An invitation to hear the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ

 

In Times of Need

By Emily Freeman

We have read about the life of Moses, Noah, Solomon, Joseph, Nephi, Ammon, Helaman, and Moroni.  Their stories are familiar to us, but their time is far distant.  Sometimes to understand their lessons we have had to study their culture, their traditions, their lineage.

We have read experiences that testify of the hand of the Lord in the life of His people

His deliverance, His guidance, His blessings.

To people who lived thousands of years ago.

Within the pages of this book we discover an invitation to hear the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ as He speaks to us concerning not only our temporal well-being but also our everlasting salvation.

However, this book is unique to the others we have read because it is not a translation of an ancient document, rather it was written in our dispensation through God’s chosen prophets today.

“These sacred revelations were received in answer to prayer, in times of need, and came out of real-life situations involving real people.”

I find great comfort in this knowledge.

I know what it is to seek answers through prayer.
I have experienced times of great need.
The situations of my life are real to me.

Hope fills my heart when I realize the words of this book were written for someone like me.

It doesn’t take long before the realization sinks in far enough for me to

comprehend that the words were actually written for me.

In my time.

A time of great need.

The Lord sent words given by inspiration for me.

“Hearken, O ye people…listen together.
There is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear,
neither heart that shall not be penetrated.”
(D&C 1:1)

I want these words to penetrate my heart.

Today.

In my time of need.

So I will pray.  And I will open my heart wide. And I will look for the answers in these pages that will help me with the real situations I am facing today.

That I may be profited thereby.

“[A] simple thing to do, which allows God to give us strength, is to feast on the word of God: read and ponder the standard works of the Church and the words of living prophets. There is a promise of help from God that comes with that daily practice. Faithful study of scriptures brings the Holy Ghost to us.”

Henry B. Eyring

“”Some have supposed that trials are reserved only for the disobedient. But the scriptures make it clear that even the humble and obedient will face tribulation. Experience is a great teacher, and sometimes our hardest experiences can be our greatest teachers. This may be why we are commanded to give thanks for all things. Some blessings come to us painfully. But the Lord promises that

‘he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious.”

Carolyn Wright

17 Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you;

18 And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.

19 And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more.

D&C 78:17-19

“When we read the scriptures we are hearing the voice of the Savior. He is not absent from our lives. He is actively positioned in the verses of these holy books.”

Cheryl C. Lant

“The scriptures remind us, ‘And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ (John 8:32.) Our job is to search for the full truth and apply it in our lives. Though we are free to act, we are not free to decide what is right or wrong. That was determined eons ago. We can scoff at sacred things, rationalize our behavior, spout our own ideas, agree or disagree, but it doesn’t change anything. We cannot alter God’s laws, his truth. We can choose to use truth wisely and reach our goal, or we can refuse to learn truth, to live it, and then pay the inevitable penalty.”

Elaine Cannon

“Let us each day search from the scriptures and from the prophets…. The scriptures that are never read will never help us. If read, the words of God will nourish our souls and carry us to great heights in our endeavors.”

L. Tom Perry