My college student son, Matt, asked if we knew where in the works of Shakespeare it says, "A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse."  I got out our three-volume set of the complete works of Shakespeare and gave it to him.  His genetics professor had told the class that he'd give 5 extra points to anyone who could identify the source of the quote.  We thought that perhaps we could find the quote by locating a story about a king.  We found, however, that Shakespeare wrote histories about numerous English kings.  We gave up the search.

The next morning I was looking for something in my journals.  I happened upon an entry concerning two lost wallets, and how they were both miraculously found after prayers asking for that specific blessing.  The Shakespeare books were sitting there beside me, so I said, "Heavenly Father, Matt would really like to know the source of this quote.  Thou knowest where it is, and if it's important, would thou show me where to find it?"  I then looked at the pile of three books, and thoughtfully chose the middle one.  I opened it and found a one-paragraph synopsis of the history of some king.  I read it because it was kind of interesting.  I then turned two pages and read "King Richard III, 'A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse, Act V, Scene IV.' "  I turned to that reference and found King Richard on foot in the midst of a battle with the French.  His horse had been slain, and he cried out "A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse."

Those books of Shakespeare contain 1320 pages of fine print.

I told my family about my experience.  Another of my sons said, "I'm surprised that he reads Shakespeare."

I said, "Who, the professor?"

"No, Heavenly Father."

The moral of the story is that Heavenly Father not only knows everything, but each of us.  He cares not only about our major concerns, but about the smallest details.  He says repeatedly in the scriptures, "Seek and ye shall find, ask and it shall be opened unto you."  Probably nothing is more repeated in the scriptures than that.  I think that He really means it.

As I think about it, there are other lessons to be learned from the story.  A good one involves King Richard III.  His brother, King Edward IV of England, died in the spring of 1483.  Upon his death, Edward's 12-year-old son became king, and was left in the care of Richard.  Richard was named protector of the realm.  All that was standing in the way of Richard himself becoming king were this 12-year-old king and his younger brother.  Richard had the two boys put in the Tower of London, and they were never heard of again.  Richard was crowned king in July 1483.

Richard's reign was short-lived.  Two years later Richard found himself fighting the Battle of Bosworth Field in a vain attempt to remain on the throne.  This was the deciding battle in the 30-year-long Wars of the Roses.  It was in the midst of this battle that Richard found himself afoot, and made the specious promise that he would trade his kingdom for a horse.  No one took him up on the offer, and he was killed.

Do you suppose that Richard would really have given his kingdom in exchange for a horse?  This is the man who reputedly had his two young nephews killed so that he could become king in their stead.  Had someone been gracious enough to give him a horse in the midst of the battle, and had that person himself survived the battle, would Richard have had the integrity to keep his word?

People who are without integrity don't keep promises.  The promises that they make are specious—false—and are only made to further their own positions.  Note how king Laman kept his promise in the 23rd chapter of Mosiah:

Alma, the elder, and his people were peacefully tilling their fields when an army of the Lamanites appeared in the borders of the land.  The army was lost in the wilderness, and couldn't find their way home.  They "promised unto Alma and his brethren, that if they would show them the way which led to the land of Nephi that they would grant unto them their lives and their liberty.

"But after Alma had shown them the way that led to the land of Nephi the Lamanites would not keep their promise; but they set guards round about the land…over Alma and his brethren."  (Mosiah 23:36-37).  The people of Alma were subsequently severely persecuted, became virtual slaves and beasts of burden, and were only delivered by the Lord's miraculous intervention.

King Laman and King Richard were following the pattern set down by Lucifer, the arch deceiver.  Lucifer showed Jesus "all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me."  (Matthew 4:8-9).  Sure.

Zeezrom tempted Amulek by saying:  "Behold, here are six onties of silver (which was a great deal of money), and all these will I give thee if thou wilt deny the existence of a Supreme Being."  (Alma 11:22).

Amulek saw through the lie and declared, "Thou hadst it in thy heart to retain them from me; and it was only thy desire that I should deny the true and living God, that thou mightest have cause to destroy me."  (Alma 11:25).

We're offered many specious promises today whose purpose is to destroy us.  The promises might involve false feelings of well-being from drugs or alcohol.  The promises might involve wealth without working, or purchases that need only be paid for at some distant date in the future.  It might be a promise from a friend that only once won't hurt you.  The promise might come from an entity or person that you'd be inclined to trust.  The entity might be the government trying to sell you a lottery ticket, or it might be a man repeatedly proclaiming that he's a Christian, and that he would never cheat you.  People who find it necessary to point out their Christianity are suspect in my book.

On the other hand are the promises of the Lord.  These are issued through prophets, and are always kept in every particular.  If the Lord says, "Repent or be destroyed," that nation, city or person had better pay attention.  If the Lord says, "Keep my commandments, and ye shall prosper in the land," as He says at least 24 times in the Book of Mormon, you can be assured that He will keep His promise.  He says, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."  (Matthew 7:7).  He means it, and caps the promise with these words:  "Whatsoever things ye shall ask the Father in my name shall be given unto you."  (3 Nephi 27: 28).

We would do well to hitch our trust to the Lord.  Trust Him in all that He says through His prophets.  He has perfect integrity.  We must, too.  Be careful of those who lack integrity.  Their word and their promises are no promises at all.  They might promise you a kingdom in exchange for a horse, but they'll never deliver.

The Lord, on the other hand, counsels us to receive His servants, "For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me;

"And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father;

"And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father's kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.  (D&C 84: 36-38).

This you can count on.