O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
Psalm 34:8
Mormon lived in a time of severe spiritual famine. “There were no gifts from the Lord, and the Holy Ghost did not come upon any, because of their wickedness and unbelief” (Mormon 1:14). Somehow, at a young age, he managed to buck this trend:
Being fifteen years of age and being somewhat of a sober mind, therefore I was visited of the Lord, and tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus.
Mormon 1:15
How did he find Jesus? One clue comes from his use of the word “taste,” which suggests that he already had some knowledge of the spiritual history of his people. He tells us that by the time he was ten, he had already begun “to be learned somewhat after the manner of the learning of [his] people” (Mormon 1:2). His parents had named him after the location of one of the most significant spiritual events in Nephite history. (See 3 Nephi 5:12.) They must have given him some knowledge about his spiritual heritage.
In Lehi’s dream, the love of God was symbolized by a tree with delicious fruit. (See 1 Nephi 8:11.) Later generations of Nephite prophets also used the word “taste” to represent the experience of drawing spiritually close to God:
- King Benjamin: “As ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love…” (Mosiah 4:11)
- Alma: “I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste” (Alma 36:24, 26)
Why taste? We often talk about “feeling” the Spirit of the Lord, but it isn’t really a feeling is it? It’s certainly not the same as physical touch, and it’s not exactly the same as our emotions either. Other senses like sight, hearing, and smell enable us to detect something outside of ourselves. But taste is different. It relates to something inside of us, usually something that we are in the process of consuming. So “tasting” the Spirit of the Lord carries a connotation of internalizing it.
In a funeral sermon given on April 7, 1844, Joseph Smith made the following statement:
This is good doctrine; it tastes good. I can taste the principles of eternal life, and so can you; they are given to me by the revelations of Jesus Christ; and I know that when I tell you these words of eternal life as they are given to me, you taste them, and I know you believe them. You say honey is sweet, and so do I. I can also taste the spirit of eternal life; I know it is good, and when I tell you of these things which were given me by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, you are bound to receive them as sweet, and I rejoice more and more.
History, 1838–1856, volume E-1 [1 July 1843–30 April 1844], p. 1974
Today, I will follow Mormon’s example and seek to “[taste] and [know] of the goodness of Jesus.” I will open my heart to experience and internalize the Spirit of the Lord, and I will pay attention to the goodness that I sense when I am close to God.