Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Second Counselor in the First Presidency
Those who diligently seek to learn of Christ eventually will come to know Him.
One of the most remarkable events in the history of the world happened on the road to Damascus. You know well the story of Saul, a young man who had "made havock of the church, entering into every house … [committing the Saints] to prison."1 Saul was so hostile that many members of the early Church fled Jerusalem in the hope of escaping his anger.
Saul pursued them. But as he "came near Damascus … suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
"And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?"2
This transformative moment changed Saul forever. Indeed, it changed the world.
We know that manifestations such as this happen. In fact, we testify that a similar divine experience happened in 1820 to a boy named Joseph Smith. It is our clear and certain testimony that the heavens are open again and that God speaks to His prophets and apostles. God hears and answers the prayers of His children.
Nevertheless, there are some who feel that unless they have an experience similar to Saul's or Joseph Smith's, they cannot believe. They stand at the waters of baptism but do not enter. They wait at the threshold of testimony but cannot bring themselves to acknowledge the truth. Instead of taking small steps of faith on the path of discipleship, they want some dramatic event to compel them to believe.
They spend their days waiting on the road to Damascus.