You Have Heard My Voice

In general conference recently, Elder Takashi Wada spoke about the power of the words of Christ. He related the first time he was introduced to words of scripture: “Not long after I started to learn English in junior high school, all the students in our school received a copy of the New Testament…. I was drawn to a list of statements and questions of the soul that had been included just before the biblical text…. I was especially drawn to the statement ‘When you are weary.’ The reference led me to open Matthew 11:28–30, in which Jesus said to His disciples: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ‘Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ This was the first time I remember reading the words of Jesus Christ. Though I did not understand all the words He said, His words comforted me, lifted my soul, and gave me hope. The more I read His words, the more I felt like I should try the virtue of His words. I had never felt like I felt that day. I felt I was loved. I felt that Jesus Christ was someone I knew.” He experienced the power of the words of Christ even though he understood little about who the Savior was. Elder Wada continued, “As I continued studying, I felt as though He were speaking directly to me when He said, ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ His words filled my heart, even though I could not describe my feelings well at that time. Although Jesus Christ lived many centuries ago in a land unfamiliar to me, I thought I could trust His words with all my heart.” These words of the Savior were more than marks on a page in a new language—they were filled with power to bring comfort, hope, and rest. They prepared the way for him to later receive the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ when missionaries brought him more of the words of the Savior.

                Elder Wada encouraged us to find power in the words of the Savior according to this promise from Nephi: “Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do…. For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do” (2 Nephi 32:3, 5). We need the words of Christ found in the scriptures, accompanied by the Holy Ghost, to tell and show us the things that we should do. Elder Wada urged us, “I invite you to have faith in the message Nephi taught us—that the words of Christ and the Holy Ghost will direct you to ‘all things what [you] should do.’ Everything! This is an incredible gift from God.” As we feast on His words each day, we can be led each day in the things that we have to do. But it takes faith. I remember once someone comparing reading the scriptures to doing missionary work. A missionary knows that not every single person they talk to will accept the gospel, but they have faith that there will be those whose hearts will touched as they teach and testify. In a similar manner, we don’t except that every verse we read of scriptures will touch our hearts and give us revelation. But we have faith that as we read and continue to “knock” on our scriptural doors, there will be those which will open unto us.

The Savior said this about His word to Oliver Cowdery: “And I, Jesus Christ, your Lord and your God, have spoken it. These words are not of men nor of man, but of me; wherefore, you shall testify they are of me and not of man; For it is my voice which speaketh them unto you; for they are given by my Spirit unto you, and by my power you can read them one to another; and save it were by my power you could not have them; Wherefore, you can testify that you have heard my voice, and know my words” (Doctrine and Covenants 18:33-36). Though he didn’t realize it, Elder Wada had heard the voice of the Savior as he read the words of the New Testament originally. And each of us can have that experience hearing the voice of the voice of the Lord as we study the scriptures. Perhaps instead of organizing our scripture study by reading for a specific amount of time or a certain number of verses or chapters, we might instead read and study each day until we have felt the power of His words and can declare that day again, “I have heard His voice.” That will not happen with everything we read, but as we continue to follow this counsel from Isaiah, we will find that “his spirit it hath gathered” us to Him: “Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read” (Isaiah 34:16).