Howard W. Hunter: Help from on High

I spent most of Sunday School today hastily preparing a lesson for Relief Society after receiving an assignment from the Relief Society president. Luckily, I had already read the chapter and fallen in love with it. President Hunter really knew his scriptures and had a sense of the poetry of the gospel. In no deliberate order, here are some insights I got from him about receiving help from on high:

• 1 Corinthians 2 is a chapter about spiritual knowledge, or "the mind of Christ." It teaches us that spiritual knowledge is spiritually discerned and is not gained through our physical senses alone. 
• To gain spiritual knowledge, you need to prepare by meditating and pondering. As you suppress the sensations and distractions of the physical plane, as you consciously shed worldly thoughts from your mind, you can more easily step onto the spiritual plane. You hone your spiritual senses and expand your soul so it can receive more light and truth. You conquer the natural man.
• As you meditate and ponder before prayer, think about the things you need help with. Generate a list so you don't forget what to pray about--this list will come in handy when the Lord provides revelation and answers and promptings.
• Spiritual knowledge and guidance then comes through prayer and action. If you inquire, the Lord will inspire.
• Pray for everything, the good and the bad. Praying for others, especially your enemy, will teach you about them. You will come to know that everyone has a divine identity, that everyone needs help, that everyone needs your love and respect.

My big takeaway: Gain "the mind of Christ" 

by pondering, praying, and then acting. 

Engage in prayerwork.