Answers to Prayers - Don't Read too much into some answers

Oftentimes when we get inspiration or revelation about something, it's easy for us to make too many assumptions about what it means.

For example, consider Joseph in Egypt. He had dreams that suggested he would be the leader over his brothers. I doubt he or his brothers expected that to mean he would be a slave for several years in Egypt before rising to be the #2 person in all of Egypt. However, that's what happened.

Joseph Smith in D.C. 130 gives a good example of how to react to God's revelation when some things are left unclear:

14I was once praying very earnestly to know the time of the^acoming of the Son of Man, when I heard a voice repeat the following:

15Joseph, my son, if thou livest until thou art eighty-five years old, thou shalt see the face of the Son of Man; therefore ^alet this suffice, and trouble me no more on this matter.

16I was left thus, without being able to decide whether this coming referred to the beginning of the millennium or to some previous appearing, or whether I should die and thus see his face.

17I believe the coming of the Son of Man will not be any sooner than that time.

In this example, Joseph is told something very specific but does not read too much into it. He just knows that if a certain thing happens (him living to 85, which didn't come close to happening), he'll see the face of the Savior, which could be fulfilled in numerous ways.

I contrast this with myself, especially earlier in life. I remember when I was dating one girl, another girl I knew came up to me and I had an impression that she was a good person. I took that to mean I should hang out with her (which I believe is a good assumption). I also thought it might mean I would marry her. After I got to know her a little on a first date, I thought she was great and hoped that my impression meant I would marry her at some point (in part because I'd been praying for a while to "spiritually recognize" my wife which really meant: "God, please tell me who my wife is when she walks into the room." I would not recommend that prayer. I don't think God tells such things unless there's a good reason he needs to, and in my case there wasn't.)

I didn't end up marrying her, and I'm glad that I ended up with my wife and family. It's all worked out better than I could have hoped for. However, because I assumed a little too much, I worried too much and acted differently than I should have if I just simply accepted the inspiration/revelation as what it was.

In the end, I now realize a very good reason why I received the revelation I did, and I appreciate it.

Have a good day.