The Lord always answers our prayers—he just doesn’t do it according to our understanding or timetable. The Lord answers the prayers of Limhi’s people but he lets them suffer a little for their iniquities. The Lord has told us not to petition him only when we need him. Our prayers should reach the heavens in times of plenty as well as times of trouble. In speaking of the early saints in Missouri, the Lord said, They were slow to hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; therefore, the Lord their God is slow to hearken unto their prayers, to answer them in the day of their trouble. In the day of their peace they esteemed lightly my counsel; but in the day of their trouble, of necessity they feel after me (DC 101:7-8). Limhi’s people had been guilty of the same thing—they had esteemed lightly the counsel of the Lord, but in the day of their trouble, of necessity they felt after him.
Joseph Fielding Smith
“When we neglect this and other duties we do not have the same claim on the blessings of the Lord, and he has said if we are slow to hear him he may be slow to hear us in the hour of our trouble. (D. & C. 101:7-8.) The Lord was slow to hearken to the Nephites in their rebellion until they were humbled and so with the Israelites, and this happened repeatedly. We should profit by their example. In our praying we should seek to do the will of the Lord and not merely to reap some advantage or gratification which may not be the best for us. This is a very significant saying: ’Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall he given unto you, that is expedient for you; and if ye ask anything that is not expedient for you, it shall turn unto your condemnation.’ (DC 88:63-65) Therefore we should not be too insistent, but should pray earnestly seeking light and to know the will of the Lord, with an unselfish spirit. Then, with this spirit, will our bodies be filled with light.” (Church History and Modern Revelation, p. 135)