Seeking for the Pearl of Great Price

Jesus told the parable of the Pearl of Great Price: “The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it” (KJV Matthew 13:45-46).

In this parable Jesus is teaching about His gospel. Those who seek Him will find Him, and then they will make changes and sacrifices to keep Him close. How do you find the “goodly pearls,” or “the Kingdom of Heaven,” and what do you do when you find them? What priceless “find” would prompt you to sell all that you have, in order to obtain it?

Many of my ancestors come from England. I was recently researching my British paternal family, the McGregors and Pattersons. From 1600 to 1850—250 years— every generation of this family was christened at one of the same two churches in Tynemouth, England. But in 1865 something remarkable happened. Records show that my ancestor Edward Patterson and his wife Mary McGregor Patterson and their children boarded a ship in Liverpool, England and crossed the Atlantic to arrive in New York. In America they crossed the United States and settled in the West.

What happened? Why would they make such an abrupt change to their family’s centuries-old traditions? They had been taught by missionaries: that God the Father and Jesus Christ had restored their Priesthood authority to the earth in its fulness. They believed it was true, and made every sacrifice to be close to whom they believed to be a living prophet of Jesus Christ.

My maternal great-great-(etc.) grandmother Mary Ann Reese Steele was born in Cheshire England in 1823. She heard this same message of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. At age 17, she emigrated, by herself, to America, working on the ship as a nanny. She supported herself in Nauvoo, Illinois, got married, and had a child, before being asked to re-locate with the Saints to Utah. She headed West pulling a handcart bearing her child and sick husband. Her husband eventually recovered, and together they pulled their belongings and small children across the American plains. She lived until she was 65 and continued to hold strong to her faith in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—her “goodly pearl.”

When we are searching for truth, studying scripture regularly opens our hearts to learn it.

Through prayer, God answers our questions. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not" (KJV James 1:5). God wants to teach us and lead us. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you,” (KJV Matthew 7:7).

The Holy Ghost is a testifier of truth, as well as a Comforter. Jesus promised the gift of the Holy Ghost to his disciples at the Last Supper, before His Great Atoning Sacrifice. This Comforter would come to them after Jesus had left them, and would teach them all things that are true. The Holy Ghost can help us recognize and find truth as we seek it. But not everyone will have the presence of the Comforter—only those who are seeking for Truth from God.

Truth doesn’t accidentally come our way. Rather, we seek for it and work for it. “You must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right” (Doctrine and Covenants 9:8). Another indicator of God’s truth is peace: “Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?” (Doctrine and Covenants 6:23).

I try to continually seek truth and keep it close through prayer, scripture study, and by following promptings from the Holy Spirit. I sacrifice to avoid things that are not in keeping with God’s commandments, and I try to serve and assist others. My own conversion to my faith in God, our Eternal Father, and Jesus Christ and their restored Gospel burns deeply in my soul, always. Even though my knowledge of truth doesn't require me to cross oceans and continents, it does require me to change, improve, and try to be more like Jesus teaches us to be. I am finding this to be a lifelong process of incremental improvement, through His grace.

Jesus invites each of us to “Come, follow me” (Luke 18:22). Keep close to His teachings as they resonate with your soul. Since Jesus is a patient teacher, if we keep trying, He will keep leading us along His path as we seek His truth for our lives, our own “Pearl of Great Price.”

Beth Wright enjoys gardening, hiking, fishing and family. She is thankful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.