HOW GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS
Victor F. Flagg
It comes about in the life of every person and particularly of every aspiring follower of Jesus Christ, that we come face to face with the life changing questions: Does God hear and answer prayers? Does God hear and answer ‘my’ prayers? These questions are answered in the crucible of personal experience.
At times I have felt that in the Church we may shy away from sharing experiences that have a personal spiritual dimension. It may be that we are hesitant to insert ‘personal experiences’ into or alongside the doctrinal majesty that we reverence. While this is acceptable and understandable in some contexts, if this constraint is carried too far it may result in a gap or interception in our spiritual trajectory or with those we hope to minister to. This gap, if left uncorrected for too long, can lead to a loss of faith. I hope by sharing some personal experiences I can help to bridge that gap and motivate readers to seek and recognize their own sacred moments and experiences in their relationship with the Lord.[1]
Over many years I have come to learn that it is one thing to intellectually learn, that is to have one or two experiences and check the box as if done[2] and say ‘Oh yes…been there…done that. I know God hears and answers prayers.’ However, it is another matter to learn something emotionally, mentally, even physically and yes spiritually! In other words, to learn something character-wise, deeply embedded into our character from repeated experience and continual growth. When we learn in this character-wise way, we are being permanently changed. We begin to be transformed as President Ezra Taft Benson taught us, from the ‘inside out.’[3] I acknowledge that I continue to work on, learn, progress and grow in that comprehensive inside-out way, regarding our relationship with God.
Elder D Todd Christoffersen has testified:
“Some misunderstand the promises of God to mean that obedience to Him yields specific outcomes on a fixed schedule….If life doesn’t fall out precisely this way or according to an expected timetable, they may feel betrayed by God. But things are not so mechanical in the divine economy. We ought not to think of God’s plan as a cosmic vending machine…not every blessing predicated on obedience to law is shaped, designed, and timed according to our expectations. We do our best but must leave to Him the management of blessings, both temporal and spiritual…it is not so much because of some tally kept in celestial account books…What our Heavenly Father offers us is Himself and His Son, a close and enduring relationship with Them through the grace and mediation of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer.”[4] (emphasis added)
To let go of the cosmic vending machine paradigm in favor of seeking a close and enduring relationship with our Father in Heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ, I believe we need to reflect carefully what that means.
We teach our children from infancy that there are ‘terms and conditions’ to getting along in life, adapting to our social environment and interacting with others, including adults. We implicitly understand this. Even across multiple cultures, we implicitly accept the need to teach children to meet the ‘terms and conditions’ of adapting and progressing in the real world. This includes the language they use with each other and with adults, the behavior they engage in, keeping themselves clean, respect for property, tidying up after play and on and on it goes. Again, we implicitly accept this and we ourselves have undergone that training and adaptation to get along in life and to become adults.
It should not be too difficult then for us to understand the following proposal regarding our efforts to fully engage our relationship with our Father in Heaven:
There are terms and conditions for us to have conversations and interactions with an embodied personage of light and glory who presides over worlds and galaxies without number and who has an infinite and intimate awareness of all people.[5]
This is reality…and it may be that we all need a ‘reality check’ from time to time regarding our relationship with deity. When we have times of difficulty and we pray to God for relief, guidance and answers, we need to keep in mind the ‘terms and conditions’ that apply to fully engage our relationship with our Heavenly Father. There are at least three qualifiers (terms) about how God answers our prayers and two fundamental spiritual realities (conditions) about seeking inspiration from God.
First, let us consider the three qualifiers (terms) about how God answers our prayers. These three qualifiers are:
1/ The content of the answer is up to the Lord. It is his perfect wisdom, love and infinite goodness that decides. It is not primarily up to us. This does not mean that God does not care about our concerns, nor does it mean we cannot and should not present our desires to God. We can and we should. It does mean however, that in the end we are required to follow the example of Jesus Christ, who even in his most severe times of trial and need, prayed, ‘nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.’[6]
2/ The timing of when the answer will come is not for us to determine or demand but is, again, up to the infinite and perfect wisdom and love of God. Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught us “Since faith in the timing of the Lord may be tried, let us learn to say not only, “Thy will be done,” but patiently also, “Thy timing be done.””[7]This is true whether the timing is short and fast or lengthy and slow. Just because we get some answers fast does not mean it will always be so.
3/ The means employed by the Lord to give the answers to prayer are – yes again – up to the infinite and perfect wisdom and love of God. It may be direct inspiration to us. It may come from another person in our social network or Church relationship. It may come from a source personally unrelated to us.[8] It is inspiring and edifying to realize that God has infinite means at his disposal to minister to and bless us.
Now we can consider two spiritual realities (conditions) we need to recognize, contemplate and seek practical experience with. These are the Light of Christ and the Holy Ghost.
President Boyd K. Packer has given a seminal address on the Light of Christ which is worth quoting at some length. He has taught us the following:
“Regardless of whether this inner light, this knowledge of right and wrong, is called the Light of Christ, moral sense, or conscience, it can direct us to moderate our actions—unless, that is, we subdue it or silence it…The Spirit of Christ can enlighten the inventor, the scientist, the painter, the sculptor, the composer, the performer, the architect, the author to produce great, even inspired things for the blessing and good of all mankind…The Light of Christ existed in you before you were born (see D&C 93:23, 29–30), and it will be with you every moment that you live and will not perish when the mortal part of you has turned to dust. It is ever there….The Light of Christ is like sunlight. It, too, is everywhere present and given to everyone equally…..Once a person has received that gift of the Holy Ghost and can cultivate it together with the Light of Christ, which they already have, then the fulness of the gospel is open to their understanding. The Holy Ghost can even work through the Light of Christ.”[9] (emphasis added)
From the selection above from President Packer’s message, we can conclude several things as follows:
1/ Inspiration from the spirit (meaning the Light of Christ) may come to us from a variety of sources, including science, art and other sources that are not restricted to members of the Church and its programs.
2/ This light within each person is the source of moral conscience and heeding its promptings can help us ‘moderate our actions’.
3/ It never leaves us. It is always present and can be appealed to at any time by any person by words, music, vision, behavior etc.
4/ The Light of Christ is ‘everywhere present…like sunlight’. [10] It is not a personage.
The official sources and doctrine of the Church regarding The Holy Ghost[11] tell us:
1/ He is a personage of spirit, even the third member of the Godhead.
2/ His roles are to provide revelation of God and his prophets and He is the source of testimony.
3/ He is the ‘Comforter’ and provides divine comfort to us when facing the trials of life.
4/ He sanctifies the obedient and faithful soul in preparation to receive the presence of the Lord.
The Light of Christ and The Holy Ghost – operating together – are two fundamental spiritual realities (conditions) we need to recognize, contemplate and seek practical experience with in order to receive and recognize answers to prayers.[12]
It takes real spiritual work,[13] to fully engage our relationship with God. This work includes accepting the will, timing and means (terms) the Lord chooses to answer our prayers and bless us. This includes exercising the faith to receive the spiritual gifts[14] needed to fulfill the will of God. Similarly, when we understand and make the effort to recognize and heed both the Light of Christ and the Holy Ghost, working together, (conditions) the rewards are great. As we continue in faith, humility, repentance, and meekness, with patience for others and for ourselves, with consistent effort, the Lord can begin to interact with us more frequently and more significantly.[15]
It seems appropriate to share some personal examples of how striving to fulfill the terms and conditions the Lord requires has blessed my own life. As I have tried to qualify for ‘a close and enduring relationship’ with our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ, I have found that striving to meet these requirements has accelerated answers to prayer for me.[16] It has also enlarged my understanding of God’s perfect love for each of us as individuals. I hope that sharing these experiences can motivate and assist others to more fully engage their relationship with the Lord.
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One occasion of how the Light of Christ and the Holy Ghost working together can enlighten…the composer, the performer…to produce great, even inspired things for the blessing and good of all mankind came at a time I had been praying frequently for assistance with several complex issues. This surfaced for me during the recent Christmas season. On my youtube feed for no reason I could see, a performance appeared by the 1970’s disco group Boney M, titled Mary’s Boy Child, a marvelous musical telling of the birth of Jesus Christ. I had the lyrics turned on and although I knew casually of this song from past Christmases, this Christmas something happened….I was penetrated and spiritually electrified by this marvelous performance. Along with the amazing singers led by Liz Mitchel, and the musicians, were many children dressed in white and waving their arms depicting angels, and other children acting the role of shepherds and Mary and Joseph. (Anyone viewing this performance could not fail to be deeply touched by the faces and antics of those children!) The lyrics are truly inspiring, and I was deeply blessed and affected as the spirit of God (Light of Christ and Holy Ghost together) carried this superb rendition deep into my heart.[17] This was an answer to my intense pleading at the time for divine assistance. It was entirely unexpected but wonderfully reassuring to know the Lord was so deeply aware of me. Even after the Christmas season, I continue to view and listen to this inspired performance for the spiritual renewal it provides. The Lord knows how to bless us better than we know ourselves.
On another occasion I was unemployed and running out of funds and about to vacate my apartment with no place to live. I began to drive around in my old pickup truck to look for places to park and sleep out of sight so as not to be noticed by police. That is how serious things had become. At the same time, I became aware of a friend, not a member of the Church, who was actually in a worse situation than I was. He had no employment and limited funds. He was about to vacate his place and he had no vehicle. I volunteered to help my friend move into an apartment on the second floor of a three-story walkup building. Using my truck, he and I accomplished the move (if I recall correctly) over two days. At the very end of the move, we had just finished placing the last items in his suite and we stepped out into the hall. His suite was at the end of a long hall with stairs going down to the ground floor in the middle of the hall. At the very instant we stepped out into the hall, a door opened at the far other end of the hall and a man and a woman and two small children stepped out. Immediately, the two children, as children may often do, began running down the hall toward the stairs. This happened quickly and my friend had just closed and locked his door, and we had not even yet taken our first steps down the hall. The two children ran top speed down the hall and one of them scampered down the stairs, but the other child continued running down the full length of the hall and ran right up to me and threw her arms around my legs and gave me a big hug. As I looked down at that beautiful child, my hand patting her head and she smiling up at me, I felt a sacred feeling, as if the Savior was standing behind me with his hand on my shoulder blessing me with his presence. I felt the love of Christ penetrate my soul and wash over me in a marvelous way. The two parents and the other child had paused on the stairs and were watching and beaming with smiles. Thus, I was blessed to know the Savior was with me in my own severe trials and let me know this with an unforgettable and sacred moment!
On yet another occasion, my older brother passed away after a lengthy illness and despite knowing this was likely to happen, his passing was like an emotional bomb going off in my life. I had been traveling a significant distance several times to another city to visit him in the hospital and when I received news he had passed, I, myself was in the hospital on my third of four eye surgeries. Within 24 hours of his passing, we received news of my wife’s brother passing away and within the same 24 hours, the passing of another person who had been important in my life in times past. So, this was a very difficult time for us. I frequently petitioned the Lord as if to say, “I have been as faithful as I know how to be, have been praying and studying the scriptures and doing as much for others as I could, but I myself am suffering and there seems to be no end to it.” Those were the feelings and thoughts of my prayers.
On a Sunday morning, a few days after my brother’s passing, I was up and sitting on my couch pondering whether to go to Church or not. I was tired and exhausted both physically and emotionally and in my thoughts and feelings it seemed to me that the Lord would excuse me from attending Church that day. However, as I sat there, a different thought and feeling came upon me. My brother had not been a member of the Church, and my thoughts for him, now that he was gone, were very tender. The feeling came over me, that I would honor the memory of my brother by going to Church despite my forlorn feelings. So, I did so.
When I entered the Church, I took a seat in some folding chairs in the space behind the chapel pews but still in open view of the Chapel. As I sat there and the opening hymn was sung, I had an experience that to this day, was and is one of the most sacred moments of my life. The hymn is titled “As I search the Holy Scriptures” and the second stanza has these words:
As I search the holy scriptures,
Touch my spirit, Lord, I pray.
May life’s myst’ries be unfolded
As I study day by day.
When these words were sung, and at the instant of the second line “Touch my spirit, Lord, I pray”, at that very instant, I felt the presence of my deceased brother seated beside me, as if he were actually there physically and leaned a little into my shoulder. This was not imagination but a direct actual presence, not figurative, of my brother’s spirit touching my own spirit, as facilitated by the Holy Ghost. I knew this as certainly as I knew I was living and breathing. The remainder of the hymn and the sacrament hymn (Father in Heav’n, we do believe) were experienced with the comfort of the Holy Ghost in a marvelous way. I seated myself in the same seat for the next several months, to be as close as possible to those sacred moments. Once again, prayers had been answered in unexpected but profoundly beautiful and edifying ways.
I would like to continue to illustrate this truth of the timing and means of God’s answers to our prayers with another experience from my own life. Some years ago, I became somewhat concerned about things said about the role of Canada and the western nations in the Second World War and more particularly the continuing need for and role of the military. It’s hard to describe the reasons for this concern now but I will summarize by saying I had encountered some opposition with people criticizing our Church’s position regarding such things. These were times of intense anti-war, anti-establishment sentiment and a lot of variation on those themes. In years past I had familiarized myself with Canada’s role in the Second World War and I did not entertain any doubt about the need for our military and law enforcement. However, the varied and intense opposition to those institutions that I had encountered, particularly as it seemed to affect some members of the Church, raised concerns with me.
Because I was familiar with the principle of revelation, I felt confident that I could go to the Lord in prayer and ask in faith for clarity, insight, and strength about this matter. I even took it upon myself to devote an entry in my journal every day where I would pray about this matter and record impressions that came.
So, I went about asking in faith in a committed and orderly way. At first, I did not get any impressions. However, I was determined to continue to ask in faith as planned. Despite further efforts, I still did not get any answers to my prayer. This went on for some days, then weeks and finally after perhaps about two months, I began to be dismayed. Other life issues such as work, education, family, church callings etc, grew in urgency and the time came when I felt I had to abandon my quest. It seemed that the Lord had never answered my prayers. As I drew my planned efforts to a close, it may have been that the spirit gently whispered to my mind to ‘be patient’ but at the time, this seemed like no answer to me. I abandoned my efforts with some perplexity and disappointment while continuing to act in faith as regards the Gospel generally.
Time passed. Over approximately the next couple of years I had some interesting encounters with special people. I met and got to know, a member of the Church, who during the Second World War had been shot down over the English Channel three times and received the Victoria Cross, the highest military medal Canada bestows. I met a Temple sealer who had been a fighter pilot in the Battle of Britain. I met a counselor in a Temple Presidency who had fought under Montgomery against Field Marshal Rommel in the North Africa campaign. I had a brief conversation with a manager of the apartment complex I lived in who had been an M.I. 5 officer in Britain de-briefing captured Nazi spies. I met and conversed with a Stake President who as a young man, in a British division stormed the Beaches of Normandy, fought his way across Europe and was one of the soldiers present at the liberation of one of the first concentration camps to be liberated.
One day, I sat back on my couch and was reflecting on these encounters. Not once did any of these men, in any way express doubt or regret about their decision to take up arms in defense of our freedom. Not once in the slightest way did any of them ever suggest that they ever experienced the slightest doubt or regret of the decision to lay their lives on the line for our future, the future you and I are blessed with as we enjoy religious freedom and attend Church today. On the occasion that I sat on my couch reflecting on all this, the Holy Spirit brought into my mind the prayers of a couple years earlier and witnessed to me that the Lord had indeed heard and answered my prayers and ‘revealed’ to me in his own time and in an unexpected and wonderful way, the clarity, insight and strength I had requested.
One final example in connection with receiving answers to prayer. Once again, this concerns a time, I was up to my neck in difficulties that seemed to threaten my peace and confidence to progress and I had been praying frequently for divine guidance. My lovely wife Maria, one day said to me, ‘Everything will be ok.’ When she said that to me, I was silent but, in my mind, I was saying to myself, ‘uhh…ummm….ok…I think my dear, you don’t quite get the picture.’
That night I had a very vivid dream, so vivid I knew it was from the Lord. In the dream I was in a somewhat darkened setting, and I came to a table at which a personage was seated. This personage was hooded so I could not see the face. However, there was a definite radiance emanating from the personage, a radiance of Holiness. There was no doubt this was a Holy personage I was presented with. The personage spoke to me and said, ‘Everything will be ok.’ That was all and I awoke.
I got up and went about my day and expressed to my wife, that I had received a revelation, described the dream, and assured my wife, ‘everything will be ok.’ My wife, who is very respectful of such things, said nothing. For a few hours I was somewhat pleased with myself, knowing I had received a revelation. I would not say I was lifted up in pride or vanity about such an experience, but I was a bit pleased the Lord had spoken to me thus. Then I had a moment I can only describe as if the Lord (the spirit) tapped me on the shoulder and gently whispered to me ‘Vic, the Holy personage in the dream was quoting your wife!’ At that, of course, I was appropriately humbled as was needed, realizing that not only had my prayers been answered but likely my wife’s prayers also in connection with myself. Once again, this experience illustrates that the content, timing and means of ‘answers to prayer’ are evidence of the perfect love and wisdom of the Lord. As such, they are calculated to bless us in ways we need and for our growth and lasting benefit.
I testify with confidence that God perfectly knows and loves each one of us as individuals.[18] He perfectly knows our circumstances and concerns, and He does and will answer prayers that are coupled with the faith and repentance He requires. I know this to be true and give my testimony and witness of this holy and hallowed principle of revealed religion. I invite each and all of us to fully engage our relationship with our Father in Heaven through regular, frequent, humble and faithful prayer.[19]
In Jesus Name. Amen.
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[1] In the April 2026 general conference President Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave an address titled Encounter at the Empty Tomb in which he encouraged us with these inspiring words: “The Savior has entrusted each of us personally with sacred spiritual experiences and knowledge. Because of those experiences, we can see for ourselves…that Jesus Christ lives and is actively blessing all who seek Him. We too can rise to Jesus’s challenge and spread the glorious news.”
[2] President Dieter F. Uchtdorf has taught: “When we treat God’s commandments and our part in building His kingdom like something to check off on a to-do list, we miss the heart of discipleship.” see “Living The Gospel Joyful,” Ensign, Nov. 2014) Sister Stevens has taught us: “The gospel of Jesus Christ is not a checklist of things to do; rather, it lives in our hearts. The gospel “is not weight; it is wings.” It carries us.” (“Fear Not; I Am with Thee,” Ensign, May 2014)
[3] In a now famous General Conference talk in October 1985 titled ‘Born of God’ President Benson taught us: “The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature.”
[4] Our Relationship with God – April 2022 general conference
[5] The scriptures leave no doubt of the infinite glory and majesty of the personage whom we worship. In the Book of Moses chapter 7:29-31 we learn of the prophet Enoch who beheld God weeping over lost souls. We learn not only how perfectly God loves us but something of the extent of the glory of that God: “And Enoch said unto the Lord: How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity? And were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea, millions of earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy creations; and thy curtains are stretched out still…”
We also learn in Moses Chapter 1:27-29 of the infinite awareness that God at times bestows on his servants: “And it came to pass, as the voice was still speaking, Moses cast his eyes and beheld the earth, yea, even all of it; and there was not a particle of it which he did not behold, discerning it by the Spirit of God. And he beheld also the inhabitants thereof, and there was not a soul which he beheld not; and he discerned them by the Spirit of God; and their numbers were great, even numberless as the sand upon the sea shore. And he beheld many lands; and each land was called earth, and there were inhabitants on the face thereof.”
[6] See the following scripture references: Matthew 26:39, Mark 14:36, Luke 22:42,
[7] See Elder Maxwell April 2001 General Conference address titled Plow in Hope. See also Elder David A. Bednar April 2026 General Conference address titled All Who Have Endured Valiantly in which he taught us: “The very name “spiritual gifts” teaches a vital lesson. All such gifts are given by God according to His will and timing; they are not results we earn solely through focused effort and personal discipline.”
[8] “As a young man, President David O. McKay prayed for a witness of the truthfulness of the gospel. Many years later, while he was serving his mission in Scotland, that witness finally came. Later he wrote, “It was an assurance to me that sincere prayer is answered ‘sometime, somewhere.’” https://www.ldsliving.com/elder-hales-when-we-dont-receive-answers-to-our-prayers/s/82775
[9] See The Light of Christ By President Boyd K. Packer Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles – Liahona April 2005. The reader is encouraged to review the entire address by President Packer.
[10] Elder David A. Bednar has likened the spirit of revelation to ‘patterns of light’ in these words:
“A light turned on in a dark room is like receiving a message from God quickly, completely, and all at once. Many of us have experienced this pattern of revelation as we have been given answers to sincere prayers or been provided with needed direction or protection, according to God’s will and timing. Descriptions of such immediate and intense manifestations are found in the scriptures, recounted in Church history, and evidenced in our own lives. Indeed, these mighty miracles do occur. However, this pattern of revelation tends to be more rare than common.
The gradual increase of light radiating from the rising sun is like receiving a message from God “line upon line, precept upon precept” (2 Nephi 28:30). Most frequently, revelation comes in small increments over time and is granted according to our desire, worthiness, and preparation. Such communications from Heavenly Father gradually and gently “distil upon [our souls] as the dews from heaven” (D&C 121:45). This pattern of revelation tends to be more common than rare…” See his address titled The Spirit of Revelation in the April 2011 General Conference. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2011/04/the-spirit-of-revelation?lang=eng
[11] See Gospel Topics regarding The Holy Ghost at https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/holy-ghost?lang=eng
[12] For a more comprehensive discourse on this subject see my essay titled This is Important.
[13] President Nelson has twice pleaded with us to do this work:
“Please do the spiritual work to increase your capacity to receive personal revelation.”
Taken from his address titled Think Celestial https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2023/10/51nelson?lang=eng
And: “Choose to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly.” Taken from his address titled: Revelation for the Church, Revelation for our Lives https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/04/revelation-for-the-church-revelation-for-our-lives.p38?lang=eng#p38
[14] In an April 2026 general conference address titled All Who Have Endured Valiantly, Elder Bednar has taught us: “The very name “spiritual gifts” teaches a vital lesson. All such gifts are given by God according to His will and timing; they are not results we earn solely through focused effort and personal discipline.”
[15] In February 2026 President Oaks spoke at a BYU devotional and taught us: “Strong faith requires more than strong desire. It means daily trying, one step at a time, with prayer and scripture study…. Like faith in God, humility is a master virtue, given to help us learn other virtues necessary for us to become what our Heavenly Father and His Only Begotten Son created us to become….Protect yourself with the weekly renewing of your covenants by partaking of the sacrament and with consistent efforts to live according to those sacred covenants…. We are all a work in progress. We are all at different places on what President Nelson called “the covenant path”. We need to be patient with one another and, occasionally, even with ourselves.”
[16] It seems likely – as we are all on a celestial learning curve – that it is not always possible for us to determine with exactness if the inspiration we are receiving is the Light of Christ or the Holy Ghost or both supernal influences working in concert together. However, it is certain that with time and effort we can more fully know that it is God answering our prayers and as a result our failures to recognize answers to prayer, will become less frequent. It is important to note that my examples are not in any way intended to be a comprehensive ‘list’ of the ways God may answer prayers. I continue to engage in my relationship with God by striving to repent daily, pray, study scripture, attend and partake of sacrament, ministering to others and all other practices the Lord directs us to embrace.
[17] The rendition can be found by searching youtube with the words Boney M Mary’s Boy Child (special edition) Subtitles. I urge everyone to make good use of technology and find and thrill to this amazing performance.
[18] In the April 2026 General Conference Elder Edward B. Rowe Of the Seventy gave a talk titled Choose Jesus Christ as Your Guide and taught us as follows: “While the Savior’s Atonement is infinite, His invitation is individual. He invites you and me to accept Him as our personal guide. He suffered not just for humanity—He suffered for each of us individually. As President Russell M. Nelson taught, “Jesus Christ took upon Himself your sins, your pains, your heartaches, and your infirmities.” In short, He knows you personally and thus how to guide you based on your distinct strengths, weaknesses, and circumstances.” (emphasis added)
[19] In this essay, I have chosen to share examples from daily life rather than in connection with the verities of the Restored Gospel. I have done this to hopefully form a bridge of sorts between the personal and the institutional truths. For my testimony of revelation in connection with the verities of the Restoration see my Biographical essay.