The heart of something is that place where all of the lines interconnect, where everything is made sense of, given meaning, depth, direction, purpose and clarity.
There is a sense of peace that comes with knowing you’ve gotten to the heart of something. You feel that at that point, the search for understanding and information can slow down, if not stop; you’ve reached the pinnacle and the source of the answer to all your concerns about that thing which are studying.
The question we might ask is, is there a heart of all things? Is there one central thing that, if we know it, can give us an effective handle on everything else? The scriptures tell us that there is.
Jesus told his disciples, “I am the …truth,” [1]
and to Joseph Smith the Lord said, “I am the Spirit of truth.”[2]
And behold, …all things are created and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual; things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath: all things bear record of me. |
And in 2 Nephi 11:4 we read: | …all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world…are the typifying of [Christ\. |
or, in fact, that which is the heart of all things:
Jesus Christ.
According to the scriptures, all things typify Christ; all things bear witness of Him and, through Him, reveal the Father. As Jesus said to his disciple, Philip:
“he that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”[3]
These passages identify that truth - the truth of all things - is found in Jesus Christ, and in the knowledge of Him. Not only in what we learn from the scriptures and from the prophets, but in fact in all things there is the imprinted image of Jesus Christ, the witness and expression of who He is, what He has done, and how He loves us.
In his book, The Hidden Christ, which examines the images of Jesus Christ in the stories and images of the Old Testament, James L. Ferrell, writes, [4]
If everything given of God from the beginning bears record of Christ, then it follows that our understanding on any particular matter is incomplete until we see how it bears record of Christ. |
“How does this typify or bear record of the Saviour?”
I love the idea, and the practice, of finding Christ in all things. Amongst other things, there is comfort in this kind of discovery.
By way of an obscure and simple example, a few years ago, my car was pounded by falling snow, the roof and front window caving in. Fortunately, I wasn’t in the car. Some friends were surprised that I could take the matter calmly, even seeing the humour in it; the reason for this was because I recognized in this event an opportunity the Lord had given me to detach from worldly things, and ultimately to consider a reflection in my small loss of the greater suffering which He has borne for me.
When in both trials and triumphs, I find Him standing there, greeting me and inviting me to His embrace, I discover a deeper understanding and an appreciation of His gifts of life and salvation and hope for eternity. I don’t always succeed in having this perspective, but I am filled with peace when it does happen.
This experience, to have real meaning and effect in our lives, cannot merely be an intellectual exercise. Insight into the true heart of all things is not merely a matter of the finding by study some "secret code" by which Jesus is identified in all that we see, hear, feel and experience. Rather, the scriptures are clear that it is the Holy Ghost
which will “teach you all things,”[5]
which “showeth all things,”[6]
and by whom “ye may know the truth of all things,”[7]
(quoting Jesus, Joseph Smith and Moroni, in that order).
And Jesus also said, “he [the Holy Ghost] will guide you into all truth.”[8]
The prophets Mormon and Moroni have taught us the pattern by which we may receive and rely upon this gift of the Holy Ghost. Mormon wrote, [9]
The first fruits of repentance is baptism; and baptism cometh by faith unto the fulfilling the commandments; and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins; and the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost. |
I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, …ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men…and ponder it in your hearts…And…ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. |
“a life-changing obligation”.[11]
These establish the basis on which
hearts are broken,
spirits are contrite, and
the grace of Jesus Christ can remove from us
the weight of our sins, permitting the Holy Ghost to enter and mend our broken hearts, becoming our Comforter and teaching us the truth.
The heart of all things - comfort, peace and understanding in all our circumstances - is found in Jesus Christ. All things were made to represent this to us. The truth of this is revealed by the Holy Ghost.
Revelation from the Holy Ghost is engaged by sincere seeking, real faith,
and genuine intent - manifest, in large part, by a willingness to be changed by that which will be revealed.
[1] John 14:6.
[2] Doctrine and Covenants 93:26.
[3] John 14:9 .
[4] Ferrell, James L., The Hidden Christ – Beneath the Surface of the Old Testament (Deseret Book, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2009) p. 3.
[5] John 14:26.
[6] Doctrine and Covenants 39:6.
[7] Moroni 10:5.
[8] John 16:13.
[9] Moroni 8:25-26.
[10] Moroni 10:3-4.
[11] Wood, Robert S., The Complete Christian (Deseret Book, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2007) p. 37.
My notes indicate that this was a talk delivered sometime in 2011 in the Stratford Branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The notes for this talk are substantially more brief than usual, which suggests there was a shorter time period for the talk than I often enjoyed, and so it provides a less detailed treatment of the topic, but I trust the key principles here are evident, particularly to those willing and open to seek further. You may be assisted in this by some of the links provided herein..