“Are My Answers in There?” New Era, May 2016, 40–42
Sunday Lesson Help
Are My Answers in There?
Can the scriptures really help me answer all of my questions? Even personal ones?
Illustrations by Jeff Harvey
We all have questions, all the time. We can’t help it. It’s our brain’s fault, really—it’s always looking for some kind of stimulation, and one of its favorite activities is to look for information gaps to fill. You could say that, in a way, a person’s inner life can be plotted by its movement from one question to another, even though we don’t always consciously put those questions into words.
Of course, not all questions are created equal. Some are pretty trivial (“If Superman fought Darth Vader, who would win?”). Others are of great cosmic weightiness (“Is there an order to the universe, or is everything just random?”). And others, though seemingly not related to the deep questions of the universe, are of such personal and emotional importance that they can take all of our attention (“How can I make friends at this new school so that I don’t feel lonely all the time?”).
The less trivial types of questions are the ones we (hopefully) spend the most mental and spiritual energy on, and we’re sometimes told that we can find answers to these questions in the scriptures. For major doctrinal questions, the scriptures do contain answers; we just need to search for them (see the ideas below on searching the scriptures). They also contain principles and teachings we can directly apply to many personal questions.
But what if your question is about something personal that doesn’t come up in the scriptures anywhere?
Well, even then, the scriptures can help. Here’s how, as explained by Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:
“We say that the scriptures contain the answers to every question because the scriptures can lead us to every answer. …
“… Even though the scriptures [may] contain no words to answer our specific personal question, a prayerful study of the scriptures will help us obtain such answers. This is because scripture study will make us susceptible to the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, which, as the scriptures say, will ‘guide [us] into all truth’ (John 16:13), and by whose power we can ‘know the truth of all things’ (Moroni 10:5).
“We may also find that a specific verse of scripture that was spoken for quite a different purpose in an entirely different age will, under the interpretive influence of the Holy Ghost, give us a very personal message adapted to our personal needs today. …
“… The scriptures will help us resolve all of our personal questions because by reading them we invite and qualify ourselves for the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, which will guide us into all truth.”1
By choosing to read, study, ponder, and pray about the scriptures, we show our faith, humility, obedience, and diligence. This use of agency allows Heavenly Father to bless us with the Holy Ghost’s guidance, and we learn then that, as Elder Larry R. Lawrence of the Seventy has said, “the Holy Ghost really does give customized counsel.”2
So, the next time you find yourself struggling with a personal question and not finding any answers or any peace, remember to bring the question into your scripture study. Your answers will come in the Lord’s way—through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost—and according to His timing, but they will come. He has promised it, and He keeps His promises.