Wrestle With God
It is no coincidence that;
James 1:5
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."
That this scripture brought in the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's also probably not a coincidence that it wasn't until King Lamoni, and his father which in essence both said;
" What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken?"
Ammon told him;
"If thou desirest this thing, if thou wilt bow down before God, yea, if thou wilt repent of all thy sins, and will bow down before God, and call on his name in faith, believing that ye shall receive, then shalt thou receive the hope which thou desirest. (Alma 22:15-16)
This is how we receive a testimony. We can read all we want, we can listen to things all we want, but it isn't until we have a "broken heart" and a "contrite spirit" that we receive a witness from the spirit that we can not ever deny.
Are we giving God our broken heart and contrite spirit?
I was talking to someone I consider family, and they made a comment that really made me think. It was that, no one on earth can convince you of of the Gospel, nothing you read, nothing you hear, nothing. It isn't until you bow down before your Father in Heaven and ask Him and receive a witness from the spirit.
It made me think, what things have I received a witness of? What do I know?
What has the spirit brought me a strong conviction of?
Have I had an experience like Enos in the Book of Mormon?
Did my "soul hunger?
Have I " cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul"? (Enos 1:4)
Is seems that the pattern isn't until we offer up the "most sincere desires of our heart" that we receive the "most sincere answers" from out Heavenly Father.
I know I haven't always known what I know now, I know it wasn't until I asked with sincere desire that I've gotten the answer.
What does your soul hunger for?
Almost every time it wasn't until I really wanted to know it. It felt like I had to know.
Even then sometimes the answer doesn't come until later..... sometimes not until years later, but they do come.
Sometimes I am not humble enough, and I need to humble myself before Him.
You have to want the answer.
You have to be willing to act on it.
All we have to do is ask.
That is how you gain a testimony!
There is something you can pray for.
2 Nephi 4:35 (read it)
WYTB
Elder Nick Kendrick
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