To come to know of Christ we have to abide with Christ, not simply accept Him. We also need to reflect our knowledge in our actions.
When those close to us distance themselves from the gospel we need to continue to love them and allow the Lord to watch over them.
As recorded in the book of Acts, Philip the evangelist taught the gospel to a certain Ethiopian who was a eunuch in charge of all the treasures belonging to the queen of Ethiopia. While returning from worshipping in Jerusalem, he read the book of Isaiah. Compelled by the Spirit, Philip came closer to him and said, “Understandest thou what thou readest?
“And [the eunuch] said, How can I, except some man should guide me? …
“Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.”
The question asked by this Ethiopian man is a reminder of the divine mandate we all have to seek to learn and to teach one another the gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, in the context of learning and teaching the gospel, we are sometimes like the Ethiopian—we need the help of a faithful and inspired teacher; and we are sometimes like Philip—we need to teach and strengthen others in their conversion.
I like that imagery of how we have times in each side of the equation.
Our purpose as we seek to learn and to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ must be to increase faith in God and in His divine plan of happiness and in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice and to achieve lasting conversion. Such increased faith and conversion will help us make and keep covenants with God, thus strengthening our desire to follow Jesus and producing a genuine spiritual transformation in us—in other words, transforming us into a new creature, as taught by the Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Corinthians.
God’s prophets have consistently instructed that we need to raise our families “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” and “in light and truth.” President Nelson recently said, “In this day of rampant immorality and addictive pornography, parents have a sacred responsibility to teach their children the importance of God [and Jesus Christ] in their lives.”
Brothers and sisters, the warning of our beloved prophet is a further reminder of our individual responsibility to seek to learn and to teach our families that there is a Father in Heaven who loves us and who has developed a divine plan of happiness for His children; that Jesus Christ, His Son, is the Redeemer of the world; and that salvation comes from faith in His name. Our lives need to be rooted upon the rock of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, which might help us individually and as families to have our own spiritual impressions engraved in our hearts, helping us to endure in our faith.
How should I proceed with Laura who has been taught the importance of having Christ in her life but has since felt compelled to shut her eyes to that light? I am encouraged that she no longer talks as if she isn’t part of the church but I want to be sure that she participate again once she has gained her emotional footing. I suspect that we will need to build her faith from the foundation when that time comes when though she is schooled in the doctrine.
You may recall that two disciples of John the Baptist followed Jesus Christ after hearing John witness that Jesus was the Lamb of God, the Messiah. These good men accepted Jesus’s invitation to “come and see” and abode with Him that day. They came to know that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, and followed Him for the rest of their lives.
Likewise, when we accept the Savior’s invitation to “come and see,” we need to abide in Him, immersing ourselves in the scriptures, rejoicing in them, learning His doctrine, and striving to live the way He lived. Only then will we come to know Him, Jesus Christ, and recognize His voice, knowing that as we come unto Him and believe in Him, we shall never hunger nor thirst. We will be able to discern the truth at all times, as occurred to those two disciples who abode with Jesus that day.
Brothers and sisters, that doesn’t happen by chance. Attuning ourselves to the highest influences of godliness is not a simple matter; it requires calling upon God and learning how to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the center of our lives. If we do so, I promise that the influence of the Holy Ghost will bring truth to our heart and mind and will bear witness of it, teaching all things.
“Learning how to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the center of their lives,” is where Laura needs work. She learned the doctrine but discovered that the way she thought she should bring the gospel to the center of her life was not working. Even as she looks away, that is the lesson she still needs to learn. She is currently in the process of undoing that faulty approach.
Brothers and sisters, our actions must reflect what we learn and teach. We need to show our beliefs through the way we live. The best teacher is a good role model. Teaching something that we truly live can make a difference in the hearts of those we teach. If we desire people, whether that be family or not, to joyfully treasure up the scriptures and the teachings of living apostles and prophets of our day, they need to see our souls delighting in them. Likewise, if we want them to know that President Russell M. Nelson is the prophet, seer, and revelator in our day, they need to see us raise our hands to sustain him and realize that we follow his inspired teachings. As the well-known American saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.”
Maybe some of you are at this exact moment asking yourselves, “Elder Soares, I have been doing all these things and have been following this model both individually and as a family, but unfortunately, some of my friends or dear ones have distanced themselves from the Lord. What should I do?” For those of you who are right now experiencing these feelings of sadness, agony, and maybe regret, please know that they are not totally lost because the Lord knows where they are and is watching over them. Remember, they are His children too!
I just need to keep loving the gospel but do it joyfully.
My dear companions in the gospel, I testify to you that when we earnestly, heartily, firmly, and sincerely seek to learn the gospel of Jesus Christ and teach it to one another with real purpose and under the influence of the Spirit, these teachings may transform hearts and inspire a desire to live according to the truths of God.
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