Do the words of Christ lead you to Act?

I don’t know why this post has been so hard for me to write but I have written three different posts and now four.  I think there have been so many things running through my mind that it was hard to decide what it was that I felt was most important to share.  I have continually been pondering on the things that I was taught by the spirit this week and not one thing stood out in particular so it was difficult to narrow down what message Heavenly Father wanted me to share. 

Through the many different thoughts and feelings this week I have had the constant reminder that I need to act.  I need to act upon the things that I’m taught.  When I receive a prompting I need to act.  When I have a question come when I’m reading I need to act and seek for answers.  When I have done something wrong I need to act.  When I need peace I need to act by feasting on the words of Christ.  I have come to realize that feasting upon the words of Christ helps me to act.  When I’m studying the Book of Mormon or reading from the Bible I’m given thoughts and impressions from the Holy Ghost on something I should do, ask, or ponder about.  When I leave it at that in my notes I am not acting.  I’m letting the words of Christ tell me what I should do but doing nothing further.

In 2 Nephi 32:3 it says, “… feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, they will tell you all things that ye should do.”  Then in verse 8 of the same chapter it says, “… I perceive that ye ponder still in your hearts; and it grieveth me … For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray, ye would know that ye must pray …”.  I feel that Nephi is telling us here why are you still thinking about what you have heard?  Why aren’t you acting in faith and praying?  Listen and hearken to the spirit that will teach you how to pray.  I had found that I was doing this.  I would have questions come but thought I didn’t have the time to go back and study my questions.  Or I thought it was okay to just think about what I had been given.  It is not okay.  It is okay to ponder but we need to ask in prayer.  In verse 4 of chapter 32 it says, “… after I have spoken these words if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark.”

 If we cannot understand the words of the Lord in our own lives and times it is because we don’t ask and knock.  Asking and knocking is taking action.  It is praying about the things the spirit prompts us about.  How often are you feasting upon the words of Christ?  Is it a sporadic experience or are you coming to the feast on a daily basis ready to learn?  When you are feasting on His words, do thoughts come of how you can be better or someone you can serve?  Do you find areas of your testimony that need strengthen through prayer?  Are there things you feel you need to do? 

Throughout my feasting this week I felt that I needed to go back and look at all the questions I had been prompted about.  I needed to look at the things I felt I should learn and things I needed to do.  As I went back and wrote out a list with those things I saw many items dealing with developing personally and ways to become a better disciple of Christ.  I would challenge each of you to go back through your study journals that include scripture study, reading talks, or listening to talks and search for questions, learning and doing applications in your writings, then act.  Choose one item each day and study it to find an answer.  Or act upon a thought you had and ask what else the Lord needs you to do that day.  Continue to write in your journal as you study and you will see that the Lord will continue to strengthen you as you turn to Him in prayer asking for His help.  He blesses us as we feast upon His words and His words tell us all things we should do.