There was in the mid-1940s, a small band of warriors who created an unbreakable code from the ancient language of their people and changed the course of modern history.
Known as Navajo Code Talkers, they were young Navajo men who transmitted secret communications on the battlefields of WWII. At a time when America's best cryptographers were falling short, these modest sheepherders and farmers were able to fashion the most ingenious and successful code in military history. They drew upon their proud warrior tradition to brave the dense jungles of Guadalcanal and the exposed beachheads of Iwo Jima. Serving with distinction in every major engagement of the Pacific theater from 1942-1945, their unbreakable code played a pivotal role in saving countless lives and hastening the war's end.
We know that God often speaks in code—called symbolism. Knowing the code and how to interpret it is a key means of avoiding the influence of the adversary and preparing to return to the presence of the Father. Without knowing the code and learning from it, pitfalls of mortality take a terrible toll and promises of eternal life may not be achieved.
Why Does God Speak in Code?
When the Savior was upon the earth, he taught His gospel in symbolic code which he called parables. His disciples asked: “why speakest thou unto them in parables?” He answered and said: “Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.” The Lord used parables on frequent occasions during his ministry to teach gospel truths. His purpose, however, in telling these parables was not to present the truths of his gospel in plainness so that all his hearers would understand. Rather it was so to phrase and hide the doctrine involved that only the spiritually literate would understand it, while those whose understandings were darkened would remain in darkness.
Amulek taught further about the importance of teaching only the spiritually prepared. How prepared are we to understand the doctrines which God gives to us in spiritual code?
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
One example of the Lord’s teaching is the parable of the Lost Sheep found in Luke 15:4-7. You all know this parable well. It goes like this:
"What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
"And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
"And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
"I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance."
This story is, of course, not about sheep but sheep are a symbol of people. The Lord teaches us the importance of reclaiming sinners who are lost and bringing them back into the presence of the Father. It causes me to ponder about what we expect of ourselves and what God expects of us.
I ask all of you to consider for yourselves: would you rather be one of those who stayed in the sheepfold or would you rather be the one that was lost? How many of you, by raised hands, would rather stay in the sheepfold?
Of course, we would all like to avoid the problem of being the sinner who has to be rescued. It is for that reason that we want to remain in the sheepfold.
However, there is one part of this story that bothers me. It is that verse which says:
I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
How many of you know ninety-nine persons who do not need repentance? How many of you know even one person, save only Jesus Christ, who does not need repentance? Doesn’t that bother you? It should, it is a code and it carries a very important message.
Joseph Smith taught us how to interpret the parables of Jesus. He gave a clue to unlocking the code words in the parables. He said to look at what drew out the question that gave rise to the parable and to whom the answer was given. In the case of the lost sheep, the Pharisees and scribes were complaining that Jesus was eating with sinners and receiving them among his disciples. So the Prophet Joseph taught:
The hundred sheep represent one hundred Sadducees and Pharisees as though Jesus had said: “if you Sadducees and Pharisees are in the sheepfold, I have no mission for you; I am sent to look up sheep that are lost; and when I have found them, I will back them up and make joy in heaven. There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety-and-nine just person that are so [self-] righteous; they will be d***ed anyhow; you cannot save them."
Now how many of you prefer to be one of the ninety-nine in the sheepfold? Changed your mind? You change your mind when you unlock the code and understand exactly what the Lord was teaching to his chosen servants while leaving the dark minded Pharisees and scribes in ignorance. Understanding the code can help you make correct choices. Not understanding the code may leave you in darkness and susceptible to making wrong choices. The Parable of the Lost Sheep teaches us the absolute criticality of repentance—but only when we understand the coded message.
The Davidic Covenant:
David, the King of Israel, felt the need for a permanent sanctuary for the Ark of the Covenant (1 Chronicles 17:1). He expressed this to Nathan the prophet. The Lord delivered to Nathan a message for David, known as the Davidic Covenant.
"Furthermore I tell thee that the Lord will build thee an house.
"And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.
"He shall build me an house and I will stablish his throne forever.
"I will be his father and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee:
"But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore" (1 Chronicles 17:4-6; 10-14).
Thus, the Lord promised David that a house of the Lord would be established by a son of David. Solomon built a Temple to the Lord but if this temple was to be the one prophesied, the kingdom of Solomon would last forever. We know it did not. Thus, we look to the code words in this prophecy. Here we find the covenant’s deeper promise which is revealed in the dual meaning of the word “house.” It can mean a dwelling place or it can mean a family dynasty.
The Lord was here making a promise regarding the “house of David;” that is, the family of David. The promise was that through David’s posterity, a Son of God would be raised up to build the Lord’s house. This is Christ who built not a physical structure, but a family structure—a people who would inherit “all the Father hath.”
This coded prophecy was misunderstood many years later by another king, with catastrophic results:
Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon conquered Jerusalem and appointed a new king, Zedekiah, to rule over Jerusalem as a vassal state. For the first four years Zedekiah remained obedient to Babylonian rule. In the fourth year, however, he was visited by emissaries of neighboring nations who urged him to shake off the yoke of Babylon. The prophet Jeremiah warned Zedekiah not to war against Babylon or he would be punished by God (Jeremiah 27:1-11).
However, Zedekiah paid more heed to the noblemen of his court who cited the Davidic Covenant given by the hand of Nathan the Prophet:
The noblemen reminded Zedekiah that the Lord promised in the Davidic covenant that the house of David would never fall and that a kingdom will be raised up by his sons which will be established forever (1 Chronicles 17:10-14).
The noblemen of Zedekiah’s court interpreted this prophecy to mean that since the throne of David would never fall Babylon could not conquer Jerusalem. But the coded message in this prophecy could only be interpreted by the Spirit of the Lord. Jeremiah, the prophet warned Zedekiah not to go to war because Jeremiah understood the code. However, Zedekiah trusted his noblemen and ignored Jeremiah.
So, in 589 B.C. Zedekiah revolted against Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem for two and one-half years. Those neighboring nations who urged Zedekiah to fight Babylon did not show up for the fight. Finally Zedekiah fled from the city with his family and some members of his court but he was captured by the Babylonians at Jericho. His sons were killed before his eyes. Then the king’s eyes were put out by the hot irons of the Babylonians, and he, along with the remaining members of his family and court was marched to Babylon. After destroying the temple and the city, the Babylonians took Israel into Babylonian exile.
Zedekiah and his noblemen did not know how to decode the prophecy. The living prophet at the time, Jeremiah, did. Jeremiah knew that the prophecy did not mean the throne of Solomon would last forever. Zedekiah simply did not listen to the prophet Jeremiah, who was the only one who could decode the prophecy under the direction of the spirit.
Samuel Anoints David
Samuels calling and anointing of David to become King of Israel is another example of symbolic coded instruction (1 Samuel 16). The Lord had rejected Saul as the king of Israel because of his disobedience and Samuel the prophet was directed to fill his horn with oil and go to Jesse the Bethlehemite and find a king from among his sons. When Jesse brought forth his first son, Eliab, Samuel, much impressed with his appearance, thought he should be ordained as Israel’s king. Yet when he sought confirmation from the Lord he was told not to judge by the outward appearance of a man, but by his heart. One by one Jesse brought forth seven sons, yet the Spirit identified none of them as the one the Lord had chosen.
Frustrated, Samuel asked Jesse, “are here all thy children?” and then learned that Jesse had still another son who had been left to tend the sheep. He was sent for, and when he came “the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.” Samuel then took his horn of oil and anointed David in the midst of his brethren.
Though this is a beautiful story of the anointing of a king, it is much more than that. There is a coded symbolism in these events which would tell future generations who were in tune with the Spirit how to identify Christ as the Savior of the World. It is one of the most detailed Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament.
Consider how perfectly it foretells both the setting and the events that would surround the coming of Christ.
1. The Messiah was to come at a time when, because of their disobedience, God had rejected those professing the authority and right to rule Israel.
2. He was to come from Bethlehem and be of the lineage of Jesse.
3. He would not be recognized by those looking for outward things or a temporal Messiah, indeed he would be overlooked, yet as young David was a shepherd, so He would be the good shepherd,
4. The name David means “beloved Son” and he was destined to be King of Israel. So Christ was the “beloved Son” who was destined to be the King of all Israel.
5. Remember the term “anointed” in Hebrew means “Messiah” and in Greek is translated to mean “Christ.”
If the Jews at the time of Christ had obtained the Spirit to decode the message in the calling and anointing of David the King, they would have recognized Christ as the Messiah. They did not to their everlasting condemnation.
Abraham and Ishmael
The story of righteous Isaac who was to be sacrificed by his father Abraham is well known (Genesis 22).
Now, what about Abraham’s other son, Ishmael? His story is also one of sacrifice. In this case, however, Abraham really had to sacrifice his son.
Isaac, the chosen son, was born about a year after the angel appeared to Abraham. Some two or three years later, when Ishmael was about 16 years old, Sarah saw Ishmael mocking Isaac. She was so angry that she demanded that Abraham send Hagar and Ishmael away (Genesis 21:8-10). Abraham loved his son, Ishmael, and hated the idea of sending them away. So he prayed to God for a solution. His answer was to follow the instructions of Sarah. Abraham, grief-stricken, had to sacrifice his son Ishmael (Genesis 21:11). He arose up in the morning, gave some bread and a bottle of water and sent them away. There was no angel this time to intervene.
Ishmael and his mother wandered in the wilderness until the water was all gone. Destitute and dying of thirst, Hagar placed Ishmael under the shade of a bush and then went a good way off, because she did not want to witness the death of her child. She lifted up her voice and wept. And Ishmael prayed to God for deliverance.
And God heard the voice of Ishmael and sent to them an angel who revealed to them a well of water nearby. Hagar went and filled the bottle with water and they were both saved.
Consider these elements of the Ishmael story:
• He committed sin (Genesis 2:9)
• He was cast out of his father’s presence as a result of that sin (Genesis 21: 10,12)
• He was not himself, the heir of his father; heirship was instead through the only begotten son (Genesis 17:20-21; 21:10; 22:2)
• He inhabited the lone and dreary world (Genesis 21:14)
• He was subject to death, with no independent power of life (Genesis 21:15-16)
• He lived a life of hardship (Genesis 16:12)
• God sent messengers to teach him (Genesis 21:17)
• God rescued him from death (Genesis 21:19)
The code in this story is that while Isaac is a Type of Christ, Ishmael is a type of us. We commit sin, are cast out of heaven. We are not heirs except through Jesus Christ. We live in a lone and dreary world and we are subject to death with no way to redeem ourselves. Our lives are lives of hardship and we can only be saved as messengers are sent from heaven to teach us and rescue us from spiritual death. Ishmael is like all of fallen man. The Isaac story follows immediately after the Ishmael story. The fall and separation are followed by atonement and redemption.
What we learn from this story is that God loves us enough to provide a rescue for all of fallen man. We are not chosen birthright sons or daughters. We must rely on the merits of Christ to redeem us. Thus, the trek of Abraham to Moriah to sacrifice Isaac was to metaphorically redeem Ishmael and all fallen man.
When we do not recognize the Lord in the events in our life, we lose the ability to have faith in him.
The Philosophy Professor
An example of how failure to recognize the Lord in our lives affects faith is found in the following exchange between students and a professor:
"Let me explain the problem science has with this Jesus Christ.” The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.
“You’re a Christian, aren’t you son?”
“Yes sir,” the student says.
“So you believe in God?”
“Absolutely.”
“Is God good?”
“Sure! God’s good.”
“Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?”
“Yes.”
“Are you good or evil?”
“The Bible says I’m evil.”
“Aha! The Bible!” He considers for a moment. “Here’s one for you. Let’s say there’s a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?”
“Yes sir I would.”
“So you’re good…!”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
“But why not say that? You’d help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn’t.”
The student does not answer, so the professor continues. “He doesn’t does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?”
The student remained silent.
“No, you can’t, can you?” the professor says.
“Let’s start again, young fella. Is God good?”
“Yes” the student says.
“Is Satan good?”
The student doesn’t hesitate on this one. “No.”
“Then where does Satan come from?”
The student replies. “From…God…”
“That’s right. God made Satan, didn’t he? Tell me son. Is there evil in this world?”
“Yes sir.”
“Evil’s everywhere, isn’t it? And God did make everything, correct?”
“Yes.”
“So who created evil?” The professor continued, “If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil.”
Again, the student has no answer. “Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?”
The student replies. “Yes.”
“So who created them?’’
The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question. “Who created them?” There is still no answer. “Tell me,” he continues onto another student. “Do you believe in Jesus Christ son?”
The student says: “Yes, professor I do.”
“Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?”
“No sir. I’ve never seen him.”
“Then tell us if you’ve ever heard your Jesus.”
“No, sir, I have not.”
“Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have any of you had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?”
“No, sir, I’m afraid I haven’t.”
“Yet you still believe in him?”
“Yes.”
“According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn’t exist. What do you say to that, son?”
“Nothing,” the student replies. “I only have my faith.”
“Yes, faith,” the professor repeats. “And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith.”
The student stands quietly for a moment before asking a question of his own. “Professor, is there such thing as heat?”
“Yes,” the professor replies. “There’s heat.”
“And is there such thing as cold?”
“Yes, son, there’s cold too.”
“No sir, there isn’t”
The professor turns to face the student. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain.
“You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don’t have anything called ‘cold’. We can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can’t go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise, we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees. Everybody or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can Measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.”
Silence across the room.
“What about darkness professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?”
“Yes,” replies the professor without hesitation. “What is night if it isn’t darkness?”
“You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it’s called darkness, isn’t it? That’s the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, darkness isn’t. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn’t you?”
The professor begins to smile. So what point are you making, young man?”
“Yes, professor, my point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusions must also be flawed.”
The professor’s face cannot hide his surprise. “Flawed? Can you explain how?”
“You are working on the premise of duality.” The student explains. “You argue that there is life and then death; a good and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can’t even explain a thought. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it.”
“Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?”
“If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do.”
“Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?”
The professor begins to shake his head.
“Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?”
“To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean.”
The student looks around the room. “Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor’s brain?” “Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor’s brain, felt the professor’s brain, touched or smelt the professor’s brain? No one appears to have to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir. So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?”
Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student.
Finally, the old man answers. “I guess you’ll have to take them on faith.”
“Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life,” the student continues. “Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?”
Now uncertain, the professor responds, “Of course, there is. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man’s inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.”
To this the student replied, “Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God’s love present in his heart. It’s like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light.”
The professor sat down.
Isn’t it amazing when the codes are revealed how doctrines of Salvation burst into understanding?
My Personal Experience
I was in college, had a good part-time job and was engaged to be married within a few months. My life was exciting and the future looked bright. I was surprised when my Stake President approached me one Sunday morning. He said, “The Lord wants you to serve a mission.” I felt powerfully impressed that this was a call from God. I acted upon that impression and immediately committed myself to serve.
I was called to serve in the Southern States Mission and I began my preparation with personally difficult tasks. I postponed my wedding for two years, quit my job, left the university and said goodbye to my loved ones. It seemed that I was leaving everything that mattered to me.
I traveled with missionary companions by train to Atlanta, Georgia. Two missionaries picked us up at the train station and took us to meet the mission president. My mission president greeted me for a few moments and then told me that I must leave immediately by bus to Montgomery, Alabama where I would be given instructions about my field of labor. The two missionaries took me to the bus station and handed me a piece of paper with an address hand scrawled on it. They told me that the missionaries in Montgomery would tell me what to do.
I walked tentatively into the bus station, bought a ticket and boarded the bus. It was getting dark and I began to feel very alone. I found an empty seat next to a window and tried to ignore growing discouragement from not knowing where I was going, whom I would be with or what I would do.
When the bus driver took his seat, he stared at me in the rearview mirror. I could see he was looking at me. He walked to where I was sitting and shouted, “What are you trying to do, boy?” I was shocked that he would shout at me with all the people on the bus watching. I had no idea why he was angry with me. I was so embarrassed. I barely whispered, “I’m just riding the bus.”
He yelled, “Are you trying to start something here?” He pointed to a white line on the floor of the bus that I had not noticed before. He told me to sit in front of that line or he would put me off the bus. I was terrified and moved immediately. I did not know until much later that in those days, white lines divided the areas where white and black people could sit. There had been a lot of dissension in the southern states over segregation of whites and blacks and the bus driver thought that I was trying to start a protest.
I rode for several hours huddled in the bus trying to fight off fear, loneliness and embarrassment. By the time I reached Montgomery, my trembling hands could hardly lift my suitcases. The bus arrived very late at night, so the bus station was practically empty and there was no one there to meet me. The only information I had was the missionary address hand scrawled on the piece of paper the missionaries gave to me in Atlanta. I had no idea how to find the missionary address.
I awakened a taxi driver sleeping in his taxi and asked him to take me to the address on the paper. He was irritated. He told me it would cost a minimum of $5 and I promised to pay the fee, even though it seemed very expensive. In those days, $5 was a lot of money. My entire monthly support was only $65. He drove me less than 100 yards (91m) and announced “this is it!” The taxi driver demanded his fee and left me and my suitcases in front of a small white house. The house was dark. I carried my suitcases to the porch and knocked on the door. Nobody came. I hammered the door more loudly. After a few minutes, a sleepy-eyed missionary opened the door. “Who are you?” he asked. When I told him who I was and why I was there, he said he didn’t know I was coming and he didn’t invite me in. I apologized and told him I was only doing what I was told to do. “We don’t have any room for you,” he said, still leaving me on the porch.
What do you want me to do, Elder?” I cried. “I have been sent here and I have nowhere else to go.” He finally invited me into the house and told me I would have to sleep on the kitchen floor. He then disappeared into his bedroom. He suddenly returned to the door and said to me: “Elder, if I had as much time left of my mission as you have on yours, I would slash my wrists!” He then disappeared behind the door. Never had I felt so alone and so unwanted and discouraged. The kitchen floor looked as if it had not been cleaned for several generations of missionaries and I was definitely NOT going to sleep on THAT floor.
I put my suitcases on the filthy floor and turned out the light. I stood at the door and peered out the window. I could see the bus station that I had left only a few minutes before. “I could easily walk there and buy a ticket for home,” I thought. I had just enough money left. All of my joys hopes and dreams were at home. People there loved me. I could have my old job back, go back to school, get married, see my family. Over and over again the thought came to me: “Go home. Nobody here cares about you. Nobody here wants you.”
I asked myself, “Why did I come here in the first place?” My Stake President’s words came back to my mind: “The Lord wants you to serve a mission.” But actually, there was imbedded within that request, a coded instruction, which the Holy Spirit had revealed to me. I recalled that I felt a powerful impression at the time he told me those words. It was a call from the Lord to sacrifice whatever I thought was important for the Lord’s purposes. It did not matter if it was convenient, or pleasurable, or even tolerable. Sacrifice for the Lord meant sacrifice whatever was needed to do what He had commanded. I remembered that the feeling had been so strong I had postponed my wedding, quit my job and left the university so I could serve a mission. However, being in the mission field was not at all like I thought it would be. I had been sure once, but now when I felt the need of divine reassurance the most, the powerful feelings seemed a distant memory.
Almost every aspect of my introduction to the full time mission had been an unexpectedly difficult struggle for me. Yet I knew that I was on the Lord’s errand. The absence of a profound witness at that darkened window in the dreary missionary apartment didn’t change that knowledge. It came to my mind that I was in the process of making a very important choice. It was a choice between what I wanted to do and what the Lord wanted me to do. It was the first time in my memory that I had ever recognized so clear a choice. I spoke out loud to myself: “I will never, never quit the calling I have accepted. No matter what happens, I will stay on this mission.” As I said the words, peace came to my heart for the first time since arriving in the mission field.
Now, many years later, I recognize that the Lord was guiding me through this experience. I learned that the Mission Call was actually a symbol of God’s invitation to consecrate my life to Him. It is the Holy Spirit which provides the key to unlock the code of the symbol by Divine Revelation.
We proceed on an adventure through this mortal life in the hopes of gaining greater fluency in the language of symbols. Symbols are a dramatic and effective teaching device for those who have the Spirit and a stone of stumbling and rock of offense for those who do not. An understanding of gospel symbols enhances both testimony and the ability to bear it. Symbolism has ever been the language of prophecy and prophets. It is the language of the gospel, the means of communication between Saints of all ages.
There are two kinds of symbolic revelations. One is for the entire congregation of the faithful. Such revelations are intended to guide the Church as a whole. Apostles and Prophets are called to decode the symbols and guide us in paths which lead to exaltation. Such were the revelations in scripture which lead us the Christ and His covenants. The other is private and personal symbolic revelations. They are to be interpreted by the Holy Ghost to us personally as I discovered for myself. These symbols are decoded only as we tune our thoughts and actions to the will of the Lord and seek his guidance.
I testify that God will witness to you the coded messages which are important for your salvation and exaltation as you prayerfully seek His guidance.