The Blessings of Intentionally Seeking
(Inspired by Sister Tracy Y. Browning’s General Conference talk, Seeing More of Jesus Christ in Our Lives, October 2022)
Presentation by Dr. Debi Gilmore, LMFT
In our most recent General Conference, Sister Tracy Browning, Second Counselor in the Primary General Presidency talked about the importance of “Seeing More of Jesus Christ in Our Lives.” Her description of the habit of reaching for her glasses every morning when she awakens, reminded me of an experience I had a couple of weeks ago.
I wear contacts that are called “dailies” because after one wearing you dispose of them and use a new pair the next day. I order a year supply, so I don’t have to constantly worry about running out of my prescription. I noticed I was running low on my supply, so I set myself a reminder to call the office and reorder. When I called, the receptionist checked my records and said, “Oh, I’m sorry, your prescription has expired. You will need to come in for an exam with the doctor before you can re-order your prescription of lenses.”
I quickly tried to help her understand my vision had not changed and I insisted that I was fine with the prescription I presently had been using. She politely explained that it was the doctor’s policy to require patients to come in every two years to check the health of their eyes and verify their prescription didn’t need adjusting. I was a little disappointed and very worried that if I had to wait too long, I would completely run out before I could receive my new ones. However, I decided I didn’t have a choice. I had to be obedient, be patient, and wait until the doctor could work me into his busy schedule.
The day of my exam finally came. When I arrived, I was greeted by the receptionist, introduced to the doctor and escorted into his exam room. He had me sit in his special chair, and he brought the equipment and tools in front of me so he could begin. Within just a couple of minutes, he asked, “So, how does that look?” I was absolutely shocked with what I saw before my eyes. I was looking at a beautiful, crisp black, letter K. It was stunning in its clarity. It was positioned on a pristine white background... flawless and beautiful.
I asked the doctor, “What did you do?” He casually responded, “I just adjusted your prescription.” Oh boy... in that moment I was not only humbled, but so grateful that the receptionist had not allowed me to settle with my old prescription. I would have never known the clarity and perfection of this new view of the world through better lenses.
President Russell M. Nelson taught:
“Nothing invites the Spirit more than fixing your focus on Jesus Christ. … He will lead and guide you in your personal life if you will make time for Him in your life—each and every day.” (Make Time for the Lord, October 2021)
President Russell M. Nelson warns that the process of finding Christ and following Him is not easy. He said:
“There is nothing easy or automatic about becoming a powerful disciple. Our focus must be riveted on the Savior and His gospel. It is mentally rigorous to strive to look unto Him in every thought. But when we do, our doubts and fears flee.” (Facebook post, 2017)
Worldly Tools vs. Spiritual ToolsMy desire to have access to the daily tool of vision required me to have to set aside time to schedule the appointment, patiently await the exam, receive the corrected prescription, and then patiently await the arrival of my new lenses. I had to make the time for the adjustments in my lenses, in order to achieve the gift of clarity in my vision.
It is interesting to note that the special tools and equipment the doctor used in my eye exam required years of preparation and training on his part. It required him to take the steps to achieve a graduate degree in the use of the tools. In order to enhance and focus in on our spiritual vision, we have special tools available to us that do not require special training or an advanced degree to know how to use them. These special tools can assist us in feeling more of the Spirit, achieving more clarity and direction, and finding more of Christ in our own lives each and every day. Sister Browning said:
“In our lives that are often filled with questions, worries, pressures, and opportunities... our Savior’s love for us individually and as His covenant children and also His teachings and laws... are available daily resources that we can depend on to be a “light which shineth, … enlightening our eyes [and] quickening our understandings.”
When I ponder on this quote from Sister Browning, I get a strong sense that we must become intentional seekers in order to, as Jacob taught, “see things as they really are, and... as they really will be.”
Divinely Appointed ToolsJust as glasses and contacts are tools that help us focus on, and zoom in to achieve more clarity of the world around us, Sister Browning referred to the spiritual tools as Divinely Appointed Tools. She said:
“As covenant children of God, we have been uniquely blessed with a rich supply of divinely appointed tools to improve our spiritual vision.”
The word “divine” refers to anything Godlike, of God, from God, or Godly. This is to suggest that these tools are a gift from our Heavenly Father, and should be seen as special and essential in our efforts to focus on the Savior and find clarity from the Savior. Now that we have established the importance of the tools, let’s identify what they are.
Sister Browning identified five specific sources that are intended to be utilized daily. They are:
Scriptures: The words and teachings of Jesus Christ
Modern Day Revelation: Messages from His chosen prophets
Prayer: His Spirit received through daily prayer
Temple Attendance: At regular intervals
The Sacrament Ordinance: Weekly participating in this sacred ordinance
Sometimes I hear people refer to these resources as “the dailies.” Some might say, “I’m just not good at the dailies,” or “I know we are supposed to feast on the words, but it just doesn’t feel much like a feast to me.” When we look at the five resources listed above and consider them daily tasks on a list with boxes to check, it makes perfect sense that they would seem like drudgery.
My contact lenses are called “Dailies,” because I place them in my eyes first thing in the morning, and toss them away at the end of the day. I am so accustomed to this process that I sometimes slip them in my eyes without giving them a second thought. On days when I struggle to place them correctly, I feel annoyed at the nuisance of having to even give them more thought than usual. The same can happen if we consider the list above as “dailies.” They become less than fulfilling if they are seen as behavioral steps and tasks.
Sister Browning’s reference to these tools as divinely appointed tools changes our perspective and helps us refocus on the true meaning and purpose of these tools. As we consider the power within these tools, it is helpful to find ways to make the process of using them richer and more meaningful.
Years ago I recall learning about an experience Elder Gene R. Cook had while reading the scriptures (Personal Scripture Study, 2005). He talked about finding himself reading “words on a page,” and that he was struggling to feel the Spirit or to find personal meaning from the experience. He set aside the scriptures and knelt down to pray. He said a very simple prayer that went something like this, “Father, is there more?” When he returned to the same passage of scriptures, he had some new thoughts and feelings he had not had before. He decided to pray again, so he again said, “Father, is there more?” When he returned to the very same passage, this time he had powerful thoughts, impressions, and promptings far beyond what he had before. Again, it seems that if we are to benefit fully from the use of these divinely appointed tools, we must become intentional seekers of the Savior and His guidance and truth.
Sister Browning suggested that there are powerful benefits from using the tools regularly. She said:
Sister Browning said: These tools will “... restore peace and provide the necessary gift of discernment that brings Christ’s light and His understanding to the corners of our life and in a world that may be cloudy.
Each of these benefits are gifts of the Spirit and can be ours anytime we need them. In our daily challenges and desire for comfort and direction, it would seem to me that we would want to call upon and find these as often as possible. Let’s explore each benefit or gift in more depth.
THE GIFT OF PEACEThe time came when the Savior needed to prepare his Apostles for his departure when He would return to His Heavenly Father to complete His mission on earth. He instructed His Apostles that He would not leave them comfortless. Not only would He send “another Comforter” (John 14:16), even the Holy Ghost, but the Savior said that He would come to them (see John 14:18). How could that happen if the Savior would not be physically here on earth?
Elder Bednar suggests that the Savior comes to us through “Tender Mercies.” One beautiful example is an experience I had recently when I visited with a sister who had experienced a terrible loss of a loved one. I asked how she was feeling that day, and wanted to know if there was anything I could do to support her in her healing journey. She responded with, “It doesn’t make sense, but I am feeling peace even though I should be in agony. I don’t feel the heavy burden I should feel. I feel lighter.” This prompted a beautiful discussion about the Savior’s great Atonement which includes the blessing of peace in the midst of heartache.
Elder Bednar said:
“... as you and I face challenges and tests in our lives, the gift of faith and an appropriate sense of personal confidence that reaches beyond our own capacity are two examples of the tender mercies of the Lord.”
Another example of the Savior’s Tender Mercies and His love for us is the peace of conscience we receive following steps of repentance. Elder Bednar said:
“Repentance and forgiveness of sins and peace of conscience are examples of the tender mercies of the Lord. And the persistence and the fortitude that enable us to press forward with cheerfulness through physical limitations and spiritual difficulties are examples of the tender mercies of the Lord”. (David A. Bednar, Tender Mercies of the Lord, April 2005)
As we set our focus more on the Savior, and seek to recognize Him in our lives, we are more likely to recognize moments of tender mercies that come without our asking. For me, these moments fill my heart with awe, and signal to me that the Savior knows me, He loves me, and He is aware of my pain or trial during that period of time. This not only strengthens my own faith, but becomes an opportunity for me, at an appropriate time, to share the experience and lift and build the faith of others.
THE GIFT OF DISCERNMENTDiscernment holds great significance for me as it is mentioned as one of my spiritual gifts in my patriarchal blessing. Discernment is defined as the ability to:
Recognize small details
Accurately tell the difference between similar things
Make intelligent judgements by using such observations
The special gift of discernment helps us sift through all the confusion of the world, and recognize the Savior in our lives. However, this gift requires us to first recognize it is available to us, and to practice using it every day of our lives. The gift of discernment must be used, practiced, and cultivated in order to refine our ability to discern the things of Christ, vs. the things of the world.
It is important to note that the power of discernment is an added measure of the Holy Ghost, who bears witness of truth. When we are able to call upon this gift, empowered by the Holy Ghost, our focus on the Savior becomes much more refined. With this remarkable gift, how can we go wrong in our choices and direction in life? However, in order to unlock the power of discernment, we must be immersed in daily use of the divinely appointed tools.
Jacob 4:13 “... for the Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be; wherefore, these things are manifested unto us plainly, for the salvation of our souls.”
THE GIFT OF THE SAVIOR’S LIGHT Light is a fascinating phenomenon to me, and when we learn more about the properties of light it becomes clearer why the Savior refers to Himself as The Light. Light is made of particles called photons. In all the universe, only a few particles are eternally stable. The photon is one of those particles that never dies. Stars don’t really die... what does die are some of the particles of the star, but the photons of light in the star lives on forever.
Years ago I taught courses of Color Theory to painters wanting to learn how to mix their paint in order to achieve the perfect color and tone for their masterpiece on canvas or other surfaces. When you mix all colors of pain together, you get a muddy, earth tone from the mix. In photography, when you mix all the colors of light together into one concentrated circle, you get pure white. Again, this is so symbolic of the Savior and his role in our lives to light the way and bring clarity to our journey.
Sometimes in our lives when we feel as if we are in the dark and the way seems unclear, we assume we are alone. We struggle and stumble because we are trying so hard to rely on our own strength and resources.
In John 11:10 and John 12:35 Jesus teaches about the light of man and what happens when we rely on our own strength and resources. “But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him” (John 11:10). “Then Jesus said unto them, . . . Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth” (John 12:35).
In Doctrine and Covenants 88:45 we learn the power of Christ’s Light. “For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.”
Elder Robert D. Hales compares the temporal aspects of light with the eternal aspects of Christ’s Light. He said:
“The light from the moon and stars provides a navigational standard that can guide the mariner directly toward his intended goal. The Light of Christ provides a spiritual standard to guide us safely home to live again with him and with our Heavenly Father. ... The Light of Christ is brighter than the sun. Where Christ is, there is no need of the illumination of the sun, moon, or stars.” (That Ye May Be the Children of Light, Robert D. Hales, BYU Speeches, November 1996)
So, let’s quickly review how we can find Christ’s Light. The divinely appointed tools are the scriptures, words of our prophets, daily prayer, regular temple attendance, and participating weekly in the ordinance of the Sacrament.
THE BENEFIT OF UNDERSTANDING
When challenges or tragedy hits, it is natural for us to try to make sense of why this happened to us. We want to understand the “why” of our struggles and we long to understand and find the meaning in the loss or pain. When we seek for the “why,” we are stuck in the process of our brain power, and limited by the finite resources of our human-ness. Elder Gary E. Stevenson said:
“I have personally observed the heartbreak and personal havoc wrought upon those who focus on worldly “getting” and not on the Lord’s “understanding.” It seems that those who lean unto their own understanding or rely on the arm of the flesh are more likely to develop a disproportionate focus or obsession for material gain, prestige, power, and position. Get real understanding. This will come to you as you realize the interdependence of study and prayer, as you maintain a commitment to serve while learning and earning, and as you lean not unto yourself but trust in and rely on the Lord.” (Gary E. Stevenson, With All Thy Getting, Get Understanding, January 2017)
In the scriptures we often find the phrase, “with all thine heart.” This phrase is significant to me because of my work with those who come to me seeking help with an addiction, or wanting to repair a relationship with a loved one. Through years of research, it has been shown that we must connect our brains to our hearts. This means moving more toward emotions, feelings, humility, vulnerability, and openness. This causes us to be much more teachable, kind, compassionate, and our souls are then available for true and lasting healing.
Proverbs 3:5 says: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” To summarize, leaning unto our own understanding is a “brain experience.” Trusting in The Lord connects our heart to our brain, opens up our soul, which allows Christ to bless us with greater truth and understanding.
Sister Browning said: “Sometimes we don’t realize how extraordinary such gifts are until we lose them and then regain them.” In those spans of time when we find ourselves too busy to pause for the divinely appointed tools, we are in danger of the following:
We lose peace.
We lose discernment.
We lose a measure of the Savior’s light.
We lose understanding.
Sister Browning suggests that these divinely appointed tools, “... are a big deal – especially in today’s world.” She counsels that the benefits of daily use of these tools “...can change our daily sense of well-being and stability. The Savior can also be our compass and our pilot as we steer through both the calm and the turbulent waters of life. He can make plain the correct path that leads us to our eternal destination.”
So, as you ponder on how you can see more of Christ in your daily life, I invite you to ponder on the following questions:
What does The Lord want YOU to do?
What does the Lord want you to think?
What would the Lord have you say?
What would He have you know and understand?
It is my hope and sincere prayer that we can all make more time for the Lord, find ways to immerse in meaningful use of the divinely appointed tools, and that we may all find the gifts we are promised to guide us to our earthly home.
