Asking for Help

At a picnic yesterday I heard some people talking about the new Harry Potter movie. The conversation moved to discussing which of his shows they liked the least. I told them that the Goblet of Fire was too dark for me and that in it the adults were not trustworthy. The students had no where to turn.

I also remembered an activity a couple of years ago where my students posed problems and asked each other what they would do in those difficult situations. It was interesting, but sad, that none of them said they would go to an adult. They may have thought it was against the imaginary rules, but I wondered how often these kids would go to adults with real problems.

This morning it occurred to me that as adults we often act the same way. When we come up against insurmountable odds, how many of us turn to our Heavenly Father for help. How many of us with sincerely troubling questions chant Laman and Lemuel's mantra of "...the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us?"

In my life I have had sweet seasons when help from Him came easily and others when it was slower. Perhaps if I kept closer the formulas to improve that situation, those times would be fewer.

"President Kimball said, 'I find that when I get casual in my relationships with divinity and when it seems that no divine ear is listening and no divine voice is speaking, that I am far, far away. If I immerse myself in the scriptures the distance narrows and the spirituality returns.'" (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1982, p. 135.)

In a Conference talk Elder Pearson quoted Elder Bruce R. McConkie ...“Faith is a gift of God bestowed as a reward for personal righteousness. It is always given when righteousness is present, and the greater the measure of obedience to God’s laws the greater will be the endowment of faith.” (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [1966], 264). Elder Pearson also said "Faith is a gift from God, and one possessed of it can receive enormous spiritual power."

Independence is sometimes required. However, we should not go it alone when help is there for the asking.

(The views written in this post are the views of the author and do not necessarily represent The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)