*Pray for gidance
*Look inward, upward*Trust in God
Everyone faces times when they need spiritual gidance, and the Lord has promised that if we would be humble in such times of need and turn to him for aid, we would be 'made strong, and [be] blessed from on high, and receive knowledge from time to time.' (D&C 1:28.) That help is ours if we will but seek it, trust in it, and follow what King Benjamin, in the book of Mormon, called 'the enticings of the Holy Spirit' (Mosiah 3:19.)," President Hunter said.
"Perhamps no promise in life is more rassuring than that promise of divine assistance and spiritual guidance in times of need. It is a gift freely given from heaven, a gift that we need form our earliest youth through the very latest days of our lives."
Speaking in his soft voice, President Hunter used three examples of spiritual experiences, "examples that recall the anxious moments of the very young as well as the possibility of continued spiritual growth for those who are not so young."
He first retold the story of the visit of the Father and Son to the 14-year-old Joseph Smith.
"How many of us, at 14 or any age, could keep our heads steady and our wits calm with so many forces tugging and pulling on us, especially on such an important subject as our eternal salvation? How many of us could withstand the emotional conflict that might come when parents differ in their religious persuasion? How many of us, at 14 or 50, would searc within our souls and search within holy writ to find answers to what the Apostle Paul called 'the deep things of God.' (1 Cor. 2:10.)"
President Hunter remarked that the promise contained in James 1:5 about God giving liberally to those who seek wisdom from Him also applies to those who live today, both young and old.
"Sometimes we may feel that our spiritual edge has grown dull. On some very trying days, we may even feel that God has forgotten us, has left us alone in our confusion and concern. But that feeling is no more justified for the older ones among us that it is for the younger and less experienced. God knows and loves us all."
Presdient Hutner then told of the poet, John Milton, who went blind late in life. The apostle quoted a poem about Milton written by Elizabet Lloyd Howell, who wrote: "My vision thou has dimmed, That I may see Thyself, Thyself alone." (The World's Great Religious Poetry, p.19.)
"That is a wonderfully comforting thought to young and old alike who must look inward and upward when the external world around us is so confusing and unstable and grim," President hunter commented.
Presdient Hunter said God may have much to give His children individually "if we would but seek His presence regularly through such avenues as scripture study and earnest prayer."
Developing spirituality and attuning oneself to godly influences takes time and frequently involves struggle, he pointed out.
As his final example, President Hunter cited the story in 2 Kings 6 of Elisha the prophet and his youthful companion. Elisha told his companion that those with israel were greater than those against Israel. The prophet prayed that the young man's eyes would be opened. Then, the youth saw a mountain full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha.
"in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we have help from on high," the president of the Council of Twelve declared.
In facing life's problems and meeting life'
s tasks, may we all claim thqat gift from God, our Father, and find spiritual joy," President Hunter concluded.