Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Latter-day Saint
Home and Religion
Stand Still and See Clearly and Correctly

Stand Still and See Clearly and Correctly

Last updated on: March 28, 2026 at 7:24 pm by Delisa Hargrove

0 Comments

Stand Still and See Clearly and Correctly 2026-03-28T19:24:49-10:00 Delisa Hargrove

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I’m myopic. Some mornings, I walk around the house unable to see clearly without my glasses until I’m all ready to face the day.

This morning at the kitchen sink, while nearsightedly getting a drink, I saw a still, brown blob on the counter.

There’s a dead cockroach on my counter?! I instantly felt dread, and concern, and disgust, and annoyance. I also looked around to see if Anthony was around. He wasn’t. Ugh.

I leaned forward to get a better look at the unwelcomed invader and to determine disposal strategies. (And maybe Anthony would walk into the kitchen while I stalled…)

Oh! On closer inspection, that ghastly carcass proved to be a stray potato peeling, shriveled up and forgotten from yesterday’s dinner prep.

seeing clearly

Clearly not a cockroach

Wow. While blurrily viewing the world, I’d totally jumped to uninformed, drastic conclusions. That felt foolish.

It didn’t take long for Jehovah’s words to Isaiah to sting just a little:

And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.

I appreciate when the Lord takes the time to teach me through silly things I do. The cockroach scare was such a quick reminder that seeing clearly really matters. I need to consciously ensure that my vision is as clear and penetrating as possible.

I was reminded of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s general conference talk about a healed blind man. He encouraged our clarity of sight.

One concluding thought: Joseph Smith’s 19th-century frontier environment was aflame with competing crowds of Christian witnesses. But in the tumult they created, these exuberant revivalists were, ironically, obscuring the very Savior young Joseph so earnestly sought. Battling what he called “darkness and confusion,” he retreated to the solitude of a grove of trees where he saw and heard a more glorious witness of the Savior’s centrality to the gospel than anything we have mentioned here this morning. With a gift of sight unimagined and unanticipated, Joseph beheld in vision his Heavenly Father, the great God of the universe, and Jesus Christ, His perfect Only Begotten Son. Then the Father set the example we have been applauding this morning: He pointed to Jesus, saying: “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” No greater expression of Jesus’s divine identity, His primacy in the plan of salvation, and His standing in the eyes of God could ever exceed that short seven-word declaration.

Commotion and confusion? Crowds and contention? There is plenty of all that in our world. Indeed, skeptics and the faithful still contend over this vision and virtually all else I have referred to today. In case you may be striving to see more clearly and to find meaning in the midst of a multitude of opinions, I point you toward that same Jesus and bear apostolic witness of Joseph Smith’s experience, coming as it did some 1,800 years after our blind friend received his sight on the ancient Jericho Road. I testify with these two and a host of others down through time that surely the most thrilling sight and sound in life is that of Jesus not only passing by but His coming to us, stopping beside us, and making His abode with us.

Sisters and brothers, through the incessant din and drumbeat of our day, may we strive to see Christ at the center of our lives, of our faith, and of our service. That is where true meaning lies. And if some days our vision is limited or our confidence has waned or our belief is being tested and refined—as surely it will be—may we then cry out the louder, “Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.” I promise with apostolic fervor and prophetic conviction that He will hear you and will say, soon or late, “Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.”

Elder Holland promised with apostolic fervor and prophetic conviction that we can receive that salvific sight!

Joseph Smith’s words confirm Elder Holland’s sentiments: Stand still…and see.

Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed. (Doctrine and Covenants 123:17)

What a perfect sight that will be!

Home and Religion

Food and Religion

Realization

Better Choices Through Knowledge

Seeking Truth

Symbols

Words of the Prophets

Previous Post

March 25, 2026

Mormon 7 Affirms President Nelson's Three Identity Reminders

Next Post

March 29, 2026 Jesus Christ's Triumphal Entry into My Heart

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"Nice analogy Daylen"

Desirée Bushman Johnson

Staying on the Covenant Trail | ..."

"Thanks for being there for me. You were part of the miracle"

Desirée Bushman Johnson

Waiting on the Lord | Desirée ..."

"Great article."

Domo Aricato

Waiting on the Lord | Desirée ..."

"I see all this concerns the religion ABOUT Jesus, but, as we come to Christmas, ..."

Ed K

A Latter-day Call to Gather to ..."

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Discovery How Tos Realization Uncategorized

Select a Month September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 November 2025 October 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 June 2024 May 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz