Why am I doubting?

Question

Gramps,

I have been praying about a particular subject and as I’m praying I feel as though the spirit is strongly saying something but what he’s saying doesn’t make sense to me. Then the other day I was talking with a friend about something closely related to what I’ve been praying about and they randomly said something that hit me hard again. I felt like the spirit was telling me it was true. But why am I doubting it?

Mel

Answer

Mel,

It’s difficult to give you specific counsel without knowing the details of your question, however, I can give you some general counsel that I believe will be helpful and applicable.

There are two reasons I can think of that a person might have doubts about an answer to prayer. The first is that the person simply lacks confidence, and the second is that the individual is misreading the Spirit.  You may be feeling more doubtful now than ever, but stay with me.

When I am in this situation, there are two things I depend on.  First, the Lord has said:

 “Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart. D&C 8:2

Sometimes we can misread the Spirit because we want something very much and we try to convince ourselves that the Lord is saying yes.  In those cases, I feel the answer in my heart, but not my mind.   If it comes from the Lord, then my mind and heart agree.

The other indicator that I look for is peace.  I can’t find the reference right now, but have heard, and it make sense to me, that Satan cannot speak give us peace in our hearts.  (I doubt he would even want to, as that would be the antithesis of all he is and does.)   So if I feel peace in my heart, then I trust it’s from the Lord.

If after all that, it’s really important for me to know, I might ask for a priesthood blessing.

Finally, I assure you that the Lord wants to be an active part of our lives.  He wants to bless us with His spirit and with spiritual gifts more than we realize.  Too often we hold ourselves back from the blessings He desires to give us, by our own doubts and lack of faith.

Hope that helps!

Gramps