Empty Vessels

When life's concerns are weighing down on me, I go to my house of worship, the Temple, to find comfort, answers and relief from my cares and concerns.  

We believe that Temples are God's houses on earth.  In every Latter Day Saint Temple, there is a Celestial Room.  It is an exquisitely beautiful, peaceful place where we can rest and reflect, pray and ponder.  

One particularly hard day, I was noticing the furnishings in the room. On a side table, under a picture of the Savior, there was an empty vase.  I love flowers and I wondered why someone would choose to leave a vase empty.

This thought came almost instantly to my mind.  There is a tradition among native Americans known as a "worry" or "burden" basket.  Anyone entering the home is asked to symbolically place their problems in the basket and leave them there before they enter the home.  They would ask God to carry their burdens for them.  The Spirit whispered to my heart, "Give it all to Him. Trust him." 

Matthew 11:28-30  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.  

Psalm 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.  

I love the promises in these verses! 

As I've visited other Temples, I've noticed empty bowls and vases in every one.  I keep them in my home as a visual reminder to give my burdens to God and then listen for answers to my fervent prayers.

This life is a test. Some days my trials feel like I'm living in a nuclear bomb testing zone.  I continue to have days when I struggle but it gives me hope to know His promises are sure.

Receiving Personal Revelation

Personal Revelation

The Holy scriptures are so precious to me. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, an apostle of Jesus Christ, posed the question, what other books when they are read and re-read offer new insights to those who seek?

While reading in the scriptures the other day, I pondered about the promises, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you, ask and ye shall receive. I searched www.lds.org/scriptures and found the phrase “seek and ye shall find” quoted 60 times, “knock and it shall be opened unto you” quoted 24 times and “ask and it shall be given unto you” stated 63 times. It fills me with hope that in all three statements, the Lord uses the word “shall”, not maybe, not possibly, not probably, “shall”.  God covenants with us that if we actively seek Him, we will find answers.

What does it mean to seek, knock and ask? I’d always thought that all three statements referred to prayer but wondered if there was more to it.  I asked in prayer and these were the impressions I had. When we seek answers in the Holy Scriptures we shall find.  We knock by going to worship services and Holy Places including Holy Temples.  We ask by praying to our Father in Heaven. He loves us and wants us to grow by actively seeking, knocking and asking.  

Our Prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, taught...

"Even more amazing than modern technology is our opportunity to access information directly from heaven, without hardware, software, or monthly service fees. It is one of the most marvelous gifts the Lord has offered to mortals. It is His generous invitation to "ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”1

How can we know that the answers we are receiving are from God? President Nelson in the 2018 April General Conference said, "Revelation from God is always compatible with His eternal law. It never contradicts his doctrine." My litmus test for truth is that it fits like a puzzle piece with every other truth I know. The Holy Spirit fills my heart and I feel peace.

I love the pure and simple truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Further reading…

President Russell M. Nelson-Ask, Seek, Knock

Elder D. Todd Christoferson - Truth Endures