There are things that I can see and read about, but I can't hear, such as a star. Do they make noise? There are things that I have been told about and I hear about, but I haven't touched them, such as the wailing wall in Jerusalem. There are some things that I have heard, seen, touched, and even smelled, but I haven't tasted them such as burned rubber from tires. And there are somethings that I have been able to see, hear about, touch, smell, and taste and then I wished I could forget, I won't mention those items. And there are other things....I wish I could remember forever, a lot of things! The body is an amazing gift that gives us opportunities to have many different kinds of experiences. I have come to determine that I must continue to have experiences of hearing, tasting, touching, and seeing, and feeling things over and over, so that I don't forget, or better said, so that I can remember.
There are some things that we want to learn and seek out so we can become experts, if you will, in an area of understanding. But if we only rely upon our intellect we will miss out on the blessing of our other senses God has given us to help us understand truth. For us collectively, as well as individually, the Lord has given us the law of witnesses. He says, "In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established" (see 2 Cor. 13:1; Matt. 18:16; D&C 6:28; 2 Nephi 29:8). This law of witnesses helps strengthen and protect us from deceit. But sometimes, we choose not to see what we have already seen. There is a great example of this in The Book of Mormon when the signs of Christ's birth were given to the Nephite people to let them know of the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ.
There were two signs given to the Nephites. The first one: "there shall be great lights in heaven...there shall be one day and a night and a day, as if it were one day and there were no night; and this shall be unto you for a sign" (Helaman 14:3-4). And the second sign: "there shall a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a sign unto you" (Helaman 14:5). These signs came, and all the people of the land witnessed these signs of the birth of Christ and thus "they began to know that the Son of God must shortly appear" (3 Nephi 1:17(15-21)). And after the signs came, "there began to be lyings sent forth among the people, by Satan, to harden their hearts, to the intent that they might not believe in those signs and wonders which they had seen; but notwithstanding these lyings and deceivings the more part of the people did believe, and were converted unto the Lord" (3 Nephi 1:22). The majority of the people relied upon all their senses, this included the heart, and not just their intellect, and therefore, they were not deceived.
We too must be converted unto the Lord that we are not deceived. The Lord said: "Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them" (Luke 21:8). If we are to "take heed", we will pay close attention with all our senses to what has been given to us, not just with our intellect. The Lord communicates to us "in [our] minds and in [our] hearts, by the Holy Ghost" (D&C 8:2). He has commanded all of us to "come unto [Him], that [we] might feel and see" (3 Nephi 18:25, italics added). Job said: "Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste His meat" (Job 12:11)? We must use both our ears and our sense of taste to enjoy the full affect of the Spirit. "O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him" (Psalms 34:8). As we taste of the Spirit, we will see with our spiritual eyes things the mind won't or can't see alone. Christ touched the eyes of two blind men and "immediately their eyes received sight, they followed Him". We too must "cry out" and have our eyes "touched" so that we can "see" and follow Jesus Christ (Matthew 20:30-34) and His pattern and not "eat...the flesh of [our] own arm" (Isaiah 9:20; see also Haggai 1:6; Jeremiah 19:9) .
May we not be deceived, but remember, with all our senses and not just our intellect, the power that comes from these witnesses, for our bodies testify of our Creator. Just as the woman who touched the hem of Christ's robe and "she felt she was healed" of her issue of blood, we too can be assured as we feel, touch, hear, taste, and seek after Him. We will hear Him say, "Thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace" (Mark 5:25-34) as we bring whatever concern before our Maker. He hears us and He answers us as we remember with all our senses. This I testify.
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