Remembering to Do Right
Most of us want to do the right thing and to keep God’s commandments. However, in the press of everyday life, with rushed schedules, pressure from others, and conflicting desires, it can be difficult to make good choices, or even to remember to do the right thing.
One way to help resolve this problem is to surround ourselves with reminders of who we are and what we stand for. By having our world filled with symbols of our faith, we can stay focused on the eternal goal, even when the immediate demands of life are crowding in.
Mormon children are given a ring to wear on their finger that contains a shield with the letters CTR on it. The lett
ers stand for Choose the Right, and children are taught to look at their ring when they make a decision. If they develop the habit of doing this and remembering what the ring is telling them, in time, it can become a habit, so they’ll make the right choice even without a ring handy. However, even many adults wear CTR rings, because it never hurts to be reminded.
Mormons are counseled to place in their homes items that will remind them of their Savior. Gospel art work is one way to keep minds and hearts focused on God. Having a few inexpensive pictures in your home can help you to contemplate how you use your time when you’re at home. Place the pictures in the places you spend the most time or in the spaces that might create the most temptation. The artwork need not be expensive. I often purchase calendars with religious art, and then frame the pictures I like best when the year ends.
Mormons can also ask the leaders of auxiliary organizations to let them know when they’re planning to throw out old picture packets because too many of the pictures are lost. These often have farmable pictures in them.
LDS.org offers an inexpensive new gospel art book, as well. For only a few dollars, you can receive many colored pictures in a spiral binder. These can be placed on an easel, allowing you to change the picture often.
Keeping the scriptures in easily accessible places can also serve as a reminder to read them and to honor what is contained inside. During times when I expect it to be easy to get distracted, I place my Bible and Book of Mormon on my keyboard before going to bed. Since I am a writer and spend my days at my computer, this served as a clear reminder to me to read before I began my work for the morning.
I also have a framed quote on my desk about how God expects us to use our talents to serve Him. I copied it into a word processing program, and put a light picture behind it. Then I printed it off and framed it. Because it sits right where I work, it reminds me to write appropriately, and not to be tempted by popular culture to write something I should not.
Sometimes the greater challenge comes when we leave our home. This is one reason so many Mormons wear CTR rings. However, any type of religious jewelry can serve the same purpose, but only if you desire to do the right thing anyway. A ring is simply not enough to keep you from doing wrong if you’re determined to do the right thing.
The most important way to remember to do right is to live worthy of help from the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost can’t be in unclean environments, so we must be attempting to do the right thing. When we’re tempted to make a poor choice, the Holy Ghost or Spirit of Christ can remind us of the promises we’ve made to God and give us the courage to carry them out. However, it’s then our responsibility to act on that prompting. If we ignore it and continue the sin, the Holy Ghost must flee and we’re left alone to cope with the results.
“The gift of the Holy Ghost, given to us when we are confirmed, gives us the ability to discern the difference between the giving ways of the kingdom of God and the taking practices of the world. The Holy Ghost gives us the strength and courage to conduct our lives in the ways of the kingdom of God and is the source of our testimony of the Father and the Son. As we obey the will of our Father in Heaven, this priceless gift of the Holy Ghost will be with us continually.
We need the Holy Ghost as our constant companion to help us make better choices in the decisions that confront us daily. Our young men and women are bombarded with ugly things of the world. Companionship with the Spirit will give them the strength to resist evil and, when necessary, repent and return to the strait and narrow path. None of us are immune from the temptations of the adversary. We all need the fortification available through the Holy Ghost. Mothers and fathers should prayerfully invite the Holy Spirit to dwell in their dedicated homes. Having the gift of the Holy Ghost helps family members make wise choices-choices that will help them return with their families to their Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, to live with Them eternally.” (See Robert D. Hales, “The Covenant of Baptism: To Be in the Kingdom and of the Kingdom,” Ensign, Nov 2000, 6-9.)
The most important part of the process is to develop the desire to do right and the faith to know that what God has asked of us is always the best choice. Once that is in place, the other tools will help us to follow through with what we have chosen to do.
In time, obedience becomes easier. If we decide only once, rather than every time we’re in a decision-making setting, we are more likely to make the right choice. For instance, when I’m offered alcohol, I don’t have to stop and decide what to do. I made my choice when I was ten years old, long before I was LDS. It’s not a temptation, and it’s no longer a decision-it’s an automatic reaction. I simply say no without any thought at all. This takes time, but the more our faith grows, the more decisions will begin to be automatic for us.
Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy
When Jesus Christ created the earth under God’s direction, he took only six of the allotted days to do the work. The seventh day He rested, and He commanded Adam and Eve to set aside that seventh day each week to rest and to worship.
Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.
“Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
“But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
“For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” (Ex. 20:8-11.)
Today, that standard has become lost. Many people do consider the Sabbath to be a day of rest, but they interpret it as a day of play. Even those who attend church leave the building and head off to a restaurant, a park, or a football game. They leave God behind in the church building and don’t give him any further thought that day.
The commandment given to Moses was to keep the Sabbath Day holy, meaning the entire day. Six days belong to us, to do with them as we choose, but God asks for just one of those days to be focused entirely on Him.
Keeping the Sabbath Day holy is critical to our eternal well-being. Those who do it and choose wisely how to do it find they approach the challenges of the coming week feeling more peaceful and better able to make Christ-centered choices. They use the opportunity to get to know God better and to strengthen their relationship. It can be challenging, during a busy work week, to find uninterrupted time for this, and the Sabbath, when dedicated to this purpose, allows a person to find that time.
Church attendance, of course, is an important part of the process. This allows us to be with others who share our faith and it allows us to be taught by others, giving us new insights into the gospel. If we also have church work, it allows us to learn the gospel at a deeper level than we might otherwise take the time to do, and to serve God and others. Church attendance gives us an opportunity to partake of the sacrament (communion) and renew the covenants (promises) we’ve made to God.
The time after church is more challenging, because we have to choose for ourselves how to spend it. We often hear so many lists of things we’re not supposed to do that it becomes difficult to figure out what we can do. In general, appropriate Sabbath activities include:
Those things that bring us closer to God
Those things that serve others.
Those things that strengthen family relationships.
Now, there are things that fit into those catagories, but still don’t meet the standards of Sabbath activity. For instance, going to an amusement park might strengthen our family, but it’s meant to be done on a Saturday. Sabbath family time should be quiet and meaningful. Appropriate ways to spend time with the family on the Sabbath might include quiet conversation, reading scriptures together, having a family council meeting, or working together on a quiet service project.
Sabbath activities should be meaningful and peaceful, and should be done without spending money. A person who lives alone might choose to visit someone who is lonely or ill, write letters to family members, work on family history, or embark on a systematic study of the Bible.
On the Sabbath, we stay out of the world and spend our time in Godly places-our churches and our homes. The amusement parks and baseball stadiums will still be there next Saturday. Today, the television can bring those worldly places into our homes, forcing us to be even more cautious in how we spend our time.
We also dress differently on the Sabbath. We wear our nicest clothing to church, and remain nicely dressed throughout the day, in order to honor God on His day. While children won’t stay in fancy clothing, they can still wear special clothing that is appropriate to wear on a sacred occasion.
Only necessary work should be done-simple meals can be prepared, or meals can be prepared ahead. Children must be cared for and entertained, but those old enough to participate in the Sabbath can be given special toys that are quieter and that focus on God, such as flannel board stories from the Bible, scripture story books, and gospel games. If these toys are reserved for the Sabbath, they help the child learn at a very young age that there is something special about the Sabbath Day.
Marvin J. Ashton warned, “Sometimes the freedoms and blessings of the Sabbath can be lost by attitudes that allow selfishness and lack of personal involvement in tried-and-true patterns. Sabbath days can be lost an hour at a time. Sabbath days can be lost an outing at a time.” (Marvin J. Ashton, “‘Strengthen the Feeble Knees’,” Ensign, Nov 1991, 70)
To keep from losing our Sabbath for even an hour, it’s important to have a plan. Keep a list of appropriate Sabbath Day activities that can be viewed and chosen from. If an item on the list turns out not to promote spiritual feelings, remove it and put another activity in its place. Teach children to consult the list as well. If you take a few minutes each Saturday to plan your Sabbath Day, you’ll soon find the day is too short for everything you hoped to do.
John H. Groberg offered this promise to those who honor the Sabbath:
“Does the Lord love and bless those who keep the Sabbath day holy? I testify that he does in eternally meaningful ways. I further testify that when we eventually see things through the proper perspective of eternal truth, we will be amazed at how much we were blessed in important-though often unperceived-ways through keeping the Sabbath holy; and to our sorrow we may sense how many blessings we kept from ourselves by not consistently keeping the Sabbath day holy.
There is a direct correlation between the proper observance of the Sabbath and true reverence for God, which includes obedience to his other commandments.” (John H. Groberg, “The Power of Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy,” Ensign, Nov 1984, 79)
Truth is Absolute
Filed under: Recognizing Truth, Truth Restored
When Joseph Smith was a teenager, he longed to know which church he should join. He found himself confused because each church he looked into had contradictory doctrine. How could they all be right, as some claimed? Rightly so, he sensed that truth was absolute and unchanging.
If God is the source of truth, and God is not a God of confusion, then there can’t be conflicting truths. If baptism is required to enter the kingdom of God, then it’s always required. If children infants shouldn’t be baptized, then they must never be baptized. Saying that baptism both is and is not required can both be true leads to confusion about important issues, and God doesn’t create confusion.
There are those who expect churches to be fashionable and “tolerant.” They feel churches should take no real stand on any issue, even those that affect salvation. There are churches which have done that, have kept up with the times and not worried too much about what the Bible actually says. However, this is not what God has taught us about truth.
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8: 32
John demonstrates the importance of knowing what is true. In order for us to know what’s true, there must be truth to know. Certain things must be so, whether we like them to be or not. We, as mortal beings, do not get to choose truth. Only God can do this. Our job isn’t to intellectualize truth or judge it, but to know it, live it, share it, and love it. The truth can then make us free.
So, when people accuse your church of being out of touch with the “real” world or the modern world, say it’s out of style or old-fashioned, measure your doctrine against God’s. If you find it’s in tune, then take their criticism as praise. It takes moral courage to stay with truth, and not wander off to the demands of fashion and those who are intolerant of God’s truths.
The Book of Mormon records a vision of the prophet Nephi. In this vision, there was a tree. Lehi understood that the tree had a wonderful fruit, which could bring joy to anyone who partook of it. The tree represented God’s love. Lehi naturally wanted his family to join him at the tree and eat the fruit. His wife and two youngest sons did, but his two oldest were rebellious and refused to come. Lehi watched others set out on the road that led to the tree. One group got sidetracked along the way. The next group found the iron rod that ran alongside the road after a while and held onto it so they wouldn’t get lost, even though a heavy mist had arisen. They stayed on the path, got to the tree, ate the fruit…and then made an eternally fatal error.
This group started looking around to check out how the rest of the world was viewing their wonderful accomplishment. To their surprise, the world wasn’t largely cheering them on. Instead, the people who had not entered the road or who hadn’t stayed on it mocked them, told them they were foolish, and called them names. The people who had successfully navigated the path couldn’t seem to tune out the mocking. They wanted to be loved and accepted, and so, humiliated by the mocking, they rushed off the path to join those who were elegantly dressed and very popular, but who were without truth.
There were other groups, but only one group was successful. Those people chose to take the path. They persevered until they reached the iron rod, which represented God’s word, and then held tight, allowing the rod to guide them to the tree. When they partook of the fruit, they enjoyed the blessings that came from it without taking an opinion poll to see what others thought of them. They didn’t care what others thought. They knew what was right and good, and they were content to have that, regardless of the jeers and persecutions of those less wise.
Today, those who choose to stay on the path and partake of God’s truths are jeered at and mocked. It takes real courage to stay firm and tune out the mockers. However, truth is truth. While it might seem temporarily more provident to follow those who have abandoned God, in the eternal scheme of things, those who honor God will have the best outcomes.
Those who truly know and love God do not expect him to alter truth for their convenience. They understand that truth is unchanging, and that it’s worth the hardships.
Keep the Commandments and Be Happy
Filed under: Finding joy within the gospel, Fruits of gospel living, Joy in our relationship with the Savior
Recently I read a story in the Book of Mormon, another testament of Jesus Christ, that tells of Nephi and how he and his people “lived after the manner of happiness” (2 Ne 5:27.)
I want to live after the manner of happiness, don’t you? In fact, I’d hazard a guess that happiness is the life-long goal of every person who lives. Except, I think we too often believe, mistakenly, that happiness is to be found in success, riches, possessions, admiration, or the like. But that just isn’t so.
Happiness is to be found in our families, in our relationship with God, in our ability to look at ourselves in the mirror at the end of the day and like what we see. Oh, perhaps you won’t like the extra weight you are carrying, or the pimples that are popping up on your face so late in life, or the wrinkles that belie your age, but you can like the light that shines from your eyes—and that light can shine brighter if we have walked in the footsteps of the Lord.
When describing the lifestyle he and his people lived, Nephi said that “And we did observe to keep the judgments, and the statutes, and the commandments of the Lord in all things” (2 Ne. 5:10.)
I can testify from personal experience, that living righteously and keeping God’s commandments makes us happy. Alma, another Book of Mormon prophet, summed it up when he said, “Wickedness never was happiness” (Alma 41:10.) How many times have you done something you knew shouldn’t do? And how often did you later wish you hadn’t done that thing? If you’re anything like me the answer would be, too often.
In an address given to Brigham Young University students, Marlin K. Jensen, said:
“From the depths of my soul I testify that Satan wants us to believe we are an exception to God’s rules, that somehow our transgressions are more noble and justifiable than anyone’s have ever been. But that is a lie. And not only do we offend God by breaking His laws; we also offend ourselves and others, and thereby experience heartache, suffering, and misery—the exact opposites of happiness” (“How to Be Happy,” New Era, Aug 1999, 4.)
There was a time in my life when I truly did believe that I was an exception God’s rules. I was a victim of other peoples’ bad choices—how could I be expected to do what was right when so many in my life had done me wrong? I felt justified in being bad because being good didn’t seem to get me anywhere.
I would have to write a whole book to explain how I came to see the error in my thinking, but suffice it to say, I had that precious ‘aha’ moment wherein I finally came to see that in choosing to continue my bad behavior, I only continued to hurt myself. It was only when I started to do what I knew was right, to follow God’s commandments, that I began to feel my burden lifted, and I began to feel hope.
Now, after seventeen years of practicing righteous behavior, I can honestly say that “wickedness never was happiness.” Don’t get me wrong, I am certainly not perfect. Not even close. But I am somewhat further down the road of obedience than I once was and I am happier for it.
If you feel burdened by wrong choices, either your own or those of others, I encourage you to turn your face to God. Seek to do what He commands as outlined in the scriptures, and I promise He will lift your burdens and reward you with happiness to cheer your days.
Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy
Summer is often the time when people tend to grow a little lax about attending Church and keeping the Sabbath Day holy. The sun is high in the sky and the beaches, lakes and rivers look incredibly inviting as the temperatures climb. The mountains, resplendent in their majesty, seem to beckon one and all to enjoy their shady canyons and meadows. But it would behoove us to remember that Jesus Christ created this world, was born into this world, suffered the Atonement that He might appease the cause of eternal justice, died and was resurrected so that you might repent of your sins, overcome your weaknesses and gain eternal life. Is it really so much for Him to ask you to set aside one day a week from your labors and entertainments to spend that day in quiet worship of He who has made everything possible for you?
Number four of the Ten Commandments states:
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. (Exodus 20:8)
A great promise comes to those who keep the Sabbath Day Holy:
Verily I say, that inasmuch as ye do this (keep the Sabbath Day holy), the fulness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth;
Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards;
Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart;
Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul.
And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion.
And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.
Behold, this is according to the law and the prophets; wherefore, trouble me no more concerning this matter. (See D&C 59:16-24)
Those are pretty powerful promises God has made to His children. Even God Himself rested on the seventh day and has asked us to use Sunday as a day of rest and restoration of our spirits, minds and bodies. And in return, God will make certain all our temporal needs will be met.
Sunday is the day in which we can strengthen our defenses against a corrupt and destructive world. It is the day where we nourish that spark of divinity within us, and are reminded of who and what we are, as well as what the Father expects of us. It is a time of sacred worship, of fellowship with those who also worship God the Father and His Son, of renewal in all things which pertain to righteousness.
God considers it so important, that it was included in the Ten Commandments which Moses received for the Israelites when he came down off Mount Sinai (see Exodus 19). Remember the commandment and then remember the promise. For when you keep the Lord’s commandments He is bound to deliver on His promises (see D&C 82:10). And He never lets us down.
Teens: Is It Important to Keep the Commandments?
Filed under: Living the Gospel, Old Testament, Pearl of Great Price, Scripture Time
I’ve been reading a lot about Enoch in the last few weeks. If any of you have ever read the account in the Bible, you know there’s not exactly a mighty gush of information to study up on.
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed the Mormon Church), have been given a bit more insight, which you too can read in the book of Moses beginning in Chapter 6.
When Enoch was still a young man he was called of God to begin preaching to the people of their wickedness. Sound familiar? Satan’s influence ran rampant throughout the land. There were only a few in Enoch’s family who still remembered the Lord and His commandments.
Enoch was frightened by the idea of preaching to the people. He couldn’t understand how he had found favor with the Lord, when he was still so young, the people hated him, and made fun of him because he was “slow of speech” (Moses 6:31). The Lord promised him none of these things would be a hindrance if he would simply have the faith, and do as he’d been told.
Enoch did just that. Can you imagine the surprise of his worst critics when this previously timid teenager suddenly spoke with remarkable eloquence? Can you picture how angry they must have been when he began calling them to repentance? Though his life was in constant danger, he continued to do what the Lord had commanded of him.
Those who chose to repent eventually formed the City of Enoch. These people were so obedient to the commandments, “Enoch and all his people walked with God, and he dwelt in the midst of Zion” (Moses 7:69). They were so righteous the Lord could be among them. In fact, they were so righteous the Lord eventually took the city up to His care and keeping.
Sounds a bit fantastic, doesn’t it? Do you really think it’s possible for an entire city to become so righteous the Lord can exist there? Can you picture being surrounded by utter wickedness, and still obeying the Lord’s commandments to the point you’re “taken up” to Him?
Keeping the commandments is a voluntary thing, but we need to remember what the consequences are when we break those commandments. Fortunately for us the Lord knows we are imperfect, and has put in place repentance to allow the chance to change our ways, and to start over. The latter-day prophet, Joseph Smith, taught:
“If Enoch, Abraham, Moses, and the children of Israel, and all God’s people were saved by keeping the commandments of God, we, if saved at all, shall be saved upon the same principle.
“We have been chastened by the hand of God heretofore for not obeying His commands…we have treated lightly His commands, and departed from His ordinances, and the Lord has chastened us sore, and we have felt His arm and kissed the rod; let us be wise in time to come and ever remember that ‘to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams’ (1 Samuel 15:22)” (History of the Church, 5:65).
Let us be wise. Let us remember that choosing to immediately follow the commandments of the Lord is much better and easier than disobedience. When we choose the wrong way there is guilt, there is chastisement, there is a lot of work to repent. When we choose the right way there is strength, there is joy, and there are blessings too numerous to count.
Don’t forget: the City of Enoch was not built in a day. Enoch preached for many years before an entire city of people were brought back to the light. Many more years passed until the people could work together so well that they became the prime example of living a Zion life in an imperfect world.
Satan will come at you. The moment you decide to obey the commandments of the Lord He will plague you with hardships, but it does not have to mean you will fail. Pick yourself up, pray, and start again.
Is keeping the commandments of the Lord important? Of course. Is it worth the effort? I think so.
Become Spiritually Fit and Eternally Happy
Filed under: Finding joy within the gospel, Fruits of gospel living
Lately I’ve written a lot on the subject of keeping the commandments as a source of happiness in our lives. You are probably ready for me to move on already! But I read this wonderful quote and thought you might bear with me just one more time.
George Albert Smith, former president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (or the Mormon church,) said:
“It ought not to be difficult for us to keep the commandments of the Lord, because keeping them leads to happiness. It ought not to be difficult for husbands and wives to love one another and be true to one another, because doing so is a source of happiness. It ought not to be difficult for boys and girls to love their parents and honor them, because that is another source of happiness. Being honest with our neighbors is a source of happiness. Paying Him our tithes and our offerings is a source of blessing and happiness. I might go on and enumerate many other things, but I may sum it all by saying: All the happiness that is worthy of the name, all the real happiness there is in this world, comes from living in accordance with the commandments of God—whether men know it or not.”
I would love to have a perfectly fit and healthy body. Once, I was a bodybuilder and competed in amateur bodybuilding competitions. Today, I’m about thirty pounds overweight and can’t strike a pose except to make my children laugh. I know what I need to do to get into shape. I even know how to work out properly. There is a great gym very nearby my house that has all the equipment I need to get into shape.
But do I go? Umm, nope.
However, when I have gone to work out, I feel tremendously good. Not only does my body enjoy being pushed to its limits—coming alive the way only physical exercise allows us to do—but my spirits are also invigorated. You often hear people say “It’s so hard to get to the gym, but I’m always happy when I do because I feel so much better!”
That’s precisely how it is in keeping the commandments. We don’t always want to do them, but they are good for us and following them will always make us happy.
I testify that following the commandments brings peace to our hearts and happiness to lives. Study the commandments as found in Exodus 20, and in the New Testament. Pray about them and discern how they can be applied to your own life. As you do this and strive to live by them daily, you will be blessed with happiness beyond your imaginings.
So flex a little mental muscle and decide today that though it isn’t always easy, you will obey the commandments of God and be spiritually fit and eternally happy.
What Seek Ye?
Filed under: Becoming More Christlike, Humility, Obedience, Peace, Repentance
Let’s talk for just a minute about some of the first disciples of Christ; the first people to recognize His divinity and walk away from their own lives to find out about His.
Though the scriptures identify one of these gentlemen as Andrew and goes on to discuss some of the things he accomplished after hearing Jesus speak, I’d like to focus on what they did when they first saw Jesus Christ.
Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?
He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.
John 1:35-39
Immediately after having the Savior pointed out to them, these men began to follow. Christ noticed them, as He mindful of each one of us, and turned to inquire, “What seek ye?” His first question to them was an invitation into His life and ways.
As much as Christ’s question is interesting to me, the response of the two disciples is what intrigues me. Of all the things you have ever thought to ask the Savior, would “where dwellest thou?” be anywhere near the top of the list?
I know it hadn’t occurred to me, at least until I read these scriptures today. Why “where dwellest thou?” I think it had something to do with faith. They were already familiar with the workings of the Spirit. They were followers of John as he prepared the way for Jesus Christ. They were aware of their inner light and the responses of their souls when they encountered truth and divinity. They had been prepared to follow Christ before they ever came to know Him.
Once they had been introduced, it was natural for them to follow and try to glean knowledge from the Master of all. But perhaps more importantly, they didn’t want to ever leave Him. When given the opportunity to speak, they simply asked where Christ lived, where He could be found, where His safe haven was. Because they asked, Christ could extend an invitation to “come and see.” Once they saw, they stayed. The scriptures say that they stayed with Him because it was the tenth hour, meaning late into the evening: a difficult and tiring time to be traveling. So, they stayed exactly where they wanted to be: wherever their Savior was.
As I’ve struggled with my own tenth hour lately I’ve wondered what I can do, what I can ask of the Savior that will see me through the night until the morning can come again. I have been taught and prepared, my own spirit yearns for the truth and knowledge the gospel can give me. I know some things, but I need to know so much more. I need to spend less time focusing on the coming darkness that is settling around me and stay focused on the ultimate Light in front of me. I think I need to ask where He lives. I can think of no better place to be than taking shelter with the Savior during those times. I need to make sure I’m following behind Him, on the path that will lead to where Christ dwells. I want to be wherever my Savior is.
I think if I would listen, I’d hear the Spirit whisper, “What seek ye?” I want to be able to answer, “I’m seeking You. Where do you live and how can I get there?” Every time I ask, He’ll always answer, “Come and see.” He’ll lead me on the best paths through my trials if I ask where He lives.
This is my basic message to each of you, wherever you live, whatever your joys or sorrows, however young or old you may be, at whatever point you may find yourself in this mortal journey of ours. Some of you are where you want to be or you know where you want to go with your lives, and some of you don’t. Some of you seem to have so many blessings and so many wonderful choices ahead of you. Others of you feel, for a time and for whatever reason, less fortunate and with fewer attractive paths lying immediately ahead.
But whoever you are and wherever you find yourself as you seek your way in life, I offer you “the way … and the life” (John 14:6). Wherever else you think you may be going, I ask you to “come unto him” as the imperative first step in getting there, in finding your individual happiness and strength and success.
Jeffrey R. Holland, “‘Come unto Me’,” Ensign, Apr 1998, 16
The next step is to learn not to leave His home as often as I do, when I think the world is safe and I know my way. I need Him and I need His home. Always.