Joseph Smith’s First Vision in 1820 serves as a pattern that divine revelation is possible for everyone. The doors of heaven are not closed or accessible only to a privileged few. Both young and old can access God’s truth and help. As Jesus taught, “Ask, and it shall be given you” (Matthew 7:7).
Asking for Revelation
I was raised by my paternal grandparents, who seldom attended any Christian denomination. It was not until I enrolled at Brigham Young University and took a religion class that I read about Enos seeking a remission of his sins: “The words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart. And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul” (Enos 1:3-4).
These verses reminded me of my deceased maternal grandparents, who had been faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I felt inspired to pray. I drove to Aspen Grove Family Camp, just north of Provo, Utah. While there, I received a clear prompting to schedule a meeting with my bishop, who became a personal ministering angel to me.
During our interview, the bishop explained that now (1967-68), the Church had an agreement with the United States draft boards that during the Vietnam War, each ward could submit only two missionary calls per year. Since I had struggled with worthiness issues and avoided attending church, he told me that I may have to wait over a year to apply. I rejoiced to prepare, and my prayers were being answered.
Knocking for Answers
Jesus promised, “Knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7). The word knock connotes repetitive physical actions, more than a single rap on the door. The Lord may require multiple acts of faith and sacrifice. To the Nephites, Jesus explained, “Ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit” (3 Nephi 9:19–20).
A month later, my bishop phoned to schedule another meeting. His call prompted my grandmother to react, “Whatever he wants, you tell him, ‘No!’” She had raised me since I was 17 months old, but this was the first time she had ever opposed my involvement with any church activities. Completing my university studies was what she wanted most for me.
The bishop informed me that he had received approval from the stake president to submit my missionary application. I responded that I needed to ponder what to do. When I returned home, my grandmother phoned my mother. Together, they strongly counselled me to postpone this mission call.
That weekend, my roommate’s father, Soren Sorensen, invited both of us to speak with him on his high council visit to the branch in Gunnison, Colorado. I later learned that if all the units in a stake did not meet their two-missionary per-year quota, other wards or branches could fill that allocation. The Gunnison branch had an opening. When I asked Brother Sorensen what he thought I should do, he responded, “When the Lord calls, don’t delay. Do it now.”
When I met with the stake president that evening, I agreed to submit my missionary application. That decision required me to drive back to Brigham Young University, terminate my next semester’s classes, move out of the dormitories, and give up a two-year scholarship. Returning home, I sold my one-year-old Volkswagen. After I received a call to serve a 27-month mission in the Central German Mission, I purchased missionary clothing, received my patriarchal blessing, and prepared to receive my endowment in the Manti Temple.
Because my grandmother was in her mid-80s, I realized when I left for Germany that I may never see her again in this life. Near the end of my mission, my grandmother became critically ill, but she recovered and lived another seven years after my return from my mission. When I visited her two months before her death, she called me to her bedside and whispered, “Going on your mission was one of the best decisions you ever made in your life.”
Seeking Scriptural Guidance
Jesus also promises, “Seek, and ye shall find” (Matthew 7:7). To find truth, He counsels, “Search the scriptures; for they…testify of me” (John 5:39). Diligently seeking to understand the holy words of God is a decisive skill to follow Christ.
When my mission president invited questions at our first conference, I asked, “How did the Nephites know the name Jesus Christ before His birth?” His answer was vague, so I decided to underline every reference to Deity in the Book of Mormon. I jumped for joy when I read Jacob teach, “It must need be expedient that Christ—for in the last night the angel spake unto me that this should be his name—should come among the Jews” (2 Nephi 10:3).
Initially, the Nephites did not know the Savior’s sacred name. An angel of God revealed it to “chosen vessels of the Lord” (Moroni 7:31). This answer strengthened my testimony that the Book of Mormon truly is Another Testament of Jesus Christ.
Following Christ Eternally
Asking for spiritual guidance, serving a mission, and seeking scriptural guidance opened the doors of heaven for me. I learned that God answers prayers, expects faith and sacrifice, and reveals answers in the scriptures. Those experiences and Christ’s great atoning sacrifice inspire me to continue living the gospel, caring for those in need, sharing my testimony, and performing temple ordinances for beloved family members and others in the spirit world. Like Enos, I hope in the Resurrection, Jesus will say to us, “Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father” (Enos 1:27).