"Come unto me, that ye might feel and see." This was a
commandment that the Savior extended to the inhabitants of
ancient America.
They felt with their hands and saw with their eyes that Jesus
was the Christ.
This commandment is just as important for us today as it
was for them in their day.
As we come unto Christ, we can feel and "know of a
surety"--not with our hands and eyes but with all our
heart and mind--that Jesus is the Christ.
One way to come unto Christ is by seeking to learn essential
truth with our hearts.
As we do so, impressions that come from God will give us
knowledge that we cannot get by any other means.
The Apostle Peter knew of a surety that Jesus was the
Christ, the Son of the living God.
The Savior explained that the source for Peter's knowledge
was not "flesh and blood ...
but [the]
Father which is in heaven."
The prophet Abinadi explained the role of the feelings that
come from God to our hearts.
He taught that we cannot understand the scriptures
completely unless we apply our heart to understanding.
This truth was well stated in a children's book, The Little
Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
In the story, the little prince became
friends with a fox.
Upon parting, the fox shared a secret with the little prince.
He said, "Here is my secret ...: It is only with the heart
that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to
the eye."
Eighty-eight-year-old Brother Thomas Coelho is a good
example of one who saw with his heart essential things.
He was a faithful member of our high council
in Paysandu, Uruguay.
Prior to joining the Church, he had an accident while
riding his motorcycle.
While lying on the ground unable to stand, two of our
missionaries helped him stand up and return to his home.
He said that he felt something special when the missionaries
came to his rescue.
Later, he experienced strong feelings again when the
missionaries taught him.
The impact of those feelings was such that he read the Book
of Mormon from cover to cover in just a few days.
He was baptized and served tirelessly
from that day forward.
I remember him riding his motorcycle up and down the
streets of our city, even in the cold and rainy winters, to
bring others to church so they could feel, see, and know of a
surety as he did.
Today, surrounded by so much information, we might think
that navigating millions of web pages will give us all
that we need to know.
We can find good and bad information on the web, but
information alone is not enough.
God has given us another source for greater knowledge,
even knowledge sent from heaven.
Our Heavenly Father can give us such knowledge when we
navigate the celestial web in our hearts and minds.
The Prophet Joseph Smith said that he had "the oldest book
in [his]
heart, even the gift of the Holy Ghost." We access this
celestial source when we do things such as reading the
scriptures, hearkening to the living prophet, and praying.
It is also important to take time to be still and feel and
follow the celestial promptings.
When we do this, we will "feel and see" things that cannot be
learned with modern technology.
And even more, once we have some experience in navigating
this celestial web, we will discern the truth, even when
reading secular history or any other topic.
The honest seekers of truth will know the truth of all
things by the power of the Holy Ghost.
Now, a word of caution: access to this celestial web is
marred by iniquity and forgetting the Lord.
Nephi told his brothers that they "could not feel his
words" because they were "swift to do iniquity [and]
slow to remember the Lord." Iniquity hampers our ability
to see, feel, and love others.
Being quick to remember the Lord by praying "with all the
energy of heart and bringing to mind our spiritual
experience expands our ability to see and feel of
the things of Christ.
Now I ask you: Do you remember the peace you felt when, after
much tribulation, you cried out unto the
Father in mighty prayer?
Do you remember changing your to-do list to follow a
prompting in your heart?
The great men in the Book of Mormon fostered access to a
greater knowledge by bringing to mind their key spiritual
experiences.
For instance, Alma fortified his children, strengthened his
children, by reminding them about his own conversion.
Helaman taught Nephi and Lehi to remember--to remember that
it was upon on the rock of Christ that they had to build
their foundation so the devil would have no power over them.
By the way, we must do the same.
Remembering God helps us to feel and live.
This gives deeper meaning to the words of King Benjamin,
who said, "And now, O man, remember, and perish not."
One of the most sacred memories I cherish is the
feeling I had when I came to know the Book of Mormon was
the word of God.
I learned that we can experience joy that words fall
short to express.
That very day, on my knees, I felt and knew of a surety the
things that I could not have learned in any other way.
Such a memory is reason for everlasting gratitude and
strengthens me in hard times.
Those who receive knowledge not from flesh and blood but
from our Heavenly Father do know of a surety that Jesus is
the Christ and this is His Church.
That very knowledge provides strength to make necessary
changes to come unto Christ, or to follow Him.
For this reason, we invite every soul to be baptized,
repent, and turn unto Him now.
By coming unto Christ, every soul can see, feel, and know
of a surety that Christ suffered and atoned for our
sins that we may have eternal life.
If we repent, we will not suffer needlessly.
Thanks to Him, wounded souls may be healed and broken
hearts may be mended.
There is no burden that He cannot ease or remove.
He knows about our infirmities and sicknesses.
I promise and testify to you that when all doors seem to be
closed, when everything else seems to fail, He
will not fail you.
Christ will help and is the way out, whether the struggle
is with an addiction, depression, or something else.
He knows "how to succor his people."
Marriages and families that are struggling for whatever
reason--economic challenges, bad media influences, or
family dynamics--will feel a calming influence from heaven.
It is comforting to "feel and see" that He rose from the
dead "with healing in his wings," that because of Him,
we will meet and embrace again those beloved ones who have
passed away.
Verily our conversion unto Him is rewarded with our healing.
I know of a surety that all of this is true.
For this reason I join my voice with that of the early
inhabitants of ancient America, exclaiming: "Hosanna!
Blessed be the name of the Most High
God!" He gave us salvation.
I bear witness that Jesus is the Christ, the holy Messiah.
He's the Lord of Hosts, our Savior and Redeemer.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Amen.