Eyes to see

And behold, all things have their likeness, and all things are created and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual; things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath: all things bear record of me.

One evening we knocked at a door and a man answered. His appearance shocked us. He was not dressed in a way that one would expect. We asked him if he knew where we might find a certain brother who was a member of our church, to which he replied that he was that man. At first we weren't sure if we could believe him; his appearance and lifestyle seemed so distant from our expectations. He told us that he had served a full-time mission but that he had drifted far from activity in the Church and that he had essentially abandoned the Church and forsaken the gospel of Jesus Christ. Without much expectation we invited him to return. We told him what time and where we met on Sunday. And, to be honest, I thought that would be the end of it.

Then Sunday came, and to my great astonishment this man entered the chapel just after sacrament meeting had started. As I looked from the stand toward him, I could see that his appearance was just as it had been when we met him at his home. I could tell that he felt a bit uncomfortable as he found a seat at the back of the chapel. After the service was over I quickly raced to his side, trying to insulate him from what I worried might be awkward comments from others about how he looked. We talked for several minutes, and then he told me that he wanted to attend priesthood meeting. So I brought him in. There he was in a room full of men wearing suits and white shirts and ties. I feared that he would not be received well—his appearance and apparent lifestyle could have so easily drawn out a sense of exclusion from the men who sat in that room.

I stood and introduced him, and the response from those priesthood men will forever be burned in my heart. Almost in unison they said, "Welcome back, brother. Welcome back."

This response prompted a feeling of love that eventually led to an earnest prayer by this good man—a prayer that Heavenly Father answered so forcefully that it led to a mighty change of heart in this man that I could scarcely have imagined.

This is a beautiful story with a wonderful ending that I wish I had time to share. But what has always stood out in my mind is how these priesthood brothers saw who this man really was, not who he appeared to be. They understood what the Lord meant when He said to Samuel:

Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature . . . : for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

They understood the great love that God feels for His children.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said it so kindly in the October 2009 general conference. He said:

Think of the purest, most all-consuming love you can imagine.

Now multiply that love by an infinite amount that is the measure of God's love for you.

God does not look on the outward appearance. I believe that He doesn't care one bit if we live in a castle or a cottage, if we are handsome or homely, if we are famous or forgotten. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God's love encompasses us completely.

He loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love. We are important to God not because of our résumé but because we are His children. He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken. God's love is so great that He loves even the proud, the selfish, the arrogant, and the wicked.

Elder Robert D. Hales put it this way:

Think of it. At some point in our eternal progression, each one of us is going to have to answer the question Who is Jesus Christ? We are told that every eye shall see, every ear shall hear, and every knee shall bow, every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord  "When all men shall stand to be judged of him, then shall they confess that he is God" What Think Ye of Christ?" "Whom Say Ye That I Am?"

I testify that Jesus Christ is a God. He is more than a great man who lived on the earth two thousand years ago. He is the Firstborn Son of our Heavenly Father. He is our Savior and the Redeemer of the world. He is also a Creator. The world that we live in is here for a purpose. With eyes to see, we can find evidence in our world that God loves us and that He knows us. I also testify that if we desire it and if we ask Him, He will reveal truth unto us. This truth will help guide us in our own eternal progression. He will allow us to see others for who they really are.

What a blessing it is to see each other as brothers and sisters, each of infinite worth in the eyes of God. How can we be anything but charitable and kind and merciful when we see others this way? Our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ see you this way. Of this I testify, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Jerald B. Johnson