Knock and It Shall Be Opened

Two days ago I was praying to God about my music.... asking him to please help me develop perfect pitch.  Perhaps it seems a silly prayer, but not to me!   I think this would help me so much, to feel so much more secure in my music, and to compose so much more quickly and easily.  I have been trying for so long to develop it, but have not yet succeeded.     I was praying that he would help me know what to do... how to practice, how to make make my ears become opened.

Then I turned open my scriptures (my combination of the Bible and Book of Mormon) and it just fell open to this verse in the Book of Mormon:

2 Nephi 32:3  Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.


Thinking about this scripture, and wondering how the words of Christ could possibly tell me all things what I should do... I decided to turn to a part of the Book of Mormon where the words of Christ himself are found, and again it fell open to a scripture, which also were the first words my eyes saw on the page:

3 Nephi Chapter 14:

 7 Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

 8 For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.

 9 Or what man is there of you, who, if his son ask bread, will give him a stone?

 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Do you think this was an answer meant for me this night?    I hope so, and I believe so...  

One of my other favorite scriptures in the Book of Mormon is this:

Moroni Chapter 7, verse 26: ...And as surely as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you.

When I was a child I had some experiences relating to this scripture that left an indelible impression on me, receiving many answers to my prayers - sometimes in miraculous ways.  Sometimes I feel like my faith was stronger and purer back then, that it was easier for me to ask God for things in prayer and not doubt at all that he would grant me what I desired.   I knew what I was asking for was good, and I knew God could, and somehow I knew he would grant it.  As I get older it seems to get more difficult to have this kind of simple faith.

And yet, still I seek answers through prayer...and now, though perhaps my faith is not quite as pure or innocent or undoubting as it used to be,  I still ask, sincerely believing that what I am asking for is a good thing, and that God has the power to help me obtain it.  

I believe he will...

I pray to God to open my ears.....  

And these are the sweet words I hear,

"Ask, and it shall be given you

Knock, and it shall be opened unto you

Seek and ye shall find,

For every one that asketh, receiveth

And he that seeketh, findeth

And to him that knocketh,

It shall be opened."

Such a beautiful thought that makes me feel so very happy. . .