As Jesus answered the skeptics at the Feast of Tabernacles, He said, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” 5 There is a way by which all men can know whether or not the teachings of Jesus Christ are true. We must seek after or desire to know our Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Our Father in Heaven will never take away our agency. And this applies to less-active members as well as those who are not yet members of the Church.
The Savior said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” 3īut we must have the desire to open the door, even if it shakes the very foundation of our past beliefs and way of life. Our Heavenly Father never gives up on us. I felt my friend had been touched by the Spirit of the Lord. The philosophies die with their civilizations and are left in the dust of the past without hope of eternal reward. As Nephi stated, they have been pacified and lulled away “into carnal security.” 2 They have been steeped in traditions and taught by the precepts of men.Īs I have reflected on that moment, I ask myself the question “What is the reward for following the philosophies of men?” The answer seems clear. I know that he, like thousands or millions of others in the world today, is content with life as it is. And I hope that an opportunity will come again, for there is so much more that I would like to share with him. Unfortunately we were interrupted by the other guests and that precious moment passed, but I knew that in his heart he was still internalizing what he had heard and felt. And by the power of the Holy Ghost may know the truth of all things.’” 1 If you will ‘ask God, the Eternal Father, … with a sincere heart, … having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. Then, knowing that he was internalizing what he had heard, I leaned over and said: “You can know as surely as I know that what I have borne witness to is true. There was a long pause as I watched him ponder what I had said. I bore witness that I knew assuredly that what I had told him was true. I responded by telling him of the Restoration, that God the Eternal Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith and that through him the priesthood and authority of God were restored to the earth.
It was apparently something he had been thinking about because it came without anything in the previous conversation that would have prompted it. This was somewhat surprising because I was aware that he, like many in the world today, had rationalized God out of existence. As we sat next to one another at dinner, he turned to me and asked about the Church. He is recognized in his country as the leader in his field. A few weeks ago I was in a social gathering with a friend of many years-a friend who recently retired, is well educated, and has been very successful.