The Gospel is the Answer to all Questions and Problems of Life

When my wife and I visited Salt Lake City recently, we needed to find an ATM on the street. While we were looking around, we heard a voice from a parked car behind us say, “Are you looking for something? Can I help you?” The man, who introduced himself as Mike, added with a smile that it feels probably weird for a stranger to yell at us from a car, but in Utah we might not be surprised by that. He asked where we are from and when he learned that we are from Prague, his eyes lit up. He had recently spoken to a friend of his who was having trouble getting information about her ancestors from the Czech Republic, so he immediately wondered if there was anything we could do to help. We replied that we would be happy to send him contacts of brothers and sisters who were doing genealogy in our country. He thanked us, we said goodbye and he got into his car. As we were leaving, we noticed that Mike had gotten out of the car again and was coming back to us. This time, however, the happy smile was replaced by emotion.

With tears in his eyes, he told us how grateful he was for our brief encounter and that he felt urged to get out of the car. He had been trying unsuccessfully to help his friend with genealogy in Bohemia for a long time, and because of her advanced age, she was losing hope of finding her ancestors in Bohemia. Mike too was about to give up, but the previous day when he visited the temple he felt that the solution would come - and it came through us. And so he wanted to share with us the joy and gratitude he felt at another testimony of how wonderfully God‘s guidance works in our lives.

We know from the scriptures Moroni‘s promise regarding the way to know truthfulness the Book of Mormon stating: “And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”¹ On the basis of this promise, we expect to gain understanding, spiritual knowledge, and answers to fundamental questions about faith, the truth of the Scriptures, or the restoration of the gospel through the Holy Spirit.

But this promise also touches each of our lives in our daily joys and concerns. The power of the Holy Spirit helps us to discern God‘s promptings and the proper meaning of events that happen to us or helps us to make decisions. Every member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints receives the gift of the Holy Spirit after baptism, and we have the privilege of enjoying His fellowship. But we also have the free agency to decide how much the influence of this Spirit will be manifested in our lives. Whether we will feel and understand His guidance if we live purely and strive to live according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ or on the contrary, whether sometimes our actions or thoughts will drive Him away. President Nelson taught us, “We also hear Him more clearly as we refine our ability to recognize the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. It has never been more imperative to know how the Spirit speaks to you than right now. In the Godhead, the Holy Ghost is the messenger. He will bring thoughts to your mind which the Father and Son want you to receive.”²

Our encounter with Mike is an example of how the Spirit works. Mike made an effort to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and through his willingness to help complete strangers, he subsequently received not only help for his friend, but we all received another testimony of how God, through the Spirit, gives us answers and brings solutions. Yes, it was a small thing, but it is from such small and tiny things that the great mosaic of spiritual knowledge in our lives is made.

Alma said that “by small and simple things are great things brought to pass.”³ I testify to you that there is no greater and more important thing in our lives than that through these small experiences with the Spirit we come to know the love, care and grace of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. I know that God is, and I know that His Son, Jesus Christ has been raised and lives. He is yours and mine Savior, and this fills my heart with joy and gratitude. May the way we live our daily lives allow the Spirit to impart to us what the Father and the Son desire for us. May we come to know them more and more thorough understanding these messages for “this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”⁴

In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.