I’ve done it many times, not sure why I haven’t learned. Pride? The setting has always been at church and the person’s comment always starts with something like, “I feel like someone in this room needs to hear this today.” I look around suspiciously trying to guess who that someone might be. Maybe its Sally, she’s had a rough go lately. My eyes rest on each person in the room and every now and then my eyes meet with another who I know is looking around thinking the exact same thing. When I’m done guessing who and actually start listening to what is being said it dawns on me. Maybe I am the one who needs to hear what is being said?
This setting was a baptism several years ago. “I keep feeling like someone needs to hear this.” As the person started to quote a scripture, not only was I absolutely sure it WAS NOT me, but I had a pretty good idea of who it might be for. Yes, I am just so humble. Half way through his message the thought started to play at the edge of my mind. What if this IS for YOU? I started to listen more closely but could not see how it applied to me.
“Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough!
For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.”
2 Nephi 28:29-30
The scripture is often referenced when speaking of those who dismiss the idea that God could possibly have provided another witness of Jesus Christ and his people in addition to that of the Bible. That maybe it isn’t so absurd that the ancient inhabitants of America also had prophets who followed Christ and kept records of their people. That if they would simply read the Book of Mormon, ponder the message, and ask God if it is true they would gain their own testimony of its truthfulness.
I was good on these points so why did these scriptures keep coming to my mind several days after? I opened my journal to write out my thoughts in hopes of getting some clarity as to why these verses wouldn’t leave my mind. I glanced at my last journal entry written the day before the church sermon in question.
I had written of how content I felt, how blessed I was. I had some unspoken dreams and desires for myself but why mess with status quo and possibly push myself from my place of comfort? The final line of my journal entry read, “I already feel that I’ve been blessed beyond my wildest dreams. Can there be more?”
As I read that line everything became abundantly clear. When it came to my life, my potential, I had decided “I needed no more for I had enough” and “from them that shall say, We have enough, from them it shall be taken away even that which they have.”
It wasn’t a condemning thought, on the contrary, I never felt such optimism and hope for the future. It was like God was telling me. “Dream! Wish! Express your desires, don’t be afraid of them! There is much, much more for you and I want to give it to you but you’ve gotta be willing to seek it. Hearken, counsel with me, learn, receive all I have in store for you and I will give even more than you ask!”
What “more” should you be asking for?
Our Father in Heaven is so generous. Do you have unexpressed desires of your heart? Do they scare you? Is it easier to fly under the radar rather than seek for something more? I’ve answered yes to all those questions before and sometimes the appeal of ease is more tempting than the effort of gaining something more. That is easily one of Satan’s best lies and too many, including myself, fall for it.
There is a warning of this lie in the exact same chapter of the Book of Mormon:
“And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.” 2 Nephi 28:21
Is there more “prosperity” to be had in your life? Forget the negative/discouraging thoughts being fed to your mind, what about the thoughts that you are just fine with staying exactly where you are? They are “cheating” you of your unimaginable and phenomenal potential. There is more for you my friend. There is more for me. There is more for us all. We are meant to progress. However hard progression may be, the joy of it is well worth the effort.
This quote from this amazing talk by Sheri Dew says it all.
“Our spirits crave to progress, and if we aren’t moving forward, we’re not happy. We believe in progression, and progression is by design difficult. How inspiring would it have been if our Father had said, “Be ye therefore mediocre”? Though our knees buckle at times under life’s pressures, none of us wants to stay just like we are. Embedded within our spirits is the need to become more and more like our Father. We are far more motivated to do something difficult than something easy.”
Go to your Heavenly Father in prayer. Ask what desires He wants you to speak. Ask what you can do to progress. Don’t worry, His ways are “small and simple” and He will never require something He is not willing to help you with. See you on the other side of all God has in store for you! I thinks it’s gonna blow your mind.
