Coming to a Knowledge of Christ

The Lord has said: 

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 will sup with him, and he with me. Rev. 3:20

Recently, someone came to visit my family. It was an unexpected visit and the person who visited us said they would like to help and explained why they felt they were able to do so by sharing a very personal aspect of their life. We were overwhelmed at the selfless generosity demonstrated for our family and the great courage this person demonstrated by taking us into their confidence.

I was filled with a feeling of love for this person because I knew that God’s hand was in it and that they had come to our home out of a sincere desire to serve my family and the Lord.

They offered to help my family in a way which neither I nor my wife could provide. We felt God’s spirit that day and a closeness to him as we recognized that He was personally aware of us and our needs.

Matthew 5:16 reads:

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

When we let our light shine through good works as this person did, those who witness those acts of grace and mercy are constrained to acknowledge it is of God.

When we love those who surround us, our knowledge of the Lord increases.

While speaking with us, we learned that the bishop had encouraged the visit and the assistance offered. I’m grateful for inspired leaders and the humble followers of Christ who sustain them by doing as they suggest.

For the Lord has said:

...whether by my own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same. D&C 1:38

 When we follow the Lord’s servants, His voice becomes familiar to us and our knowledge of Him increases. For the Lord has taught that His sheep know his voice. John 10:1-4

Matthew 7:21-23 reads:

21 Not everyone that sayeth unto me Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say unto me in that day Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name have done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I say, Ye never knew me: depart from me ye that work iniquity.

The last verse was taken from the Joseph Smith translation (see footnote a for verse 23).

From these verses we learn that those who do the will of the Lord enter His kingdom while those who work iniquity must live outside His presence. The light that the Joseph Smith translation brings to this passage is clear when the Lord gives the reason for denying the wicked entrance to His kingdom. He says that they must leave because they never knew Him. Logically, then, this implies that doing the will of the Father brings us to a knowledge of the Lord, and that it is this knowledge which unlocks the gates of heaven allowing us to enter.

John 17:3 reads:

3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

The parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25 says something similar:

31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethern, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

When the righteous ask the Lord when had they ministered to His relief, He simply states:

…Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

If we would know the Lord, we can’t simply learn of Him and His marvelous life. Many of us already poses this kind of knowledge, and while essential, this knowledge alone is insufficient, and falls short of the knowledge the Lord requires of those who would inherit His kingdom.

If we would truly know God in the intimate and soul changing way the Lord desires, we must take the knowledge we have gained of the Lord and allow it to motivate us to action in serving and ministering to the needs of those who surround us. This is the very essence of the principles of faith, hope and charity. Only in this way can the knowledge of the Lord become personal for these actions will deepen both our knowledge of and love for the Lord and those we serve.

It is through ministering relief to and love for our fellow man that our hearts are softened to the gentle persuasion of the holy spirit whose whole mission is to bring us to Christ and to bind our hearts to His and ultimately, make us one with Him.

This is the way the Lord wants us to know Him and the only way which is in keeping with the first and great commandment, to love the Lord with all our heart, might, mind, and strength. The second commandment, love thy neighbor as thyself, is the way we keep the first commandment and is the path to a true and intimate knowledge of the Lord. Matthew 22:36-40

For the Lord has said, when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God. –Mosiah 2:17

If you would know God, you must walk this life in His shoes and seek to see others as He does. This is hard and will require His guidance and help. For this reason, Moroni pleads with us to pray with all the energy of our souls that we might receive the gift of charity. Moroni 7:47-48

Only then can the Lord fully reveal himself and His holy purposes to our view. Line upon line, and precept upon precept.

The program of ministering to our brothers and sisters is the Lord’s way of knocking on our door and calling after us. When we exercise our faith by ministering as He did to those around us, in a very real way we open the door to the Lord and invite Him into our life allowing him to nourish us as we sup with him and he with us.

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.