Personal tutoring

     There are different ways to learn. The two most common are through trial and error and being taught by someone with greater knowledge- either in person or through a book. Trial and error can be really effective, if not downright painful. However, sometimes we don't "get it" resulting in a repeat of a difficult lesson. When being taught by someone we have the chance to either pay attention and decipher how to implement the information or completely ignore it. It's also possible to misinterpret lessons in both instances. My personal favorite way to learn is directly from God through the Holy Spirit. Having said that, I have to qualify that with the point that it is NOT the easiest way to learn. I have explained in previous posts how much effort it requires to be in tune or in connection with spiritual intelligence. The world tends to be VERY loud and persistent and must be shut out to hear the still, small voice of the Holy Ghost. I recall a few personal lessons learned through this whisper:
     My husband and I joined the LDS Church in 1974. I had always believed in God and that Jesus was my Savior and had attended, with my family, the Methodist Church. When Russ and I were taught the doctrine of eternal marriage, it gave us pause. We looked at each other and said, "Do we really want to be married forever? That's a really long time!" We talked it over and prayed and fasted and determined to go through with it and were sealed in a temple by a man with the authority to seal on earth what would be sealed in heaven. Later my parents joined the church and the opportunity arose to be sealed to them as a daughter forever in the temple. I felt guilty having doubts because there were things about my mother that bugged me- not really serious things, but I wondered how I could kneel at the altar and have a sincere, honest heart in agreeing to be my parents' daughter for time and all eternity. As I once again fasted and prayed to know what to do, the Lord gently but firmly told me, "You must allow her to change." Aha! Just as I hoped to grow and improve and otherwise change, I needed to allow my mother- some day even if not right now- to also change. She would not be a hoarder forever. God was simply reminding me of a principle I knew intellectually but needed to adapt to this particular occasion.
     As I have witnessed preparations for the Lord's Second Coming, I have sometimes gotten a bit anxious about "getting ready". I wrote a couple of blogs about the things I witnessed and participated in during my temple mission in Nauvoo. As I got excited thinking about what things still needed to be accomplished, I was shown that God was completely aware and was working on things WAAAY before I thought of them. Also, I was told, again gently but firmly, "All you have to do is your little part." I wasn't going to change the world or accomplish anything great in paving the way for the Lord to govern the world, but I did have assignments that I could do. Whether or not I do my part isn't going to change what the Lord does. It will only change me and how prepared I am.
     I go to a scripture study class every week. This morning we were talking about some of the writings of Paul in the New Testament and focusing on unity. I remembered the times I have experienced "tender mercies" of the Lord and heard other people tell about similar experiences. People in the world sometimes label them as "coincidences" but knowing that God is truly omniscient and loves every one of us, He will give us little gifts that one of today's apostles has termed "tender mercies". (It is actually referred to in the scriptures as well but I'm not going to take the time to research the reference.) One time when I had a lot of serious issues weighing heavily on my mind and didn't know how I was going to endure, a song came on the radio. I was listening to a classical station which generally played regular classical music and on rare occasions might play a "religious" piece on a non-Sunday. One of my very favorite songs is John Rutter's "For the Beauty of the Earth" and I had never heard it on the radio before. It surprised me to hear it on a non-religious radio station. That same day, I got a phone call from my bishop (ecclesiastical leader) who just wanted to know how I was doing. He had felt a prompting to check on me. God knew me and wanted me to know! There are also more incidents than I can list of connections between random people sometimes really out of the blue. We are all different yet we are all God's children. He wants us to know each other, think of each other, and love each other. That's the easiest, most direct way for us to understand HIS love for us. He knows we can love as He does more easily when we are reminded of things we have in common. These little connections help us to feel loved and encouraged.
     If I spent more time and thought and looked through my journals, I could probably find even more "lessons" I have gotten from the personal tutoring of the Lord through the Holy Ghost. I am grateful for this knowledge and testify that God is real and loves us all. He will let anyone know who cares enough to seek Him out.