I Will Go Before Your Face

I wanted to share this picture of a sunrise which was taken a few days ago.  Even though it's an amateur picture taken from an iPhone, it was a stunning morning as the sun touched the peak of Timpanogos.  It reminded me once again that, "All things have their likeness, and all things are created and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual; things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath: all things bear record of me." Moses 6:63. This sunrise was a beautiful reminder of this truth taught in the Book of Moses.

            

 D&C 84, which is a revelation given to Joseph in 1832, states in verses 87-88, "Behold, I send you out to reprove the world of all their unrighteous deeds, and to teach them of a judgment which is to come.  And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."

            

Sometimes we feel a personal commandment from the Lord to do something or sometimes it might be a calling that seems impossible.  When those times come, we should remind ourselves that whosoever will "thrust in his sickle and reap, the same is called of God." He will prepare the way for us regardless of how difficult or simple the task may seem. Not only will he prepare the way for us, but let's not forget the last sentence in the underlined scripture, his "angels will be round about you, to bear you up." I share a simple witness that this statement is true! There are many, both from our posterity and those who've passed on before, who are aware of us and are there to support us in what we're asked to do (whether it's a personal commandment from the Lord or an "official calling").  If the veil were parted and we could see, I think it would shock many of us how engaged those on the other side of the veil are in our lives.

           

From the scriptures, we see several example of missions that were difficult or seemed impossible.
Visualize yourself in the shoes of the people used in these examples. What a daunting task each seemed to face in their own journey:

            

            - Daniel 3.  The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego as they refuse to follow the commandment of Nebuchadnezzar and are cast into the fiery furnace.  They stayed true to their Lord despite being walked to the furnaces - imagine being in their shoes!

           

            - Daniel 2.  This seems a little more subtle. Daniel went before the King and translated his dream when others could not. Daniel understood well the Lord would attend him as he stood before the King. Imagine being in his shoes.  Would there be doubt? Would we wonder whether we'd be ready for that inspiration?  No, we would not if we conform our lives to the way the Lord would have us live!

           

             - 1 Samuel 17.  David and Goliath. Imagine entire armies watching.  What pure and simple faith on the part of David.

           

             - 1 Nephi 4. Nephi returns to Jerusalem to obtain the plates. According to his doubting brothers, this was an impossible command from the Lord.

          

             - Alma and Ammon.  Teaching the hard-hearted Nephites and going to deliver the gospel to the Lamanites, who up to that point, only sought the destruction of the Nephites.

            

These are a few examples of people who went and did, in the face of certain failure, according to what the world viewed as possible.  I'd like to share one last story of someone who felt a personal prompting and acted on it.  It required extra time and many of us may have disregarded the prompting because we're to "busy".  This was a story shared at a meeting in Florida and was shared by a worker in the Orlando Temple, Sister Hessi.  This story was taken from my journal.

               

             As the sisters in the Temple were having their prayer meeting, Sis Hessi (another temple worker) recounted a story from her life that goes something like this:

                Sister Hessi was doing names in the Temple one day and as she was finishing and getting ready to return home.  She felt prompted to stay and do another name.  She hesitated because she had a baby sitter at home and had given a specific time she would return.  But, she decided to stay and do the name for one more sister.

                As she was driving home, she noticed the emergency response vehicles in the area and realized they were at her house.  As she frantically walked in the babysitter said “I’m so sorry, I only turned away for a second”.  Her child had been swept away in the stream behind the house and had been swept under the culvert. They still hadn’t found the body.  She was going to go help look for her when she felt like she should first look in her daughter's room.  There was her daughter sitting in the room all wet and dirty.  This sister asked her daughter how she had got to her room, and the daughter recounted  she didn't remember how she got out of the river, only that a nice lady in white brought her back to the room.  This sister asked  her daughter the name of the lady, and it was the same name she had stayed to do in the Temple prior to going home that day.

           

This story is an example of a lady who received direction to do something as simple as staying at the Temple to do an extra name, and she did it. Truly his angels were there to bear her up that day. It's my witness that whatever the Lord asks us to do, he will provide the way! His angels (and often times people we know) will be there to bear us up and support us as we faithfully seek to do the Lord's will. He is mindful of those who humbly follow his counsel and guidance!  Sometimes it might be direction to switch careers or something significant.  Other times, it will be to simply pass by and visit someone or pick up the phone and make a call. Either way, He will be on our right and our left and His Spirit shall be in our hearts, and his angels round about us.