“Let Us Reason”

In the first chapter of his book the prophet Isaiah shares this loving invitation with his confused and misguided people:

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Isaiah 1:18

In a May 1831 revelation, the Lord used the same language as He provided correction to church members in Kirtland, Ohio:

Now come, saith the Lord, by the Spirit, unto the elders of his church, and let us reason together, that ye may understand;

Let us reason even as a man reasoneth one with another face to face.

Doctrine and Covenants 50:10-11

It might seem unrealistic for an omniscient God to “reason” with His imperfect children. He knows so much more than we do. His ways are so much higher than our ways. How can we be expected to understand His reasoning?

The truth is we can’t—not fully, not all at once. But He is willing to patiently guide us on a path of discovery if we are willing to humble ourselves and learn. “He that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day” (Doctrine and Covenants 50:24). Or, as Alma explained:

He that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.

Alma 12:10

So we have to receive, and we have to resist the urge to “harden our hearts,” refusing to listen and to change, thinking we know better. The Lord emphasized this point in the 1831 revelation by reminding his listeners how much they still had to learn:

Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth.

Fear not, little children, for you are mine.

Doctrine and Covenants 50:40-41

We have a long way to go, but He is willing to work with us where we are and help us grow.

Today, I will be open to guidance and insight from God. I will allow Him to reason with me, recognizing that even though my own perception and understanding is limited, He is willing to meet me where I am and teach me with explanations that I can understand.