The Lord never lets us down! I had been feeling particularly worried about a certain aspect of my life, and the very first talk I really got to listen to (Elder Scott's, in the Priesthood Session) inspired and uplifted me just in the way I needed.
I wonder what would happen if we were to pray , or read the scriptures or attend church with the same attitude we have towards General Conference. I think we would probably find that the Lord is eagerly waiting for us to listen so He can inspire and uplift us. I think of the Nephites/Lamanites when Heavenly Father was announcing the Savior from heaven. They really had to turn to the sound of His voice and "open their ears" to hear Him. (3 Nephi 11:5) I have found that even the strangest of testimony meetings can be just as uplifting as General Conference, if we "open our ears."
I really believe that each moment of prayer, each time we attend church, each time we study the gospel, we can have that “General Conference” experience; when it seems as though what we are hearing/reading is directed at us personally. Of course, I don't think it will happen every time. We all have to experience trials of faith. But I think that if we prepare ourselves to hear the Lord's voice, when we really need to be directed and inspired, He will always speak to us.
I also think of President Monson, when he said something like, 'I want the Lord to know, that when He has something that needs to be done, Tom Monson will do it.' What a great thought! I think we all want to reach that level of trust with the Lord. The more obedient we are - which requires the exercise of faith - the more promptings we will get. And I am confident that the promptings will always be to do something to serve and help another one of Father's children.
I guess what I am saying is that, although we won't necessarily have "amazing" spiritual experiences every Sunday or every time we study and pray (we might not even feel anything), if we have been obedient and are listening for the Lord's voice, He will never let us down in our time of need. When He comes to us, to uplift and inspire, it might not be as quickly as we would like, but I know He will come. And the converse is, if we are disobedient and turn away from Him when more worldly pleasures are calling, we will probably miss out on hearing His voice and an opportunity to prove that when He has something that needs to be done, we will do it. Whenever I begin to feel that I am not getting anything out of my prayers, study, or church, the first thing I do is repent! I know that it is not the Lord who has distanced Himself from me, but that I have turned from Him.
I know that Heavenly Father speaks to us through His Son, through the Holy Ghost and our thoughts and feelings, and through the scriptures. He speaks to us through President Monson and the General Authorities of the church. He can speak to us through our local leaders, Sunday School teachers, Home Teachers, parents, siblings, children. We just have to turn our eyes towards Him and open our ears.
I am thankful that for all the times I have offended Him, He still speaks to me. He does so because I am His son and He loves me. I know I am not special in that regard, but we are all His children and He loves us all without condition.
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I was also struck by Pres. Monson's comment. What an example we have in him. By all the stories we have heard from him over the years it is obvious that when we follow the Spirit's promptings great things come about; and that we can be part of the greatness if we are just willing to do what we know we should and be willing to act when called upon.
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