Sometimes I think we humans have a tendency to make things harder than they need to be.

I've been thinking a lot lately about what it means to seek God and to find Him. I've come to the rather simple conclusion that finding God and coming to really know Him is done by prayer, scripture study, obeying His commandments, and generally living the gospel. It's easy to think we have to study a lot of philosophy and commentary by experts (so-called) and investigate a lot of religions and so forth. When we do that, though, I think we are actually seeking ourselves. That is, we are looking for ideas and philosophies that are agreeable to us and that are simple to do or to think, requiring little or no action on our part.

If we like to study, but are a bit on the lazy side about serving others or otherwise obeying God, it's easy to occupy our time "looking" for God, hoping to find an easy God who asks little of us. God is merciful and long-suffering, but He is not an indulgent grandfather who is okay with us doing or not doing what we please, regardless of what that is. God loves us and wants us to grow and progress and become the best that we can in all areas. Common sense, as well as the scriptures, let us know that that is not always easy. We have duties, obligations, responsibilities, stewardships. We are accountable for our choices, if not now, then eventually.

Man-made ideas and philosophies and solutions may sound good, but are they really good and right and true? Do they really bring out the best in us and help us to find the real God, the one that wants so much for us to return to Him and to have a joyous eternity? As we think things through, we begin to see the shortcomings of man's notions and to understand that following an omniscient, omnipotent God who loves us is where we will find all good things, including God Himself.
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