June 5, 2026

1 Nephi 20: 16 Come ye near unto me; I have not spoken in secret; from the beginning, from the time that it was declared have I spoken; and the Lord God, and his Spirit, hath sent me.

When we came across this scripture last night, it immediately stood out to me as a solidification of something I've said multiple times recently. The Gospel has always been there - from the beginning of has been taught and it is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I absolutely love how the Lord says He has not been quiet about it, it hasn't been a secret or hidden; the gospel is right there for those who seek, knock, and ask. Salvation, eternal life, and joy are there for us when we ask.

A note on that last promise - joy - if we are not feeling joy now, for whatever reason, if we have not yet received the blessings we've been promised or the righteous desires of our hearts, they will come. The past, present, and future are all before God, and He sees them as the same. As we cleave into our Savior through our covenant relationship, these blessings are ours and will be received. We must have faith in our Redeemer, not in the outcome or timing of the blessings we desire.

To reinforce the scripture from Isaiah, quoted by Nephi above, in 1 Samuel chapter 3, the Lord calls Samuel but he doesn't know it's the Lord she runs to Eli. This happens three times before Eli tells him it's the Lord. The scripture says that Samuel did not yet know the Lord. Again, the word "know" in this instance is the Hebrew "yada". Samuel had not yet entered into the covenantal relationship of the gospel with Jehovah.

God speaks to His children even before they enter at the gate. The light of Christ touches all people. He does not keep it a secret. The choice is ours to act. We can either ignore or knock. When we knock, when any of His children respond "here I AM", the door is opened.