Eyes Like a Flame of Fire, Part 4
God emanates his spiritual light everywhere all the time:
And the light which now shines, which gives you light, is through him who enlightens your eyes, which is the same light that quickens your understandings, which light proceeds forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space: the light which is in all things, which gives life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sits upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things (Teachings and Commandments 86:1)
We can experience abrupt insights while scooping shovels of dirt into a wheel barrel or speaking with a stranger, friend, or family member. We can also recognize God's light in nature, indoors, driving in a car, and counseling with others. There is no limit to where, how, or when his voice can be perceived.
But the immensity of God's light does not mean each delivery method is equally received. For example, receiving sublime information about sunsets in the West and their relation to holy places is very different from receiving a gut-wrenching impression that you must confess an offense to a loved one or speak candidly to an authority figure. The more opposing the message is to our natural man, the harder it is to act upon (1 Nephi 5:1).
Another modality to receiving God's voice is through other people claiming to be sent from God endowed with a message and mission. Despite being more easily accessible and relatable, many people find this delivery of God's voice challenging. This may ironically be because other humans are too relatable—as in, they grew up in a fallen world just like us. Because of that, we project our fears and vulnerabilities onto them because we know at some point they have sinned, notwithstanding their sincere repentance and acquired purity in God's eyes (Matthew 3:7 GNT). This is unfortunate because God intends to boost our intelligence and further his work through a person just like this.
Here are some qualifiers to know if someone's worth listening to despite their humanness:
- They claim heavenly insight and knowledge (1 Nephi 1:1)
- They claim authority from heaven directly (Teachings and Commandments 139:5)
- They reason with you instead of demanding submission (Teachings and Commandments 36:3)
- They expound scripture and provide insights into their original meanings (Alma 12:16)
- They are just (equitable, no respecter of persons) (Mosiah 1:5)
- Most importantly, they are charitable, which means they are willing to suffer for you more than anyone else around you to bring you the greatest amount of good that you are willing to receive (1 Corinthians 1:52)
As the previous posts in this series highlight, these people have their eyes open more than regular people because they have elected to go through the fire. They have obeyed the laws necessary to bring us great blessings. Even if we find someone with just one of these qualities, it is a great asset to us because their instruction and personal experience help give us the confidence to look fire boldly in the eyes. The intended result is that we all might see eye-to-eye and not be numbered among the blind leading the blind.
However, as I mentioned, not all delivery methods are equally received. Even among mortal messengers, regular people pick and choose who they like. For example, some were willing to harken to John the Baptist's authority, but the same people had a problem with the one John pointed to (John 3:2-3). Even more, only some of those who initially accepted Jesus's instruction remained with him (John 5:18). Again, the more opposing the message is to our natural man, the harder it is to act upon.
If we allow it, everything, every person, and every place can lead us further into the light. Even someone's darkness can become our light through vicarious or direct experience. The Lord's eyes are like a flame of fire, not just because he is more intelligent than us through what he has suffered but because he is willing to investigate everything. Nothing is off-limits, and therefore nothing can extinguish his flame. He is the light that shines in the darkness (Teachings and Commandments 23:1).
As Joseph Smith taught us:
Your mind, O man, if you will lead a soul unto salvation, must stretch as high as the utmost Heavens, and search into and contemplate the lowest considerations of the darkest abyss, and expand upon the broad considerations of eternal expanse. You must commune with God (Teachings and Commandments 138:18).
If we adopt the same mindset (Philippians 1:7), we, too, can have eyes like a flame that never goes out. Everything good and evil can become one great Urim and Thummim to us, revealing our personal and cosmic past, present, and future.
And speaking of the Urim and Thummim . . . .
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