A defining characteristic of disciples of Jesus Christ is that they listen to Him. Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice." In 1830, He added, "Mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts." We can be better disciples by listening more intently and taking action more quickly on what we hear.
Hearing Hard Truths
Noah and his priests were angry with Abinadi and labeled him as "mad." We use a variety of strategies to avoid accepting difficult messages. We attack the messenger, we respond emotionally, or we look for allies. In the end, it's better to actually listen
“They Wearied Him with Their Teasings”
Mosiah sent a search party to find the people of Zeniff after his people "wearied him with their teasings." Two lessons: #1. Don't stop asking if something is important. #2 Pay attention to repeated requests from the people you love.
“They…Stopped Their Ears”
When Stephen told the Sanhedrin that he saw Jesus standing on the right hand of God, "they cried with a loud voice, and stopped their ears." It can be difficult to hear messages that require us to change, but if we refuse to listen, we fail to progress.
Be Not Faithless, but Believing
Jesus wants us to believe the testimony of other people. He chastised the apostles for not believing witnesses of His resurrection. He praised Alma for believing the words of Abinadi. We too can listen to the testimony of others with a believing heart.
Incline Your Ear
In the 55th chapter of Isaiah, we receive important instructions about listening to messages from God: "Incline your ear, and come unto me," He says, "hear, and your soul shall live" (Isaiah 55:3). Listening requires intentional effort. We need to eliminate distractions and focus our attention on His words. "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found," says... Continue Reading →
Smooth Things
Isaiah reproved the children of Israel for being unwilling to hear hard things. He said they were the type of people who would "say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things." In contrast, they would request the easy stuff: "Speak unto us smooth things, prophecy deceits" (Isaiah... Continue Reading →
“For the Space of an Hour” – Alma 18:14
I've been working on being a better listener, so I was inspired by Ammon's response when King Lamoni failed to answer a question. Here's the story: King Lamoni was overwhelmed when he learned that his new servant, Ammon, had singlehandedly driven away a large group of marauders who were trying to scatter his sheep. The... Continue Reading →
Hearken
When King Benjamin called his people together near the end of his life, he began his sermon by urging them to listen carefully to what he had to say: I have not commanded you to come up hither to trifle with the words which I shall speak, but that you should hearken unto me, and... Continue Reading →
How Can I Be a Better Listener?
Today, I pondered what I can do to be a better listener. Here are some relevant guidelines taught by the Book of Mormon: 1. Recognize your own limitations and prepare yourself to participate fully in the interaction. When Nephi returned to his family's camp after seeing a vision, he found his brothers "disputing one with... Continue Reading →