Seeing with Spiritual Eyes

While I was on my mission in Vina del Mar, Chile, I met some of the most amazing people I have ever come in contact with. It was easy to fall in love with so many of those Chileans, and I couldn't bare the thought of leaving when my 18 months was up. One of my favorite things as a missionary was personal scripture study in the mornings. I never felt like I had enough time to look up every verse, or read through every conference talk or scan through every Preach My Gospel activity there was. I truly became hungry and loved feasting on the words of Christ.
I was near the end of my mission in an area called Chorrillos that quite literally was just a big mountain. I have so many amazing memories of Hermana Stott and I tackling those hills every day, wearing bright green ponchos in the pouring rain, and seeing the light come back into the eyes of so many who were lost. Chorrillos holds a very special place in my heart. I remember one particular week, however, that I was really struggling with our area. There were SO many less actives. I felt like we had to save them all, and that felt nearly impossible at the age of 21. I became frustrated with many of them and the excuses they made for not coming to church on Sundays. I felt like their excuses weren't justifiable and that they were trying to convince me that they would be happy worshiping God in their own way. (<<THE most common Chilean phrase of all time) Hermana Stott and I were at a brick wall, we felt like we were pulling teeth trying to help these members come back to the fold. Then, one day in personal scripture study, it hit me.

"Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation."
Doctrine and Covenants 58:3

What this first verse seems to tell me is that with our natural eyes, we are limited in what we can see. I am so grateful for the Spirit and the limitless things he is capable of teaching us. The lesson he taught me that morning was that if I was going to be a true disciple of Christ, I needed to start using my spiritual senses rather than my natural ones. 

For example, someone with natural eyes might see someone smoking on the side of the road and think, "long shot, religion is probably the last thing on their mind", whereas an individual with spiritual eyes would see that person as a child of God who could really help strengthen the church. The difference is being able to see individuals as Christ sees them; souls of infinite worth that have already had the price of their sins paid for.

The classic "natural man" scripture found in the Book of Mormon states:

"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child,submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." (Mosiah 3:19)

If we are to develop spiritual senses, we have to rely on the changing powers of the Atonement and follow the Spirit in becoming "new creatures". 

I taught countless investigators who understood this lesson far deeper than I did, even as a life-long member of the church. They were the real teachers in our appointments. One woman who was the epitome of someone with spiritual senses was Herminia. What a woman, what a woman. She was the oldest person I taught during my mission, and certainly one of the wisest. Herminia progressed just as quickly as an investigator can progress. She never missed a week of church from the day we starting teaching her, accepted new doctrine immediately, even though she'd devoted her entire life to another faith, and is definitely the reason I gained another few pounds near the end of my mission. Once she felt the Spirit, she accepted everything that came out of our mouths.

Hermana Stott and I had noticed that Herminia had been drinking tea and coffee quite frequently, and that'd always been something on our minds. When it came time to teach her the Word of Wisdom, we had prayers in our hearts and waited to see what the Lord would do for her. In the middle of the lesson, Herminia stood up, went to the kitchen, then came back with her tea and coffee packages and said "no mas." She never drank tea or coffee again. As the lesson was ending, I couldn't help but look at my companion and then back at this sweet old woman with wonder and awe. Why did she trust us so much? Why was it that she was so willing to give up everything immediately? It's because Herminia had her spiritual eyes in tact. She listened with spiritual ears and acted. It put me in my place and sure taught me to be humble as I watched this woman who wasn't yet a member of our faith, act with such dedication and love towards the Savior. Herminia was baptized three weeks after we started teaching her and now has been through the temple and holds a calling in her ward. 

1 Corinthians 2:14 teaches us clearly the differences between one with natural senses rather than spiritual ones.

"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

Alejandra was a living witness and testimony of overcoming every other natural voice coming at her. It was my final transfer as a missionary and I was transferred back to an area I had served in exactly a year prior. I couldn't have been more blessed to see those amazing people again. My first day in the new area was incredible, walking those same streets and recognizing so many faces. I really felt like I was coming home. Hermana Watt filled me in on everyone she and her previous companion had been teaching and we had a lot of work to do. They had worked hard in the area and had a lot of great things going for them. Alejandra was one of them. She was a 19 year old mother to an adorable little girl, living with her boyfriend, Kenny. From the first time I met her, I could tell she was special. She was meek and had a childlike excitement to learn more about the gospel. Hermana Watt had explained to me that they'd discussed the law of chastity and that Alejandra was aware it was keeping her from being baptized. We didn't really know what to teach at that point. We offered a prayer before knocking on her apartment door and then hoped the Spirit would walk us through the rest. As we talked, I could see she was such a faith-filled woman and I could see how much she had grown to love Hermana Watt and her companion. She'd developed an amazing testimony of The Book of Mormon and had an impressive understanding of gospel principles. As we were talking, I had the distinct impression to invite her to be baptized. WHAT. I just got there! How was I supposed to do that!? I started fighting with the Spirit in my head saying, "She's not ready. Don't you know, she's not living the law of chastity? She couldn't be baptized right now!" I ignored the prompting (something I repented of immediately after that lesson). A few minutes later and my heart starting pounding, and that same thought entered my mind, "Invite Alejandra to be baptized." I cleared my throat and looked at my companion. I then looked at Alejandra and said, "I know the Lord is so proud of you for all you've done to learn more about Him, and He knows you're ready. Will you follow His example by being baptized?" I thought my companion was going to slug me, I'm sure she was just over there thinking, "what on earth is this chick doing!?". Alejandra took only a few seconds to think it over before she accepted.

With almost no money in her pockets, Alejandra took the few belongings she did have (a box worth of baby clothes and her own, and then some furniture given to her by her boyfriend) and moved into a small apartment down the hill. The brethren from our ward helped her move, it didn't take long as she really didn't have a whole lot. I remember sitting in that apartment with her, it was nearly empty (until the Relief Society found out, that is). She looked at us and explained how happy she was. I did some serious repenting. I had seen this woman with my natural eyes, seeing the idea of her being baptized so soon as impossible and such a limitation. I saw that invitation as "foolishness". But, Alejandra and my wonderful companion didn't. Alejandra moved into her small empty apartment Friday, passed her baptismal interview on Saturday and was baptized Sunday.
Alejandra was able to listen to the missionaries with her spiritual senses, allowing her to overcome any natural thought or doubt into her mind. She was tempted to stay with her boyfriend, but her spiritual heart said it was time for her to come unto Christ. Her natural senses may have reminded her that it'll be hard as a single mom living alone and having to provide, but her spiritual senses told her that with faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ, all things are possible. I am so grateful that Alejandra had her spiritual senses more in tact than I did as a missionary, I know the Lord gain an immense amount of trust in her that day.

Now that I am off my mission and in a new phase of my life, I have needed the reminder to see every single one of God's children with my spiritual eyes in my every day life. It's easy to place judgments on those we may not know completely and far too acceptable to gossip. It's common to belittle others or search for their flaws rather than their strengths and talents.
Satan would like us to believe that the unkind words we might say or the cruel and unnecessary judgments we place on each other will not take a significant tole on the church. But we can be assured that is a lie just like everything else he might tell us. Remember, the natural man (or woman) is an enemy to God. With our spiritual senses, we will be able to see our brothers and sisters as the individuals they are capable of becoming. It will be easier to look past flaws and imperfections and easier to develop and apply Christlike love. May we all pray for the companionship of the Holy Ghost so that he might help us tune in more closely to our spiritual senses.