Our LDS Life

Have you ever experienced something that you just couldn’t put into words? Something wonderful, something amazing, that you wish you could share with those you love?  So many times I’ve wished I could just pour knowledge into someone else’s heart so that she wouldn’t have to suffer and learn it the hard way.

Why is this? I believe there are some things in life that words can never describe – truths that words can never adequately convey.

When Joseph Smith was in Liberty Jail, he was in horrible conditions – cold, malnourished, and cramped in a prison cell where he could not even stand up. On top of that, he knew members of the Church were being persecuted, their homes pillaged, and they were being driven from the state of Missouri. His wife Emma was alone with the children and in danger with the others. Joseph cried out to the Lord, feeling as if he were alone and wondering how long he and those he loved must suffer.

The answer came and is recorded in D&C 122. Here’s an excerpt:

“And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of  hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience and shall be for thy good.”

What is so important about experience that no matter what horrible things we endure, it is worth it for the experience? Paul said it this way:

“We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Romans 5:3-5)

When I’m teaching youth or even adults, I often feel as if words are inadequate to convey what’s in my heart. How can I adequately explain what it feels like to know the Savior in my heart? To feel His love that swells my soul? How can I explain what it means to really trust, to let go, and give Him your cares? How can I convey what it’s like not to worry because I know and trust that come what may, He is in control and that all things will work together for my good?

To me the words sound trite. For some they may sound impossible to comprehend. It is by experience that I have gained this knowledge. It isn’t head knowledge. It’s heart knowledge. I’ve spent most of my life studying the scriptures and the words of prophets who taught these things, but not until I experienced what it felt like to have no one and nothing to count on but God, did I learn what it means to really trust Him and to know that He is there. In my adversity, I experienced Him! I came to know and love Him.

In our darkest hours, we have the potential to gain the most illuminating wisdom – to know at a soul-level that Jesus is the Christ and that His love is amazing beyond words.

Maybe this is why when He visited the American continent after His resurrection, the Nephites recorded:

“No tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father” (3 Nephi 17:17).

When it comes to Jesus Christ, words are inadequate.

I think many times the entire purpose of sitting in church and listening to people testify of Christ and His gospel is to give us the faith necessary to experiment for ourselves. We lean on other people’s testimonies long enough to gain the desire necessary to experiment. At last, we take a leap of faith and act upon a principle. By doing so, we reap a blessing. That blessing affirms to us that the principle is true. Step by step, we experiment upon principles until we learn to trust Him.

As we go through difficult times and have the faith to keep walking, keep obeying, and keep living true to the knowledge we’ve gained, we come to know Him personally. We come to realize that nothing in this world is real, but Him. Nothing lasts, nothing matters, only Him and His infinite love and the relationships that we forge with each other in that love.

A friend has been teaching me how to use Christ-centered meditations to gain insights, answers, and remove emotional blocks. Most importantly Christ-centered meditation leads one to a place where s/he can feel the Savior’s unconditional love. It can truly be an amazing experience.

Since I always like to make sure that anything I’m learning is in keeping with gospel principles, I did some research on the subject and found this quote by President David O. McKay:

“I think we pay too little attention to the value of meditation, a principle of devotion. … Meditation is the language of the soul. It is defined as ‘a form of private devotion or spiritual exercise, consisting in deep, continued reflection on some religious theme.’ Meditation is a form of prayer. …

“Meditation is one of the most secret, most sacred doors through which we pass into the presence of the Lord” (Man May Know for Himself, comp. Clare Middlemiss [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1969], pp. 22–23).

That last sentence really stood out to me, and I have found it to be true.