There are many reasons a person might do this. While most people who leave a religion—any religion—simply join a new one or abandon organized religion and go about their new lives quietly, a few feel a need to attack and to demonstrate hatred for the life they left behind. Some who do this had a disagreement with another member or with a leader. Some objected to counsel given to them by a leader. These people find themselves unable or unwilling to forgive or to resolve the matter in an amicable and Christ-like manner and as a result, organize their new life around a pattern of revenge. Some are unhappy at the church’s unwillingness to let fads and fashion dictate truth, and are resentful that the Church has chosen not to make their favorite sins acceptable. Others feel uncertain about their decision and feel the only way to justify their choice is to “prove” the church is untrue. They feel if they can find or invent enough negatives and convince others to agree with them, it will help to justify their actions, even though the only people they need to convince are themselves and God.

Frequently their behavior demonstrates itself in repeating very old and usually disproven arguments to those who have not taken the time to research them, in hopes of bringing other religious people into their fold. They sometimes hold the Book of Mormon to a different standard than they hold the Bible. For instance, they write long papers on the lack of scientific evidence for horses in the Americas in ancient times, while ignoring the  lack of scientific evidence for lions in the Biblical lands. These arguments frequently confuse faith and science. Generally, the arguments developed, with minor tweaks, back in the early days of the church and regenerate each generation.

The majority of religious people are not especially interested in attacking Mormons and so these numbers, while working hard to maintain a loud presence, really make up a very small segment of the religious population or even the former Mormon population.

There is a story in the Book of Mormon about a prophet named Lehi and his son Nephi, who also became a prophet. Lehi saw a vision that was later shown to Nephi, who recorded it in the early chapters of the book. In this vision, there was a beautiful tree. Lehi understood the tree’s fruit was highly desirable and eating it will bring great joy. He invited his family to eat the fruit, and the righteous family members did, but the unrighteous chose not to partake.

There is a river running toward the tree, and a straight and narrow path beside it. Along the path is an iron rod. As multitudes of people strove to reach the tree, a mist of darkness arose, making it difficult for people to see how to reach the tree. However, those who held onto the rod—which represents God’s word—reached the tree safely. Those who did not were lost.

Some ignored the rod or got tired of holding on and let go; these fell away and were lost. Others held onto the rod and reached the tree. They tasted it, but were unable somehow to experience the joy others felt upon tasting it. This is because they looked around to see how others were reacting to all this. Those people noted a large and spacious building nearby, filled with people in expensive, elegant clothing. The people in the building were laughing, mocking, and harassing those who ate the fruit. Of course, some were secure enough to trust their own judgment and wisdom and they ignored the mockers, enjoying the full benefits of the fruit, which represented God’s love. Others, though, could not tune out the mockers. These people were embarrassed at being laughed at, and listened to the words of the mockers. They wandered off the path and went back to their former lives or chose new ones, forgetting or ignoring the goal they had once worked to achieve. However, some simply could not just move on. They went to the building and joined the mockers in a life filled with the emptiness of contention and anger.

This is, in many ways, representative of the exmormon world. Mormons feel sorrow for those who leave. They are Mormons because they believe it is the straight and narrow road to Christ. Those who leave are not usually overwhelmingly obsessed with what they left behind, although they often have a sense of what they have lost if they have maintained contact with the Spirit. Most Christians are too busy living lives of Christian service and sharing their own beliefs to worry too much about the teachings of others. Those who abandoned religion completely generally just move on to a secular life.

It is those who hang out in the great and spacious building and devote their lives to mocking and attacking who generally receive the title of exmormon. Rather than focusing on the love and service Christ taught us to live by, they remain trapped in a world of anger and contention. Paul warned:

8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. (See Titus 3)

The Church hopes former members will allow healing to enter into their hearts and longs for their return.

In 1985, at Christmas time, the leaders of the church prepared a special invitation to those who had left the Church. It read in part:

We are aware of some who are inactive, of others who have become critical and are prone to find fault, and of those who have been disfellowshipped or excommunicated because of serious transgressions.

To all such we reach out in love. We are anxious to forgive in the spirit of Him who said: “I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.” (D&C 64:10.)

We encourage Church members to forgive those who may have wronged them. To those who have ceased activity and to those who have become critical, we say, “Come back. Come back and feast at the table of the Lord, and taste again the sweet and satisfying fruits of fellowship with the Saints.”

We are confident that many have longed to return, but have felt awkward about doing so. We assure you that you will find open arms to receive you and willing hands to assist you. (See News of the Church,” Ensign, Mar 1986, 82–88.)

that most topics of greatest interest to detractors are not critical elements of the current religion, but are fringe elements or practices no longer carried out. He advised them to keep the discussions focused on the core of the religion, the elements that affect salvation, rather than those that are merely interesting intellectual discussion points.

“When all is said and done, the most important thing about you and your testimony is that you base your beliefs on what Jesus Christ taught, and you try to follow Him by living your life in a way acceptable to our Heavenly Father and to the Lord.

This is your foundation. It was Joseph Smith’s foundation. He said: “The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, he was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”

(See Elder M. Russell Ballard: Engaging Without Being Defensive.)

Every religion has information or writings that cover a wide spectrum of information. Some of this information is essential to the salvation of the believer, but much of it is not. For instance, we must know who created the world and believe that, but we don’t have to know exactly how long it took. That is merely interesting fodder for debate or curiosity, but has nothing to do with our salvation. It’s interesting to read the genealogy in the Old Testament, but there won’t be a test on it when we stand before the Savior in judgment. Some stories in the Bible are curious and we don’t really understand why a Biblical prophet made the choices he did, but most of the time, we don’t need to know.

What we do need to know is that God is our loving Father in Heaven, and Jesus Christ is His only begotten Son. Jesus died for us and is the only path through which we may return to God someday. We need to learn how to identify truth by communicating directly with God to learn it.

It is these things the Mormons focus on in their daily spiritual life. They work to build a loving relationship with God and Jesus Christ and to understand how They would have us live from day to day. They strive to be good family members and good citizens. They study the Savior’s life and then try to understand how to live that way themselves.

While groups who work to oppose the church often focus on unimportant intellectual games, the Mormons are busy trying to be like Jesus. When talking with a Mormon, it is important to remember they aren’t generally very interested in those fringe topics. Their testimony isn’t based on history or science, but on faith. This faith came about after developing a close and personal relationship with God and then trusting Him to answer their questions in ways they could understand. They worked to know God so well they easily recognize Him when He communicates with them.

There is little purpose in presenting a Mormon who really knows Christ with the teachings of men, which are unreliable and changing. They aren’t interested in using those teachings as a foundation for their eternal salvation. They know the Creator, and it is only His words that matter.

The study found that every Mormon surveyed believed in God, which was higher than any other religion previously

surveyed. In addition, nine out of ten were absolutely certain of God’s existence. Ninety-one percent of Mormons believe God is someone you can have a relationship with. All these figures are well above the normal for other groups.

What is it about the Mormons that makes them so likely to believe in God in a very personal way? One reason Mormons have a high rate of belief in God is that much time is spent teaching children and investigators of the church about God, and about how to find out if He is real. Those new to the faith, whether due to age or experience, are taught that they can pray to God and receive an answer to their sincere questions. They are taught to recognize how God communicates with His children.

Mormons teach that prayer is an intensely personal experience. Although prayers are offered in public and family settings, each member is also encouraged to have individual conversations with God several times a day. No recited prayers are taught; members are instructed to use their own words and to speak the deepest, most personal thoughts of their hearts. They greet God by name, thank Him for specific named blessings, and ask for those things they need. They close in the name of Jesus Christ. However, within the basic pattern of prayer, they are also taught to make prayer a conversation. There are many times when a Mormon simply wants to talk to God about an experience or a concern, and this too is encouraged. With practice, a person who prays soon becomes familiar with the ways God communicates with His children and learns to trust what he is experiencing.

This emphasis on prayer is one reason ninety-one percent of Mormons feel they can have a relationship with God. Another reason is based on the specific ways Mormons view God. They believe God knows them personally because He created their spirits and then, before the earth was created, they lived with Him for a time. During this time, everyone was becoming a real person, with talents, personality, and interests. Each person was deciding who they were and how obedient they were. God was there, as our literal Father, watching over us and guiding us. For this reason, His love for us is very personal.

Mormons view God as a literal Father, loving but strict. Good fathers understand they must make rules with rewards and consequences, and God is always a good Father. Mormons accept the rules and the natural consequences because they see them in the light of a loving Father, not a strict, uncaring, and distant ruler.

With this information in mind, it is easy to understand why Mormons who have a strong testimony of the principles of their religion have a nearly perfect rate of belief in God and a personal relationship with Him.

Many evangelicals teach that a person gets to heaven by being “saved.” This involves the act of accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. At the same time, they teach that acts cannot get you into Heaven. The Mormons also believe that a person must accept Jesus Christ as His Savior in order to return to God’s presence after death. Both groups agree that at least one act is required of all of us in order to be with God.

The confusion over the number of acts required to be saved comes from the differences in terminology used by Mormons. Mormons believe everyone is saved through the atonement of Jesus Christ, even if they never accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. However, grace and eternal life, to a Mormon, are not the same thing. To understand this complex issue, let’s look at several essential points.

What is grace?

The Bible Dictionary, found in LDS editions of the King James Bible, defines grace for us:

It is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, made possible by his atoning sacrifice, that mankind will be raised in immortality, every person receiving his body from the grave in a condition of everlasting life. It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts.  (see Bible Dictionary.)

In other words, grace allows us to rise from the dead, receive our bodies back from the grave in a perfected form, and life forever. This is possible only because Jesus Christ voluntarily gave up His life for us after taking on the sins of the world. No fully  human being was capable of doing this for Himself. Had Christ not made this sacrifice for us, life would end with death because none of us could live a perfect life or satisfy the demands of justice fully. Only Jesus, with a mortal mother and a Heavenly Father could live perfectly and choose to die for us.

Each person then, is resurrected and given a place to spend eternity. However, living forever isn’t the total sum of our goals for eternity if we love God. We who love Him want to live with Him in His home forever. This requires a bit more. Again, it is grace that makes this additional gift possible. Without grace, we could not repent of the sins we commit here on earth.

Why does repentance matter?

For this, we need to search the Bible, where we find the following scriptures:

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21, KJV of the Bible)

The Book of James, who is believed to be the brother of Jesus, took this thought even further, and answers the question without any room for doubt:

17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (James 2, King James Version of the Bible)

James points out that believing in God is good, but even Satan believes in God. No, more is required that just to believe. He explains, using Abraham and Rahab as examples, that they obeyed the commandments because they had faith, and that faith was made perfect when they chose to not just believe, but to do what God taught them to do. It was the combination of faith and works that made them perfect in the eyes of God. Note especially the inclusion of Rahab. Rahab is a woman who was a harlot, so not a prophet or other person we might normally think to hold up as an example. If we looked only at that one aspect of her life, we’d see her as a lost soul, but God sees her as more and notes that she made courageous choices that helped to progress the work of God. She was, in fact, listed as an ancestor of Jesus Christ. This does not give her the right to sin as she chooses, but it demonstrates that the good works she did mattered and counted in the long run.

We see then, that faith and works must work together as a unified total in order for either of them to “get us into Heaven.”

Can Mormons (or anyone else) work their way into Heaven?

No. An evil person who did good works could not get himself into Heaven. A person who did good works every single day would not be admitted to God’s presence unless he had also accepted Jesus Christ as His Savior and unless His good works were an outward manifestation of the private faith in his heart.

A person who truly loves God will want to do His will. The greater our faith, the easier it becomes to make good choices. A person who says he has faith, who publicly proclaims that he has accepted Jesus Christ as His Savior, but who happily goes about his life robbing banks or hurting others, and who does not bother to repent is not going to be admitted into Heaven, as Jesus made clear, because his faith is not real and because no unclean thing can enter into God’s presence. Faith without works is a dead faith, but so is works without faith dead works. No one will live a perfect life, but we have a responsibility to repent when we do wrong, and to continually strive to keep the commandments.

The Book of Mormon teaches:

23 For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do. …

26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.  (2 Nephi 25)

It is only through Jesus Christ that people can be saved. If we want to live with God, rather than to merely live forever away from His presence, we must have faith, and we must also keep the commandments, as Jesus Christ instructed us to do.

Personal Response by Bethany

Yes!  You can have faith and still believe in science.  The scriptures clearly and repeatedly verify that God is the Creator of the earth, the heavens, and all things that are in them.  They also attest that the elements of which the earth consists of are eternal.  As a current biology major I am constantly tying science and religion together as I continually study the science of life and its spiritual connection with religion.  As I increase my studies, my faith also increases as I see the hand of God in every aspect of life.

Elder Henry B. Eyring of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stated that, “the essence of the gospel is the doctrine of trying…and that, of course, is the essence of science, also: the doctrine of trying, testing, and proving.  That’s the kind of procedure that makes science what it is.”  The point is that the gospel teaches us to experiment with the words of the Savior and to do as a scientist would do to find the truth.

Time and time again I have witnessed miracles both in my personal life and the lives of others around me that I never would have imagined possible.  How is it that some things that are scientifically incapable of happening, in fact do happen?  It reminds me of the Apostle Peter who, as written in Matthew 14, saw Christ walking upon the water and asked Christ if he might meet him on the sea.  Peter did walk on the water, defying science, but his faith faltered as the waves came upon him.  Jesus stretched forth his hand, caught him, and said, “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”  There have been times that I was certain that my faith had failed both me and others, but though people can fail, the Lord does not.  Too many scientists strive only to find the answers to scientific questions and ignoring the spiritual; they accept nothing that cannot be proven by methods or that cannot be seen or felt or proven through experience.  Science itself is filled with God.

President Ezra Taft Benson, 13^th President of the LDS Church, stated that, “Religion and science have sometimes appeared in conflict. Yet, the conflict can only be apparent, not real, for science seeks truth, and true religion is truth. There can never be conflict between revealed religion and true science. Truth is truth, whether labeled science or religion. All truth is consistent. There is no conflict-only in the interpretation of fact.”  In that case, perhaps science and religion aren’t opposites, but merely different ways of looking at things.

I know and see how comfortably science and religion fit together.  Although I do not know all the answers as no one does, I do know that through patience and humility all questions can be resolved whether in this life or the next.

It’s important to remember we can’t control God, particularly not without incurring great suffering. Early in Mormon Church history, Joseph Smith‘s scribe wanted to take the translation of the Book of Mormon-116 pages so far-to show his family. Joseph prayed and was told not to allow it. However, the scribe continued to plead, and Joseph gave in and continued to ask God to change His mind. Eventually, God told them to go ahead, since they were clearly determined to do it, anyway. The scribe took the manuscript home and it was stolen. Both men realized they needed to repent for their decisions. From this, Joseph Smith learned not to nag God. God is perfect and His first answer should be enough. God knew what would happen; they did not.

God can see further into the future than we can. While we make decisions on what is currently happening, and what we think will happen, God is looking at the larger picture. There might be consequences far into the future we can’t see. When we pray, we’re always to ask that God’s will be done. He wants us to tell Him what we want, but we must always do it with the understanding that we might not get what we think we want. God always answers prayers, but there are three possible answers: Yes, no, and not yet. God will answer our prayer in the way that is best for everyone concerned, and sometimes others will be affected by what we do, so their needs must be considered as well.

It can be upsetting when we are certain we know what’s best and God doesn’t give us what we want. It may be the trials we face will give us something we need in the future. All deaths can’t be prevented, because people do have to die, and only God knows the reason for the timing. All sadness or pain can’t be avoided if we want to grow and progress, or even to develop faith.

To make it easier to accept God’s will, we must develop a close and personal relationship with Him. We need to spend time in prayer and study long before the crisis begins, so we can recognize His “voice.” This isn’t to say He speaks to us in a voice we can hear. It’s a figurative statement. We need to know when what we’re feeling and experiencing comes from God, and we do that by spending time with God in prayer, scripture study, and contemplation.

Building a relationship of trust is also important. Trust takes time to develop and we can’t wait for a crisis to gain our faith. Over time, as we learn to recognize God’s hand in our lives, and see how well His decisions work out, we begin to trust Him, and know that what he decides to do is always the best decision. Then, when the most serious problems arise, we are able to turn them over to Him and feel safe and cared for.

When we think God is missing from the critical moments in our lives, it’s always really a matter of not recognizing Him. He is always there, but unless we know Him well, we won’t be able to see Him there, and won’t be able to feel the comfort available to us through the Holy Ghost. That comfort comes only when we completely trust God and take the time to sit quietly and feel His presence, even when He isn’t doing our will. The test of faith isn’t in making God do our will, but in our willingness to do and to accept His.

In an article written by Geoffrey Janes addressing this question, Janes insightfully said: “The basic idea is that God is some kind of spiritual narcotic that dulls our senses to the pain of the world and helps us to cope with it.” Quoting from a contemporary Polish poet, Janes went on to say, “Religion, opium of the people! The true opium of modernity is the belief that there is no God so humans are free to do precisely as they please.”Opium is a narcotic. “The term narcotic (ναρκωτικός) is believed to have been coined by Galen to refer to agents that benumb or deaden, causing loss of feeling or paralysis.” [Wikipedia]

Thus, opiates have two effects: 1) to numb pain, to do away with feeling; and 2) to make one powerless to move. Marx’s statements suggest that the populace is paralyzed when religion holds sway. He thinks people cannot make thinking, rational decisions or exercise volition, when religion influences them. He thinks people are lulled into believing in fairy tales, numbing their pain, but making them unable to sense what is really real and to act accordingly.

Having been physically paralyzed from the neck down for 19 years, I know how it is to have absolutely no feeling in any part of my body except for my face and the top of my head. You may think it a blessing not to be able to feel pain, but it really isn’t.

Our bodies, as created by God, were designed to experience pain to let us know that something is wrong and to move us to act. Although pain is not pleasant, it can be a blessing in urging us to seek immediate help to discover the source of the pain, take the necessary measures to alleviate it, and thus avoid more serious damage.

I believe that our spirits function in much the same manner. If we inject too much opium of disbelief into our systems it is also possible for our spirits to become paralyzed. When an individual is spiritually paralyzed he cannot “feel” the promptings that come from God through his conscience and is not aware that he is in great spiritual pain and perhaps in danger of an impending spiritual death. It is sin and pride that cause paralysis, and not true religion. Geoffrey Janes said, “The truth is something that cannot be changed. God does exist. He created us, not the other way around.”

From the beginning of time there have been individuals and entire nations that have become spiritually paralyzed by rejecting God. They have injected into their cultures the narcotic of disbelieving in a higher power and any system or code of ethics. It has had such a numbing effect on their spirits they have become “past feeling.” Crimes against humanity have been and continue to be committed by such individuals and nations, including indeed, the nations that have followed the philosophies of Karl Marx.

For months after my accident I came very close to being spiritually paralyzed as well as physically paralyzed. It was only by turning to God with all my heart and trusting in his goodness and love that my spirit was brought back to life. Darkness, gloom, and despair were replaced by light, warmth, and joy! No, religion is not the opium of the weak!”

Jack Rushton

www.cafepress.com/brainburst/3168797

Personal Response by Lance

I have known for a long time that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, but only in the last couple of years, while serving as a Mormon missionary, was I finally able to put into words the way that my answer came. There is a promise given by Moroni at the end of the Book of Mormon that if a person reads, ponders, and prays to know the Book of Mormon is true, the truth will be manifest to them by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3-5)

I read the Book of Mormon a few times growing up and I always felt that it was true, but I could never clearly express how I had come to that knowledge. I could honestly say that I knew by the power of the Holy Ghost that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, but I couldn’t describe what that meant. It was more than just a simple feeling. It was a strong conviction.

As a missionary I came across people who had highly varying beliefs about the Holy Ghost and the way that the Holy Ghost affects us. This caused me to search even more to find a way to clearly explain how I had received a testimony that the Book of Mormon is true. I was reading in the Book of Mormon one day and I found my answer.

In the beginning of the book of Mosiah there is an account of a prophet and king named Benjamin. Just before he died he preached a powerful sermon to all the people of his kingdom. At the end of this sermon he asked the people if they believed his words. Their response, exactly what I had been searching for, is given in Mosiah 5:2: “And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.”

The people of King Benjamin testified that they knew his words were true because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, or in other words, by the power of the Holy Ghost. The part of this verse that stuck out to me was that they described the effect that the Holy Ghost had on them. They said that the Spirit “wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.”

As I read this verse I realized how I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that the Book of Mormon is true because when I read it my heart is changed by the Holy Ghost. I don’t simply feel that it is true. It motivates me to change and to be more Christlike. I want to be a better person. My very desires are changed. My desire to sin is removed and I am given a greater desire to serve my Father in Heaven and my fellowmen.

I invite anyone who may read this to read the Book of Mormon along with the Bible. I can promise, just as the prophet Moroni promises, that anyone who sincerely reads and ponders the Book of Mormon and asks God in faith to know that it is true will know by the power of the Holy Ghost that it is true. This can’t be just a simple prayer of interest either. We must ask “with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ” (Moroni 10:4). Real intent means that we are willing to act on the answer that we receive. God will only let us know of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon if we intend to follow His teachings. The Holy Ghost will change your heart and guide you to live a more Christlike life. Living the teachings of the Lord in the Book of Mormon as well as in the Bible has brought so much joy to my life and will do the same for everyone who follows the same course.

Answers to prayers come in many different ways. A good way to answer this question may be to explain some of the generic ways prayers are answered.

There is a method of seeking revelation (communication from God to man) that allows prayers to be answered. Seeking revelation correctly begins through effort on our part. A simple prayer is often not enough. Important steps to consider are fasting, pondering, and building faith to accept an answer. As we fulfill these steps, God will see our efforts and bless us accordingly. Often the best method of seeking revelation or answers to prayers is to make a tentative decision after our fasting, pondering, and faith building. Once we feel we have a good preliminary decision, we take the decision to the Lord and ask for His confirmation.

Confirmation through the Holy Spirit is certainly an answer to prayers and the most common way that I have found God answers my prayers. When I turn to the Lord in prayer, asking if a choice is correct, it is truly a miracle to feel the peace in my heart, the clearness of my thoughts, and the knowledge that I know a prayer has been answered. When a tentative decision I have made is not correct in the Lord’s eyes, I will feel uneasy and my thoughts will not be clear regarding the issue. In the April 2007 general conference Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorom of the Twelve Apostles spoke on this topic. Please see his talk, “Using the Supernal Gift of Prayer.”

The scriptures teach that the Holy Spirit gives us revelation, or answers to prayers, in many ways. See if you can relate to any of these ways in which the Holy Spirit answers our prayers:

John 14:26 -Teaches truth and brings it to remembrance
Romans 15:13 -Gives feelings of love, joy, peace, patience, meekness, gentleness, faith, and hope
2 Nephi 32:1-5 -Tells what to do
Mosiah 5:2-5 -Strengthens the desire to avoid evil and obey the commandments
Alma 19:6 -Replaces darkness with light
Joseph Smith-History 1:11-12 -Helps scriptures have strong effect
Doctrine and Covenants 50:13-22 -Edifies both teacher and student
Preach My Gospel (Salt Lake City: Intellectual Reserve, 2004), 96-97.

Many people are lead to God’s true teachings through answers to prayers. I have observed countless people search, ponder, and sincerely ask the Lord for direction and then receive confirmation from the Holy Spirit that the subject they have been studying is true. This process that I have attempted to explain is the way I know that I am following the path God wants me to follow.

At age 50 I was body surfing with my 16-year-old son and his friend at Laguna Beach, California. I took one “last wave” and accidentally hit by forehead on a submerged rock, my neck was broken, and my spinal cords severed between the second and third cervical vertebrae. I was instantly paralyzed, lost consciousness, and woke up two hours later in the Laguna hospital surrounded by doctors and nurses. One of the nurses noticed my eyes were opened and said to me, “Jack, if you can understand what I am saying, blink your eyes once.” I blinked and there was a collective sigh of relief in the room. That began for me a new way of life that has continued on for the past 19 years.

Because of my faith in a personal God and his goodness I never was angry at Him, nor did I go around saying, with an attitude of self-pity, “Why me?” However, it did take time for me to realize that God and Christ felt my pain and suffering as much, if not more, than I did.

Although not angry about my accident and resulting paralysis, I was devastated and heartbroken for some time. It just seemed that I had lost so much and I could not conceive of living for any extended period of time completely paralyzed from the neck down and on life support.

I slid into a deep, dark, depression and there were those days I would have welcomed an early exit from mortality. I continued to pray however, and finally after a long period of preparation I was given a wonderful experience that made me know forever that God does feel our pain and is anxious to help us.

I came to the end of the rope. I hit the wall. I came to realize that no doctor or any man on this earth could do for me what I needed the most. I knew because of the nature of the injury I would never “get anything back.” What I needed and longed for was hope, peace, and the sense of well-being I had lost because of my accident. Finally I turned to God with all my heart and soul in prayer as I never had prayed before. I eventually came to understand how much I was loved by the Savior and a loving, kind, merciful, Heavenly Father. I didn’t see a vision but I was given a new heart and was filled with peace, joy, hope, and a sense of well-being I never thought I would ever feel again.

Those feelings have never gone away but have only intensified during the past 19 years; I came to understand then, and know now, that God and Jesus Christ do know what we feel and share our pain. I am convinced through my personal experience that they will take our pain and suffering upon themselves through their infinite grace and love if we will but trust them and come unto them with all our hearts.

Believing in the Scriptures, I have a feeling for how sensitive deity is to our suffering and pain in mortality. When his good friend Lazarus died and Jesus came to his aid and to comfort his sisters Mary, and Martha, the scripture says: “Jesus wept.” [John 11: 35] There are almost countless accounts in the Gospels of Jesus Christ healing the sick, restoring the dead to their loved ones, and manifesting incredible compassion to all about him.

As a resurrected being we read this moving account about Him from the Scriptures: “Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy…And it came to pass that he commanded that their little children should be brought. So they brought their little children and set them down upon the ground round about him, and Jesus stood in the midst; and the multitude gave way till they had all been brought unto him… [then] he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them. And when he had done this he wept again…” [3 Nephi 17:7-22]

In a vision given to the Prophet Enoch the following tender scene has been preserved for us as God looked upon the wickedness of his people and the resulting pain and agony they were experiencing and would yet experience:

“And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the… people, and he wept; and Enoch bore record of it, saying: How is it that the heavens weep, and shed forth their tears as the rain upon the mountains? And Enoch said unto the Lord: How is it that thou canst ^aweep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?” [Moses 7:28-29]

Yes, God does feel our pain! He is a God of love and compassion. I wish everyone who ever had a serious problem or challenge in their lives could have my experience. I know they can, but it takes faith, trust, and turning to God with all our hearts.