The Lord Blesses Our Actions
In Doctrine and Covenants 88 the Lord relays a parable of men laboring in a field and being visited by their master. As He concludes the parable, He delivers this message: “Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:63). This scripture shows us that the Lord promises to bless our actions. As we draw near to the Lord, seek Him, ask, and knock, He will reciprocate our efforts with blessings.
I Will Draw Near unto You
The first promise in this scripture says that as we draw closer to the Lord, He will draw near to us. In his April 2016 conference address, Elder Dale G. Renlund said: “Our absolute distance from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ is important, but the direction we are heading is even more crucial. God is more pleased with repentant sinners who are trying to draw closer to Him than with self-righteous, faultfinding individuals who, like the Pharisees and scribes of old, do not realize how badly they need to repent” (“That I Might Draw All Men unto Me” Apr. 2016 general conference).
Whatever our current direction or distance to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, we can choose to turn toward Them and draw closer to Them.
Ye Shall Find Me
The second promise is that if we diligently seek the Lord, we will find Him. Elder Craig C. Christensen of the Seventy said: “Although the process of seeking includes prayer and supplication, it goes much deeper than that. Seeking is more of a journey than a single event. I liken it to taking a long, cross-country vacation. Although we know what our ultimate destination is, the rich experiences and real learning come day by day as we progress toward our goal” (“Seek, and Ye Shall Find” Apr. 2003 general conference).
The process of diligently seeking the Lord can be a journey full of personal growth as we come to find the Savior. When we find Him, Elder Christensen said that “we begin to understand more fully His eternal message of salvation and exaltation. We find that He continues to beckon us to come and follow Him, that His teachings are certain and are as applicable today as they were throughout all previous generations of time” (“Seek, and Ye Shall Find”).
Ye Shall Receive
The third promise in Doctrine and Covenants 88:63 is that He will answer our prayers. Joseph Smith found a similar promise in James: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). As we have studied the life of Joseph Smith and the early Church through the Doctrine and Covenants, we can see how the Lord answered the prayers of the early Saints as they asked for His direction.
It Shall Be Opened unto You
The final promise is that if we knock, it shall be opened unto us. This does not mean that every physical door we knock on will be opened; however, if we put in our effort and act, the Lord will prepare the way and open doors of opportunity. Remember Nephi in the beginning of the Book of Mormon: “I will go and do.” Nephi knocked, and because of his willingness to act, the Lord opened doors for him to accomplish great things throughout his life.
Invite Students to Share
Encourage your students to test these promises in their own lives. Testify that if they draw near to the Lord, seek Him diligently, ask, and knock, they will have the Lord nearer to them, they will find Him, they will receive, and it shall be opened unto them. Remind them that the actions they take will be blessed. Then invite them to share their testimony or experiences with these promises on social media.
Shareable images can be found on the Seminary Facebook page and are included below.
Invite your seminary council, class president, or other class members to initiate a discussion online. Encourage them to challenge their friends to participate in the conversation by answering the following questions:
- How can I draw closer to my Savior?
- How has the Lord found you as you sought for Him?
Include #LDSSeminary in the post.
