Is it still wonderful?

"There are so many wonders in this world. However, sometimes when we have them constantly before our eyes, we take them for granted. We look, but we don't really see; we hear, but we don't really listen."

Sometimes it's like I have spiritual blinders on, where I can no longer see or hear the wonders or miracles around me. Things like my own personal conversion, answers to my prayers, or blessings from God that come into my life on a daily basis can almost become so commonplace that I don't notice them anymore. But, as I learned from this talk, it is important to see them, because it is in their recognition that I gain the energy to remain anchored in my faith. Bishop Gerald Causse, first counselor in the presiding bishopric of our church, teaches us three ways to keep our minds open to these wonders.

First, Bishop Causse says, "never tire of discovering or rediscovering the truths of the gospel. The writer Marcel Proust said, 'The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.'" To help us do this, we should be seeking spiritual knowledge through prayer, meditation, and study. There is always something new to learn, but we must be seeking it.

Second, we need to anchor our faith in the simple truths of the gospel. Focusing on those simple acts of worship that we do, or on those simple truths that we know, will strengthen our faith.

Third, he says, "seek and cherish the companionship of the Holy Ghost." Bishop Causse continues, "Most wonders of the gospel cannot be perceived by our natural senses. They are the things that the 'eye hath not seen, nor the ear heard, . . . the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.' When we have the spirit with us, our spiritual senses are sharpened and our memory is kindled so we cannot forget the miracles and signs we have witnessed." It is easy to forget the times I've had my own testimony strengthened or some of the wonders I have seen. But when I have the Holy Ghost with me, I am better able to remember. Bishop Causse cautions us to never do anything that would take that spirit away, but that we should always seek it through prayer and righteous living.

I want to see the miracles around me. I want to hear the whisperings of the spirit. I know that if I do these things, my eyes will be opened, my faith will be strengthened, and the gospel will continue to feel wonderful to me.


Read, watch, or listen to the full talk here.