What I learned from the lost 116 manuscript pages

One of the most common promises in the scriptures is: "Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.  For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened" (3 Ne 14:7–8).  I have learned from my personal study of the scriptures as well as my own personal experience that this promise is 100% true.

I used to believe that God would only answer some prayers (those that were in accordance with His will and would be in our best interest), but I have found that this is not exactly the case.  If we express enough faith and work by asking for long enough, He will answer our prayer.  This same lesson was taught by the Savior during his earthly ministry as the parable of the unrighteous judge (Luke 18:1–8).  We need to be careful what we ask for, because God will answer our prayers—but it may be unto our condemnation if that which we ask for is not right.  Martin Harris learned this lesson from both the positive and negative perspective.

When Martin wanted to show the 116 manuscript pages to his wife and other relatives to prove the truth of the work to them, he asked Joseph to inquire of the Lord.  The Lord said no, so he asked again.  After several times, the Lord finally granted them permission to do as they wished.  However, they paid for the consequences of their choice.  The manuscript pages were lost, and both Joseph and Martin’s salvation was at stake.  Fortunately, they both sought and obtained forgiveness for their sin, but they learned the lesson that you should not ask for that which is not the Lord’s will.  He will grant it, but it is unto your condemnation.

On a more positive note, Martin Harris also received his wish to be one of the three witnesses of the Book of Mormon.  Upon learning of the Lord’s plan to have three special witnesses of the Book of Mormon and the Gold Plates unto this generation, Martin Harris immediately desired to be one of them.  Joseph Smith, Martin Harris, and the other two witnesses proceeded into the forest—and what did they do?  They poured out the desires of their hearts unto the Lord until the blessing was fulfilled.  Martin Harris and two others beheld the Gold Plates and other sacred artifacts by the hand of an angel, and they heard the voice of the Lord bear witness of the truthfulness of the work.

I personally have also had an interesting experience with praying unceasingly.  My freshman year here at BYU I had my mission prep class right before physics, so I would bring my brand-new scriptures (which I had just purchased with plans to bring them on my mission with me) to class every day.  One day, however, I accidently left them in my classroom, and didn’t realize that I didn’t have them until after all the buildings on campus had closed for the evening.  It was a Friday, so first thing Monday morning I rushed back to my classroom, only to find my scriptures gone.  I asked the professor, and I went and looked in the lost and found, but to no avail…  I felt terrible that I had lost my brand-new scriptures, and I wanted desperately to find them.  For the space of three weeks I pleaded with the Lord every night that I would be able to find them again, and I continued my efforts.  Finally one day while I was walking with my physics professor (asking where the Geology department was because he suggested that they might be in a lost and found there), I had a very strange experience.  I stopped walking, and suddenly found myself looking in the opposite direction.  After I recovered from the initial confusion of “why am I stopped?” I realized that I was staring directly at my scriptures!  They had been tucked away in a corner of a strange room that I had never even walked by before!  I knew immediately that the Lord had answered my prayer, but it did take three weeks of praying.  I know that God hears our prayers, and He will answer them if we express enough faith.