"...Ears to hear"...(Matt. 13:9)

Have you ever taken the time to just listen? I mean really listen? Let me explain. When I say “listen”, I mean to give up the preconceived notions of what I expect to hear, or the things I expect to happen, or want to “hear”, and wait patiently for the sounds, and feelings to come. It is an interesting experience to practice listening. Perhaps I should say, have you taken the time to “practice hearing”?

To practice hearing in our day it is a real challenge. There are many distractions and it is so easy to have my ears filled with sound for me. The mp3 player that I have easily fills my ears with music, or the TV with plenty of voices. The movie I watch or the books I read are great escapes and fill my ears with plenty of things so that I don’t have to really listen. So, if I want to really “listen”…I actually have to have it quiet. Yup, quiet. It is a challenge to find quiet and to be content with quiet. Content with quiet…and then to actually listen. What am I really hearing?

I think this passage of scripture is describing us… “They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not…” (Psalms 115:5-6) We have these wonderful senses to experience what God has in store for us, but we are too busy with our lives to actually experience the life God wants for us.

I want to share two of the things I have experienced when I have actually taken the time to “hear” that have changed and shaped my life and continue to have a powerful impact on me.

In the quiet, I have pondered the true event of a young 14 year old boy who went into a grove of trees seeking for answers about God. His prayer was miraculously answered by the appearance of God the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ. In the quiet, I have “heard, felt, and seen” that this is true. I did not have an angel come and manifest this to me. I had to take the time to “hear” and to “feel” and to “see”. This young boy was Joseph Smith. He eventually became a prophet of God and restored The Church of Jesus Christ on the earth, through the authority of Jesus Christ. This I testify is true. Joseph Smith actually saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. (JS-H 1:7-17)

In the quiet I have also read and reread the words of God which are recorded in The Holy Bible and The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. They testify of the divinity of Jesus Christ and His mission on the earth. He is God’s Son. He lived, taught, set an example, suffered, bled, died, and was resurrected for us so that we, if we exercise faith in Him, and repent, would not have to suffer as He did and can be resurrected and live with our Father in Heaven again. I have heard, felt, and my knowledge and understanding continues to grow of His divinity. Christ lives! This I testify.

To practice “listening” and “hearing” I have to be willing to also act upon what I have heard. I must have "ears to hear" (Matt. 13:9). So, if I hear it and it true…even though it may go against my preconceived notions, I have a choice to act, or not to act. In choosing to ignore what I “hear” I may lose out on opportunities to “hear” and “listen” for more. If I act upon what I “hear” I will be given opportunities to “hear” more truth. It is a powerful experience to “hear” truth and to act upon it. I must take time to “hear” everyday. Some days it is easier than others to make the time to “hear”. But it is always worth the effort. This I testify.

This I Testify

What does it mean to "testify"? Well, when one is in court, and one is on the witness stand and asked to "testify" they are giving an account of their experience of what they have witnessed, most frequently with their five senses. They are sharing their experiences of what they have seen, heard, touched, tasted, or smelled. I believe there is also a sixth sense and people often testify of this sixth sense as well. It is the sense of feeling, or emotion. Sometimes it is hard to describe, like salt is hard to describe, or sugar. But it is very real. There are feelings and experiences I have that are more powerful than if I had seen, heard, touched, tasted, or smelled them.

I am writing this blog to "testify" of the things that I have experienced and therefore know to be true. One may try to argue that I do not know such things to be true, but these are my experiences. And so I only share them from my own perspective and can therefore say they are mine...This I testify...meaning I have experienced this, these are my thoughts, this is what I feel, therefore, it is true to me.

The first thing I have to testify of is the reality of a loving Father in Heaven. He is real. He is the Father of all of us. We are His children and He cares a great deal about what goes on in our lives. He cares so much that He allows us to make choices and also to have the consequences of our choices. As a parent myself, it is very difficult at times to let my children suffer the consequences of their choices. For example, when my son doesn't get his homework completed, I am not doing him any favors if I do it for him so that he won't miss recess or get into trouble in school. Rather, if I let him suffer those consequences, he will eventually learn (hopefully) that it is more fun to get the work done and go to recess, than to stay inside. Heavenly Father is the same way with us. He has given us an incredible gift of agency. Agency allows us to make choices every day whom we will follow. "...As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15). My Father in Heaven allows me to choose each day whom I will serve. What a gift! What love our Father must have for us, to allow us to choose, rather than to force us to follow Him. In every situation I get to choose how I will behave, whether I will be kind or rude, whether I will be angry or forgiving. I love the fact that I get to choose. I get to choose whether or not I will allow a trial to let me draw closer to Him or to get mad and be farther away from Him. He knows exactly what I need to become more like Him. I get to choose. And it feels so great when I choose to follow the example of His Son, Jesus Christ, to love others, forgive others, help others on their way. This is true joy. And it feels so good.

We have a loving Father in Heaven who loves each and every one of us. He created us "in His image I own image, in the image of God created He [us]; male and female created He [us]" (Gen. 1:27) and He hears our prayer...but that is for another day. He is real. He loves you and me, this I testify.