Ask, Seek, Knock

I have always love the scripture found in Matthew 7:7-8:
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him than knocketh it shall be opened."

What this scripture tells me is that God WANTS us to be curious.  It's always bothered me when people say things like "Well, maybe we'll find out when we get to heaven."  Maybe we will, but we sure won't find out before then if we don't ask!  Yes, there are some things that really aren't important for us to know right now.  However, some knowledge can be ours if we will seek it out, and Heavenly Father has given us the resources we need in order to discover truth.

I'm really grateful for the opportunity that I have to study science here at BYU.  It's a unique environment, and it has helped me to understand that ultimately, truth is truth.  Spiritual truths and secular truths, while perceived differently, all come from the same source: God.  It seems to me that many people see science and religion as two opposing forces or philosophies that can never be reconciled.  I don't think that when God told us to ask, seek, and knock, He meant that we could only come to Him with religious or spiritual matters.  Didn't He say, "All things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal" (Doctrine & Covenants 29:34)?

As a scientist, I’ve often been asked how I reconcile my studies with my faith.  For me, this hasn’t really ever been an issue - science and religion play complementary roles in my life.  Studying the world around me increases my sense of wonder and helps me to be more grateful to my Heavenly Father, helping me to be a better disciple of Christ.  The doctrines that I learn by drawing closer to Him can be applied in my studies and make me a better scientist.  The things I’ve learned in science class have never shaken my faith.  They’ve taught me that while man has been wrong over and over and over, God has never been wrong.  We can trust Him.  And even though some things don’t make sense because we are missing some pieces, we can know that HE knows.  As we approach Him, asking, seeking, and knocking, our loving Heavenly Father will help us to make sense of the world we live in.  But those doors will never open for us if we never knock.

He Shall Consecrate Thine Afflictions

This week I got tired of 1 Nephi, so I skipped ahead to one of my favorite chapters: 2 Nephi 2.  It's a beautiful chapter that consists of Lehi's parting testimony to his son Jacob.  Lehi teaches Jacob some really important truths about the Atonement, agency, and the plan of salvation.  In my first 20 minutes, I did't make it past the second verse:

"Nevertheless, Jacob, my firstborn in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain."

I've always loved this verse, with the reassurance that with the influence of our Heavenly Father, even our most terrible and trying experiences can work together for our good.  According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, the word consecrate means "make or declare sacred; dedicate formally to a religious purpose."  So, then, God will make our afflictions sacred for our gain.  But how?

I love how knowing the greatness of God is integral to this process.  Referring back to the dictionary, the word affliction comes from a word that originally implied "infliction of pain or humiliation."  It is hard to imagine a loving Heavenly Father inflicting pain on His children, but these afflictions come with the intent of humiliating us, or making us humble.  If we know and remember the greatness of our God and become humble before Him, He will be able to make our experiences sacred by blessing us to grow and develop the attributes of Jesus Christ.

Despite the pain I've experienced, I am grateful for even the worst afflictions I have experienced, because they have brought me closer to God and helped me to become more like the person that He wants me to be.  He has taught me that when I rely on Him, my most frustrating experiences become the most transformative.  Truly, all things work together for good to them that love God (Romans 8:28).  Being humbled can be  a very trying and uncomfortable experience, but it is only in the depths of humility that we are able to see both God and ourselves in the proper perspective and apply the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Who am I?

Hi friends! I’m starting a blog for a class I’m taking here at BYU, Jesus Christ and the Everlasting Gospel.  Each week I’ll write a little something about the things I’ve been studying and how I’m applying what I learn in the class to my life.  I’m really excited about this, because one thing I miss from my mission is the opportunity to share my written testimony about our Heavenly Father and His son through weekly emails.

I’ve been thinking a bit about identity lately, so I was grateful for the opportunity to study Moses 1 this week.  After establishing His identity as the Lord God Almighty, God tells Moses, “Thou art my son” (Moses 1:4).  Then He says, “And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son” (1:6).  It has always been interesting to me that Moses first has to understand who God is, then who he is as God’s son, before he can understand and accept the calling that God has for him.  

As children of Heavenly Father, we have infinite potential.  He expects a lot from us, and that can be scary!  However, when we understand our relationship with Him - that we are literally His children, and He our Father - we don’t have to be afraid.  He understands our capabilities and our limitations more. than we do, and He never asks more of us than we can accomplish with His help.  And because He loves us, He won't ask for anything less than what will allow us to grow and stretch and reach our true potential

As a recently returned missionary, I’ve been trying to understand who I am, how I fit into my corner of the universe, and what I’m supposed to do with my time and talents now that I’m not out teaching and serving every day.  I’m not going to pretend like I have the answers all figured out right now, but studying Moses 1 reminded me of some important truths that I hope will help me figure it out.  Full-time missionary or not, I am a daughter of God, and He still has a calling for me.  He’s not going to leave me in the dark, wondering what He wants me to do.  Despite my relative insignificance in what we call “the grand scheme of things,” my Heavenly Father is personally interested in me and my experiences, and He’s going to help me have those experiences that will draw me closer to Him.  Lastly, I can do NOTHING without the grace of my Savior.

I’ll go ahead and wrap it up with one of my favorite verses from this chapter:

“For behold, this is my work and my glory - to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39).

Think about that - the Lord has created worlds without number, yet His purpose is to bring man to enjoy the infinite joy and glory that He experiences.  That includes YOU!  So go forth, you beautiful child of God.  Your Father knows who He wants you to become, and He’s ready to help you get there.