Just Ask

All of us have heard the wonderful verses of scripture (James 1:5-6) that motivated Joseph Smith to go into the grove to pray. We’ve heard them so often that sometimes we fail to really pay attention to what they say. We hear the verse and think “We are to pray in order to learn,” but don’t even notice the rest of what is taught. But there is much more!

In verse five we are promised that God will give to all people (not just to Joseph Smith and not just to prophets, but to all of us!) liberally, which means “marked by generosity.” And despite what we ask or how often we ask, he will not upbraid us. Upbraid is a word we don’t hear much anymore. It means to criticize severely or to find fault with. In other words, we can ask God and He will not criticize us or fault us for asking.

That is very comforting to me. Anything I want or need to know—it doesn’t matter how big or small a concern or questions—I can ask God about and He will not reproach me or scold me. Never! In other, more positive words, I have a Father who wants to teach me everything He knows. I can’t take it all in at once, but question at a time, line upon line, I can learn from Him. All I need to do is ask.