When told by an angel to “awake,” King Benjamin recounted in the Book of Mormon, “I awoke, and behold he stood before me” (Mosiah 3:2). Yet the angelic invitation was extended again in the very next verse: “Awake, and hear the words which I shall tell thee.”
“Maybe King Benjamin was thinking, ‘Wait a minute, I already mentioned that I was awake,’” said Elder Ricardo P. Giménez, a General Authority Seventy. “But even though he may have had his eyes open, the angel was inviting him to open his heart, to awaken his soul so he could understand the things he was about to share with him.”
In a BYU–Idaho devotional on Tuesday, March 26, Elder Giménez shared with students and faculty that being “spiritually awake,” or attentive to spiritual promptings, brings greater direction and strength.
His wife, Sister Catherine Giménez, also spoke briefly, promising that those who liken the scriptures unto themselves (see 1 Nephi 19:23) will feel Heavenly Father’s love for them and better understand the Savior’s Atonement.
Elder Giménez said, “Making sure that you are ‘awake’ will help you throughout your life, especially in those moments when we look for additional help, guidance and reassurance.”
What it means to be ‘spiritually awake’
The Book of Mormon contains 17 references to “awake,” said Elder Giménez, including invitations to “awake from a deep sleep” (2 Nephi 1:13), “awake! and arise from the dust” (2 Nephi 1:14) and “awake, awake, put on thy strength” (2 Nephi 8:24).
Being “spiritually awake” can mean paying attention to spiritual promptings, seeking to follow Jesus Christ or recognizing His help is available.
Not listening to spiritual guidance is like wearing headphones that block nearby sounds, said Elder Giménez. When Saints are distracted or not focused on the Lord, they can miss hearing divine counsel.
He said: “Sometimes we may think that we are awake, that we are paying attention, that we understand what is happening in our lives and around us, but because we still have our headphones with the noise-canceling function on, we are not listening to what Heavenly Father is trying to let us know.”
‘Heavenly Father is in the details of our lives’
One Saturday, after returning home from a ward activity, Elder Giménez’s 6-year-old daughter explained with a worried face that she’d lost her pink “Choose the Right” bracelet.
Elder Giménez at first did not see this as a large concern, since buying a new one would be no trouble. But the weight of the bracelet’s loss for his daughter became clear when she asked them to pray together to find it.
“At that moment,” he said, “I realized that I needed to make sure that I was ‘awake,’ that I truly understood the situation and how much Heavenly Father is in the details of our lives, including a matter that may seem insignificant from a world perspective.”
The next day, before Sunday morning meetings, Elder Giménez was prompted to park in the middle of the Church parking lot, instead of on the street he usually parked on. He then noticed a pink object on the ground — the missing bracelet.
By being attentive to the Spirit, being “awake,” he understood more profoundly that “there is Someone who loves and cares for us” and that Heavenly Father was willing to be involved in even the seemingly insignificant.
Deliverance from bondage
The Book of Mormon testifies: “If ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage” (Mosiah 7:33).
This included deliverance from “more than just being physically incarcerated,” said Elder Giménez. “It also includes other types of bondage, like physical, emotional and spiritual.”
One’s “bondage” is not always a big mistake or sin, he said. It may be small things that get in the way of ensuring one is “awake,” like social media, video games, low self-perception or erroneous ideas.
Overcoming feelings of not being good enough
Distractions and day-to-day busyness may make it difficult to be spiritually awake and sensitive to spiritual promptings. Yet the “For the Strength of Youth” manual encourages: “There may be times when you don’t feel strong or capable. That’s normal. Especially in those moments, turn to the Savior. He is the ‘strength of youth.’”
Elder Giménez added that “when you feel that you are not good enough, maybe this is the time when you are only focusing on yourself. But when you turn to the Lord, you will be able to see the path, awaken to your potential and be guided and inspired by the Holy Ghost.”
He encouraged listeners to turn to Christ because “He knows how to help us.” The Savior knows the potential and challenges of the children of God and offers strength through His Atonement.
“If He is at the center of our lives,” said Elder Giménez, “we will not only have access to the redeeming power of His atoning sacrifice but also to the enabling power that comes from Him to help us with our decisions, challenges and concerns — providing the strength, guidance and hope to continue our journey as lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ.”
