Christ Comes to Us

Speaking of the father in the parable of the prodigal son who ran to meet his returning child, Elder Bruce C. Hafen said, “I compare that father to Christ, who is so eager for our return that He comes to meet and strengthen us all along our way. Nephi wrote, ‘It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.’ Christ’s running to us is a vivid symbol of that grace. We talk often in the Church about coming to Christ. Perhaps we should talk more about how Christ also comes to us.  No matter where we are on that path, we are never lost to Him” (see here).  That reminded me of words spoken by my BYU professor to our class as we sat in Jerusalem at the site believed to be the Garden Tomb.  He told us that while we are to seek to come unto Christ, ultimately it is Christ that comes to us.  Surely that is one the lessons Mary learned as she encountered the Risen Lord that glorious day. 

The scriptures confirm this idea that Christ will come to us.  We should of course do those things that invite Him, but in the end we sometimes must wait for those spiritual experiences that we seek.  In a modern parable I think we get this message.  The Lord spoke of a man with a field who sent forth servants to labor.  The man said to the first, “Go ye and labor in the field, and in the first hour I will come unto you, and ye shall behold the joy of my countenance.”  To the second he said, “Go ye also into the field, and in the second hour I will visit you with the joy of my countenance.” To the third he said, “I will visit you,” and he said the same to all the rest (see D&C 88:51-58).  The Lord summarized it this way, “And thus they all received the light of the countenance of their lord, every man in his hour, and in his time, and in his season.”  Perhaps that is applicable to the experiences that we have—the Lord comes to us when the hour and time is right.  We do not control the timing.  A later verse in the same section seems to confirm this: “Sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will” (D&C 88:68).  The sanctification is what we do to come unto Christ, and then in His own timing He will come to us. 

                The experiences of the prophets with the divine affirm this idea. Enos prayed all day and into the night until finally the Lord revealed Himself through His Spirit to him.  Nephi “cried mightly to God in behalf of his people” when they were threatened to be destroyed because the sign had not yet been fulfilled.  He “cried mightily unto the Lord all that day” and then finally the Savior came (3 Nephi 1:11-12).  Elizabeth and Zacharias prayed for years for a child, earnestly seeking the Lord, and when they had likely given up all hope of receiving their request, an angel came promising the long-awaited blessing.  Mary and Martha besought the help of Jesus when Lazarus was sick, asking Him to come.  John tells us, “When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was” (John 11:6).  Knowing the whole story we could offer reasons why He would wait to come, but surely to Mary and Martha it was agonizing that He did not come right away to their aid.  Christ came in His own time which at least in the moment, these sisters surely did not understand. 

                In the book of Revelation we have this famous scripture: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).  This scripture highlights both sides of the coin.  We must work to come unto Christ through our faithfulness, and that is represented here by the door that we must open.  But even with the open door, is it up to Christ when He will come in.  His promise is sure: He will come and sup with us if we let Him, but all timing is His.