Seeking Specific Blessings

I had a good bishop who always taught that if you wish for specific blessings, then it is a good idea to search the scriptures for what commandments those blessings are predicated on. I am always delighted when I find a blessing in the scriptures that I am desperately seeking, and then, without fail, the Lord lets me know in the verse before or after what it is I need to do to obtain such a blessing. I found a real gem today.

Here is the blessing, and I don't know a single person who is not yearning for such a blessing in his or her life. 

D&C 21:6- "For by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name's glory."

To have the powers of darkness dispersed in my home and family and to have the Lord cause the heavens to shake for my good? That's what I need. That's what I want every day of my life. So what do I need to do to entitle myself to such blessings? The Lord spells it out in verses four and five. Though He is speaking of the prophet Joseph Smith in this verse, I believe He is referring to all prophets, including our current prophet, Thomas S. Monson. 

"...thou shalt give heed unto all his words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me;"

"For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith."

To give heed to the words and commandments of our current prophet and to receive his word with patience and faith. That's all God asks. Then He will ensure that the gates of hell will not prevail against me and that the powers of darkness will disperse from before me, and He will cause the heavens to shake for my good. If I follow His prophet, He will bless me. He is not only bound and obligated to bless me, He is eager to do so. 

There has been a lot of contentious chatter on social media these days concerning all that is going on in the world. I find myself feeling uneasy and at times confused, but I ask myself two questions. Do I believe in an all-knowing and all-loving Heavenly Father who understands things infinitely better than I do? And if I believe in such a God, the next question I ask myself is, does God speak His holy mind and will to our current prophets, seers, and revelators? I can answer both questions with a resounding yes.

So I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to listen to the words of our modern prophet and apostles this weekend. I will anxiously tune into LDS.org and prepare myself to receive their words with patience and faith. As I do this, I am confident that the questions and uneasiness will be replaced with clarity of mind and a quiet heart. I will be able to see things as they really are. I will do my best to act with diligence upon the things I hear, and will pray and hope that the Lord will cause the heavens to shake for my good.