Your Personal Encounter With God
One of the single most significant events in modern history is the appearance of the Father and the Son to Joseph Smith in 1820. It is import is not that Joseph had the encounter with God, it was the beginning of what followed that changed the entire landscape of religion. However, young Joseph’s experience demonstrates to us that if it happened to him, it can for us as well. Each and every encounter we have with the divine shapes us for eternity, depending on how we react to them.
The kinds of spiritual experiences we have can range from small impressions to miracles. If we tune ourselves to the spirit frequently and consistently, even the smallest of impressions can have profound effects on the way we see ourselves and others. Conversely, great miracles often go unnoticed or fade into obscurity if we are distracted and distant from God. It is vital that we pay attention to the thoughts and feelings we get, and that we give God the credit for the little things that change our lives.
The things that occupy the majority of our thoughts can make us more or less aware of the spiritual realm. All of God’s creations have a dual nature; material or tangible, and immaterial and spiritual. When we think materially, all we see are the material aspects of reality. However, when we are spiritually minded, everything and everyone seems more beautiful and wondrous. Do we consider these things to be encounters with the divine?
So, how do our spiritual experiences shape us? I suppose it has much to do with how it fits with our focus. When Jesus taught us about priorities, he said to seek first for the kingdom of God and His righteousness. The promise that followed was that the necessary things of mortality would be added to us. In other words, the necessities of life come in consequence of prioritizing God in daily life. Having our focus on Christ makes us more capable of handling the pressures of our domestic and professional work.
The First Vision of Joseph Smith put him on a path that he never could have imagined. Our encounters with the Father and the Son are life-changing if we allow our eyes to be opened, our minds enlightened, and our understanding expanded. Just as the work of the restoration of the gospel commenced with a vision, our life’s work will be made clearer if we continue to seek for divine encounters with God.