The Gift of Seeing

This was definitely an interesting and unpredictable week. But being as none of you can go to most of your favorite websites without hearing about the election, I'm going to stop at that small observation. Instead I wanted to focus on an impression that has begun to occur to me during the past several weeks.

In the scriptures we read about Prophets, Seers, and Revelators. We are told that "a seer is greater than a prophet" as "a seer is a revelator and a prophet also; and a gift which is greater can no man have, except he should possess the power of God, which no man can; yet a man may have great power given him from God" (Mosiah 8:15-16). The scriptures explain further that "a seer can know of things which are past, and also of things which are to come, and by them shall all things be revealed, or, rather, shall secret things be made manifest, and hidden things shall come to light, and things which are not known shall be made known by them, and also things which shall be made known by them which otherwise could not be known. Thus God has provided a means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles; therefore he becometh a great benefit to his fellow beings" (Mosiah 8:17-18).

Obviously when we speak of prophets, seers, and revelators (and especially of seers), we tend to refer to those who hold prophetic keys. But yet the scriptures also define the term "prophecy" more broadly, as "the testimony of Jesus" (Revelation 19:10) and Moses declared emphatically, "Would God that all the LORD's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!" (Numbers 11:29) In other words, there is a sense in which each of us is to be a prophet (with a small p). We are all to obtain and share the testimony of Jesus. Similarly, the Prophet Joseph declared, "God hath not revealed any thing to Joseph, but what he will make known unto the Twelve & even the least Saint may know all things as fas as he is able to bear them" (Joseph Smith, discourse, circa 26 June to 2 July 1839). In other words, in our own ways, and always in accordance with the principles of keys and stewardships, we are to be revelators. Which leads me to seership.

Perhaps I may be forgiven if, from time to time, I have aspired to certain callings where I could be seen or heard. I assume I am not the only person who has struggled with the desire for attention in the Church. Recently as I was praying and seeking to repent of this desire and asking for the Lord to inspire me to be called to any calling where I could serve (I did not have a calling), I had an impression come to my mind: "In this Church we serve to see, not to be seen."  That impression came like a lightning bolt to my mind and opened up new vistas of understanding, particularly concerning the calling of a seer.

Traditionally we think of a seer as one who has tremendous visions like Joseph Smith and Section 76, or his magisterial vision in January 1836, a part of which has become D&C 137. And indeed, such visions do come in the Lord's own time and way, and particularly to those who hold the keys of His kingdom (though they are not limited to them). But as I thought about this impression, I thought about the fact that the basic gift of a seer is the ability to see; and to see things that others do not see. Ammon described it as the ability to see "secret things" and "hidden things" in Mosiah 8. But as our hymn reminds us, celestial visions are not the only hidden and secret things in this world, for "in the quiet heart is hidden, sorrow that the eye can't see" ("Lord I would Follow Thee," Hymn 220). The gift of seership is not just to see that which is past or that which is to come, but also to see that which is present, but which is hidden and concealed from our view. It is therefore a gift that each of us needs to seek for an obtain if we are to truly "bear one another's burdens, that they may be light" (Mosiah 18:8).

To truly keep our baptismal covenants requires us to learn to see as our current Prophet, Seer, and Revelator learned to see. President Thomas S. Monson has been a seer for a long time because he learned to see the pains, heartaches, struggles, and challenges of those around him; and particularly those for whom he had a stewardship. The young bishop who cared for all those widows was a seer because he perceived their challenges and their pains and then he reached out to their relief. The calling as an Apostle did not bring the gift of seership to Thomas S. Monson any more than it brought the gift of faith to him. No, he brought those gifts to the calling, and then the Lord added upon them as he was willing to continue magnifying his calling and administering to the needs of those whom he was called to serve.

Because each calling in this Church carries with it a stewardship for souls and a commission to serve, each calling in this Church carries with it an opportunity to seek for and obtain the gift of spiritual sight, the gift of seership. As we pray to see more clearly, it will be as though we are the blind man in John 9. Through the hands of those whom He has appointed, He will lay His hands upon us (see D&C 36:2) and give us the opportunity to open our eyes and to begin seeing the needs of others related to that calling. If we are willing and will listen to the promptings of the Spirit, secret and hidden worries, needs, and concerns will begin to manifest themselves; we will begin to see what others cannot see.

Very few Latter-day Saints will ever be called to be an apostle. Very few will ever be sustained as a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator. Few will ever have the visions of heaven opened to their view during this life. But every single Latter-day Saint is entitled to and should seek to possess the spirit of prophecy and revelation.  And every single Latter-day Saint should seek to possess the gift of seership within his or her various responsibilities in the Kingdom. We need these gifts in our homes and in our families. We need these gifts as home and visiting teachers. We need these gifts in our various callings. To be able to receive revelation, to see needs, and to share our heartfelt testimonies of Jesus will allow us to "walk with God" (Moses 6:34; Moses 7:68) as did Enoch and his people.

Brett