Why did God have to speak to the people at the temple in Bountiful three times? Why didn’t they understand Him the first two times? (See 3 Nephi 11:3-4.) His voice certainly got their attention. “Notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn” (3 Nephi 11:3). This was no ordinary voice, and they could not ignore it. Why couldn’t they understand His message?
The narrator explains that they did some things differently the third time, which aided their comprehension:
And again the third time they did hear the voice, and did open their ears to hear it; and their eyes were towards the sound thereof; and they did look steadfastly towards heaven, from whence the sound came.
And behold, the third time they did understand the voice which they heard.
3 Nephi 11:5-6
They opened their ears, which presumably means that they were listening more carefully. (See Mosiah 2:9.) They couldn’t see the speaker, but it sounded like the voice was coming from above them, and so they looked up. And they didn’t just look; they looked “steadfastly:” intently, resolutely, with determination. They really wanted to understand, and it made a difference.
What was God’s message? “Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him” (3 Nephi 11:7). Notice the two things He invited them to do: “behold” and “hear.” He wanted them to look and to listen, exactly the actions they had to take to understand Him in the first place.
It takes effort to hear and understand the voice of God. We may need to eliminate distractions and focus our minds. We may need to surround ourselves with positive influences which point our thoughts toward Him. We may need to slow down enough to really understand what He is saying. Regardless of the techniques that we use, the bottom line is that we need to make the effort to detect and understand His messages for us.
Today, I will look and listen. I will strive to be observant and receptive to the instructions and insights God is willing to share with me.
I had the thought this morning to tell you how much I really appreciate your Book of Mormon notes. It’s been a blessing to me as I’ve tried to find my way back to the scriptures.
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