Just read those words, one phrase at a time.
Keep my commandments.
Hold your peace.
And appeal unto my Spirit.
The Lord knew that Hyrum needed this advice, and I think I need it too.
There’s a lot going on right now.
There’s a lot to get done, there are decisions to make, there are goals to meet, there are people to take care of.
And there’s some laundry to fold, too.
And in the middle of this chaos, these three reminders seem to ground me.
KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS.
I can stay on the straight and narrow, I can do the simple things that I know are best.
I can also cut out the things that aren’t related to keeping the commandments.
HOLD YOUR PEACE.
What a phrase.
To find that inner peace and then to hold it.
To let the storms of to-do lists and obligations rush around outside of me, but to feel the cool calm within.
To stay focused on my Savior, on my true identity, on my love.
And then to hold it in my heart as I go from thing to thing.
APPEAL UNTO MY SPIRIT.
Actively asking for the Spirit’s guidance, assistance, and knowledge.
Making sure that I’m really in line with what is best for me.
Seeking for his constant companionship, and making adjustments when when I’ve lost it.
Someone asked me recently if the Doctrine and Covenants is really for us to read and apply to our lives, because they sometimes feel like we are just intruding and reading in on revelations that were meant for other people.
I fully understand where this question came from, and I would encourage anyone wondering about that same question to read Section 1 in the Doctrine and Covenants and study how that section came to be.
But it’s also scriptures like D&C 11:18 that confirm to me that God knows what I need to hear, and it just so happened to be what Hyrum needed to hear 192 years ago, too.
He’ll use any words that He can to speak to us.
Keep the commandments.
Hold your peace.
And appeal to the Spirit.
Happy Studying!
-Cali Black
