A Marvelous Work

 Yesterday on my walk/hike, I listened to two Don't Miss This podcasts and an All In. 

(I love my walk and podcast time!)

When Martin Harris loses the 116 pages, the Lord describes him to Joseph as a wicked man (Section 3:12). A year later when Martin comes back to Joseph and wants MORE proof and BETTER proof (not just 116 of translated pages, but he wants to see the actual plates), I would have been wary. But I love that the Lord knows his heart. Instead of giving him a lecture telling him he should have learned his lesson the first time and don't ever ask for things again, the Lord responds that yes, if he humbles himself, he can be a witness. 

I love that the Lord knew Martin's heart. He knows our hearts. He knows when we're sincere. He doesn't hold our past mistakes against us. He wants us to come back to him and ask for things, even if we weren't good stewards of the blessings we received before. He also doesn't hold back in giving us warnings. He knows our shortcomings. God wants us to succeed, not to be overcome by our weaknesses. Martin struggled with humility. Without God's reminder to be humble, he could have talked himself into believing it didn't matter and not taken his covenant so testify so seriously.

Another doctrine I love is, God's work and His glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. He calls it a marvelous work. WE are His marvelous work. Weave that together with His promise in Section 3:1, that "The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught." That sounds to me like our salvation cannot be frustrated. 

God will keep finding us wherever we are. 

But he wants us to turn to him -- through prayer, pondering and scriptures -- 

so he can help us in all of the questions, concerns, worries and help that we need.

We have our free agency. But life's challenges can be eased when we ask the Lord for guidance and inspiration. I've experienced it So. Many. Times.

I read this in the Liahona last week and have loved the reminder to stay on my knees a little longer to hear the voice of the Lord. I don't really do that so well, but I do think I listen pretty well throughout my prayer. I'm pretty good about not just saying the same thing every day, but wanting to actually THINK about what I'm praying for. And through that thinking, I'm pondering and listening. 

(I can totally still recite my prayer from early years throughout... high school?! 

It may not have been original, but it covered the bases...

"Please bless Mom, Dad, Me, Michelle, Michael, Sheree, Rebekah, Rachel, and all those near and dear to us, wherever they might be..." said as fast as possible!)

"Drawing near to the Lord brings comfort and encouragement, hope, and healing. 

So, we pray in His name about our worries and our weaknesses, 

our longings and our loved ones, our callings and our questions."

Then we listen.

If we will stay on our knees for a while after we finish our prayer, 

thoughts, feelings, and direction will come into our mind. 

Recording those impressions will help us remember what

 actions the Lord would have us take."

"We may need to be patient, 

but God will speak to us in His own way and in His own time.

I encourage you to take the necessary steps to hear the 

Lord better and more often so that you can receive

 the enlightenment He wants to give you."

--President Russell M. Nelson