"If You Listen, You Will Find"

I didn't know what to say. The man sat there in tears as he explained that it had been just one week since his fourteen year-old son had drowned, and I sat there speechless. I had been called to be a representative of Jesus Christ, and yet I could think of nothing to say to ease this man's pain. That was until the countdown to the next session of General Conference popped up on the screen and the words came to me:

"Hermano," I said, "What you're about to hear are talks given by men of God--apostles and prophets." I then felt the impression to given him a specific promise, and immediately voiced it. "If you listen, you will find peace."

This experience was one of the most powerful experiences I had on my mission. That man, who had gone such a significant and devastating trial, was in need of comfort that I could not give him, though I longed and prayed that I could. In that case, the Lord had led him to that Church building so that he could listen to the voices of His servants--His prophets and apostles--in order to find the peace that he was seeking. And so that humble man stayed and listened to the prophets of God.

To close that session and the conference, the Prophet and President of the Church, Thomas Monson, said this:

"We live at a time in the world’s history when there are many difficult challenges but also great opportunities and reasons for rejoicing. There are, of course, those times when we experience disappointments, heartaches, and even tragedies in our lives. However, if we will put our trust in the Lord, He will help us through our difficulties, whatever they may be. The Psalmist provided this assurance: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” ("Until We Meet Again" April 2013).

I will never forget when the conference ended, and I turned to see the man's reaction. He had a smile on his face. "Thank you, hermano," he said, and he extended his hand to shake mine. He had found the peace he so desperately needed. 

Though he did not know that he was going to listen to General Conference on that Sunday (he had gone to Church because we told him the time and the place, but that had been weeks prior, and we made no mention of General Conference), he had come with a question/concern, he listened with real intent, and then found his answer. For us the formula is the same.

If we want to find answers or peace or anything from the messages given in General Conference, we must first come prepared with specific questions. We all have struggles. Just as President Monson said, we all have times when we experiences "disappointments, heartaches, and even tragedies." Sometimes we just have a question that needs answering. Listening to the voices of the prophets, apostles, and other General leaders allows us a perfect opportunity to find what we are looking for. 

But coming prepared with questions really does us no good if we're not actively listening for those answers. So we must listen with real intent. Real intent means that we are seeking the answer with the intention of following through with whatever instruction we might receive. It requires faith, and it requires that we open our hearts and our mind to whatever the Lord would tell us. It all requires that we are awake physically. That is often hard, especially when we intend to find our answer listening live to the Conference; ten hours of talks is an incredibly long time. But it's a sacred time. If we listen with real intent, we can find the answers we are seeking.

But we also must keep in mind that it is the Lord's will whether we are to receive answers to our questions. We must also be prepared for the possibility that we will not receive an answer, and that additional study and additional trust is required in order to find them. If we have faith and trust in the process of revelation, we will still find.

Just like the man on my mission, the Lord intends for us to seek guidance and peace through General Conference. And that promise stands for all:

If you listen, you will find.


"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth."
Matthew 7:7-8