The Status Codes of Prayer
Micah Hunter
July 16, 2024 11:15 AM
"Remember that God is always with us. When we understand the status codes of prayer, we will always understand what He is trying to tell us. Whether it be a more immediate yes or no answer, or He expects us to move forward with faith and continue along the path, He will always be our guide."
I’d like to thank Frank and Genevieve; Frank for his prayer and Genevieve for her testimony, and I’m also grateful for Maria and Michael Dillon for the wonderful song that they just performed for us. And also the quick message from President Kusch. Today I’m going to be speaking about one of those spiritual ropes that President Kusch mentioned.
I look forward to every General Conference. One of the speakers I particularly enjoy and anticipate is Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf. There was a time when I wanted to be a pilot, so Elder Uchtdorf’s aviation analogies are of great interest to me. I like how he uses aviation to help us better understand various points of the gospel. I also enjoy using analogies in my talks, although not being a pilot, I won't attempt to use one based on aviation. I’m afraid that it would crash. So, I’ll leave that to the experts. Instead, I will use something I am more familiar with—the web.
Just like aviation, the web is something we're all familiar with. We practically use it every day. In fact, the web is so pervasive that it's hard to go about our day-to-day activities without using something that relies on it. Even my fridge at home is connected. At some point, all of us have heard of about the technologies that make up the web like CSS, JavaScript, HTML, web server, etc.
I'm going to focus my talk on something most of you have probably never heard of, but it is vital to how the web works. You have [MH1] probably seen the letters HTTP or HTTPS when entering an address for a website. These letters stand for a protocol that your browser, and other web-connected technologies, use to communicate with each other. One [MH2] aspect of this protocol is that when a request is made, the server returns a status code about the request. The status code indicates whether the request was successful, if the requester needs to look elsewhere, or if there was an error. These are called HTTP status codes. [i]
For simplicity’s sake, I will not concentrate on any individual one because there are a lot. However, I'll focus on the four most commonly used groups:
· 200 - The request was successful.
· 300 - The server or client must look elsewhere to find what was requested.
· 400 - There was an error on the client side when trying to process the request.
· 500 - There was an error on the server side when trying to process the request. [MH3]
Most of the time these status codes are hidden from us as we are go about using the web. However, there are times when they do show up. How many of us have gone to a website only to hit a page that says 404, page not found? In this case, the website had a page set up to catch this status code to inform users that the address or asset they were looking for couldn’t be found [MH4] .
There's another thing that we should be doing multiple times a day that also has status codes, in a way. That is prayer. Luckily for us, these status codes are not designed to be hidden like HTTP’s. They are:
· 200 - Yes.
· 300 - No immediate answer, or the time isn't right.
· 400 - No. [MH5]
You may notice that there is not a 500 status code in this list [MH6] . This is because in HTTP the codes in the 500 group are given when a server runs into an issue trying to process a request. This doesn't apply to God. He always tries to give us mercy when he can and wants to communicate with His children, even to the worst of sinners. There are many examples of this in the scriptures. For example, in the Old Testament Heavenly Father tried for years to get the tribes of Israel and Judah to repent by sending many prophets. [ii] In the New Testament, we learn about the Lord appearing to Saul, who later became Paul, one of the fiercest persecutors of the early Saints. [iii] In the Book of Mormon, we learn about the rebellious Alma the Younger and how the Lord showed him mercy by sending him an angel because of the people’s many prayers. [iv] Remember, Heavenly Father is always there. He wants to be near you [MH7] .
The scriptures and messages from modern-day prophets give us good guidance on how we should pray. When we need guidance, Heavenly Father expects us to do our homework. He wants us to include Him in our research, as we ponder, and as we search for an answer. After we have come to a conclusion, then we should come to Him in prayer asking if it is right.
While helping Joseph Smith to translate the Book of Mormon, Oliver Cowdery desired to gain the gift of translation. After not being able to translate at that time, he received the following instruction from the Lord, “Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But, behold, I say unto you, that 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. But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong…” [v] [MH8]
There will be other times where we need strength, a loved one needs divine help, or have some other need, fear, concern or longing of the heart. We should just get down on our knees and pour out our soul to Him.
When visiting the people in the Americas, the Lord stated: “ Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. [MH9] ” [vi]
Joseph Smith shows an example of this during his search for which church to join when he was 14 years old. He stated, “ During this time of great excitement, my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep and often poignant, still I kept myself aloof from all these parties, though I attended their several meetings as often as occasion would permit. … While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. …I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; … At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to “ask of God,” concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom and would give liberally and not upbraid, I might venture [MH10] .” [vii]
After we have prayed, we need to stop and be prepared to receive an answer. President Russell M. Nelson touched on this saying, “ Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will ‘grow into the principle of revelation. [MH11] ’” [viii]
This is the point where you should sit still and listen. Through the Holy Ghost, you may receive a confirmation that what you've asked for is right, or some clear direction on how to proceed—in other words, a 200 status code, or a yes. Other times, you may feel uneasy, disturbed, or just not right about what you asked for. This would be a 400 status code, or a no.
While the Lord does indeed answer every prayer, it might not be what we thought we would get, what we were expecting, or even want. The Lord will always give us an answer that we need.
There's a story that comes to mind, told by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, about getting an answer that turned out not to be what they expected. Let's watch a short video where he tells this story: [MH12] Wrong Roads [ix] .
There will be many times when all we receive is just a feeling of peace. Some reassurance. Outside of that, there appears to be no real direction. What you got is a 300 status code, which is no immediate answer, or the time is not yet. What now?
One of the best examples of what to do is found in the Book of Mormon. As you may know, Nephi, along with his brothers, was asked by the Lord, through their father Lehi, to retrieve the brass plates from Laban back in Jerusalem. They formulated a plan to simply ask Laban for them. This responsibility fell on Laman. As you know, this did not turn out well, and Laban got mad at Laman and drove him off. They decided to try again, and it is my guess, by attempting to buy the plates with their precious things. However, Laban lusted after their wealth and drove them off again, forcing them to leave their possessions behind. At this point, Laman and Lemuel were furious and started to beat their brothers. An angel appeared to them and told them to return to fetch the plates. My guess is that Laman and Lemuel felt helpless and they thought they had tried everything, and so began to complain. Nephi, knowing that they were commanded by the Lord to get the brass plates, comforted his brothers and went into Jerusalem alone, not knowing what to do or where to go. He fully relied on his faith in the Lord. It wasn't until he encountered Laban passed out in the road that the Lord told him what to do. [x]
“The point?” states Elder Holland in the October 2020 General Conference, “The point is that faith means trusting God in good times and bad, even if that includes some suffering until we see His arm revealed in our behalf. That can be difficult in our modern world when many have come to believe that the highest good in life is to avoid all suffering, that no one should ever anguish over anything. But that belief will never lead us to 'the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.'”
Even when there appears to be no direction forward or that it might become extremely difficult, continue to trust in the Lord. From both Elder Holland's and Nephi's experiences, we learn that the Lord wants us to exercise our faith. As long as we put our trust in Him, He’ll not let us stray too far off the straight and narrow path. He'll guide us along our journey. This is a truth I know all too well.
Before I came to Ensign College, my family and I lived in Flagstaff, AZ. I worked for Northern Arizona University as a support system analyst for many years earning just enough money to get by most months. We spent many hours over many years on our knees, pleading with the Lord to help me find a job that would better provide for our young family. Just about a year after my youngest daughter was born, we were forced to move into a more expensive rental. I had to get a second job to cover the cost, meaning I was away from my wife and four young children for up to 70 hours a week.
During this time, I applied for many jobs and had many interviews, but nothing seemed to work out. We kept moving forward the best we could. In January 2014, one Saturday while working at Best Buy in Flagstaff, I was talking to my supervisor about jobs. During that conversation, I felt a strong impression that I should start looking again. Despite having failed many times before, I decided to follow this prompting.
During that conversation, we talked about working for the railroad, so I applied there first. After this, I continued applying for various jobs. One of the jobs I applied for was for the web architect at what was then LDS Business College. Over the next few months, I continued to apply for jobs and get some interviews, but mostly rejections.
Near the end of March, I received a phone call from the college stating that they wanted to interview me. I had forgotten I had applied there. I accepted the interview and was excited about the prospects. After the interview, they stated they wanted to hire me, and we would be moving to Utah.
It wasn't until many years after we started praying for this blessing that our prayers were finally answered. The Lord had heard our prayers that whole time. According to His timing, He led me to the job that has since blessed our family immensely. Looking back, I see that many events and other things had to happen first. I am grateful for the Lord and His timing.
Remember that God is always with us. When we understand the status codes of prayer, we will always understand what He is trying to tell us [MH13] . Whether it be a more immediate yes or no answer, or He expects us to move forward with faith and continue along the path, He will always be our guide [MH14] .
I know that God is real. He does love each one of us. I bear witness of this fact. I say these things in the name of our loving Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
[i] See HTTP response status codes
[ii] Some of the books that cover this are 1 Kings , 2 Kings , 2 Chronicles , Isaiah , Jeremiah , Ezekiel , etc.
[iii] See Acts 9:1-22
[iv] See Mosiah 27:8-20
[v] See D&C 9:7-9
[vi] See 3 Nephi 14:7-8
[vii] See Joseph Smith — History 1:8,11-13 ; emphasis added
[viii] Russell M. Nelson, “ Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives ,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 95; quoting Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 132.
[ix] Jeffrey R. Holland, “ Wrong Roads ”; see also Matthew Holland, “ Wrong Roads and Revelation ,” New Era, July 2005
[x] See 1 Nephi 3-4
I look forward to every General Conference. One of the speakers I particularly enjoy and anticipate is Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf. There was a time when I wanted to be a pilot, so Elder Uchtdorf’s aviation analogies are of great interest to me. I like how he uses aviation to help us better understand various points of the gospel. I also enjoy using analogies in my talks, although not being a pilot, I won't attempt to use one based on aviation. I’m afraid that it would crash. So, I’ll leave that to the experts. Instead, I will use something I am more familiar with—the web.
Just like aviation, the web is something we're all familiar with. We practically use it every day. In fact, the web is so pervasive that it's hard to go about our day-to-day activities without using something that relies on it. Even my fridge at home is connected. At some point, all of us have heard of about the technologies that make up the web like CSS, JavaScript, HTML, web server, etc.
I'm going to focus my talk on something most of you have probably never heard of, but it is vital to how the web works. You have [MH1] probably seen the letters HTTP or HTTPS when entering an address for a website. These letters stand for a protocol that your browser, and other web-connected technologies, use to communicate with each other. One [MH2] aspect of this protocol is that when a request is made, the server returns a status code about the request. The status code indicates whether the request was successful, if the requester needs to look elsewhere, or if there was an error. These are called HTTP status codes. [i]
For simplicity’s sake, I will not concentrate on any individual one because there are a lot. However, I'll focus on the four most commonly used groups:
· 200 - The request was successful.
· 300 - The server or client must look elsewhere to find what was requested.
· 400 - There was an error on the client side when trying to process the request.
· 500 - There was an error on the server side when trying to process the request. [MH3]
Most of the time these status codes are hidden from us as we are go about using the web. However, there are times when they do show up. How many of us have gone to a website only to hit a page that says 404, page not found? In this case, the website had a page set up to catch this status code to inform users that the address or asset they were looking for couldn’t be found [MH4] .
There's another thing that we should be doing multiple times a day that also has status codes, in a way. That is prayer. Luckily for us, these status codes are not designed to be hidden like HTTP’s. They are:
· 200 - Yes.
· 300 - No immediate answer, or the time isn't right.
· 400 - No. [MH5]
You may notice that there is not a 500 status code in this list [MH6] . This is because in HTTP the codes in the 500 group are given when a server runs into an issue trying to process a request. This doesn't apply to God. He always tries to give us mercy when he can and wants to communicate with His children, even to the worst of sinners. There are many examples of this in the scriptures. For example, in the Old Testament Heavenly Father tried for years to get the tribes of Israel and Judah to repent by sending many prophets. [ii] In the New Testament, we learn about the Lord appearing to Saul, who later became Paul, one of the fiercest persecutors of the early Saints. [iii] In the Book of Mormon, we learn about the rebellious Alma the Younger and how the Lord showed him mercy by sending him an angel because of the people’s many prayers. [iv] Remember, Heavenly Father is always there. He wants to be near you [MH7] .
The scriptures and messages from modern-day prophets give us good guidance on how we should pray. When we need guidance, Heavenly Father expects us to do our homework. He wants us to include Him in our research, as we ponder, and as we search for an answer. After we have come to a conclusion, then we should come to Him in prayer asking if it is right.
While helping Joseph Smith to translate the Book of Mormon, Oliver Cowdery desired to gain the gift of translation. After not being able to translate at that time, he received the following instruction from the Lord, “Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But, behold, I say unto you, that 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. But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong…” [v] [MH8]
There will be other times where we need strength, a loved one needs divine help, or have some other need, fear, concern or longing of the heart. We should just get down on our knees and pour out our soul to Him.
When visiting the people in the Americas, the Lord stated: “ Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. [MH9] ” [vi]
Joseph Smith shows an example of this during his search for which church to join when he was 14 years old. He stated, “ During this time of great excitement, my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep and often poignant, still I kept myself aloof from all these parties, though I attended their several meetings as often as occasion would permit. … While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. …I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; … At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to “ask of God,” concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom and would give liberally and not upbraid, I might venture [MH10] .” [vii]
After we have prayed, we need to stop and be prepared to receive an answer. President Russell M. Nelson touched on this saying, “ Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will ‘grow into the principle of revelation. [MH11] ’” [viii]
This is the point where you should sit still and listen. Through the Holy Ghost, you may receive a confirmation that what you've asked for is right, or some clear direction on how to proceed—in other words, a 200 status code, or a yes. Other times, you may feel uneasy, disturbed, or just not right about what you asked for. This would be a 400 status code, or a no.
While the Lord does indeed answer every prayer, it might not be what we thought we would get, what we were expecting, or even want. The Lord will always give us an answer that we need.
There's a story that comes to mind, told by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, about getting an answer that turned out not to be what they expected. Let's watch a short video where he tells this story: [MH12] Wrong Roads [ix] .
There will be many times when all we receive is just a feeling of peace. Some reassurance. Outside of that, there appears to be no real direction. What you got is a 300 status code, which is no immediate answer, or the time is not yet. What now?
One of the best examples of what to do is found in the Book of Mormon. As you may know, Nephi, along with his brothers, was asked by the Lord, through their father Lehi, to retrieve the brass plates from Laban back in Jerusalem. They formulated a plan to simply ask Laban for them. This responsibility fell on Laman. As you know, this did not turn out well, and Laban got mad at Laman and drove him off. They decided to try again, and it is my guess, by attempting to buy the plates with their precious things. However, Laban lusted after their wealth and drove them off again, forcing them to leave their possessions behind. At this point, Laman and Lemuel were furious and started to beat their brothers. An angel appeared to them and told them to return to fetch the plates. My guess is that Laman and Lemuel felt helpless and they thought they had tried everything, and so began to complain. Nephi, knowing that they were commanded by the Lord to get the brass plates, comforted his brothers and went into Jerusalem alone, not knowing what to do or where to go. He fully relied on his faith in the Lord. It wasn't until he encountered Laban passed out in the road that the Lord told him what to do. [x]
“The point?” states Elder Holland in the October 2020 General Conference, “The point is that faith means trusting God in good times and bad, even if that includes some suffering until we see His arm revealed in our behalf. That can be difficult in our modern world when many have come to believe that the highest good in life is to avoid all suffering, that no one should ever anguish over anything. But that belief will never lead us to 'the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.'”
Even when there appears to be no direction forward or that it might become extremely difficult, continue to trust in the Lord. From both Elder Holland's and Nephi's experiences, we learn that the Lord wants us to exercise our faith. As long as we put our trust in Him, He’ll not let us stray too far off the straight and narrow path. He'll guide us along our journey. This is a truth I know all too well.
Before I came to Ensign College, my family and I lived in Flagstaff, AZ. I worked for Northern Arizona University as a support system analyst for many years earning just enough money to get by most months. We spent many hours over many years on our knees, pleading with the Lord to help me find a job that would better provide for our young family. Just about a year after my youngest daughter was born, we were forced to move into a more expensive rental. I had to get a second job to cover the cost, meaning I was away from my wife and four young children for up to 70 hours a week.
During this time, I applied for many jobs and had many interviews, but nothing seemed to work out. We kept moving forward the best we could. In January 2014, one Saturday while working at Best Buy in Flagstaff, I was talking to my supervisor about jobs. During that conversation, I felt a strong impression that I should start looking again. Despite having failed many times before, I decided to follow this prompting.
During that conversation, we talked about working for the railroad, so I applied there first. After this, I continued applying for various jobs. One of the jobs I applied for was for the web architect at what was then LDS Business College. Over the next few months, I continued to apply for jobs and get some interviews, but mostly rejections.
Near the end of March, I received a phone call from the college stating that they wanted to interview me. I had forgotten I had applied there. I accepted the interview and was excited about the prospects. After the interview, they stated they wanted to hire me, and we would be moving to Utah.
It wasn't until many years after we started praying for this blessing that our prayers were finally answered. The Lord had heard our prayers that whole time. According to His timing, He led me to the job that has since blessed our family immensely. Looking back, I see that many events and other things had to happen first. I am grateful for the Lord and His timing.
Remember that God is always with us. When we understand the status codes of prayer, we will always understand what He is trying to tell us [MH13] . Whether it be a more immediate yes or no answer, or He expects us to move forward with faith and continue along the path, He will always be our guide [MH14] .
I know that God is real. He does love each one of us. I bear witness of this fact. I say these things in the name of our loving Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
[i] See HTTP response status codes
[ii] Some of the books that cover this are 1 Kings , 2 Kings , 2 Chronicles , Isaiah , Jeremiah , Ezekiel , etc.
[iii] See Acts 9:1-22
[iv] See Mosiah 27:8-20
[v] See D&C 9:7-9
[vi] See 3 Nephi 14:7-8
[vii] See Joseph Smith — History 1:8,11-13 ; emphasis added
[viii] Russell M. Nelson, “ Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives ,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 95; quoting Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 132.
[ix] Jeffrey R. Holland, “ Wrong Roads ”; see also Matthew Holland, “ Wrong Roads and Revelation ,” New Era, July 2005
[x] See 1 Nephi 3-4