Get Curious

I struggled for a week, trying to get free of a heavy, miserable oppression. Finally, I tried getting curious. I found that God had much to teach me! He wanted me to experience this oppression so that I could understand my friend a little bit better.

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Video transcript (edited):

When things are hard, get curious. That's the message that I want to share today. The story that goes with it is that I have been struggling all week. A week ago, I shared my testimony with somebody. It was beautiful, bright and strong. I felt Rightness and Goodness in the moment. Then afterward, as I walked away an oppressive spirit settled on me like the lead x-ray vests at the dentist. It's been there all week. It's been a miserable experience.

I have done many things to break free of this oppression. I prayed for help. I commanded it to leave. I read the scriptures. I took the sacrament (aka communion). I prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed again. I have given into it and tasted that tiny bit of Hell. I have done all sorts of things and it has been a horrible, awful, no-good, terrible week. I was desperate to be free.

It was still there this morning. So I was praying and praying and crying and praying for relief and freedom and for Jesus Christ to take it away. I know he can! Yet I'm still struggling under this oppressive heaviness. Then, finally, I remembered that sometimes it helps to get curious. Sometimes, when I'm not hearing God, He has something else in mind. So I tried something different.

I said, "Okay, God. What do You have in mind? I'm getting curious. What do You want out of this experience for me? What can I learn from this? What would you like to do in this moment, with this material? And I started to learn.

Oh my goodness! He had an important lesson to teach me! In fact, remember that person with whom I shared my testimony? God wanted to teach me what this person is struggling with. Isn't that beautiful? And here I've been freaking out, resisting, and missing the whole point.

What a beautiful moment: the moment when I accepted that lesson from God, received what He wanted to teach me. Getting curious about what God had in store allowed me to move forward, whereas before I was a tantrum in the mud.

Get curious. That is my message for you today. I don't even have a question. I have used curiosity as a handy little tool so many times! I think of it as a lock pick. A handy tool in my back pocket that I can whip out to escape my struggle.

That's all for today!

Thanks so much, and keep shining!