So I’ve been thinking, what is listening? Why should we listen? How should we listen? Why am I talking about listening!?! Well scientifically we hear the sound waves that float their way through the air into our ear and vibrate our ear drum creating an electrical current that we understand as sound, but what makes listening different? I can sit here and hear what you are talking about without listening but I can’t listen without hearing. From what I’ve been thinking about I believe hearing is a passive thing, anyone who’s communicates can in a way hear; visualy, auditoraly, or even just feeling someone’s vibe when they are near you. It’s noticing and perceiving things around us. Listening on the other hand is a choice, an action. We have consciously do it, like the difference between doodling in a notebook and painting a beautiful portrait. It comes with complex techniques, skills, and effort required to be effective. Some people have the talent for listening and some fall magnificently short. All I know is that being listened to feels good, it relives stress helps us connect to others and many people would say that it’s all they want in this life. How badly our Heavenly Father wants to be listened to, people all over the world hear his words. They have heard them in church since they were little. We all hear the lord but now in these turbulent time I believe hearing is not enough we must listen. We must develope the skill to listen to his words rather than just hear them. To listen is to act. May I encourage us all to act on the things we hear, reach out for our saviours hand, and listen to the counsil of he who knows all in the name of Jesus Christ amen. Learn more about he who knows all at this link https://www.mormon.org/beliefs/jesus-christ
Elder Gardiner 