Continuing from Henry B. Eyring’s writings in “To Draw Closer to God:” ‘The Holy Ghost I’ posted January 25, 2021. . . .
A second thing will happen to you in the future. . . . You live, or will live, with people who are very different from you. Just the growth of the church itself will require it, because the gospel of Jesus Christ is going to every nation, kindred, tongue and people. They will flock to its standard, they will accept the restored gospel, and they will move and you will move. You’ll find yourself in situations where those who have come into the gospel will have had very different experiences than you have had. And you’ll find a need to serve them. Let me suggest a preparation that you can begin now. I even tried it recently myself, to be sure it still worked, and it does. Not long ago, early in the morning, my wife and I were in a hurry getting ready to go somewhere. We were both under pressure, and I was pretty much turned inwards toward myself, but I thought a thought. It’s a thought I suggest you try: “Everything I have that’s good is a gift from God. How would he have me use my gifts to serve someone?” And I simply asked my wife it there was anything I could do for her. It turned out that there was—I made the bed. It was such a small thing that I’m sure it doesn’t sound very impressive to you, and it probably wasn’t very impressive to her either. I could have done more. But as I did that simple thing, I felt something that I’ve felt before. When I gave of my time in a way that I thought the Savior would want me to for my wife, not only did my love for he increase—but I also felt his love for her.
I promise that if you will use your gifts to serve someone else, you’ll feel the Lord’s love for that person. You’ll also feel his love for you. And you’ll be preparing for times when you will be called to serve people and to love them.
There is one more thing that is certain to happen in your future: someday you will see the face of the Savior. All of us will someday see his grace when we stand before him to be judged of Him. “Yea, even at the last day, when all men shall stand to be judged of him, then shall they confess that he is God; then shall they confess, who live without God in the world, that the judgment of an everlasting punishment is just upon them; and tremble and shrink beneath the glance of his all-searching eye.” Mosiah 27:31.)
Your life will be full of surprises, and you can expect some trials. But you can also expect deliverance. You can know that God will answer your prayers and help you, so you don’t need to be afraid of those trials anymore. And as you use your gifts from him to serve others, you can feel his love for them, and you can begin to love them as well.
There is a God, and he has an all-seeing eye. He can see you now, and he loves you. As you get older, you’ll worry more and more about this question: “When I see him, will he smile?” You can go through this life with a picture in your mind of the Savior smiling at you. You can feel peace and happiness by seeking spiritual experiences that will bring you closer to him. The book of Helaman describes a group of people who were suffering terrible persecution but were at peace in their hearts. This is how they did it: “They did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in their faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.” (Helaman 3:35.) ~Henry B. Eyring, To Draw Closer to God (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1997)87-89
Elder Henry B. Eyring is a member of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To (re) read his concluding thoughts from this chapter (published on the 11th of this month) click . . . leave me alone. . . .
