Coming to Know Christ

“We know our loving Father in Heaven and our Savior, Jesus Christ, most often minister to our needs through the efforts of typical, garden-variety people like you and me. We too often look for dramatic, divine intervention in our lives and lose sight of Jesus in the crowd of marvelous, kind, thoughtful, and generous people who live the principles of the gospel of Him who is our Savior and Redeemer. …

“Over the centuries people have been introduced to the Savior in many different ways. For the Apostle Paul it was during the miracle that occurred on the road to Damascus. Many have come to know Christ as they have been exposed to the written testaments of Book of Mormon prophets. Still others are extended introductions by the legions of missionaries who labor with devotion. Neighbors feel the Savior’s presence as their souls are softened by the kindly deeds of others. Caregivers come to feel the warm glow of the gospel of Jesus as they unselfishly minister, often for extended periods, to the needs of family members and friends. For some, crises and disasters encourage them to reach for the security blanket offered by Him who offers perfect consolation. For most people, the discovery of Jesus comes by the method He authored Himself: ‘If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine’ (John 7:17), and ‘Seek me diligently and ye shall find me’ (D&C 88:63). …

“… As His disciples, we are the primary distribution system for delivering the living water from its everlasting source to His cherished children in need. We largely determine who will receive the water as we, by our service, control the irrigation system headgates. We preserve the purity of the water as we reflect to the world the value of the living water in our own lives. If we irrigate when the living water is required, rather than when it is convenient for us, we determine its vitality. It is only the living water of Jesus Christ that can and will bring a happy, successful, and everlasting life to the children of men. …

“So many of our Father’s children are burdened with earthly cares or with the stain of sin, poverty, pain, disability, loneliness, bereavement, or rejection. The living water of Jesus is sure and certain to those who find Him and trust Him. He who stilled the winds and waves can bring peace to the repentant sinner and to the suffering saint. We as His agents are not only to declare His word but also to deliver the living water unto the least of His brethren, just as He Himself would do if He were here.”

Bishop H. David Burton, Presiding Bishop, “The Living Water of Jesus Christ,” fireside, Brigham Young University, 9 Jan. 2000.

Christ and the Samaritan Woman, by Carl Heinrich Bloch, det Nationalhistoriske Museum på Fredericksborg, Hillerød