A wooden sign with the phrase “Wise Men Still Seek Him” has graced the walls of our home for many years during the Christmas season. Each time I read it, I think of the wise men (Matthew 2:1) and the powerful, though very limited, story that we know about them. These men of great importance and status left their homes and, we can assume, their families to find the true King —a king they believed could make things right, heal broken souls, and bring hope of all things good. When you ponder that, it seems there must be so much more to the story. Who were they? How did they know about a Saviour? What experiences led them to the place where they could make such a crucial decision to go and find the King? How did they have the courage to go? These men demonstrate an important characteristic of a disciple of Christ. They were seekers of truth.
Our Spirituality is Reflected in What We Seek
To seek is to go in search of something; to have a quest or to try to obtain something. In all cases, it requires action. To seek is a verb. Moroni counsels in The Book of Mormon to “seek this Jesus”. (Ether 12:41) That phrase encourages us to discover who He is, what He did and said, and how to apply those standards to our own lives. President Russell M. Nelson instructed us to “seek and expect miracles” (in Conference Report, Apr. 2022, 99). By pondering the possibility of miracles, praying for them and then actively seeking them, we show faith like those wise men of old. We become seekers of Christ by seeing His hand in our lives, evidenced by miracles. We become wise men and wise women like the original ones in the beautiful Christmas story. Elder Steven C. Barlow said, “The beautiful paradox is that the more we are focused on showing our love for God, the more easily we recognize His love for us” (in Conference Report, Oct. 2025)
A synonym for the word “seek” is “to follow”. That’s exactly what the wise men did. They followed a star. The significance of that choice is extraordinary. They figuratively stepped into the dark. With no GPS, they truly showed the highest level of trust. It was a star whose light led them to a place of significance. It led them to the greatest wonder ever known and to the true source of light. Jesus would later declare himself as “the light of the world” (John 8:12). His light will forever bless and guide us. Our opportunity to wholeheartedly trust in Him is just as possible now as it was back then.
There are many stories of people figuratively leaving everything behind, getting on their modern-day camels and travelling to foreign “places” - and uncomfortable circumstances - to find the light of Jesus Christ and His redemptive arms. At some point, every person begins a faith journey that leads them to decide whether or not to believe in and follow Jesus Christ. Like the wise men of old, we will all have to leave everything familiar to find something incredible.
A Faithful Example Leads to Curiosity
Many years ago, my grandma, Ione Gertrude McKee, was a young mom with a busy family of five children. She and my grandpa were very happy, fully engaged members of a wonderful church where they had many friends. They spent many hours planning and participating in church functions and activities. My mom and her siblings loved church and later would credit their Sunday School teachers for their incredible knowledge of the Bible and its many stories. Their fellow church members were a strong, cohesive unit, which was a crucial part of the family’s support network. They were very good people.
Through a strange turn of events, my grandparents decided to have their barn converted into a small home for my great-grandparents, who needed extra care. My grandpa, a jeweller, was hours away from home making some purchases for his jewelry business and the Christmas rush. He happened to mention to a fellow jeweller that he needed help renovating their barn.
His inquiry that day led him to a man named Orville Tustian. Recently, Orville had been helping in the construction of a nearby church and was looking for new employment when the church was completed. Soon, an agreement was reached between my grandpa and Orville. Orville moved to Southern Ontario and lived with my grandparents while he worked on the barn. They later discovered Orville was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (Author's note: It was learned later that the church he had been working on was the Etobicoke Stake Centre. Ironically, my grandma would attend that church many years later in her senior years.)
Over the months that my grandma fed and hosted Orville, she observed him and his ways. She noticed something different about him and inquired often about his beliefs. The day that he turned down her delicious home-cooked meal with the brief, humble explanation that he was fasting that day led her to sincerely want to know what he believed and where his convictions came from. Why else would he turn down her enticing food?
Curiosity Leads to Conversion
Her journey from that point on could be compared to a figurative “camel ride” for her. It was rough. As my grandma learned more about the Church, friends and neighbours offered more and more opinions and vile discouragement. She really did have to walk away from her friends and everything comfortable to seek after what she felt was good and right.
More than one person told her, “I wouldn’t join that church if it were the last choice on earth.” But, like the Wise Men in the greatest story ever told, my grandma made a decision. She saw the bigger picture and left everything familiar to her to seek out further truth and knowledge about the King of Kings. Many years later, when she recounted her story, the pain was still evident in her voice as she spoke of the heartache of leaving dear friends and a trusted support network to join a new church. Yet, she never looked back.
Like the Wise Men of old, we too are invited to seek the Saviour and follow Him. Their journey led them to recognize Jesus Christ as the King they had been seeking, and they offered Him their hearts and devotion. Our own path of faith may feel uncertain at times, but every sincere step toward Him brings more light into our lives. Even when our testimony feels small, our desire to find Him matters deeply to Him. Wise men and women still seek Him—not only at Christmastime, but each day as we choose to follow His light.