One of my favorite talks from General Conference this April was “As a Child,” by Henry B. Eyring.
Elder Eyring talks about the fear that many may feel, as the world grows increasingly wicked. He then speaks of the importance of building our foundations on the rock of Christ, so that we can withstand the temptations of the world. He bases most of his talk on the sermon by King Benjamin in Mosiah 1-4. As part of this sermon King Benjamin admonishes us to become as little children.
Elder Eyring went on to share this experience of a time in his life where he truly felt as a little child:
“Once, for instance, I prayed through the night to know what I was to choose to do in the morning. I knew that no other choice could have had a greater effect on the lives of others and on my own. I knew what choice looked most comfortable to me. I knew what outcome I wanted. But I could not see the future. I could not see which choice would lead to which outcome. So the risk of being wrong seemed too great to me.
I prayed, but for hours there seemed to be no answer. Just before dawn, a feeling came over me. More than at any time since I had been a child, I felt like one. My heart and my mind seemed to grow very quiet. There was a peace in that inner stillness.
Somewhat to my surprise, I found myself praying, ‘Heavenly Father, it doesn’t matter what I want. I don’t care anymore what I want. I only want that Thy will be done. That is all that I want. Please tell me what to do.’
In that moment I felt as quiet inside as I had ever felt. And the message came, and I was sure who it was from. It was clear what I was to do. I received no promise of the outcome. There was only the assurance that I was a child who had been told what path led to whatever He wanted for me.
I learned from that experience and countless repetitions that the description of the Holy Ghost as a still, small voice is real. It is poetic, but it is not poetry. Only when my heart has been still and quiet, in submission like a little child, has the Spirit been clearly audible to my heart and mind.”
I thought that this was an excellent example of relinquishing our will to the will of the Father. I also think it shows that the Lord does know things that we don’t about our future and that He will take care of us, as we trust in Him.
Elder Eyring also teaches us about how to resist temptation, and that as we focus on the Lord and serving Him that our hearts will become more focused and the temptations would have less of an effect on us. This is a wonderful talk. I hope that you will each take the opportunity to read it, and apply it in your life.