“Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye
cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore,
ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark.”
With these two words separated by the word “neither”,
it came to my mind that these we two different actions. So, I went on a quest to find the difference between
asking and knocking.
I found the original scripture we are all familiar
with in Matthew 7:7-8
“Ask, and it shall
be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall
be opened unto you:
For every one that
asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that
knocketh it shall be opened.”
With
the help of the topical guide I learned this scripture was repeated thirteen
times in the scriptures, most often in the Doctrine and Covenants. This impressed to my mind that this scripture
was important I needed to pay it some attention, and continue my search.
I felt asking would be prayer, probably
verbal, and seeking would mean looking deeply into something, probably through
the scriptures and modern revelations, and asking was something physical, as
knocking is a physical action.
I
opened my scriptures again and found something in 2 Nephi 9:42
“And whoso knocketh,
to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are
rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and
their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast
these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come
down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them.”
I
realized in this verse humility had something to do with knocking. This verse also had different footnotes then
the other ones. The footnotes for
knocketh was “TG Objectives,” and “TG Study”.
This
impressed upon my mind that I might need to understand the objectives or purposes
on knocking so that the door “shall be
opened onto you”.
I
opened the topical guide and noted the other references under “objectives”. They were “Eternal Life, Joy, Motivations, Obedience, Service, Treasure, [and]
Wisdom”. These would be the
purposes of opening the door, or of “knocking”.
But it still didn’t answer my original question. What is the difference between
asking and knocking?
Since
the footnote for knocketh also listed “TG Study” I felt I should at least look
it up and see what it says. I found the
other references such as “Education,
Knowledge, Learn, Meditation, Study of Scriptures, Search, Understanding [and]
Wisdom”.
I
felt impressed that there was more to knocking then asking. It did require action, and more than just
searching. It required a deeper
understanding, a true knowledge, of pondering and meditating just as it said in
the TG Study. It was a choice, and an action
that allowed us to ask for the Lord to open the door for us, so that we may find
what was suggested in TG objectives, eternal life, joy, obedience, service,
treasure and wisdom. It was a step above
and beyond prayer and just seeking; it is education, knowledge, learning, wisdom,
and understanding. It is truth. It is something we all should stretch and
reach for, something we all should desire and try to obtain.
(I
know these impressions were not of my own, but from help from the Lord. I know I had help to discover the answer I was
looking for. I know my answer might not
be the same as other people’s answers, but it was perfect for me. I know knocking is an action and a choice,
and will open the door to great and amazing things. I thank Heavenly Father for the spirit that
leads and guides us, and allows us to “ask,
and it shall be given unto you”. )
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