Mine Eyes Are Upon You

In his final talk of the most recent general conference President Nelson said this: “My brothers and sisters, I plead with you to make time for the Lord! Make your own spiritual foundation firm and able to stand the test of time by doing those things that allow the Holy Ghost to be with you always.” He then suggested one important way that we invite the Holy Ghost to be with us: “Nothing invites the Spirit more than fixing your focus on Jesus Christ. Talk of Christ, rejoice in Christ, feast upon the words of Christ, and press forward with steadfastness in Christ. Make your Sabbath a delight as you worship Him, partake of the sacrament, and keep His day holy.” An experience I had yesterday where I could have made a better choice left me wishing that I was focused more fully on Him and was more concerned with what He thinks of my choices than anyone else. I thought of the words of this children’s song If the Savior Stood Beside Me which we would all do well to remember. Here are the lyrics of the first and last verses: 

If the Savior stood beside me,

Would I do the things I do?

Would I think of His commandments and try harder to be true?

Would I follow His example?

Would I live more righteously if I could see the Savior standing nigh,

watching over me?

               

Watching over me, watching over me,

He is always near me, though I do not see Him there,

And because He loves me dearly,

I am in His watchful care,

So I’ll be the kind of person that I know I’d like to be

if I could see the Savior standing nigh watching over me.

I will be the kind of person that I know I’d like to be

if I could see the Savior standing nigh watching over me.

                

               If we can truly fix our focus on Jesus Christ as President Nelson invited us, then it won’t be too hard to imagine that He is near us and watching us in all that we do. In fact, the scriptures testify that He is doing just that. In the very first verse of the Doctrine and Covenants He said this: “Hearken, O ye people of my church, saith the voice of him who dwells on high, and whose eyes are upon all men” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:1). He also said in another revelation, “For all things are present before mine eyes…. But behold, verily, verily, I say unto you that mine eyes are upon you. I am in your midst and ye cannot see me” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:2, 7). Later that same year He also said this to the Prophet Joseph: “Behold and lo, mine eyes are upon you, and the heavens and the earth are in mine hands” (Doctrine and Covenants 67:2).To the Prophet in Liberty Jail He declared this of the wicked: “Behold, mine eyes see and know all their works, and I have in reserve a swift judgment in the season thereof, for them all” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:24). Ammon taught this to King Lamoni: “He looketh down upon all the children of men; and he knows all the thoughts and intents of the heart; for by his hand were they all created from the beginning” (Alma 18:32). All of these passages testify that the Savior does indeed stand beside us, watching us and the choices that we make. He knows us along with our thoughts and desires. He is our “advocate who knoweth the weakness of man and how to succor them who are tempted.” He declared in 1831 and would say today: “Mine eyes are upon those who have not as yet gone up unto the land of Zion” (Doctrine and Covenants 62:1-2). That is all of us since we are still seeking to build up Zion spiritually and physically even today. If we seek to remember Him and focus on Him, we will have the Spirit always to lead us from temptation and strengthen us to make the choices that He would have us make.