The principle of the knock
This dispensation was ushered in by a small boy who wanted to know which church to join and had the temerity to believe that he would get an answer to a prayer.
You are well acquainted with the scripture in James, so I will not repeat it here.
There is also scripture that goes something like this, seek and you shall find, ask and you shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you[1]. Many years ago I wrote a little piece when I was stake president. It was before I had a computer, so I have no copy of that document.
I will try and remember the gist of that.
One of the reasons that more people do not gain knowledge or a testimony is because they do not ask with real intent, if they ask at all.
The Lord works by principle. If we go back to Adam and all the prophets, they all had to ask before they received the knowledge they were seeking.
I think that when we are given things, whether it be material goods or knowledge, without any effort or sacrifice on our part, there is no appreciation of the gift that is given.
President Packer once gave a talk about advice. The sum and substance of the talk was if you ask for advice from a prophet (or any one else for that matter) and then decide not to follow it, you have wasted both his/their time and yours.
People cannot resolve problems by sweeping them under the rug and running away.
The scripture instructs us to meet together in private and resolve the issue that we are not esteemed to be enemies.
On May 2 2014 I wrote on my Letters from Grandpa Blog the parable of the father and the child. This details what happens often in our society. We expect to have all our problems solved with little or no effort on our part.
I have made it my policy not to interfere with anyone’s agency. (I have written about this before.) If they seek counsel I will give considered insight, but will not do so unless they put forth the effort to ask and to act.
This is what I call the principal of the knock.
We often have a tendency to blame ourselves for our children's failures and shortcomings and do not realize that in spite of our imperfections and lack of good judgment, which we all have at some point, the individual is an agent unto themselves even at a very early age. They are the captains of their fate and the masters of their souls and through the atonement of Christ will overcome all things by obedience.
This dispensation was ushered in by a small boy who wanted to know which church to join and had the temerity to believe that he would get an answer to a prayer.
You are well acquainted with the scripture in James, so I will not repeat it here.
There is also scripture that goes something like this, seek and you shall find, ask and you shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you[1]. Many years ago I wrote a little piece when I was stake president. It was before I had a computer, so I have no copy of that document.
I will try and remember the gist of that.
One of the reasons that more people do not gain knowledge or a testimony is because they do not ask with real intent, if they ask at all.
The Lord works by principle. If we go back to Adam and all the prophets, they all had to ask before they received the knowledge they were seeking.
I think that when we are given things, whether it be material goods or knowledge, without any effort or sacrifice on our part, there is no appreciation of the gift that is given.
President Packer once gave a talk about advice. The sum and substance of the talk was if you ask for advice from a prophet (or any one else for that matter) and then decide not to follow it, you have wasted both his/their time and yours.
People cannot resolve problems by sweeping them under the rug and running away.
The scripture instructs us to meet together in private and resolve the issue that we are not esteemed to be enemies.
On May 2 2014 I wrote on my Letters from Grandpa Blog the parable of the father and the child. This details what happens often in our society. We expect to have all our problems solved with little or no effort on our part.
I have made it my policy not to interfere with anyone’s agency. (I have written about this before.) If they seek counsel I will give considered insight, but will not do so unless they put forth the effort to ask and to act.
This is what I call the principal of the knock.
We often have a tendency to blame ourselves for our children's failures and shortcomings and do not realize that in spite of our imperfections and lack of good judgment, which we all have at some point, the individual is an agent unto themselves even at a very early age. They are the captains of their fate and the masters of their souls and through the atonement of Christ will overcome all things by obedience.
So knock, ask, and seek.
That is the principle of the knock.
Love,
Grandpa
[1] Matthew 7:8 Say unto them, Ask of God; ask,
and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be
opened unto you.
Ah, so very profound, Dr. Gee. And, I like the the way you phrase it: the principle of the knock.
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