Doctrine and Covenants 93

In my studies this morning I was reading in Doctrine and Covenants Section 93.  Even though I no longer teach Seminary I love to study personally with the Seminary lessons.  The insights and learning is incredible.  Section 93 is about prayer and light and truth given us by the Spirit and learning line upon line until the day when we shall see Jesus Christ face to face.  It is about obedience and worship. There were a couple of quotes that I read that I want to remember.

President Spencer W. Kimball said:

“I have learned that where there is a prayerful heart, a hungering after righteousness, a forsaking of sins, and obedience to the commandments of God, the Lord pours out more and more light until there is finally power to pierce the heavenly veil and to know more than man knows. A person of such righteousness has the priceless promise that one day he shall see the Lord’s face and know that he is (see D&C 93:1)” (“Give the Lord Your Loyalty,” Ensign, Mar. 1980, 4 )

An account by Bishop Orson F. Whitney, later a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, of a dream he had as a young missionary:

“I dreamed that I was in the garden of Gethsemane. I saw the Savior and three of His Apostles enter the garden through a little gate at my right. The Savior left these three in a group and told them to pray without ceasing, while He crossed over to my left and began to pray. As He prayed the tears streamed down His face, and His whole soul seemed rent with agony, as He asked the Father to let the cup pass from Him. . . .

“. . . I shall never forget the great effect His grief had upon me. I began to weep out of sheer sympathy with His sufferings. It seemed to me that my whole heart went out to Him; that I would have died for His sake or done anything else that He required of me. Presently a change came over the spirit of my dream. . . . Instead of being before the crucifixion, it was after that event, and the Redeemer . . . was about to ascend to heaven, to leave the earth. . . . I fell at His feet, clasped Him around the knees and begged Him with all my soul that I . . . might go with Him. He bent down, took me in His arms, in the tenderest and gentlest manner possible, and with a smile of heavenly sweetness . . . He shook His head, as if grieved to deny my request, and said: ‘No, my son, you have not finished your work.’ . . . I clung to Him and said: ‘Well, promise me that when I have finished my career, after I have lived out my life, I shall then come to you.’ Again He smiled, sadly and sweetly, and said: ‘That will depend entirely upon yourself.’” (“Y.M.M.I.A. Annual Conference,” Contributor, Sept. 1895, 667–68)

I am reminded again that the gospel is all about having a prayerful heart, hungering after righteousness, repentance on a daily basis and OBEDIENCE to the commandments.  The choice is mine whether or not I ever see the Savior.  Each day is a choice ~ will I be obedient or not ~ and because I choose to be obedient then I strive daily to have a prayerful heart and to hunger for the things of this world that are good and righteous and I strive to have a repentant heart.  What the Lord requires is a BROKEN HEART AND A CONTRITE SPIRIT ~ or in other words a REPENTANT HEART and an OBEDIENT SPIRIT.

What I become is entirely my choice.  I strive each day to become like the Savior.  I'm so grateful that every day as I do my part He does his and helps me.  I am far from perfect and some days I fall so short but I love my Savior and I want to be able to know Him when I see His face and be blessed to dwell in His presence.  And so I continue to strive for a repentant heart and an obedient spirit.