God gives knowledge line upon line.
30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, aprecept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn bwisdom; for unto him that creceiveth I will give dmore; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.
5. We act in faith when we choose to trust God and turn to Him first through sincere prayer, a study of His teachings, and obedience to His commandments.
6. As we seek to develop our understanding and to resolve concerns, it is important that we rely on the testimony that we already have of Jesus Christ, the Restoration of His gospel, and the teachings of His ordained prophets. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught: “When those moments come and issues surface, the resolution of which is not immediately forthcoming, hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes” (“Lord, I Believe,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2013, 94). The Lord Himself has invited us to “look unto [Him] in every thought; doubt not, fear not” (D&C 6:36).
7. During times when we may not immediately find answers to our questions, it is helpful to remember that although Heavenly Father has revealed all that is necessary for our salvation, He has not yet revealed all truth. As we continue to seek for answers, we must live by faith—trusting that we will eventually receive the answers we seek (see Proverbs 3:5–6; Ether 12:6). As we are faithful to the truth and light we have already received, we will receive more. Answers to our questions and prayers often come “line upon line, precept upon precept” (2 Nephi 28:30).
Doctrinal Mastery Manual
Read 2 Nephi 28:30 and look for phrases that support the truths in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles described his experience with prayer as he and his family were faced with a trial that lasted several years. Read the following statement by Elder Christofferson and look for reasons why the Lord might choose not to answer some of our questions and prayers immediately or in the way we desire.
“I prayed for some miraculous intervention to deliver us. Although I offered that prayer many times with great sincerity and earnest desire, the answer in the end was no. Finally, I learned to pray as the Savior did: ‘Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done’ (Luke 22:42). I sought the Lord’s help with each tiny step along the way to a final resolution.“… More than once I fell down before my Heavenly Father, begging in tears for His help. And He did help. Sometimes it was nothing more than a sense of peace, a feeling of assurance that things would work out. …“Though I suffered then, I am grateful now that there was not a quick solution to my problem. The fact that I was forced to turn to God for help almost daily over an extended period of years taught me how to truly pray and get answers to prayer and taught me in a practical way to have faith in God. I came to know my Savior and my Heavenly Father in a way and to a degree that might not have happened otherwise or that might have taken me much longer. … I learned to trust in the Lord with all my heart. I learned to walk with Him day by day” (D. Todd Christofferson, “Recognizing God’s Hand in Our Daily Blessings” Ensign, Jan. 2012, 18–19).
- Based on what you learned from this statement, what are some reasons why God might choose not to answer some of our questions and prayers immediately or in the way we desire?
- What do you think it means that God teaches us “line upon line, precept upon precept”? In what ways have your understanding and testimony of the gospel grown little by little?
- What can we do to receive God’s words?
Book of Mormon Central
General Conference
The Spirit of Revelation, Elder Bednar
An Invitation to Grow, Sister Dwan J. Young
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