I have had several books in my life that have helped me to come to understand more of the Living Reality of Jesus Christ and his Atonement. "Believing Christ" "Following Christ" and many others. But I was recently called last year as a Guest Service Missionary on Temple Square and when the new Deseret Book opened across the street as part of the Downtown Rising Project, I went over to browse at the stores new location during one of the events I was assigned too.
During my browsing I came across two books that peeked my interest. First one was "Discourses of Thomas S. Monson Pathways to Perfection," and the second was "To Draw Closer to God," a collection of discourses By Elder Henry B. Eyring. I purchased both books and then set out to read President Monsons first but kept setting it down after a chapter here and there.
I always had President Eyrings sitting on my night stand and one day decided to start reading that one and continued much farther reading that one. I read a little here and there and was always able to hear his sweet spirited voice as I read each chapter and then stopped reading and would then ponder the things that he had shared about in each chapter.
I have attended young womens camp as the Priesthood advisor for three years now and this year was no exception since I have also been unemployed since January and had the time to go and always look forward to one of the most spiritual events of the year. You are set aside off by yourself to camp away from the young women and I spend a bulk of my time by myself. It was during this event this year that I took these two books to read. I started by wanting to finish "To Draw Closer to God." As I started I picked up at chapter 9 "Surrender to Christ" and only stopped when I had to go to an event and take the pictures. Brothers this is hard duty. Anyway, I am also a Missionary in the Churchs LDS Family Services Addiction Recovery Program. This chapter correlated with the 6th and 7th steps in ways that are really hard to put down in words. But there I was in Solitude in the mountain meadows listening to the Choir and finishing this book. Chapter 8 started with Waiting upon the Lord and it is all in his time and not mine or ours. To pray ceasingly hour by hour to know gods will and then to Surrender yourself to Jesus Christ the Master that can heal all and lift all your burdens because he WANTS to. Talk to God like you talk to your best friend and or your spouse. Then stop talking during prayer and JUST LISTEN. He will be and is there. How much do we desire to knows Gods will for us? How often to we really attend the Temple with the desire to knows Gods will for us and sit and ponder the deepest questions of our Hearts and not just hurry in to the session and in and out of the Celestral Room all in the name of making good on a new year committment to attend. Stop and smell the Majesty that dwells in the House of The Lord.
This book taught me that if I want to draw closer to God then put yourself in places that God would want to find you and commune with you and that is in church, spiritual outings or in the temple. Ask and ye shall receive.
One of the many blessings of the Temple is that we are entitled to the further light and knowledge promised to Adam and Eve in the Garden as there decendents. We just need to Humble ourselfs and live true to our individual covenants made in the Temple and go with time on our hands and just find somewhere in the Temple to sit in Quiet and JUST LISTEN.
There is so much that this book taught me and one of the sweetest parts of reading it are that you can hear his voice as you read and when he chokes up in his experiences. President Eyring truly is a Servant of the Lord and speaks by divine influence. All I can really say at this point is to read it and then find yourself in places where God would want you to be in so you can Draw Closer to God. In the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen