But if not -

There's a lot of things that I don't understand. The more I learn the more I realize I don't know as much as I thought I did. I just hope that I will always be included in the category of a teachable followers of Christ. Nephi taught that "to be learned is good, if they hearken unto the counsels of God." When we get into trouble is when we start to think we know more than God. For the most part I don't think people do this knowingly or profess out load that he doesn't know what he is talking about. Instead we just question what is going on in our lives and plead for things to turn out a certain way and in our time table. Occasionally we receive answers to our prayer and think that he just didn't understand all of the circumstances. We think that if we just ask again in a different way maybe that he will see what we're talking about. Truly if the Lord wants to punish his children he will just give us everything we ask for. Martins Harris request to share part of the translation of the Book of Mormon was rejected, but the request was presented again - leading to the lose of 116 pages of the Book of Lehi and the ability to translate for a time. A loving parent quickly learns that you can't give your children everything that they want - they need to learn how to work, make chooses and do with out. When we understand that God knows the beginning from the end, receiving the answer of "no" from someone with all of the answers should give us peace and the assurance that what is happening is most likely in our best interest. Our best interest may be that we need to struggle and learn on our own for a time - some answers seem like God isn't listening and that he doesn't care. There is a famous country western song entitled "Thank God for unanswered prayers." In this song a young man prayed for something to happen a curtain way in his life. Years latter after his life had gone a different direction he thanked God that the prayer was never answered and that his life turned out the way it had. Was such a prayer really unanswered? The Lord can guide and direct each of our lives helping us to take the right paths and to give us the inspiration needed to make the proper decisions. Much of this direction and assistance may feel coincidental or of our own making. Speaking of those that are sent forth to call the world to repentance the Savior said; " And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my spirit shall be in your hearts. and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." This is the Savior promise to all of his followers, as we enter the waters of baptism we receive the promise that we will always have his spirit to be with us. Remember that promise is conditional upon our faithfulness to our part of the covenant, that we will keep his commandments. Us sustain the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve as prophets seers and revelators, but for some of us that only lasts as long as they don't tell us something we disagree with. In April conference of 2011 there were three separate talks that discussed the need for single men to give greater emphasis to the prospect of marriage. That next Monday a fifty-ish year old bachelor came into my office at work and was talking about how they don't understand. Whether they are telling us something we like or not does not change it's importance or truthfulness. We need to have complete faith in the Lords counsel as well as the willingness to follow his commands no matter what the consequences. During Israels captivity in Babylon there were still a number of Israelites that were in important positions. Daniel interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the stone cut out of the mountains without hands. After that event he was given great power in the government. He requested that three other be given responsibility over the affairs of the province of Babylon, their names were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. King Nebuchadnezzar worshiped many gods of his own making. He crafted a large golden god, and commanded all of the kingdom that when they heard the signal they were to bow down to worship this image or be thrown in the fiery furnace. These righteous men refused to worship any other God than the God of Israel. They were brought before the King and he said unto them - "do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? .. if you worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?" Their obedience would lead to what should have been their death, they knew the command of their God to have no other Gods before him. Their answer is one of faith and of great wisdom to us all. "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." The king in his fury commanded that they be thrown into the furnace. So hot was it's flame that those that executed the order lost their lives. To the kings astonishment not only where they alright but there was also a fourth man walking in the midst of the fire, and as it says "the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." After they came out of the flames the king proclaimed a new order - that no one should speak against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. These men knew that God was able to save them, "BUT IF NOT" they would still be obedient to his command. All of us are put through trials, challenges, infirmities and pain. We plead for guidance, relief and assistance - but if that burden isn't lifted, if that answer seemingly doesn't come in what we think is a timely manner; "If thou shouldn't be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if the fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heaven gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open wide after thee" - then what? Would you still be faithful no matter what you are asked to endure? Would you believe the rest of that verse given to the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Liberty Jail? "Know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for they good." then he said; "The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?" If we have trials, Lord please lighten them - But if not, will we continue to be faithful no matter what the circumstances?