3 Nephi 27

There are two things among many possible ones that prompt some thoughts for me in this chapter. One is, Mormon tells us that while the disciples were "gathered together in mighty prayer" the Savior came to them. Yesterday, Mom and I attended the funeral of Winona Porter. The Porters were very instrumental in my coming into the church and Winona (Indian word for princess) was a remarkable person who touched the lives of many, many people. One of the things that she did throughout her life was to set aside 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes at night for prayer. If you wonder why she was such a spiritual person, that has to be one important key. I know this promise is true, when we are willing to spend time in sincere prayer, God will come to us. This is usually by revelation through the Holy Ghost, but the promise also is that he will come in person.

Here is what President David O. McKay once said, "I have cherished from childhood the truth that God is a personal being, and is, indeed, our father whom we can approach in prayer and receive answers thereto. I cherish as one of the dearest experiences of life the knowledge that God hears the prayer of faith... It is true that the answers to our prayers may not always come as direct and at the time and in a manner best for the [person praying], but they do come. There have been occasions when I have received direct and immediate assurance that my petition was granted. At one time particularly, the answer came as distinctly as though my Heavenly Father stood by my side and spoke the words."

We desperately need to teach our children to pray and to listen. President McKay said this, "Worries, perplexities, and sorrows are as real in the life of a little child as in the adult world, and children are entitled to the comfort, consolation, and guidance obtained from God through prayer... Parents, if you do not do anything else, kneel down in the morning with your children. I know your mornings are usually busy... but have some time when you can kneel and invite God into your home. Prayer is a potent force." I feel real guilt for the number of days that I sent you kids out to face the world without the assurance and power of prayer in your lives. I wonder, how much more confident would you have felt about your day if we as a family had knelt in prayer before you left? How much more easily would you have handled the difficulties that school, friends, and life in general threw at you?

The second thing is a plea for us to live as clean and good of a life as we know how. Verse 19 tells us what is a binding truth. "And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end." The next verse contains the commandment to be baptized and sanctified through the Gift of the Holy Ghost making it so these verses contain the first four principles and ordinances of the gospel.