By Kari Diane Pike
The Gospel Doctrine teacher in our ward introduced a recent lesson by asking his wife to share a testimony building experience of their twelve-year-old daughter. Lyndsie was feeling the frustrations that come with being sandwiched in between a couple of obnoxious brothers and, trusting the messages she was getting from her Young Women leaders, decided to read her scriptures and ask Heavenly Father for help. One evening, Lyndsie burst into her parents’ room and exclaimed she finally knew that Heavenly Father really does understand each of us individually and truly knows what we are experiencing. Then she read the scripture that turned that light on for her. It was 2 Nephi 2:1 “…And behold, in thy childhood thou has suffered afflictions and much sorrow, because of the rudeness of thy brethren.”
I love it! I laugh when I read it, but I also feel the love that Lyndsie must have felt as she felt the Spirit witness the truth to her. Heavenly Father does love us. He does know us on an individual basis. The scriptures teach us that we existed as Intelligence before the world was created. (D&C 93: 29…Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither can be.) Our Father clothed our intelligence in spirit and created this earth so that we could obtain these physical bodies. D&C 93: 36 then teaches us, “The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.” We are His glory…we are light and truth. Our divine nature, our inner core, is full of light and truth!
One of my own personal experiences with the personal nature the scriptures take on as we diligently study them, came when I was particularly frustrated with my own children. I wondered why children, whom we love more than anyone, can bring us the most misery. Then I read 2 Nephi 2:23 with a new perspective. “And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew so sin.” We have children so that through them we come to truly know joy…through misery. Our Father in Heaven has a great sense of humor.
And then there’s the youth that justified their practice of TP’ing houses as fulfilling Biblical prophecy: Zechariah 5:1 “Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll.”
I don’t think you can get more personal than that!
Great examples. I laughed at the TP one, now I can feel justified in how many times I TP'd houses!
ReplyDeleteI've been studying my scriptures more intently lately and they have taken on a new meaning for me.
You always lead me to see the scriptures afresh. I'm such a slacker when it comes to studying! I appreciate people who see beyond the printed page. Sigh. I laughed at the TP scripture. That's truly 'likening it to ourselves'. I'd heard that one in connection to a food fight, but I like the TP one better. I'll use that on my seminary class.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kari, for once again giving me the desire to search and ponder my scriptures just for the awe of it all and not for the have-to of it all.
ReplyDeleteStill my hero....