Monthly Archive

Two weeks ago, my lovely wife asked me a question:

If no one can see God’s face without dying, how did Joseph Smith do so in the first vision?

That was a good question she asked-I never thought about that before.

A week later, I remembered to ask my friend Mike at work about how Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father without dying.  His answer was that his (the Lords) Glory was upon him.   He used to get asked this all the time on his mission.   He couldn’t give exact reference in scripture but said he knew it was in there.

Yesterday in Gospel Doctrine / Book of Mormon Class, we were studying the roles of a seer.  (Lesson 17 in the Book of Mormon Class Member Study Guide)  We came upon a passage which answered the question my wife asked earlier.

But now mine own eyes have beheld God; but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes, for my natural eyes could not have beheld; for I should have withered and died in his presence; but his glory was upon me; and I beheld his face, for I was transfigured before him. (Moses 1:11; Pearl of Great Price)

How great would it be to see things with spiritual eyes all the time? Are seeing with our spiritual eyes something that needs to be developed? 

This has got me thinking about the things I’ve been knowing I need to change and what I need to do.  I’ve been knowing I need to do it for a few weeks now but until now have successfully ignored it.  It seems like lately I’ve been becoming too busy with work, family, home, camp outs, callings and not spending the few minutes a day to study the scriptures as I once did.

I never finished the Book of Mormon by April 1st as I once set forth to do as a New Years resolution.  I have now given myself the whole year to finish the book seeing how we will be studying it all year anyway in Gospel Doctrine Class, but I am hoping I can commit to an extra step and finish it much, much earlier.

My wife, who reads the scriptures more than I do constantly suggest that I do so, rather than working on the laptop at night or watching American Idol on Tivo.  She is right and her insight is becoming impeccable with the spiritual needs of our family.  I am quite frankly impressed, especially with the things she calls me out on.  I bet she is seeing more and more with her spirtual eyes. 

As everything else, it is “use it or lose it.”

Something’s beeing telling me I need to get back to studying every day.  Lets make today the day it begins again.