Proving God

Day fifty-six

Another busy day ahead of me, but it is filled with good things so it shouldn't be too bad.  My prayer this morning expressed the gratitude I feel for being blessed with things to do that serve others.  I really enjoy helping people, it makes them feel good and me feel good.  I am grateful for the blessings that the Lord has given me and my family this week, and for the lessons I have learned in my scripture study.  I asked the Lord to comfort those that are suffering or grieving, that they might be able to find peace throughout their challenges, and to guide me in ways that I might be able to serve and help them. 

Scripture study is in Abraham Chapter 3. 

I grabbed on to verse 25:
"And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them."

During my scripture study I sometimes come across sources that seem to forget this part of the Plan of Salvation, we are here to be tested, instead they focus their discussions on ways to prove or disprove that God exists.  President Ezra Taft Benson stated:  "We are not here to test or "prove" God, but to be tested and proved ourselves.  We are on trial, not God."  (Conference Report, April 1988)

I could find no request from God that we try to prove his existence to others.  Instead, I found that His requests are of a personal nature; we are to know for ourselves that He is there.  It is part of our testing to learn to have faith and believe in God, to seek Him out and invite Him into our lives. 

He does ask us to share our belief in Him with others, not in an attempt to prove that he exists, but to give others the opportunity to know for themselves.  It is not our job to change the hearts of others, that is reserved for the Holy Ghost, we are merely the instrument to provide the opportunity. 

We have been counselled from Church leaders regarding how to react to those who would pursue an argument:

"Speaking of civility on a personal level, Elder Robert D Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught Latter-day Saints how to respond to criticism: “Some people mistakenly think responses such as silence, meekness, forgiveness, and bearing humble testimony are passive or weak. But, to ‘love [our] enemies, bless them that curse [us], do good to them that hate [us], and pray for them which despitefully use [us], and persecute [us]’ (Matthew 5:44) takes faith, strength, and, most of all, Christian courage.”

When you understand the nature of God you know that God doesn't need anyone to try to prove that He is real, He is God for goodness sake, all powerful and all knowing.  He could do it for himself and he does. Only He knows when a person's heart is ready to accept him, he just asks that we be there to help share the message, He will do the rest.

As for testing God, nothing good comes from tempting the Lord, just read about the Anti-Christs in the scriptures and you learn not to mess with God!  He does tell us if we want to find out if He is there to 'experiment on the word' (Alma 32:27-28).  He says try it out, live it, and see if He will keep His promises.  That is how to properly test the Lord, on His terms.

I am quite grateful that it is not my job to prove God, I think I have enough on my plate working on my on test and proving myself.  However, I am grateful to be an instrument of God which provides me a way to serve Him and others.  It's just another part of His perfect plan!