Have ye inquired of the Lord?

1 Nephi 15:8 (page 30): "And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord?"

When Lehi told his family about the vision he had about the tree of life, his sons were confused and didn't understand the meaning of it. Nephi, the youngest, had a righteous desire to have a greater comprehension of his father's dream. 1 Nephi 10:17 & 19 (pages 18-19) states: "And it came to pass after I, Nephi, having heard all the words of my father, concerning the things which he saw in his vision, and also the things which he spake by the power of the Holy Ghost, which power he received by faith on the Son of God-and the Son of God was the Messiah who should come- I , Nephi, was desirious also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him...For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost..." Nephi understood the notion ask and ye shall receive. Following this he was given the same vision that his father saw along with an interpretation of the vision and so much more. (1 Nephi 11-14, pages 19-30) After seeing the vision, Nephi returned to where his family was staying, where he found his brothers arguing about the meaning of the vision. After asking them if they went to the Lord for understanding, he stated in 1 Nephi 15:11 (page 31), "Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?-If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you."

I love what we can learn here about prayer and its importance in our relationship with our Father in Heaven. If we are humble, keep the commandments, and ask in faith, then the Lord will open our minds and help us understand His mysteries. The Lord asks us to put forth effort. He asks us to test our faith. Ether 12:6 (page 509) says, "...for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." We can turn to the Lord for anything, and we should. He is waiting with open arms to give us the answers our souls desire. He wants to comfort and guide us through our lives. He wants to be a part of each and every day. We are His children and He wants to show His love for us. But, we have to do our part. When you feel lost or confused, ask yourself, "have ye inquired of the Lord?"

There are a lot of great examples of this principle, but I want to share the experience of Joseph Smith. When he was fourteen years old, he read James 1:5-6 which states, "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. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering..." After reading this verse, he decided to go to a grove of trees to ask the Lord in prayer which church he should join. This led to his beautiful vision of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and later the restoration of the church of Jesus Christ in its fullness-all because a young boy asked in prayer. (You can view a video about Joseph Smith's experience here. First click on "Truth Restored" just above the blue box at the bottom, then click "view video" under The Restoration DVD)

I know that the Lord hears and answers our prayers. I have had countless experiences where He has answered mine. My knowledge of this began when I was just eight years old. I lost my earing and was very worried that I wouldn't find it because it was a very small stud. After searching for some time, I remembered that I had been taught to pray when I needed help. I went into my room and asked the Lord to help me find this lost earing. On completion of my prayer, I decided to resume my search. While walking out to the family room, I stepped on it, poking me in the foot. I laughed at the irony and then realized that there was no irony in it at all. The Lord was waiting to help me. He cared, because I cared.

When I was a teenager, I had a seminary teacher share with us that if we needed to feel the Lord's love, all we needed to do was ask Him and He would be unable to hold His love from us. I decided that I wanted to try this out because like all teenagers, I was needing comfort and guidance. After dinner, I took solitary in my bedroom, kneeled next to my bed, and prayed. Instantly after asking the Lord if He loved me, my entire body was filled with warmth. I began to cry at the overwhelming outpouring of love that I felt. I can not explain it with words, but I know and will always know that my Father in Heaven loves me very much.

I know that the power of prayer is real. I know that we can turn to our Father in Heaven for answers. He will enlighten our minds with His Spirit. He will give us a greater understanding of His teachings. He will comfort us in times of need and He will strenthen us when we are weak. I hope and pray that you will do as Nephi and "inquire of the Lord". This I share in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.