"In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?
While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: 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."
Joseph Smith History 1:10-11
Don't we all feel like this sometimes? Listen to the arguments and issues in the world and wonder just what the real truth is underneath it all? It seems to me that this isn't just a story about what happened to Joseph Smith, but also an example of what we can *all* do when we have questions in our lives that really matter to us, and that we need help with. Nephi has a similar experience when his father told the family about a dream he had, and Nephi really wanted to know what it meant. He went to the Lord, and he found out.
All of us can take the advice that Joseph Smith found in the book of James, and follow the example of Nephi and other prophets in seeking answers from the Lord. Today, when we lack wisdom about something, as we all do, let's not just Google it or ask random acquaintances. It's good to study it out in our minds, of course--but then let's go to the source of all truth. Let's ask God what to do, because he always knows, even when the situation seems impossible to us. God *wants* to give liberally to us, and he won't criticize us for asking. Let's trust in him, and tap into that infinite wisdom to help us make better decisions. :)
While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: 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."
Joseph Smith History 1:10-11
Don't we all feel like this sometimes? Listen to the arguments and issues in the world and wonder just what the real truth is underneath it all? It seems to me that this isn't just a story about what happened to Joseph Smith, but also an example of what we can *all* do when we have questions in our lives that really matter to us, and that we need help with. Nephi has a similar experience when his father told the family about a dream he had, and Nephi really wanted to know what it meant. He went to the Lord, and he found out.
All of us can take the advice that Joseph Smith found in the book of James, and follow the example of Nephi and other prophets in seeking answers from the Lord. Today, when we lack wisdom about something, as we all do, let's not just Google it or ask random acquaintances. It's good to study it out in our minds, of course--but then let's go to the source of all truth. Let's ask God what to do, because he always knows, even when the situation seems impossible to us. God *wants* to give liberally to us, and he won't criticize us for asking. Let's trust in him, and tap into that infinite wisdom to help us make better decisions. :)
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