Joining the LDS Writer Blogfest: "Waiting on the Road to Damascus"

When I was a teenager, there was a church song that I simply adored. It's called, "On the Way to Emmaus," and speaks about when Christ was resurrected and appeared to the apostles. I love the lyrics. "And our hearts burned within us." Anyway, the song compares our search for the Holy Spirit to the same search the early apostles of the church had.

Almost two weeks ago, during the LDS Church General Conference, President Uchtdorf gave a talk that made me think of the song. Maybe it's because he referred to Damascus, which sounds similar to Emmaus.

Saul, a persecutor of Christians, was on the road to Damascus when a light struck him and gave him a certain knowledge of his wrongs. I suppose there are some who wait on the figurative road to Damascus, expecting at any moment to "see the light." President Uchtdorft said oftentimes we "remain waiting for the Christ to be given to [us] like a magnificent Carl Bloch painting—to remove once and for all [our] doubts and fears."

It's time to stop waiting. Those of us with children know we don't hand something to our children that they can, and should, get for themselves. They must learn and discover things for themselves. Each of us has something individually that prevents us from moving to our greatest potential. It could be doubt, selfishness, fear, anything at all. He encourages all of us to "not wait too long on our road to Damascus. Instead, let us courageously move forward in faith, hope, and charity, and we will be blessed with the light [...] of true discipleship."

If we want to come closer to Christ, we must do our part. And then our hearts will burn within us and we will know him. We will recognize him.



link to President Uchtdorf's talk


Annette Lyon: “Desire”
Annie Cechini: “The
Spirit of Revelation”
Ben Spendlove: “The Atonement
Covers All Pain”
Chantele Sedgwick: “LDS
Women Are Incredible!”
Charity Bradford: “LDS Women
Are Incredible!”
Jackee Alston: “The Eternal
Blessings of Marriage”
Jenilyn Tolley: “What Manner
of Men and Women Ought Ye to Be?”
Jennifer McFadden:
“Establishing a Christ-Centered Home”
Jessie Oliveros:
“Establishing a Christ-Centered Home”
Jolene Perry: “It’s
Conference Once Again”
Jordan McCollum: “What Manner of Men
and Women Ought Ye to Be?”
Kasey Tross: “Guided
by the Holy Spirit”
Kayeleen Hamblin: “Become
as a Little Child”
Kelly Bryson: “The Atonement
Covers All Pain”
Krista Van Dolzer: “Opportunities
to Do Good”
Melanie Stanford: “What
Manner of Men and Women Ought Ye to Be?”
Michelle Merrill: “The
Eternal Blessings of Marriage”
Myrna Foster: “Opportunities to
Do Good”
Nisa Swineford: “Desire”
Sallee Mathews:
“The Eternal Blessings of Marriage”
Sierra Gardner: “The Atonement Covers
All Pain”
The Writing Lair: “Waiting
on the Road to Damascus”