Get this quote!
, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation” (D&C 68:4).
What an amazing definition of scripture. And this is why we have so much of it. The Lord has called men to speak for Him to us both in ancient times and in modern times. You can study the words of the modern-day prophets by clicking here.
But the purpose of this blog today is to discuss the scriptures as traditionally known: printed books called the Bible, the Book of Mormon, etc.
Have you ever been stumped by a problem or issue in your life? Most of us have. Whether it’s as small as where to go to school for college, or even if you should go BACK to school, or which job to take, etc., the Lord can help you in this decision. His wisdom, of course, exceeds ours in eternal ways; He can and will counsel us within that wisdom if we seek it. And the best way to find that wisdom is, believe it or not, in the pages of scripture. I’ll explain more in a bit, but first this…
What if your issue is far more serious? What if you’ve discovered something that makes you feel very uncomfortable and you don’t know what to do with the information? What then?
The answer is the same. You can find the voice of the Lord speaking to you from the pages of the scriptures. You just need to explore them! The word of God has been compared to a living thing, and in so many ways it is.
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had a problem in my own life and by going to the scriptures, I’ve then had the solution come into my mind. Here is the process I usually go through (I say “usually” because in reality the Lord can work in so many amazing ways).
1. I ponder.
The first step of receiving inspiration from God has nearly always come because I’ve been pondering on the problem. It’s been in my mind. It’s concerned me. And by thinking about it, it of course is very present in my life.
2. I pray.
When I’ve stopped to pray, I’m that much nearer to a solution. By invoking the Lord’s help through prayer, I’m inviting Him to participate in my discovery of the much needed solution. He won’t solve it for me, but He most definitely at some point will show me how to solve it. (To do it for me – instead of me following through – so often would only weaken me.)
3. I turn to the scriptures.
So many times, the problems we face are already recorded in the scriptures – only the individuals have slightly different names. Perhaps the setting or scenario is different, but the heart-wrenching need for an answer is nearly always the same. When I take time to prepare myself before scripture study by pondering on my own problems, next praying to the Lord about them, scripture study takes on a vibrancy that is difficult to describe but very real all the same.
4. I serve.
Oftentimes the answers the Lord gives me are AFTER my prayer/scripture study time. It is while I’m helping another person that the Lord so often then reaches in to give me the answer I seek.
I’m not sure why this process works so well for me, but it does. Time and time again, it has worked for me.
So remember, 1) ponder, 2) pray, 3) study God’s word, then 4) serve. In so doing, He will better be able to reach you in your own time of need. It’s always worked for me. I just needed to be patient enough to wait out the process!
This link will take you to the scriptures to get you started (after you pray, of course!
