Being Led By the Lord
As a young missionary in 1970, the old and odd elevators of Paris absolutely charmed me. They were so different from anything I had ever seen in my hometown of Salt Lake City! I felt like I was stepping back in time whenever I entered one.
Some elevators, however, were not at all charming. These inelegant machines were found in post-World War II high-rise government housing projects, known as “Les Grands Ensembles.” I’m not sure what they’re like today, but in 1970, rather than being made of beautiful wood and enchanted gates, these dirty and smelly ascenseurs (elevators) had solid metal, pull-open doors finished with chipped blue, green, or gray paint. The traumatic elevator experience spoken of by the elders in Chapter 2 is based on an actual ride my companion and I had in the unpleasant elevator of a towering apartment building outside of Paris. Needless to say, I never forgot it!
For the fictional missionaries in my book, the runaway elevator was the most frightening experience of their missions. Knowing of future, much more horrifying experiences the two elders would face, I had to smile. “If you think your elevator ride was so bad, just wait!”
I believe the Lord, having the perspective of our past, present, and future, tries to prepare us for challenging times ahead. As we pour out our hearts to Him in prayer … asking that our dreams might come true, that we and our loved ones might be given direction and protection, that we might have the courage to make good choices, that we might have His Spirit to be with us, that we might have the strength and ability to carry on, pleading to sense His love and peace when we’re feeling scared, uncertain, unsettled, insecure, unsafe, unwell, hurt, heartbroken, bereaved, disappointed, regretful, traumatized, disrespected, unappreciated, exhausted, unloved, or lonely … I wonder if Heavenly Father doesn’t smile, knowing the relief, the blessings, and the joys that lie ahead. I’m sure He doesn’t minimize our longings and heartaches as we walk along the mortal path, growing and learning from our sorrows and joys, but rather yearns to send His comfort, reassurance, guidance, and wisdom. All He asks is that we humble ourselves and turn unto Him.
As does an elevator, life has its ups and downs. Whether we are currently in a period of “up” or a period of “down,” we need our Father’s love and guidance, which He abundantly sends to us by the power of the Holy Ghost. But are we sensitive enough to discern the “still, small voice?” Do we find quiet moments of reflection when the Comforter can inspire our minds and warm our hearts?
The question I’ve been pondering is, “What can we do to more fully tap into that comfort, reassurance, guidance, and wisdom?” Sometimes our connection with heaven seems so uncertain, so vague, and so hard to distinguish from our own thoughts, biases, and desires. A few scriptures come to mind:
James 1:5
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. …
Fervent prayer is the most basic way to tap into Heavenly Father’s loving support, but “ask(ing) in faith, nothing wavering” is something else indeed! It’s so very hard not to have “wavering” thoughts and feelings. In the New Testament, we read of a desperate father with a son plagued by a foul spirit. He came to Jesus for help:
Mark 9
23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
“Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” What an honest, humble response! Jesus had compassion for this loving, authentic father and rebuked the foul spirit, which came out of the child and “entered no more unto him.”
There are so many conflicting voices trying to convince us which way we should go and what we should do. Some declare, “This is truth!” and others proclaim, “No, that is truth!” When faced with critical life decisions, it can all be so confusing! In the Book of Mormon, Moroni teaches us:
Moroni 10
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
The Old Testament sheds light on this subject:
Proverbs 3
5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Psalm 119
105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
I love this verse in the Doctrine and Covenants:
Section 78
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.
Recently I had a great need for the Lord’s comfort, reassurance, guidance, and wisdom. I prayed fervently and worked hard to have unwavering faith, to believe, to trust, and to acknowledge Him in my life. I tried to be of good cheer, asking Father in Heaven to “lead me along” and shine light on a difficult path.
Quite suddenly a flood of comforting thoughts, giving direction to my concerns, began pouring through my mind and heart. Certainly, I was experiencing the “pure intelligence” Joseph Smith spoke of while teaching about personal revelation:
Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 151
“A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation, for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the same day or soon; (i.e.) those things that were presented unto your mind by the Spirit of God will come to pass; and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation until you become perfect in Christ Jesus.”
In Our Beloved chapter 4, Elders Lewis and Collins had been tracting day after day, without any success. People rarely even opened their doors. Elder Collins thought that they should go where the people were: on the streets, in the métro, or in the parks. But Elder Lewis was adamant about tracting. This didn’t make logical sense, but he had a deep feeling that the Spirit was directing them to keep knocking on doors.
They considered the idea of sharing their message through closed doors, hoping that reluctant residents would watch them deliver their best door approaches on embedded door monitors. As they imagined endless monologues directed at closed doors, an extraordinary, deep-felt spirit came over them both. It was as if the Lord had suddenly joined them. They didn’t want to talk through doors. They wanted to have real discussions with thoughtful French families. A wider perspective distilled upon them, and Elder Collins became convinced, as was Elder Lewis, that they were being led, ever so slowly, to the door of someone prepared by the Lord to accept the Gospel.
“Be of good cheer, for I will lead you along!” The Lord will certainly lead us as we navigate our challenging paths of life, but we must endeavor to tune into His promptings. This requires faith and effort, but the blessings that ensue are marvelous, satisfying, and so deeply valuable.
—Richard B. Scoville
