But I haven't received an answer about the Book of Mormon yet..

So somehow you have stumbled upon The Book of Mormon, huh? It's been explained to you that we must read it and pray and ask God if it's true or not, right? And you did just that, but there was no overwhelming feeling or grand experience? Guess what? It's okay, normal, and many people have that same experience. This was my experience and for a while I thought that something was wrong with me, or I didn't do it right.  I'd like to share just a few things that's helped me resolve this common concern.

First, everyone feels the Spirit, or the Holy Ghost differently. So stop comparing your feelings to others.  It's been described that "You may feel a comfortable feeling. Or you may feel warm and exhilarated. You may cry, but the tears are joyful." In Galatians we are taught that the fruits of the Spirit are  ‘love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith’ (Gal. 5:22). It takes time, and effort to figure out how we feel the Spirit. For me I know that when I feel peace, a clarity of mind, and a motivation to do better, I am feeling the Spirit. Next time you are at church, reading your scriptures, praying, or any other environment where the Spirit can abide, ask yourself, "Did you understand the topic? Did you feel good about what you heard? Did you want to rush out and act upon the counsel of the speaker? Sometimes the Spirit will undeniably shake you, but most times it will come quietly and without great notice.” (New Era. Feb 1993) If you can say yes to those questions, you are feeling the Spirit, and it doesn't matter if it's not the same as others.

President Packer said this of his experience of reading The Book of Mormon for the first time:

“When I first read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover, I read the promise that if I ‘would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if [the things I had read were] true; and if [I would] ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he [would] manifest the truth of it unto [me], by the power of the Holy Ghost’ (Moroni 10:4). I tried to follow those instructions as I understood them. "If I expected a glorious manifestation to come at once as an overpowering experience, it did not happen. Nevertheless, it felt good, and I began to believe. …“I learned that anyone, anywhere, could read in the Book of Mormon and receive inspiration. …“My experience has been that a testimony does not burst upon us suddenly. Rather, it grows. …“Do not be disappointed if you have read and reread and yet have not received a powerful witness. You may be somewhat like the disciples spoken of in the Book of Mormon who were filled with the power of God in great glory ‘and they knew it not’ (3 Nephi 9:20).“Do the best you can” (in Conference Report, Apr. 2005, 5–7; or Ensign, May 2005, 6–8).

How beautiful is that? Even an apostle of the Lord shares some similar feelings. He did not have a grand experience, but he recognized that he felt the Spirit. When we understand that the Spirit can only come from God, we can recognize truth anywhere. In the Book of Moroni we are taught:

"Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually."

 Second, we can receive an answer about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon during all stages of reading it. Some think that we have to read the Book of Mormon cover to cover, not missing a single word, then pray and ask if it's true. While, it's so important that we read The Book of Mormon cover to cover, that is not a prerequisite to knowing if it's true or not. We can pray to our Heavenly Father anytime to know whatever we want, this applies to our quest of knowing if the Book of Mormon is true.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie gives this suggestion as another way to find out if the Book of Mormon is true, he said:

“There is another and simpler test that all who seek to know the truth might well take. It calls for us simply to read, ponder, and pray—all in the spirit of faith and with an open mind. To keep ourselves alert to the issues at hand—as we do read, ponder, and pray—we should ask ourselves a thousand times, ‘Could any man have written this book?’ And it is absolutely guaranteed that sometime between the first and thousandth time this question is asked, every sincere and genuine truth seeker will come to know by the power of the Spirit that the Book of Mormon is true, that it is the mind and will and voice of the Lord to the whole world in our day” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1983, 106; or Ensign, Nov. 1983, 73–74).

My last thought is that when we ask Heavenly Father if the Book of Mormon is true; we must ask having "real intent".  Elder Dallin H. Oaks said the following,

"Moroni did not promise a manifestation of the Holy Ghost to those who seek to know the truth of the Book of Mormon for hypothetical or academic reasons, even if they ‘ask with a sincere heart.’ The promise of Moroni is for those who are committed in their hearts to act upon the manifestation if it is received. Prayers based on any other reason have no promise because they are not made ‘with real intent’”(Pure in Heart [1988], 19–20).

In my mind it makes sense to think that Heavenly Father will not give us answers if we don't intend to act on them. Consider why you are reading the Book of Mormon and if you intend to act upon the things you are learning. President Packer said, "After you have read the Book of Mormon, you become qualified to inquire of the Lord, in the way that He prescribes in the book, as to whether the book is true. You will be eligible, on the conditions He has established, to receive that personal revelation."

I know with all my heart that The Book of Mormon is the word of God, and that we can transform our lives for the better when we apply the principles that lie within the pages. I know this because when I was 17, I knelt at the foot of my bed and asked the Lord if The Book of Mormon was true, and the clearest thought entered my head which said "You already know it's true, and that's all you need." All of our experiences are different, because we are unique and view the Gospel through our own eyes. So don't worry, just focus on feeling the Spirit, praying sincerely and your answer will come. One of my very favorite scriptures says "and in Christ there should come every good thing." I am so thankful for the Book of Mormon being one of those very "good things" in my life. I echo the words of Boyd K. Packer who said, "If you persist, I assure you that it will be the most rewarding book you have ever set your mind to read."

Reasons to Read the Scriptures

This week I have been thinking a lot about why we are asked to read the scriptures. I made a pretty good list and thought I would share a few of the things I learned.

• It can be so easy to feel distant from our loving Heavenly Father. This relationship is different from others, because we can not talk to Him face to face. But, he has given us the ability to pray which allows us to communicate to Him, and receive guidance through the Holy Spirit. Elder Hales once said, "He will then teach us as we listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. For when we want to speak to God, we pray. And when we want Him to speak to us, we search the scriptures; for His words are spoken through His prophets." The scriptures provide us with a way to hear His voice, and receive council for our personal lives. Ardeth G. Kapp described her scripture reading in this way, "The holy scriptures are like letters from home telling us how we can draw near to our Father in Heaven. He tells us to come as we are. No one will be denied. He loves everyone."

• The scriptures provide us a means to get to know our Savior and God better. We learn of their character, and nature through the scriptures. We start to understand who They are and we can trust Them.

• Have you ever been reading the Book of Mormon and become frustrated that the Nephites and Lamanites are in another pride cycle? You end up asking yourself, "How did they allow themselves to lose themselves in pride, again?" Well, the scriptures allow us to learn from other people's mistakes. There's a saying that goes "An intelligent person learns from their own mistakes, but a genius learns from the mistakes of others." In Psalms 77 it says, "I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old." We are told to remember the Lord in the present, and in the past. Heavenly Father has given us many tools, like the scriptures, so that we might feel his love, and feel remembered by Him. Elder L. Tom Perry said, "I guess one of the greatest mysteries of mortality is why mankind fails to learn from history." Heavenly Father has no doubt put obvious patterns of behavior in the scriptures for our benefit and learning, to help us avoid the same problems in our own lives. Through the scriptures we can find trials similar to ours, learn from others' lives, and find ways to overcome challenges.

I know that the Book of Mormon, and the Bible together are the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and through studying them we can find peace that heals the wounded soul. I echo the words of Sister Kapp, "I ask you, will you open your scriptures and read them every day? Why? Because the glorious promises will then be yours. You can have a sure testimony of our Father in Heaven’s love for you. You can know the gospel plan and the blessings that come through obedience and right choices. The verses you mark will become anchors to cling to when the voices of the world try to confuse you or discourage you. They will lift you up in spirit when you’re down, and you can experience the feeling of being close to our Father in Heaven."

h a n d s

As I have studied the scriptures lately the mention of "hands" has really stood out to me.  I have found there is a depth and significance in this reference to "hands", and it has increased my testimony of the love the Savior has for each and every one of us.

My very favorite scripture is Isaiah 49:16 which says, "Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me." This scripture makes it so evident to me how much Christ loves us, because He always carries us with him. Even in his perfected resurrected body, He carries the marks of the crucifixion in His hands, feet, and side. We are so much apart of Christ, and all He has to do is look at His hands to remember us, for "I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands."

One of my favorite parts in the Book of Mormon is Christ's personal ministry among the Nephites. After Christ introduces himself as the the ^"light and the life of the world" He asks them to "Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world (3 Nephi 11:14) ."

"And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come. (3 Nephi 11:15)

His hands are evidence of the love He has for each of us. This scene in the Book of Mormon touches my heart every time I read it. Christ is so aware of each and every one of us, and we can learn about his love for the "one" as we learn about him in the scripture and come closer to him. 


The prophet Mormon  pleaded to his brothers, and friends to remember the kind, loving, relationship Heavenly Father wants to have with His children. He says, "Know ye not that ye are in the hands of God?" This call beckons us to remember who is watching over us, and guiding us. Elder W. Craig Zwick of the Seventy explained what we can learn from Christ's hands.

 “Hands are one of the symbolically expressive parts of the body. In Hebrew, yad, the most common word for hand, is also used metaphorically to mean power, strength, and might  Thus, hands signify power and strength. To be in the hands of God would suggest that we are not only under His watchful care but also that we are guarded and protected by His wondrous power. Throughout the scriptures, reference is made to the hand of the Lord. His divine assistance is evidenced over and over again. His powerful hands created worlds, and yet they were gentle enough to bless the little children. Every one of us needs to know that we can go on in the strength of the Lord. We can put our hand in His, and we will feel His sustaining presence lift us to heights unattainable alone. How do we learn to extend our hand and connect to the comfort provided by the Lord? Imagine the wounds in His hands. His weathered hands, yes, even His hands of torn flesh and physical sacrifice, give our own hands greater power and direction. It is the wounded Christ who leads us through our moments of difficulty. It is He who bears us up when we need more air to breathe or direction to follow or even more courage to continue. If we will keep the commandments of God and walk hand in hand with Him in His paths, we will go forward with faith and never feel alone” 

The hands of Christ remind of His suffering for each of us, the love he has for the individual as he let the Nephites touch them "one by one", and that we will never be alone. We always have a hand to hold and to guide us. I am so grateful that Jesus Christ loved me enough to suffer and atone for me. I have felt his guiding hand in moments of darkness, bringing me to the light. I love Him. I know He loves each of us. I invite each of you to watch this video and pay special attention to His hands. I know  Jesus Christ loves and  knows us personally, and extends His hands to all. I hope that we might follow His example, and lend a helping hand to those around us.

Seen In Terms of Forever

Recently, I read a scripture in Proverbs that said, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." Usually when I think of visions in the scriptures I think of Lehi's vision of the tree of life or Joseph Smith's first vision that led to the restoration of Christ's church. But, in this context I think that Solomon was referring to an image in our mind, or a dream we have for ourselves.

Our Heavenly Father has a vision for each of us, "For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1: 39)

Who we are and who we are becoming is so important to our Father in Heaven. He created us and has a specific plan for each of us; because we are His vision.

President Uchtdorf said, "Our Heavenly Father sees our real potential. He knows things about us that we do not know ourselves. He prompts us during our lifetime to fulfill the measure of our creation, to live a good life, and to return to His presence."

Heavenly Father wants us to be happy and to become the person He knows we can be. This is done by setting goals , making covenants, and trying to emulate the example of our older brother Jesus Christ. This is not an easy task, but it's possible.

We are encouraged by Elder Holland to "not to give up 'for ye are laying the foundation of a great work'. That 'great work' is you—your life, your future, the very fulfillment of your dreams. That 'great work' is what, with effort and patience and God’s help, you can become. When days are difficult or problems seem unending, I plead with you to stay in the harness and keep pulling. You are entitled to 'eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days,' but it will require your heart and a willing mind. It will require that you stay at your post and keep trying."

We are never alone in our efforts to improve ourselves. We will fail at times, and make mistakes, but He will never leave us.

Elder Wirthlin testified of this by saying, "Oh, it is wonderful to know that our Heavenly Father loves us—even with all our flaws! His love is such that even should we give up on ourselves, He never will. We see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. Although we might settle for less, Heavenly Father won’t, for He sees us as the glorious beings we are capable of becoming. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of transformation. It takes us as men and women of the earth and refines us into men and women for the eternities."

I know that Heavenly Father loves us beyond our comprehension, he sent His son Jesus Christ to show it was possible to become perfect, and I know that through the Savior we can reach our fullest potential, and fulfill His vision. 

Becoming the Good and Faithful Servant

Well, hi!

My name is Hermana Reed and I am a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I am serving in the Nashville, Tennessee Mission and also serving as a blogging missionary.

This blog is called,"Becoming the Good and Faithful Servant", because this title is who I, and other followers of Christ want to become. I remember being about 15 years old and reading the parable of the talents and being so moved by Christ's words:

"Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful,  enter thou into the joy of thy lord."

Becoming the good and faithful servant requires committing our lives to discipleship. Chancey C. Riddle said "The word disciple comes from the Latin discipulus, a learner. A disciple of Christ is one who is learning to be like Christ—learning to think, to feel, and to act as he does. To be a true disciple, to fulfill that learning task, is the most demanding regimen known to man. No other discipline compares with it in either requirements or rewards. It involves the total transformation of a person from the state of the natural man to that of the saint, one who loves the Lord and serves with all of his heart, might, mind, and strength. 

I have always loved this analogy from C.S. Lewis that describes the process of becoming more like Him. 

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of—throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace” (C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, New York: MacMillan Co., 1960, p. 160).

I can't imagine anything sweeter than after passing through this life and being greeted by our Savior, Jesus Christ, and hearing him call us His "good and faithful servant." 

It is my hope and prayer that we will become more like He is and be able to find peace in those words when that time comes for us.