Eyes to See

I like my eyes. They're pretty important to me. They're brown; nothing crazy. Yet it is because of my eyes that I can read my favorite stories. I can read music. I love colors and patterns. I enjoy watching the leaves dance on a peaceful autumn day.
Someday I hope to be able to see Christ and witness His glory and light.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind..." (Luke 4:18)

Ears. They look sort of funny. However, they allow me to hear a cello - one of my favorite instruments. I love to listen to my siblings giggle over some newfound joke or silly movie. I enjoy listening to the sound of the crickets chirping away outside my window. Thunderstorms are another favorite sound.
Someday I hope to hear Christ's voice say to me, "...Well done, thou good and faithful servant..."

"...I would that ye should remember to retain [Christ's] name written always in your hearts...that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called, and also, the name by which he shall call you." (Mosiah 5:12)

My hands are essential to playing the piano. It is one of my favorite pastimes and always brings me joy, peace, and happiness. I can feel the piano keys because of my hands. I can play with my sisters' hair because I have fingers.
Someday I'll be able to feel my Savior's hands and feet and side and witness that He is the Redeemer of the world.

"And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come." (3 Nephi 11:15)

All three senses - sight, sound, and touch - were used when the people came to know for themselves who Christ was. They heard His voice speak to them and call them by name. They heard Him pray for them. "...and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father." (3 Nephi 17:17) They felt the wounds in His hands and in His feet and in His side. They saw His face, the light and glory that surrounded Him and they "[bore] record, that it was he..."

God has made it possible for us to know that He truly did send His Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth to suffer and die for us. How miraculous and wonderful is that?? He has made this possible by allowing us to feel the influence of the Holy Ghost. In Galatians 5:22, 23 we are told what we will feel when the Holy Ghost is with us and when it is testifying of truth: "...love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance..." Everyone of those feelings is from God for "...that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually..." (Moroni 7:13)
When we feel the Holy Spirit, we can know that what we are hearing is true. When we know that what we are hearing or seeing or feeling is true then we had better be quick to act on that prompting!
In Doctrine and Covenants 8:2, the Lord told Oliver Cowdery, "Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart." We may not be able to see Christ but we can certainly know logically and intellectually and spiritually that He is our Savior. We will feel it in our heart. We will know that it is true in our mind. Once we know that, our task is to endure to the end. The prophet Nephi says, "Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life." (2 Nephi 31:20)  And John 17:3 states, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

Someday, we will stand before God and Christ. We will know Them and recognize Them. That is inevitable. It will happen as surely as I type this. We can stand before Christ and then fall at His feet just as Thomas did, joyfully exclaiming, "My Lord and my God!" That will only happen, however, if we are doing all we can in this life to prepare to meet God, to know the Father and the Son, to see the light of Christ enter into our life and change it for the good. True joy will only be felt as we seek to know God and Christ mentally, intellectually, and spiritually.
Someday we will see our Savior, we will hear His voice calling us by name, and we will have the opportunity to feel the prints of the nails in His hands and in His feet. Until then, may we continually have eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart open to the feelings and promptings of the Holy Ghost. Let us seek to continually feel the Spirit in our lives that we may hear the Spirit bearing record that He is Christ, the Son of God and thus know that someday, we will see Him.