Prayers Answered

As missionaries, we go around and we will knock on peoples' doors. This is what we call "tracting." It's not my favorite thing to do due to a natural fear of talking to people that I don't know personally and we get the occasional nasty responses from people. It's all part of tracting, we just go past the ones who aren't ready to hear the Gospel and try to find the ones who are ready to listen.

We were tracting one day and came across one lady in particular that was very rude to us. We tried inviting her to the Hill Cumorah pagent but she wasn't too happy that we were there. She went on to tell us that we didn't need the Book of Mormon, that we were being led by foolish people, and that we were confused and so on and so forth. I was bothered by this encounter. The Spirit had left and the spirit of contention had found his way in. I kept asking myself why so many people were against us. Why was it so hard? I thought about those things the rest of the day and into the night. I found myself praying for some relief.

The following morning brought the same questions again. Satan had stuck me with a sliver that kept festering as time kept going. I prayed a long time that morning for relief. After I was done praying, I picked up the scriptures and started to read. I was in 2 Nephi 28 and I received the answers that i was looking for. The prophets prophesied that there would be widespread apostacy throughout the world. What is happening in the world today should be no surprise to us because Nephi Prophesied about it 2,600 years ago!
I went on to read in 2 Nephi 29 and received even more comfort than before.
How to we receive answers and revelation to our prayers? Well, we pray for guidance and direction and then we have to act. Nephi, in the Book of Mormon, didn't pray and then wait for an answer. He prayed and then did his best effort. He says, "...I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." He relied on the fact that God would answer his prayers and he followed the Spirit.
I love what Elder Bednar said in the latest General Conference about receiving Revelation.
I know that God does answer our prayers. All we have to do is ask for His help.