do ALL THE TIME. ALL DAY, EVERY DAY! You must do all the little things EVERY DAY! Sometimes more than just once a day. You MUST strive to keep yourself unspotted from the world. You must strive to live IN the world but not be OF the world. Notice I added the word “ strive”, because it’s important to remember that it’s an ongoing process. We don’t just adopt and keep habits overnight.

The adversary’s goal is to keep us focused on the distractions, the deception, the discouragement. He wants us to have doubts, be stressed out, feel rejected and left out…all the terrible things.

Those are all the fiery darts that he is throwing at us day in and day out. And President Nelson has said, and it has been repeated over and over, “… in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.”

So what is the armor of God. Well, let’s just break it down. I remember talking about this when I was in high school seminary. My teacher had an outline of a warrior all dressed up in every piece of the armor and we were to go through and label each piece with what it was guarding. And then we taped it to the inside of our scriptures in Ephesians 6:10-18 with a reference to Doctrine and Covenants 27:15-18.

¹⁰^{Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.}

¹¹^{Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.}

¹²^{For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high}^places.

¹³^{Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.}

¹⁴^{Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;}

¹⁵^{And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;}

¹⁶^{Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.}

¹⁷^{And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:}

¹⁸^{Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;}

^{I remember watching a movie in seminary about warriors that were watching the woods. They had all the armor on and were super cautious. But at one point, one of the warriors got to a waterbed and took off his helmet to get a drink of water. The enemy was waiting for just such a moment and the arrow pierced him quickly. Luckily we are not facing those kinds of threats in our day and time. But the enemy is just as watchful and waiting for the moment that we let our guard down, to pounce.}

However, I am comforted to know that I need not fear for He is with me, I know where and how to find the peace that only He can give.

Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Doctrine and Covenants 88:63

I am confident that as I purposefully follow the commandments that I will not be led astray again. As I keep and maintain that 1% gains each day I am fortifying my armor.

Elder David A. Bednar of the quorum of the twelve Apostles has been known to say, “If you read the Book of Mormon (and I might just add all scripture) every day, you will never fall away”.

^{Now, after talking about all of this, I’d like to just tie this all up in a tight little bow and tell you that if you just keep your habits strong that you will be fully protected. But you know it’s never that easy. And it’s funny how in each of these podcasts that I prepare, it seems like I have to go through my own little test, so to speak, of what I’m trying to share.}

^{So of course last week I had a few days where the adversary got in and tried to use his biggest tool, that he uses with me personally. Which is discouragement. I started thinking, “Is this even worth it?” Does anyone even hear or get anything out of what I’m preparing?’ And for a while I just wanted to quit everything. Well not everything, but you know how when it rains it pours and you tend to just sit down in the middle of the puddle and get soaked?}

^{But it wasn’t long before I remembered, this is Satan’s tool that he is using against me. So I looked at some of my habits. And quickly realized that I’d let a few things slide and that’s when he makes his move.}

^{So this is where I want you to look at your life and see if you can find those patterns that seem to take you away from the good and solid habits that you’re working on daily. Is it deception, discouragement, distraction, rejection, busyness, stress, etc. See if there isn’t a way that you can start to fire back at the adversary using the contrast of those emotions. It’s not easy! The first part is recognizing that it’s even happening.}

^{So my invitation to you today is to just start to notice. Just notice when things seem not quite how you’d like them to be. And then go back and look at what you can change by just 1% to ward off those fiery darts. I know you can do it. You’re strong, you’re capable and you’ve got the Lord on your side! With Him nothing is impossible. That’s it for today my friends. Remember, choose hope, choose joy and choose to stay! Talk to you all again soon!}

Oh and if you or someone you know has a trial that you have been able to get through or are working through with the help of our Savior, please contact me so we can get you on the podcast.

You are the ONE

Today’s message is short, but sweet. And I hope one that will resonate with you as you hear these words. “You are the ONE”.

These past several weeks I have had so many things weighing heavy on my mind. It all started with an experience that I had a few months ago that will forever leave an impression on my mind and caused me to go into deep research mode in all of the scriptures from the Old Testement in the Bible to the book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ we believe that we have many scriptures that have been given to us in these latter days. And we continue to be blessed with counsel and guidance from living prophets, seers, and revelators.

As I have struggled through this trial of faith, I have been so grateful that my Heavenly Father and mother and my brother Jesus Christ, see ME! Who am I, I have asked myself many times, to receive such love, compassion and understanding? And the answer is always quick and unfailing, “you are mine”. And you are “one” of my children whom we dearly love. It almost never comes in the same way. Most often it comes in the form of others lifting me and sharing their love with me. Messages that they have no idea, come directly from the Lord through them, to little ole me. But I see it and I recognize it and give praise for it. Because without it, I would be like a fish floundering out of the water, struggling for breath.

You see there are moments in this life, many moments when we need to be reminded that we are the “one”. The one that He sees and He loves, and He wants the best for. But it doesn’t come without work. It doesn’t come without asking, seeking and knocking. Sometimes we fall to our knees in anguish because it seems so impossible to get through what we’ve been asked to endure.

But I promise you, that if you will turn yourself over the Lord, if you will let faith lead you, if you will put your trust in the arm of the Lord and not in the arm of flesh, He will find you, the “one” that He has been waiting for to come follow Him.

Today I will be sharing some thoughts from Elder Ronald A. Rasband’s talk from General Conference, October 2000. Incidently, the General Conference will be held this weekend on October 2nd and 3rd. You can stream from the https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/ and I encourage all to watch, take notes, pray for personal revelation and then watch how the Lord caters to YOU, the “one” amongst many.

In His talk, Elder Rasband shares the following, “Throughout my life, I have come to know through my own experiences that Heavenly Father hears and answers our personal prayers. I know that Jesus is the living Christ and that He knows each of us individually, or as the scriptures express it, “one by one.”

This sacred assurance is taught compassionately by the Savior Himself in His appearance to the people of Nephi. We read of this in 3 Nephi, chapter 11, verse 15:

“And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth” (3 Ne. 11:15; emphasis added).

To further illustrate the “one by one” nature of our Savior’s ministry, we read in 3 Nephi, chapter 17, verse 9:

“And it came to pass that when he had thus spoken, all the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their blind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted in any manner; and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him” (3 Ne. 17:9; emphasis added).

We then read of the special blessing given to the precious children in verse 21: “And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them” (3 Ne. 17:21; emphasis added).

This was not a small gathering. In verse 25 we read: “And they were in number about two thousand and five hundred souls; and they did consist of men, women, and children.”

Certainly, there is a very profound and tender personal message here. Jesus Christ ministers to, and loves us all, one by one.”

I know that was a large portion of his talk to share but I felt like it so perfectly illustrated how Christ caters to the “one”. Even in the midst of a sea of people that number the grains of sand on the shores, He sees us each. He reminds us each that we are important and that He is very aware of the details of our lives that can be distressing for us.

As I said before, these last 2 months have been a struggle, but so many good and precious events have taken place that have reminded me that He sees me. It did not come without pleading and prayer and fasting. I was prompted to give up social media for a time. To clear my mind of clutter and unnecessary stress. I have been guided to the correct people, places and passages of scripture that have guided me on this continuing journey.

I have not found all the answers. Far from it. But I have learned a very important lesson. That the Lord works in “ones”. He does not forsake us. He never has and He never will.

So if you are having a similar struggle with something in your life. And you’re just not sure how you will go on or how it’s all going to work out. I want you to know that you are that “one”. He sees you, He hears you, and He will come to your rescue. It might not happen quickly. It might not happen in the way that you had hoped it would. But, it will come! Of that you can be sure!

Thanks for listening/reading. I hope that you will watch General Conference this weekend and let the Lord speak to you through his anointed ones. Until next time, my friends, choose to stay!

XO Wendy

I will hope in Him

This week has basically been about how we can get direct access to the Lord. And today I wanted to focus on a section in the Bible, it’s Lamentation chapter 3. In this Chapter the author is unknown and some believe that it is a personification of the city of Jerusalem, but others believe that it is simply referring to the author himself and his own desperation.

This man speaks about all the horrible things that are happening to him and then he says in verse 22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. 24 The Lord is my portions, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him. 25 The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. 26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

And I chose this to finish off the week because there are times that no matter how hard we try or how much we pray, or how hard we are knocking there is still no relief to our suffering. We are asking, seeking and knocking and stretching and drawing near and learning and pondering and studying and yet, we still feel that utter desperation of, why do these things keep happening when I’m trying so hard to reach out?

When I was first diagnosed bipolar, my husband and I were already going through some difficulties. So this diagnosis was kind of like the last straw of our desperation. And then came the problems of trying to find a medication or recipe of medications that would work for me. I was a photographer and while I was in the hospital my husband had to go through my calendar and cancel all of my upcoming sessions and get by business in order, take care of himself and take care of me. His business was struggling and there were a lot of things going on there that required his attention. Plus we have the two boys (his sons) that required a lot at that time due to their young age. To say that there was a lot of stress was a huge understatement. It was hard on both of us. But especially difficult for Him. He was just trying so hard to hold it all together. I remember him coming home from work one day after another long and less than fruitful day, and saying with utter desperation in his voice, “over this past month I feel like I am constantly getting punched in the gut and getting kicked when I’m already down. I don’t know how much more of this I can take. I just want to quit getting punched.”

But the punches continued to roll in as we struggled through this crisis. The stress was weighing heavy on him. He wasn’t eating, he wasn’t sleeping well, and he was losing hope and losing weight! And I became extremely worried about him.

One day after much stretching and reaching and asking and knocking and pleading with the Lord. We came to the conclusion that something was physically not right with him and that he needed to seek medical attention. This was the last thing he needed on the long list of things to take care of. But he followed his impressions and went to see a Dr. Turns out he had what is called a stress reaction, brought on by everything that he was dealing with. The dr. was able to help with it and he was able to slowly get back to his normal self. He was finally able to find the “peace” that the Savior brings to us in our hour of great need.

As we close out this week I just want you to know with a surety that our Savior is behind that door. Even when it seems like there is not one more thing you can take. He will find a way to bring you the peace you are searching for. To quote Elder Holland’s words, “Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. Of this I can attest.”

Take hope in the Lord my friends.

Have a beautiful weekend and I’ll talk to you again next week!

XO Wendy

Draw Near

Staying on our topic for this week, I want to switch gears a little bit and talk about how we can grow closer to Christ through our efforts of preparing to receive answers to our questions, to our trials, to our struggles.

And I wanted to start by sharing a couple of verses from my favorite sections of the Doctrine and Covenants, section 88. And I think that the reason that it’s my favorite is BECAUSE when it was given to the prophet Joseph Smith he said that it was given as the Lord’s message of peace to us. And I just truly feel that peace in several verses of this section. But today I just want to read verses 63-64. It says:

63 Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

64 Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you;

So in these verses what stands out to me is the words DRAW NEAR”.

What does it mean to draw near? Well if I were to break this down let’s look at the word Draw. First it is an action word. The Lord is asking us to make an effort to do something to come closer to Him. The definition that I believe is being used here is : To cause to move in a particular direction by or as if by a pulling force; to bring toward oneself, as if by inherent force or influence.

And I just thought that definition was so interesting because it really expresses a need or a force to be pulled toward. It makes me think of a big windstorm where you have your back to the wind and it is actually pushing you in a direction. So we draw near to Him and then He will draw near to us. So it’s as if the force from the wind at our backs is pushing us toward the Savior. He’s asking us to let that force move us to come closer to Him.

I came across another talk by President Nelson from april 2017 He describes several ways that we can draw near to the Savior. But this is the one that stood out to me

“An element in drawing the Savior’s power into our lives is to reach up to Him in faith. Such reaching requires diligent, focused effort.

Do you remember the biblical story of the woman who suffered for 12 years with a debilitating problem? She exercised great faith in the Savior, exclaiming, “If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.”

This faithful, focused woman needed to stretch as far as she could to access His power. Her physical stretching was symbolic of her spiritual stretching.” He goes on to say.

“Many of us have cried out from the depths of our hearts a variation of this woman’s words: “If I could spiritually stretch enough to draw the Savior’s power into my life, I would know how to handle my heart-wrenching situation. I would know what to do. And I would have the power to do it.

When you reach up for the Lord’s power in your life with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours. When the Savior knows you truly want to reach up to Him—when He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life—you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do.

When you spiritually stretch beyond anything you have ever done before, then His power will flow into you.”

And so today as you think about that word and how it is like a force, almost an urgency to get to the Savior. Think about what we talked about on Monday about the hike to see the Savior. Imagine that the last stretch is the most difficult of the entire journey, it takes everything you have to get to the door where He awaits. But then there will be peace. I promise you that He longs for you to draw near to Him with such force that He has no choice but to enfold you in his waiting arms.

Guys, have a great day and remember that He loves you and you can do this! We’ll wrap up this topic tomorrow! Talk to you then.

XO Wendy

Ask, Seek, Knock

When I first was given the prompting to start a podcast along with this blog, I’ll admit I was quite overwhelmed. I didn’t have any experience in podcasting or editing or building content… other than my blog which I have struggled to stay consistent with. So this undertaking has taken a lot of faith and trust in the Lord, even during the weeks that I am not recording.Thats when I find myself doubting my abilities and the little ripple that I am making in my little corner of the world.

One thing that I am sure of is that we all doubt ourselves and our abilities at times. It is Satan’s way to discourage and distract us away from the things that will bring change and so much goodness into the world.

Reading back in my journal recently, I realized that I had lost sight of what my original prompting was. And so I felt a little chastised maybe as I read that what the intended need in the beginning, was to give daily upliftment in the form of mini snippets 5-7 min. easy to listen to recordings of the word of God. Through scriptures, conference talks both past and present and examples of great women and men of the gospel. Think 9th article of faith: “We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. And if you don’t know what an article of faith is, click here and you can find out more about what we as members of the Church of Jesus Christ believe.

When looking back at the past recordings that I have done. I have weaved that into my presentations. But I just never felt completely at peace with what I was doing. There was always that nagging, that I wasn’t doing it the way that the Lord intended for me to do.

I’m not sure why I struggled with the original prompting. Maybe because I don’t feel like a scriptorian, or a student of theology so to speak. I tend to see my flaws as most of us do. But one thing that I am completely sure of is that my Love for the Lord and his gospel is the most prominent part of my life. I LOVE the scriptures, all of them. I love our prophets and for members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I love our heritage and history. Are we a perfect people? No, we are not. But most of us strive, we STRIVE, to live the gospel in the best way we know how. Of course we are going to fall short at times. Of course we are human and will offend and not be liked at times. And that’s ok. It is ok. After all, the church was not built for perfect people, the scriptures do not teach perfect people, nor do they teach OF perfect people. Except Jesus of course. The scriptures and church are for the imperfect, the broken, the lost and wandering. For those who are seeking the truth. And oh how they are given to us with such deep and abiding love from our Lord and Savior.

So this week and for who knows how long, remember I am striving. I will be coming to you daily with a little pinch of hope, peace and joy. I hope you like the new change and will stick around. It might be a little bumpy at first. But I know that what the Lord has in mind is the best direction to go. So let’s go.

This week’s topic comes from scriptures that can be found both in the bible Matthew 7:7-8 and from the Book of Mormon 3 Nephi 14:7-8 and D&C 88:64-65

On Monday’s we will shallow dive into the Book of mormon, and modern day scripture. We’ll call it Book of Mormon Monday. So we will start with 3 Nephi 14:7-8 it reads: Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; And to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.

And just for reference we will read D&C 88:63-64 Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall recieve; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you.

I chose this particular scripture one because I have been using it to figure out my next steps with this podcast. I was going back and forth about whether to keep doing the podcast or give it up all together, when I came across this passage. And I love that it is in all of the scriptures despite a few wording differences. I also like to use the KJV study bible version of the bible because I think it’s important to note the differences and similarities with other Christian translations of the Bible than the one Latter Day Saints normally use, when studying. And I love that it also has a section at the bottom that gives more insight into that particular scripture passage. We will be discussing that more on Friday. So stay tuned for that.

So I just wanted to talk for a few minutes on how we can put this scripture passage to work in our lives. It’s a popular scripture that many christians know by heart and for good reason. It holds beautiful promises from our Savior that He is ALWAYS there for us. No matter what is happening in our lives. I love the words ask, seek, knock.

The word “ask” means to request information, to inquire of, to try and get something. We usually do this in the form of a prayer. We settle upon a question or struggle that we are having and then we take it to the Lord. I imagine in my mind that I am about to approach the door to which the Savior stands behind pondering what my particular request, or need is. I think of what I am seeking in His answer as I knock. Seeking means to go in search of, to try to find, discover, or obtain.

So just for the sake of an example. Imagine that you have your question or struggle and in order to get the answer you have to hike to a steep place where there is a door that you will knock on and the Savior will be there to give you the answer. All along that path you are encountered with rocks and detours and branches of which you need to navigate. It takes work. Seek is an action word. It suggests that you are putting forth some effort. So you might prepare yourself by searching for the answer on your own or coming up with some sort of plan and then as you are hiking you are thinking about that and what you might expect in return from the Savior who is beyond the door awaiting your knock. I picture Him waiting anxiously and in anticipation. Much like that of a mother or father who is always willing and waiting to give advice to their children. He cares so much about you and knows that this is really important to you.

As you ascend to the top of the mountain you have done a lot of the work needed to receive your answer. You have questioned, you have pondered, you have done the work to get there but you need to know that what you are pondering is right or maybe you have no idea and you just need to be guided in the right direction. You knock and wait patiently. And your patience is rewarded when the Savior is there to open the door promptly and invite you inside to sit with Him.

I feel like when I imagine this process, I come knocking with a more humble and open heart to what the Lord has for me in return. He promises “it shall be given…It shall be found… it shall be opened to you.”

I can’t promise that you will find the answers to your questions immediately upon your “knock” but I do know that when you come to the Lord with an open heart and mind, that He will not let you down. He is there to surround you in His peace, comfort and knowledge. He will never ever turn you away.

So today if you journal or write things down. I want you to think of a time when you have gone through the process we talked about and what your experience was. Write it down. Because being able to go back to these experiences in times of need will remind you of how willing the Savior is to open that door wide when we come knocking.

Have a great day my friends and I’ll talk to you again tomorrow!

XO Wendy

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