All That Will Hear May Hear

I have begun the study of the Doctrine and Covenants again and that means reading Section 1.  This section is filled with wisdom and counsel with which we are quite familiar.  The section is called The Lord’s Preface because it was revealed specifically for the purpose of preceding all the other sections and as an introduction and a warning to those who read the book.

Of all the familiar parts of the section one that impressed me as I read it was in verse 11: Wherefore the voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the earth, that all that will hear may hear.

I know I had read that before, but I concentrated more on the verses that follow.  They talk about those who will not hear and the consequences that follow when we refuse to take into our hearts the words of the Lord or his servants.

This verse, however, is an invitation to open our hearts and minds to the possibilities that will lead us to the blessings we seek in life.  We all tend to pick and choose what we will accept and what we will leave to others to believe. 

In his autobiography, Yearning for the Living God, F. Enzio Busche describes his conversion.  He has, at one point, several witnesses of specific parts of the Gospel as he has received them, but his life experiences and circumstances have caused him to have doubts about others.  When the missionaries challenge him to quit smoking, his wife says, “Oh, that is no problem, he is good at that.  He has quit eight times, already.”  In fact, he was smoking 40 cigarettes, 3-5 small cigars and 2-3 pipes every day.  He accepted the challenge to pray about it, as he knew that his prayers were heard from time to time.  As he prayed he got the impression that God would help him quit smoking if he would read the Book of Mormon. 

He had never read the Book of Mormon except to find fault with it and he had no desire to read it again.  He knew that this time would have to be different.  This time he would have to read it with the intent to discover what it contained that could be of use in his quest for truth.  He looked for those things that could teach him of Christ.  He said he expected to cut down on his tobacco intake, but to his surprise, he had already smoked his last cigarette.

So our search must be.  If we are looking for the inconsistencies in the scriptures, we will find them whether in the Book of Mormon, the Bible or any of the recorded words of God.  This critical approach gives us permission to continue in our comfortable path without truly examining our lives.  When we accept the Lord’s invitation, not only will we examine our lives and discover where we fall short, but we are given energy, positive feelings of love and hope and a desire to be a blessing to everyone.  We are open to receive all that God promises to the righteous and faithful.

 That little verse opens us to a world of possibilities.