Either We Believe Him or We Don't!

And whosoever among you are sick and have not faith to be healed, but believe, shall be
nourished with all tenderness, with herbs and mild food, and that not by the hand of an enemy. ~D&C 42:43

The Lord is the king of necessary repetition.

When parents raise children, we teach them by repetition. It is how they learn and grow. When they do wrong, we chasten and counsel them, and we forgive them, hoping they have learned their lesson well enough not to repeat it.

So it is with all of us. Over and over in the scriptures, we are told that when we keep the Lord's commandments, we will be blessed. When we don't, we are turning away from God in disobedience, and there will be consequences - we can't escape those. Obedience to the commandments and putting the Lord first in ALL things also increases our discernment and helps us to avoid being deceived. Putting the Lord first helps us to know what is of God and what isn't. With this, we can also utilize the spiritual gifts He has given us, and use them accordingly.

When our children were young and my husband and I were homeschooling them, there were two things that I told them over and over:

1. "We teach you at home so you will hopefully learn our values and not the world's ideals."

2. "We do this so you will think for yourself instead of allowing others to think for you."

Now, are they perfect at these things? No. But they are constantly trying just as we are.

So, why do we , as God's children, continue to make the same vital mistakes over and over? Why do we look to others for validation? Why do we not utilize the gift of personal revelation from the Lord?

Why do we purposely allow ourselves be deceived?

Is it because it's easier to push aside earnest prayer and critical thinking in favor of being a follower, to be commanded in all things? Is it because it's easier to be told what is best for us, shirking our responsibility of going to God to know His will?

We have been counseled repeatedly to come to know the Savior's voice. So, where is our faith? True faith in the Lord unlocks His power, allowing us to claim that power. This is supposed to be a time of repentance, spiritual growth, and increased devotion to our Savior, not leaning on our own arm, but His.

So, now I'm going to be repetitive. These are the last days and conspiracies abound.

There are so many examples in the scriptures of conspiracies. And it is the same with us today, only the conspirators are far more sinister. And why wouldn’t they be? After all, the king of these conspiracies is a soul harvester who never likes to play by the rules. Regardless, he does have rules that he must adhere to as well, and he offers incentives for your allegiance and obedience to him. But the payoff is always a trap. Because of deceit, many others are taken along for the ride, some going willingly, because it's easier. Again, for many, it's easier to be told what's best for us, acquitting us of responsibility and the consequences. But that excuse will never fly with the Lord.

In the end, we can only ask ourselves, "Do I trust the Lord? Do I believe Him enough to place my life in His hands?"

My personal answer is an ecstatic "Yes!!!"

I pray your answer will be the same, and that we will all look to Him first, always, and that we will allow His will to be done in our lives. I pray that we will pray for increased discernment and increased purification, that we may truly become a sanctified people.

Have a great evening!