An Invitation to Come Unto Him

At April 2013 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Henry B. Eyring spoke to my soul.  (Read his full talk here.)    Here's a gem for you to consider for your life.

President Eyring started by sharing his experience with drawing near to the Savior.  In the Doctrine and Covenants 88:63, Christ says, "Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."  This direction is echoed through the Holy Bible.  Like President Eyring, I have "experienced the joy of coming closer to the Savior and of His coming closer to me most often through simple acts of obedience to the commandments." He shares some of His sweet experiences, but may I share mine? I have learned through experience that when we pray for answers and are in the right places at the right times, God is able to so sweetly give us those answers.  Among other things, I've been seeking ways to come closer to my Savior.  I started by reading the scriptures on a more regular basis, pondering the words I read, and praying for more guidance.  I must say that so many times when I question came into my mind, the answer was found so quickly in the Scriptures.  I would pour out my gratitude to my Father in Heaven for those sweet and simple answers.  Then came Conference.  I've said before how much we love watching General Conference. And it remains true.  I had a prayer in my heart throughout the session that I would feel the Spirit working in me and help me find my answers.  And every single talk, I felt the Spirit burning within me!  Telling me that what these men said is true.  I felt guided to record these feelings of revelation, to start working on certain areas, to focus on particular doctrines or actions in my life.  These last 2 months I have felt so near my Savior.  I've had setbacks, of course, but I have been making strides in my life again.  And I'm sharing with my children my excitement for my Savior and His Gospel.

stock photo source

Back to President Eyring.  He tells us we "are under covenant both to lift up those in need and to be witnesses of the Savior as long as we live.  We will be able to do it without fail only as we feel love for the Savior and His love for us.  As we are faithful to the promises we have made [at baptism], we will feel our love for Him.  It will increase because we will feel His power and His drawing near to us in His service." I can testify that this is happening for me.  I had been feeling overwhelmed by so many things.  And while some things are still difficult, I feel lifted up. I feel encouraged to serve my friends, neighbors, family, and strangers.  I feel the love of my Savior more as I draw closer to Him in prayer and in scripture study.  I feel His love growing as I also feel Him drawing nearer to me.  I see more purpose in my life and less drudgery in the everyday simple things.  What is a mother but a servant to her family?  After Christ washed the feet of His disciples, a task normally left to servants, He said

Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.  If I then, your Lord and master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.  For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.  If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. (John 3: 13-17)

What a blessing we have to serve God's little ones in this way!  What an expression of love and service.  It may sometimes feel a drudgery or unrewarding.  But we are helping to raise God's children.  This is not something that happens in a day or even a year.  It requires a lifetime of daily service, one tiny step at a time.

President Eyring continues:

My promise to you who pray and serve the Lord cannot be that you will have every blessing you may wish for yourself and your family.  But I can promise you that the Savior will draw close to you and bless you and your family with what is best.  You will have the comfort of His love and feel the answer of His drawing closer as you reach out your arms in giving service to others.  As you bind up the wounds of those in need and offer the cleansing of His Atonement to those who sorrow in sin, the Lord's power will sustain you.  His arms are outstretched with yours to succor and bless the children of our Heavenly Father, including those in your family....There is a glorious homecoming prepared for us.  We will then see fulfilled the promise of the Lord we have loved.  It is He who welcomes us into eternal life with Him and our Heavenly Father.

I bear testimony that our Savior knows our needs before we can even express them.  He is anxiously waiting to bless us.  When we draw near to Him in prayer, in faith, and in service, He pours out blessings upon us.  I know that when we are obedient to His commandments, we are blessed with so much more than temporal blessings.  If the fullness of joy that is promised us in the eternities is anything like the fleeting times of joy I feel during this life, it only makes me more anxious to serve Him, in whatever way or place.