Dear Saints,

We read the counsel of men, the manuals written to guide, and tokens meant to direct us. There are a myriad of voices to be heard each day, an incalculable clamor that now occupies a once peaceful estate. In everyday we find well-meaning men and confident preachers of those ideas they practice, but in what counsel is our soul to be satisfied?

There is a voice as sure as eternity, as unmovable as any mountain, as tender as a mother's prayer and as loving as a father's counsel. The Lord once said,

"And he also said unto him, If thou wilt, turn unto me and hearken unto my voice, and believe, and repent of all thy transgressions, and be baptized, even in water, in the name of mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth, which is Jesus Christ, the only name which shall be given under heaven, whereby salvation shall come unto the children of men; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, asking all things in his name, and whatsoever ye shall ask it shall be given you."

Our Lord's voice has been described in the scriptures as a still, small voice and in another place as a voice of thunder. We read in I Nephi 3:43 that the Spirit cried out "in a loud voice".

We limit not the manifestation of our Lord, being wise in His response to the faithfulness of our hearts, nor do we counsel Him in the ways whereby He speaks today. If we are to believe that He does not change, does not modify His nature in response to changing cultural climates, then we must assert that He continues to reveal Himself to man. If He once spoke, then He must still.

Let us be mindful of our Lord's counsel, and put it foremost in our motive. This is a season that can be carried in the wings of the world, caught up in the rapture of selfishness. The Lord desires something better for us. Rest. Entertain a peaceful countenance. Satisfy the Holy Spirit as He directs us to worship in prayer, study, hymn, and fasting.

Take time to truly hearken unto the voice of the Lord, and He will richly repay our efforts in a fulfillment of our souls and a satisfaction of the very measure of our creation. Whatever storm we may bring upon us, or tempest into which we are thrust, there is not a more sure balm than the love of God, and the knowledge that He is pleased in our efforts. Seek first to please Him, not by way of constraint or in hopes of reward, but by the only acceptable motive of our movements: charity, the pure love of Jesus Christ. He truly is our first love, the satisfying figure of our existence and the end to which we must press forward. Hearken to His Word, and know that He loves us. Those who walk with Him, in His way, will know Him as the Prince of Peace, and they will know His voice amongst the tumult of the nations.

Your brother and servant in Christ,

Brian D. Herren,
Pastor