Wiggling Your Way to Revelation: Action Over Waiting

Brothers and sisters, have you ever felt like you were standing at a deep, still pond, waiting for a miracle? You look out, you pray, you study, you feel the weight of expectation—and nothing moves. You’re waiting for the breakthrough, for the divine intervention, for the moment everything just *clicks* into place.

It’s easy, when we’re deep in the work, to fall into the trap of passive expectation. We pray for the Spirit to guide the investigator, we pray for the revelation for our ward council, or we pray for the perfect answer in a missionary discussion. We wait for the ‘big thing’ to happen. But what if the answer isn't in the waiting? What if the answer is in the *doing*?

I was reflecting recently on some powerful teachings, and a key theme kept echoing back to me: Sometimes, to receive the divine, we have to initiate the movement ourselves. We have to *wobble* a little.

The Lesson of the Pond

I was struck by the story of the man by the pool—the one waiting for thirty-eight years. Think about that. Thirty-eight years of waiting. It’s a testament to faith, yes, but it’s also a picture of stagnation. He was positioned perfectly to receive a miracle, yet his physical reality was one of inaction. He was waiting for the external force to change his state.

But the principle that resonated with me, echoing the words from Ecclesiastes, is that the solution to our deepest, most persistent problems often isn't found by staring at them from a distance. It’s found by taking the next, sometimes awkward, step.

Action is Our First Divine Discipline

The core message, as I understand it, is this: If we want to develop a divine character—the kind of character that can weather any storm and serve faithfully in the field—we can’t just *wish* for it. We have to *practice* it. We have to choose to do what is right, even when it feels inconvenient, even when we don't feel the Spirit's immediate nudge, or when the natural inclination is to just stay put.

This isn't about hustle culture; this is about discipleship. It’s about the beautiful, sometimes messy, process of becoming more like Christ. It means being willing to "wobble"—to try something new in your scripture study, to ask a question in a Book Club that feels a little vulnerable, or to be the first to suggest a follow-up activity after a missionary discussion.

The Lord doesn't always deliver the full, polished revelation in one flash. Sometimes He asks us to take the first step, the imperfect step, the *wobble*, and trust that the Spirit will carry us through the rest. That's where the real spiritual muscle is built.

Where Do We Wobble This Week?

If this resonates with you, my friends, I want to challenge us to look at one area this week where we have been waiting for permission or for perfect clarity. Where are we just lying by the side of the pond? Maybe it’s in our personal scripture study routine, or perhaps it’s in reaching out to a friend who has drifted from the gospel path. Don't wait for the perfect moment; take the imperfect action.

I encourage you to take some time this week to explore the concept of 'doing' in your personal study. If you're looking for deep dives into doctrine, check out the HolyPlaces platform for a Book Club, or dive into the social scripture study layer in LivingBook. If you want to walk through some tricky questions about the Plan of Salvation, I highly recommend running through a session with Davee in the AI Investigator role!

Remember, we are all disciples, and every member can be an internet missionary, every member can be a disciple anywhere, all the time. Let’s move!