Asking the President
Published 2025-05-02
I was amidst a group of several walking along a low ridge in a barren land. This was a path not travelled. Surrounding this ridge was a low and flat land in all directions. We reached a point where the ridge stopped, and so we stopped, looking onwards and wondering what was next. On the horizon we saw a land of green.
Looking behind us, there were many others following after us, some on the ridge and more on the low ground. Though a small number were ready to journey onwards, we could not do so when so many of those following after us were so far behind.
Then the scene changed, and there was a stage with an arc of tiered seating in front of it. This space was like a lecture theatre or a small concert theatre. On the stage, our conference president was speaking at the pulpit. He was an older Caucasian man, not Ted Wilson but some other man. As he spoke, I was on the stage also, in front and to the right, observing.
On the right hand side, in the second row back, sat the man’s daughter. She was Asian, and perhaps in her late teens or in her twenties. At one point he sat down and she got up to share her experience, moved with emotion, and with tears bemoaned of how it is so hard to ask for help when your dad is the president. I was deeply moved by this, and wept.
Though some of our number may be ready to journey nearer to the green land of our heavenly promised land, a great many are not ready, and are not even rightly on the path. At this time it is easier for them to climb up the ridge, but the time will come that it is too late to do so. We have had opportunity to soon cross over into eternity, but many of our number are not yet ready, and so our Lord must wait.
We can expect to see another conference president come before we leave this earth. Moreover, the relation between him and his daughter in this dream reflects the state of us and God. He is our good heavenly Father, he has good character and the ability to make things happen to effect our good, yet we are scared to ask him of what we really need. The sad fact is that we have received little because we have asked little.
The attitude of the daughter reminded of someone I know, which I think is part of why I was so moved. There are times that she needs help with something but is very reluctant to ask, yet there are many around her who are very willing and able to help. This is what we are like when we fail to ask of God for divine aid in every aspect of our lives that we may manifest the life of Jesus.
I often think back on this dream when contemplating how long we must remain on this earth. Have I cried out to my heavenly Father for aid in the way I know I should? How have I and others around me suffered needlessly by asking so little of God?