Seek, Knock, Find

Sometimes, you just need a good reminder.
And yesterday, that's exactly what I got.

I went on another scripture chase, and this is what I learned! SHA-BAM! Starting in the Book of Mormon in Mosiah...

Mosiah 27:14
"And again, the angel said: Behold, the Lord hath HEARD the prayers of his people... therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the PRAYERS OF HIS SERVANTS MIGHT BE ANSWERED ACCORDING TO THEIR FAITH."

The Lord answers prayers. That much is certain. I've had too many experiences when my prayers have been answered to deny that.
And though the Lord will and does answer prayers, he does it when
1. It is the right time 
2. When we are ready to accept His answer

Which led me to this particular scripture in the Old Testament...
Daniel 10:12
"Then said he unto me, FEAR NOT, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst SET thine heart to understand, and to CHASTEN THYSELF before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words."

Interesting...
I took the liberty to research the words that I highlighted:
FEAR NOT- Don't be afraid, and be happy!
SET- to seek the Lord in prayer, seek His counsel and His answers
CHASTEN- to humble yourself

Sometimes, we may feel that we aren't getting answers to our prayers.
But, perhaps it's not that Heavenly Father is not answering, but rather, he's patiently waiting for us to be READY and WILLING to accept HIS answer.
Have you ever prayed for something, or for help with something, but somewhere deep inside, you know your heart is not in the right place? How can Heavenly Father give you the answer that you need if you're not ready or willing to change?
Or perhaps, you are praying for the wrong thing. Analyze yourself. Is whatever you're praying for in line with the will of the Lord?

Heavenly Father has blessings for you, and He's just waiting to give them to you. He knows us better. He knows what we want, but even more importantly, He knows what we NEED. Have we've done all that we can to humble ourselves to receive that answer?
When we do all that we can to HUMBLE OURSELVES, and SEEK the Lord, then are we able to receive those answers that we NEED. It all starts with us.
Heavenly Father keeps His promises. He gives us answers. But He also expects us to do our part. It has always been that way.

We do our part, and we grow. He helps us, and we become even stronger. Just as a loving father here on earth would do anything for his child, our Father in Heaven loves us so much, that He helps us. He gives us strength when we are weary. He gives us peace when we are anxious. And through the Savior, we come closer to Him.

:)

Enos 1:4
"And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul..."

"So when life gets dark and dreary, don't forget to pray."
                                                                                        - Don't forget to pray Hymn 140

Our Support and Foundation

Sometimes, revelations takes more than a day to figure out. And so it was with this particular drop of awesomeness!

On Thursday, the ASL Sisters were able to do a scripture study with a member, and we studied Exodus, talking specifically about the Law of Moses (Super interesting, just FYI... I want to research that later.) Studying that made me curious, and so I decided to take a little break and read something different. Genesis is touch-finished, so I started reading Exodus.

Moses is awesome... Just sayin'. Here's a little something I learned :)

Think back to the moment when Moses finds the burning bush... When Moses finds the bush, he is intrigued. And that's when God calls out to him "out of the midst of the bush," saying, "Moses, Moses." And then, God says something that I thought was curious... "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground."

... Why would God require Moses to take off his shoes?
I'm really like a little kid when it comes to the scriptures.... "WHY WHY WHY WHY?????" So... RESEARCH!!!!

I found something that talks about a lot of the symbolism in the scriptures... And I looked up the word "feet." Check it...

FEET: Mobility, Support, Foundation

I thought about these words, and about what they could mean. So, perhaps this may not be EXACTLY but, it's what I thought about... NOT EXACT DOCTRINE...

Mobility- Our feet lead us to where we want to go. Once we decide that path that we should take, we must take the necessary steps to get there. We are not placed on this earth to be stagnant. Christ asks us to follow him. To do that, taking that first STEP of faith is required.

Support- Keeps us upright, and moving forward. If we fall, we get right back up, and keep going. We have a goal in sight. We don't turn back. Having a strong support will keep us strong, and keep us going. Because of the Atonement, when we fall, we CAN get back again.

Foundation- If you don't have the right FOUNDATION, then the SUPPORT and the MOBILITY really doesn't matter. What should our foundation be anchored in? HELAMAN 5:12 (Back to the Book of Mormon and Bible, it ALWAYS supports!) "... It is the Rock or our Redeemer, who is CHRIST, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation." Christ is the sure foundation! Through his Atonement and through his grace and mercy, he gets us to where we want to go while here on earth...

Where's that?
The TEMPLE. (AKA Holy Ground)

As I thought about that, my mind kind of randomly (or maybe not so randomly) thought of a story in the New Testament. A moment that happened just hours before Christ performed the Atonement.
In John 13, Christ washed the feet of his disciples, an act that has so many symbolism (much to my happiness!) And something that stood out to me was something that Christ says to Peter in verse 10:

"... He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit..."

I footnote the word "clean".

CLEAN=PURITY.

So, why did Christ wash the feet of his disciples? My thoughts: It's interesting that it's the feet of his disciples that he washed. Looking at the symbolic meaning of feet, and the meaning for clean, I thought that the washing of the feet was a symbol. Christ is the only one that can cleanse us from our sins and mistakes. He is the only one who can pick us back up when we fall, and the one that we look forward to with a steadfast hope, and he is our foundation.

REFERRING BACK TO MOSES AND THE BURNING BUSH...

MOSES AND THE BUSH                                                  US AND THE TEMPLE
*Moses was in the presence of God,                                     *When we enter the temple, we enter with
which required him to be as clean as he                                   clean hands and pure hearts. It requires us to
possibly could. By taking off his shoes, it showed                     follow the Savior to the best of our abilities.
that he was willing to follow Go, and walk to path                   It requires us to allow his Atonement to work
that he would be asked to take.                                              in our lives, to keep us going forward and                                                                                                     cleaning us by removing our sins and                                                                                                             mistakes.

Just my little take on Exodus today :)
As we strive to follow Christ, we can come closer and closer to him.

Burdens become Light

SHA-BAM!!!
That is how I felt today as I was doing personal study!!

Some days, you learn about something that you already know, but you learn it in a completely new and awesome way! And for me, that day was today!
While reading in the Book of Mormon, in the book of Mosiah, a particular verse really stood out to me. The Lord is speaking to a prophet, whose name is Alma. And this is what he said, about helping us with our struggles.

In Mosiah 24:14, it says:
And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

The first thing that I noticed was the word "burden." How is it possible, that our burdens can be lifted?? So much so, that we can't feel them? So, my curious mind started thinking, and I started a scripture chase!

If you look down in the footnote for the word "burden" it will lead you to Isaiah 46:3-4. So, curious little me decided to check it out, and this is what it says:

Isaiah 46:3-4
Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb.
And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have MADE, and I will BEAR, even I will CARRY, and will DELIVER you.

(FYI: Hoar means grey. So, hoar hairs is grey hairs... Therefore...)
MODERN DAY TRANSLATION: I've known you since before you were even born. I created you, and I will be with you even when you've grown old, and forever after that.

I read that, and my mind started running! And this is what I thought...

IN DEPTH WITH THE BOLD WORDS:

MADE: Heavenly Father made us, and therefore, he KNOWS us, personally, and desires us to be happy. We are of goodly Heavenly parent, who wants us to return to live with them. That is only possible through Jesus Christ.

BEAR: Christ was willing to BEAR our sins in the Garden Gethsemane, which is the first part of the Atonement, and the second part of the scriptural pattern. To bear something means to ENDURE to the END, even when it becomes hard. Christ, while praying in Gethsemane, asked, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." (Matthew 26:39) Regardless, he did the Father's will, and BORE our sufferings, because he knows who we are, and he loves us.

CARRY: Christ CARRIED his cross to the Hill of Calvary. Here, he is bearing his own burden, AFTER bearing each of our burdens. Christ puts us before him. He carries his burden, that we may have his strength to bear ours. He carries us when we are lost.

DELIVER: 3 days after Christ's death, his body and spirit were reunited. Because of the Resurrection, Christ fulfilled the Atonement, and is now able to DELIVER us from our fallen natural man state. Christ had to wait 3 days before he was able to be in his perfect state. We, too, have to wait for the blessings to come. And when we endure, the blessings always come, because of Jesus Christ. And he will deliver us.

So, to go back to the Book of Mormon (because both scriptures support each other). How is it possible that our burdens may be lifted?

Answer: The Atonement of Jesus Christ. Because he loves us and knows us, and knows how to lift the burden.

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!!! ONE MORE ONE MORE!!!!

The second part that I noticed... The Lord said unto Alma, "...and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions."

...So wait... So sometimes we are given trials and afflictions, not because we deserve it, but because they will help us become stronger?

Not only will we be made STRONGER... But we will come closer unto Christ.
And because we come closer unto Christ, we will know HIM.
And because we will know him, we can be witnesses of Him, and testify of Him.
And we will be able to say, "I am His disciple."       

Wouldn't that be the coolest opportunity? To be His witness?
I think so too. :)

The Lamb and The Shepherd

Symbols are such an essential part to the scriptures.

We find them all over the place, whether it's Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants... they are everywhere! And it's really interesting to make the connections in our lives.

This is one of my most favorite things to do while I am reading the scriptures: making connections, and seeing all the cool intricate ways that the Lord works in our lives! It's really quite amazing when you put the pieces together.

On Christmas Eve morning, as I was studying the Christmas story, there was one symbol that I was drawn to. That symbol was the Lamb.

I looked up the word "sheep" in the Bible Dictionary (crazy enough, it didn't have the word "lamb"), and I thought that the last part of the definition was really interesting:

"Shepherds still, as of old, go before the sheep, and the sheep FOLLOW, being apparently more or less attached to their masters, whose voice they instantly recognize."

My mind started going and I tried to write down some words that came to my mind when I think of the word "Lamb" and this was what I came up with:

*meek                       *follower                    *recognizes its master              *pure (white)         *obedient

And so, my mind began to wander and I had the thought... "Christ is known as the Lamb of God."

Why is that? Jesus Christ is known as the Lamb of God? From looking at the definition of sheep, I started to make some connections:

*The FATHER is his MASTER
*He OBEYED the Father
*He KNEW and RECOGNIZED his Father
*He is PURE

As I wrote these thoughts down, my mind began to wander again... "Wait... Christ is also known as The Good Shepherd..."
What is the role of a shepherd?

*The Shepherd GOES BEFORE his sheep
*The Shepherd PROTECTS his sheep
*The Shepherd TENDS TO and TAKES CARE of his sheep
*The Shepherd LOVES his sheep

It's kind of ironic... He is known BOTH as the lamb AND the shepherd. Why is that?
As I thought of these things, the thought came to my mind:

By first being a FOLLOWER of God, Christ was able to become the LEADER for us.

In John 10:14, the Saviour said, "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine."
How can we become "lambs" (or, in other words, followers) of The Good Shepherd?
Same as a lamb follows his shepherd:

* Recognize his voice (diligently studying and pondering his doctrine, and knowing it.)
*Follow his voice (obey his commandments)
*Go where he wants you to go (follow his promptings)
*Understand that he is the leader (be meek and humble)
*LOVE HIM

I know that as we continue to do the things that the Lord would have us do, and to endure patiently when times become hard, we can feel his influence in our lives. It's not always easy. (Touch Finish) But it is always worth it. Though we may not understand it now, we WILL understand all things later.

Trust that the Shepherd knows all. :)

Shepherds Abiding

So... MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!! Yes, I know, Christmas Day was indeed yesterday, but for me, Christmas goes on all of December! What a wonderful time to remember the Savior, and all that he has done for us!

I haven't been able to write for the past few days, since the library was closed... But I want to share just another more Christmas thought that I learned from personal study a few days ago. 

My second favorite people that were able to witness the baby Jesus (next to Joseph) are the shepherds. There are so many questions that go through my mind when I read about them. Questions such as, what made the shepherd so special that they were able to witness the Savior? Or, what must have been going through their minds as they knelt down before the Greatest King who would ever walk the earth? 

So, we all know the story... 

There were shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their sheep at night, and the angel came unto them and said, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be unto all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord..."

Now, here's my favorite part.... Luke 2:15-18: 

"And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us NOW go, even unto Bethlehem, and SEE this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 

And they came with HASTE, and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. 

And when they had seen it, they MADE IT KNOWN ABROAD the saying which was told them concerning this child. 

And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds."

As I read that, I wrote down some things that I noticed and admired about the shepherds:

1. That night, the shepherds weren't just chilling around, not doing anything. They were working, taking care of their sheep. Or, in other words, they were doing their job. And when the angel of the Lord came unto them, they had a choice to make: either stay and fulfill their jobs, which is a GOOD choice, or to see the Savior, which is the BEST choice. 

That can apply to us as well! Do we make sure we choose the better choices over the good choices? Do we justify our actions, or do we really focus on the things which are important?

2. As soon as they learned about the Savior, they LEFT WITH HASTE. 

Think about that. The shepherds left their job, their worldly cares, to see the Savior. 

How often do we put the Savior first above other priorities? When we are given the opportunity to feel his spirit, do we? Do we procrastinate the time set apart for him, or do we make him our priority?

3. After the Shepherds saw the miracle, they went and shared their knowledge! And everyone who heard it, marveled, meaning, that the spirit touched their hearts. 

When we have the opportunity, do we share our testimony whenever we can? Or do we hide it? Our knowledge that we have is precious, and everyone needs to chance to hear it. 

At the end of it all, the shepherds returned, "Glorifying and praising the God for all the things that they had heard and seen..." 

From the example of the shepherds, I learned something about Testimonies. A testimony may be small, but it is precious.     

A testimony BEGINS when we put the Lord first.
A testimony is TESTED as we seek the BEST choices above the GOOD choices.
A testimony is STRENGTHENED when we share it with others. 
Through this, a testimony will become KNOWLEDGE. 

I'm grateful for my testimony that I have of the Savior and his Gospel. I know that he came, and that he lives. He is the Most Important Thing that will ever happen on this Earth. 

I know it! 

And I love it!

The Guardian

Joseph is amazing. I've always respected him.

I try to imagine what his story is truly like, and how his role pertains to the Christmas Story. We know that he was a humble carpenter, the husband of Mary. We know that he was with Mary through it all. We know that he helped raised the Savior.
But, I've always wanted to know HIS story. What was it like, being the Guardian of the Savior? What was it like, being the father figure for the Savior, the PERFECT example, when, knowing full well, that he himself, was not perfect?

Really, what would it be like?

I was reading about him, for my "Week before Christmas Study", in Matthew 1. There were a lot of characteristics that I found about Joseph. In Matthew 1:18-21 and 24-25:

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear no to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."

PAUSE!

Ok, lets think about this for a second...
There's Joseph and Mary, who love each other very much, are planning on getting married. Imagine Joseph's surprise when Mary comes to him one day and says, "Joseph, I'm having a baby... But I promise, it's not what you think..."
I mean, what would be going through Joseph's mind?? Really? Well, we see from verse 19, that he was going to break off the engagement, privately so as not to embarrass Mary.

That's the first thing I noticed about Joseph. How much he really loved Mary, and really, how hurt he must have been, before he understood what was happening. He, being a just man, was probably heartbroken, and probably thinks, that they couldn't get married anymore. I'm sure he did not want to. I imagine it was extremely hard for him.

But then, as it says, the angel tells him (MODERN DAY TRANSLATION), "Joseph, really, it's not what you think. Your wife will have this baby, and He will be the Son of God, and shall save the world from darkness. And you, Joseph, will raise the child as your own, and be a guardian and protector for Him."  

And then, as we continue in 24-25:

"Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS."

The second thing I noticed about him: He instantly did what he was told, and no longer doubted, but had EXCEEDING FAITH to do what he was called to do. Once he understood his calling, he ACCEPTED the responsibility to raise the Son of God.

Now, this is Sister Parrish doctrine right now, but I imagine that during Mary's pregnancy, Joseph and Mary had so many spiritual experiences, that brought them closer together in ways that they would not have otherwise had, and made them love each other so much more. 

Of course, we all the story. When the time came, they traveled to Bethlehem. I'm sure the journey was extremely difficult for a woman who was in her third trimester of her pregnancy, while Joseph, the Guardian, led her there... on a donkey.
I can imagine Joseph's panic, when they finally arrive in Bethlehem, they can't find ONE SINGLE INN where they can stay.
I wonder how he felt, when they had no other choice, but to stay in a stable. A barn. It probably wasn't that clean or sanitary.
I can imagine Joseph being so worried about the love of his life, wondering how they were going to get through this. Maybe he even shed a tear or two.
I'm sure he had to be so strong and have so much faith on that night.
And I imagine, that when he was finally able to hold the Christ child, what joy filled his soul. I'm sure that he felt like a new father, holding his first baby, and although Christ was not HIS child, I'm sure he felt that HUGE sense of responsibility on his shoulders. I'm sure that he thought back to when the angel talked to him, and told him, that he would help raise the Lamb of God. I'm sure he thought about who was in his arms: The Savior. His Savior.

What an amazing example of pure charity and love. :)

I cannot wait to meet the Guardian someday.

The Mother of the Child

One person whom I've always admired was Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. I'm always amazed by her story. And today, as I was studying in Luke, I was once again amazed at the faithfulness of this woman.

When I reflect and read about the Christmas story, I always find something new. And today, as I was reading about Mary, I found a few things that I thought was very special and neat.

I love reading in Luke 1, where we read about the Angel who appeared to Mary, and informed her that she is "highly favored" of the Lord. And then, when he tells her that she will have a child, the Son of God. 

I don't know about you, but if I was told that I was going to raise the Son of God, I really don't think I'd have the confidence or the belief that I could do it! Can you imagine, Mary, as young as she was... What must have been going through her head?? And considering her circumstances, I could imagine her thinking, "How is this even possible?? I'm not even married yet!" 

But, I love Mary's response in verse 38: 

"Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." 

Can you BELIEVE that faith? She is so accepting of it! 

And really, how SPECIAL she was, to be so favored of the Lord, and so trustworthy, to be given the responsibility of raising the Son of God... 

There was also one other thing that I've never noticed before that I absolutely loved! After Mary finds out the news, she goes to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, who is also having a baby (John the Baptist). And as they are talking, we find Mary's testimony (46-55) (I'll share some of my favorite parts):

"My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed... He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy." 

Wow... Her testimony in the Lord is SO RIDICULOUSLY STRONG. To me, I see a woman, who loves her Heavenly Father so much, that she is willing to do ANYTHING to do her best, to be a handmaiden of the Lord. I see someone who trusts Him so much, that she is more able to trust herself, believing that she can do whatever the Lord asks of her, with her help. 

I cannot even imagine the feelings she must have felt during that whole time, from the time she was visited by the angel, to the moment when she holds the child in her arms. There is a verse in Luke 2:19:

"But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart."

I'm sure that the experiences that she had were much to precious and special to share with the world. What a wonderful example of humility and faith. 

I am personally grateful for the faith of Mary, and for not backing out. She is someone that I cannot wait to meet one day. Her faith and testimony, her trust in the Lord, is one that I find to be so extremely special. 

She truly was an elect woman of God.