Living Water

I listened to this talk by Elder Bednar the other day.  He focuses on how to use a variety of techniques and patterns of scripture study to partake of the "living water" that Christ talks about in John 4:6-15.  Living Water is a symbol of Christ himself.

6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

What does it mean to "never thirst" if we drink of the Savior's living water?  In the eternal sense, Jesus is speaking about the eternal life that is promised to those that believe in Him (John 3:15-17).  That's a promise by itself that is worth looking toward.

The Gospel and Doctrine of Christ have current applications for our temporal well beings as well.  Christ's Living Water is available to us now, and is designed to support us in this life.  The water "springs up" to everlasting life, and in doing so can quench our thirst immediately.

This life is full of dry spells that result in thirst.  The trials we face do make us thirsty, which ought to lead us back to the source of living water that is constantly available and springing up for us.

We are here to learn.  The fallen nature of the world gives us plenty of opportunity to learn as we encounter wickedness, sin, folly--both our own and the choices of others.  Christ offers us the Living Water that enables us to overcome those trials, and to be happy and hopeful now in the midst of all the hardships that the world constantly offers and forces upon us.

Eternal Life is a wonderful thing to look forward to.  But I am most happy that Christ has drawn for me the water that is always available to me in a thirst-inducing world.  As I learn through trials to turn to him, that is what it means to never thirst.