Parents play a vital role, particularly mothers who spend more time nourishing and teaching their kids at home, in responding to the child’s sincere, honest and yet out-of-this world questions. (Fathers should also be ready to answer whenever their children raise a question.)

LINE UPON LINE, PRECEPT UPON PRECEPT

Since learning is “line upon line, precept upon precept”, our minds tend to continue to ask more questions and search for answers and the meaning of our life or our existence. Our questions take on a new level as we become teenagers and even into our adult stage in life.

We all have questions and, of course, we all want answers, like Joseph Smith, who asked which of the churches he investigated was true and which of them should he join. His inquiry led him to search the scriptures written in James 1: 5-6.

“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.”

“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed”

ASK OF GOD, ASK IN FAITH

This is the 2017 Mutual Theme, encouraging all of us, and the youth in particular, to “Ask of God” and “Ask in Faith”. When we have questions of the soul, questions about spiritual matters or questions about the gospel of Jesus Christ, we should search the scriptures and ask God in faith, nothing wavering. We can go directly to the source of truth and light.

Nowadays, anyone can have their questions answered by the power of Google, at a touch of our own fingertips. However gaining a sure testimony will not be like that.

M. Russell Ballard has said, “And how do you get such a testimony? Well, there’s no new technology for that, nor will there ever be. You cannot do a Google search to gain a testimony. You can’t text message faith.”

He added, “You gain a vibrant, life-changing testimony today the same way it has always been done. The process hasn’t been changed. It comes through desire, study, prayer, obedience, and service. That is why the teachings of prophets and apostles, past and present, are as relevant to your life today as they ever have been.”

May we find answers to our questions as we continue to search the scriptures, ponder the message it contains and pray to the Father, through the name of Jesus Christ. Remember to always ask God in faith, nothing wavering. His promise is that He will listen to every sincere prayer, and give us answers in His own due time. President Henry B. Eyring taught, “James 1:5 seems to me an ideal theme both for the youth in 2017 … Today there are so many ways to find information—some of it true, some of it partially true, and some of completely false. But wisdom, true wisdom, comes from God, and the way to find it hasn’t changed since the day James wrote his epistle or the day Joseph Smith read it.”

Furthermore, on March 4, 2017, there will be a Face to Face event with President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in Palmyra, New York. They will help the youth of the world find answers to some of their questions.

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Heavenly Father, are you really there?

And do you hear and answer ev’ry child’s prayer?

Some say that heaven is far away,

But I feel it close around me as I pray.

Heavenly Father, I remember now

Something that Jesus told disciples long ago:

“Suffer the children to come to me.”

Father, in prayer I’m coming now to thee.

Pray, he is there;

Speak, he is list’ning.

You are his child;

His love now surrounds you.

He hears your prayer;

He loves the children.

Of such is the kingdom, the kingdom of heav’n.

This song applies not only to children young in age, but to all of Heavenly Father’s children. We are commanded to ‘call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore” (Moses 5:8). The same commandment was given to Adam when he left God’s presence. From that day to this, prayer has been a way for us to speak to Heavenly Father.
 

How should we pray?

The scriptures teach us that we should pray to Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ because “no man cometh unto the Father, but by [Him]” (John 14:6). We must pray with a humble heart. We must be willing to submit to His will and echo the words of Jesus Christ, “not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). We must have a repentant heart to confess the sins we committed when we pray. We can also include others in our prayers especially those who need comfort.

Praying to our Heavenly Father also requires a sincere intention. This intent can be to give gratitude to Heavenly Father for the blessings we have received or to ask for guidance and direction and then act on the answers we receive. Jesus counseled, “Enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly” (Matthew 6:6). We must not pray in public to get the attention and approval of other people. However, we can pray in groups as we join our families, congregation, community and friends in prayer. We can pray silently or vocally.
 

What should we pray for?

Praying to our Heavenly Father includes giving gratitude for all of our countless blessings especially the Plan of Salvation and the Savior’s Atonement. We can also pray for light when we feel clouded with confusion, or direction when we make important decisions, etc. We are taught in the Book of Nephi that “…whatsoever [we] shall ask the Father in [Jesus’] name, which is right, believing that [we] shall receive, behold it shall be given unto [us].” Furthermore, it has been written in the Book of Matthew, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”

Heavenly Father is a loving Father who wants to grant our righteous desires. However, He gives a warning to those who ask for unrighteous things saying, “And if ye ask anything that is not expedient for you, it shall turn unto your condemnation” (Doctrine & Covenants 88:65).
 

When should we pray?

Heavenly Father is on standby 24 hours a day, every day. When we feel the need to communicate with Him, He is ever ready to hear us. We can pray when we are alone or when we are surrounded by people. We should pray before meals and morning and night with our families. We can pray when we are walking to work or when we are doing our chores. Latter-day Saints start and close meetings with a prayer. Praying to our Heavenly Father can be done anytime.
 

How are prayers answered?

Prayers are answered in a multitude of ways, in the Lord’s own time, and in accordance with each person’s individual needs. Answers can come by having feelings of peace about a certain choice or option, or through solutions and opportunities we’d perhaps never have thought of before. Answers can come through the scriptures, through other people, or even through the help of angels who can guide and inspire from the other side of the veil.

When we pray, we must remember that our timing is not God’s timing. In the Book of Isaiah, the Lord said, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways… For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” The righteous desires that we cry out to the Lord in prayer are answered through our faithfulness and our willingness to wait upon the Lord. Some blessings come as we desire, some blessings come later, and some do not come until we reach heaven, In addition, some blessings may not be right for us, and the answer given is “no.”

For the blessings that do not come, we read an explanation in the Book of James that reads, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” The blessings that we ask will not come if our desires are not in line with Heavenly Father’s will. He promised us that “If [we] abide in [Him], and [His] words abide in [us], [we] shall ask what [we] will, and it shall be done unto [us]” (John 15:7).

Praying to our Heavenly Father brings us closer to Him. There is no prayer too silent that He cannot hear nor any place too far away that we cannot reach Him.

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Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (a.k.a. Mormons) believe that God is our Heavenly Father. We are His literal sons and daughters which means that He knows us individually. Knowing God that He knows who we are, our dreams, our weaknesses, and the desire of our hearts. Because He is our loving Heavenly Father, He wants to communicate with us. We do this through prayer. We can share our joys and sorrows with Him when we pray. He is happy when we do what is right and He knows our pain when we are going through hard times.

God has a body of flesh and bone that is glorified and perfected. He is separate from Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22). The account of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s first vision teaches us about this truth. The prophet said:

“I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me… When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other – This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him! (Joseph Smith – History 1:16-17)

Knowing God and understanding our relationship with Him can help us gain happiness and peace in this life. Gaining that understanding is our responsibility. We need to find out for ourselves that Heavenly Father really exists and that He loves us.

Alma, a prophet in the Book of Mormon, taught “…The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator” (Alma 30:44).

We can know for ourselves the existence of God through prayer. When we sincerely ask, He will answer us. Knowing that God is real and that He is our literal Father is one of the greatest blessings that we can receive in this life.

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