“Mommy, Daddy, why is the sky blue? Why is the sea salty? Why is water wet? How do clouds float?”
When we are young, we ask 300 questions a day. Questions lead to discovery. As adults, the number of questions in a day drops to 25 or 30.
Humility and questions unlock the heavens
Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3). Perhaps becoming as a little child includes asking more questions. The scriptures are replete with questions and answers.
The apostles asked, “Is it I?” (Matthew 26:22)
Nephi asked, “Whither shall I go?” (1 Nephi 16:23; 1 Nephi 17:9)
Mary asked, “How shall this be?” (Luke 1:34)
Nephi asked his brothers, “Have ye inquired of the Lord?” (1 Nephi 15:8)
Questions are essential in leading us to knowledge and learning from God. I believe inspired questions can be gifts from our Heavenly Father.
The Restoration began with a question
Joseph Smith had questions which led him to the Sacred Grove. “The Restoration of His gospel started when one person turned to God and heard Him. It continues that same way: one heart, one sacred experience at a time—including yours.” (Come, Follow Me-- For Home and Church: Doctrine and Covenants 2025, 8)
I was baptized at six months of age in St. Phillips Anglican Church in Halifax, Nova Scotia. My mom chose the Anglican Church for my baptism because that was how she was raised. When my sister was born four years later, my parents did not have her baptized. They had become religious tourists, visiting many churches, searching for one where they could stay.
My parents, though only in their twenties, believed their children should be able to choose for themselves.
Seemingly small decisions can have big effects
When the missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints approached our home in 1968 in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Mom was outside sweeping the steps. After some convincing by two missionaries, she invited them into the house. That decision changed all our lives forever.
A personal conversion to the gospel began in each of our lives. One by one, we made the choice to be baptized, enter into a covenant with Christ, and become members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This personal conversion continues with each covenant made, each Sacrament ordinance received, each question asked, and each prayer answered.
How are gospel covenants being renewed in your life?
“Faith takes work. Receiving revelation takes work. But ‘every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ So, ask, and then ask again.” (Russell M. Nelson, Heart of the Matter: What 100 Years of Living Have Taught Me, [2023])
Sometimes, receiving an answer is a process
My mission call is a poignant example of asking and then asking again. I was a student at Brigham Young University when my mother telephoned me and said her bishop in Raymond, Alberta, wanted me to serve a mission. I was still six months away from being eligible. My first question was, “Is this real? Does a bishop I’ve only met once really want to call me to serve?”
I constantly prayed for direction. I met with my BYU bishop who asked me if I had a desire to serve a mission. I had never considered it. “Finish your education,” he said, “then if you feel a desire, you can serve.” I felt good, but the feeling was only temporary.
I prayed that if I were accepted to the Social Work major, that would be my answer to not serve a mission. I felt it was a good decision until I received my acceptance letter to the Social Work program. I still felt unsettled. I asked the director of the program what would happen to my acceptance if I served a mission. He advised me that my acceptance would still be in effect after serving a mission. Each answer removed what I perceived as valid reasons to delay serving a mission.
The greater question was whether I believed the bishop in Raymond was the Lord's representative. If so, his request for me to serve a mission would be the same as the Lord asking me. All my questions culminated in one ultimate answer: Yes! I was set apart as a missionary one day after I reached the eligible age.
The Savior is always the answer
President Nelson has shown us the way by petitioning the Lord for answers in prayer. He shared, “As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, I prayed daily for revelation and gave thanks to the Lord every time He spoke to my heart and mind.” (in Conference Report, April 2018, 94)
He has also taught, “Whatever questions or problems you have, the answer is always found in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.” (Liahona, May 2023, 127)
As we “liken the scriptures unto [y]ourselves,” (1 Nephi 19:24), there are questions the Saviour asks you and me, such as:
“What seek ye?)” John 1:38
“Lovest thou me?” John 21:16
“Why weepest thou?” John 20:13
But the most significant question He asks each of us is, “Whom say ye that I am?” (Matthew 16:15) To correctly answer this question should be the quest of our lives.
The focus for Come, Follow Me in 2025 shifts to the Doctrine and Covenants. “The Doctrine and Covenants is a book of answers to prayers: many of the sacred revelations in this book came in response to questions.” (Come, Follow Me, 2025, 20) I feel each page is a testimony that prayers are heard and answered.
We can follow the examples of Alma, Joseph Smith, President Nelson and the many people in the Doctrine and Covenants who asked and received answers to their questions. We can trust the promise: “Ask, and it shall be given you” (Matthew 7:7).