“If ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.” (Moroni 10:4)

The world is filled with seekers. They are those who search for the real truth: truth about life before this world was, the truth about life’s purpose, and the truth about life after death. There are many prospective answers from all different corners of the world. But ultimately, the answer that satisfies our soul is the answer that comes from God. Jesus Christ said, “Ask and ye shall receive.” However, in the process of asking, He requires not just honesty and trust in Him, but also our real intent.

Serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I met two men who taught me what “real intent” really means. They were cousins. They were, just like you, seekers of the truth. Every visit we had with them was meaningful because of the questions they asked, such as, “Will I see my mother again?” “Why does God allow suffering to occur?” “What is sin?” and many more.

In six months of visiting them and answering their questions, they showed me two elements of real intent that should always go together – recognizing the reason behind your question and what you are willing to do after you receive the answer.

The Reason behind Your Question

Those two men always challenged my missionary companion and I. It was as if every lesson we had with them was an interview. One was very intelligent and his questions provoked a lot of thought. We usually answered him after a long pause, and much searching from the Bible and the other holy scriptures, and sometimes, had to answer him on our next visit. In the end, we invited him to ask God but unfortunately, he would not. His reason was just to increase his own knowledge, without being willing to act on it. Nothing else.

The other person was just the opposite. He was not particularly intelligent and did not speak eloquently. Yet his questions, although the same as his cousin’s, felt more genuine. He was longing for answers to those questions. Every answer we give him puts a bright smile on his face. And just like his cousin, we invited him to ask God and pray for the truth. Then one day, he told us, “I did what you asked me to do.” He further said that an overwhelming feeling came over him – one that his soul had been thirsting for. His reason was not just to know the answers but to receive them gladly in his heart.

What Are You Committed To Do?

The Bible says, “where much is given, much is required.” It is not enough to receive the truth. When he received what he sought for, he was required to act upon it. Then his intentions became clearer. He wanted to do what was right before God. That was what the truth required of him. Consequently, he became happier, livelier, and more satisfied. He not only knew the answers to his questions but he also discovered that he is a child of a loving God who knows all truth and wants to share it with him.

Real intent means knowing why the answers are important to us and then acting upon the answers we receive. Real intent means being genuine and being committed. If you are someone who has been seeking the truth and has not found it yet, ask God with real intent. If you are someone who has never really thought about asking God, evaluate yourself and see if you have real intent in you. If you are someone who has already received the truth, rekindle and fan the flame of that feeling. Cultivate a relationship with your Heavenly Father based on continual prayer, and act with real intent on the answers He continues to offer, and you can have a never-ending stream of guidance in your life.