He that seeketh me early shall find me, and shall not be forsaken. (D&C 88:83)

This is a very simple scripture, but for some reason it touched me when I read it. It shows me a Christ who is completely loyal to those who search Him out.

Writing it another way, it might say, “He that seeketh me early shall find me, and I will not forsake him.”

I think it invites us to seek the Lord early in our lives (youth), early in the day (morning), early in our problems (prayer), early in our study (scriptures), early in our joys (gratitude), early in the week, (Sunday worship), early in the school year (father’s blessings), etc. There are so many ways to seek the Lord early, and I don’t think we are meant to use only one way, but as many ways as we can.  It’s a chance to submit to the divine orientation at the beginning of the many journeys we start on.

Looked at another way, that promise that the Lord will not forsake those who seek Him reminds me of Jesus’s mortal life when He was forsaken by all—by his friends, by his people, by everyone, even by Heavenly Father while Jesus hung on the cross, which caused him to cry out “My God…why hast thou forsaken me?”  I sense from His promise of loyalty that He who was so abandoned is determined not to abandon those who seek Him. It's a promise of both revelation and presence.

It’s so reassuring. We will not seek in vain. God wants to be found, and again, He is a loyal friend.