“Be careful what you wish for,” is familiar enough advice that it usually elicits the same cause-and-effect response, “you just might get it.” The prophet Alma seemed to understand this principle a little clearer than most. You have likely heard the expression before, and possibly even used it yourself. But how much do you believe it?
“O that I were an angel,” is an intriguing exclamation by Alma, in chapter 29 of his record, when you compare it with the history that preceded and succeeded this statement.
We learn from the record of King Mosiah that Alma was a “wicked and idolatrous man,” and, “he led many of the people to do after the manner of his iniquities.” (Mosiah 27:8) His friends, the four sons of Mosiah did much to destroy the church of God. They were “the very vilest of sinners.” (Mosiah 28:4) Alma, himself later states that he rebelled against God and “murdered many of his children, or rather led them away to destruction.” (Alma 36:13-14) But he changed.
Not long after the peak of Alma’s wickedness was this statement made about him, “Alma did walk in the ways of the Lord, and he did keep his commandments….” (Mosiah 29:43) The reason for the change was a visit by an angel in answer to his father’s prayers. In this visit, Alma was severely chastened. He became weak and helpless for three days. However, in this experience, the words of the angel awoke in him a realization of his misplaced desires along with the eternal consequences that were bound fast to his choices. One thing that makes Alma unique is how quickly he fully repented and began to repair the damage he had caused.
Between ten and twenty years later, Alma, as the high priest over the church, visited a city of people who lived after the manner of his former example. The people of Ammonihah were hardhearted and wicked, and they refused to listen to Alma. As Alma was weighed down by the burden of confronting the effects of his own sins a second time, through the sins of those people, an angel again appeared to him. It was the same angel that visited him before. The angel encouraged Alma and commanded him to return to Ammonihah again because there were people who yet needed to be saved, just as Alma had.
Alma knew the power of an angel. He also knew that he had personally done terrible damage in his earlier years. Recognizing that Alma was the beneficiary of a ministering angel on at least two occasions adds great significance to his wish. “O that I were an Angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people.” (Alma 29:1)
A unique detail of Alma’s story is the fact that the manner of his death is not fully known. In abridging the Nephite record, Mormon said that Alma departed out of the land and was never heard of more. “As to his death or burial we know not of. Behold, this we know, that he was a righteous man; and the saying went abroad in the church that he was taken up by the Spirit, or buried by the hand of the Lord, even as Moses.” If that were the case, Alma got his wish.
While the history of Alma is interesting and worth reading, particularly the role that angels played in his life, it is not the part that I tend to focus on most. For me, the most important part about his story is the lesson on desire.
In the few verses that follow Alma 29:1, Alma says he sins in his wish because he ought to be content and isn’t. In verse 4 he says that Father grants unto men according to their desires with decrees that are unalterable. The word unalterable has a certain sense of finality – not that he will decree a judgment on us that is unfair, but that he will ultimately give us exactly what we want, because he is more than fair. This type of decree merits a closer look at what desire really is.
One may argue that desire is merely wanting. Perhaps it is. Yet we may receive according to our desires proportionately to their magnitude. Thus if our desires are great, the likelihood that we will realize them increases dramatically.
If a person who is close to death has a desire to live, and has any hope of doing so, their efforts to ensure that they do will likely be anything but casual. Survival becomes almost instinctive. People are willing to do almost anything to preserve their lives when they desire to avoid death. Whether it is our lives or other needs that we are willing to protect and preserve, we guard the things that are dearest to us. We keep these things carefully secured within the room our hearts with our desires. “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:21)
Our desires and passions typically lead us to action. Just as faith without works is dead, desire without action may only be whimsy. We are beings that do what we want. If we want to work, we do. If you don’t want to work, but go anyway, be the judge if you are really working or just going through the motions. If this is true, we can more carefully measure what our desires are, not by what we want, but by what we do.
It is so important for us to watch our thoughts, our words, and our deeds. Each of them eventually shapes our desires. Alfred Lord Tennyson said, “The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions.” Because this is true, and is consistent with what we are taught in scripture, it is worth a constant watch with accompanying prayer that we are not deceived. In addition to watching our desires, we need to watch for the adversary’s efforts to tempt us. A good friend of mine recently told me, “Desire is a good motivator, but like all things good, Satan loves to twist.” If we do not watch and pray always, Satan desires to have us, and he will use our desires to work against us rather than for us.
In contrast to the danger of misplaced desire, consider the instruction from the Lord to Joseph Smith regarding our wants. “And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things.” (D&C 88:67) As we focus on what the Lord wants, trusting that He truly wants us to be happy and is doing everything He possibly can to allow us that choice, our hearts change. They become new, and we become new creatures.
An interesting verse in the Book of Mormon tells us the importance of aligning our wants with God’s will. When Jesus appeared to the people on the American continent after His resurrection, He taught them to pray more sincerely. In 3 Nephi 19:24 we read that the people prayed without ceasing, and “they did not multiply many words, for it was given unto them what they should pray, and they were filled with desire. If our desires are not aligned with God’s we can ask for help to change. When we do, He can teach us how to pray more sincerely. He can fill us with desire to do what is right. But, this can only happen when we are willing to turn our hearts to Him. We have to be willing to align our eyes so they are single to His work and His glory – to bring about our eternal happiness and exaltation. To have faith in Him is to trust that He is always right.
Remember, that when Alma changed and turned his heart to God, his exquisite and bitter pains were replaced with exquisite and sweet joy. He was filled with marvelous light, and was born of God. It was after he turned his heart and tasted of the goodness of God, that he knew he would be supported under his trials, his troubles, and his afflictions, and would be lifted up at the last day. (Alma 36:3, 20-21, 23)
Moreover, Alma taught his son, “see that ye bridle all your passions that ye may be filled with love….” (Alma 38:12) As we do, we learn to sing the song of redeeming love. The atonement becomes active in our lives and our hearts are sanctified that we cannot look upon sin except with abhorrence. In this process, we truly become like our Father.
Desires are a beautiful thing. They enhance the spiritual experience Father intended each of us to have on this earth. These desires are divinely given to help us become like Him. It is imperative that we remember why they are given so that we don’t consume them upon our lusts. Father has decreed that He will grant us according to our desires. Alma taught that what He grants is our choice, “whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yet decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction.” (Alma 29:4) We are always safe when we choose to look to Father, ready to listen and obey.
Be careful what you desire, because your life will inevitably go wherever your desires may lead. That much has been decreed.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
Monday, November 16, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Prone to Wander
Everyone should wear a blindfold once in a while. You learn to trust your remaining senses when you can’t see with your eyes. You discover new things. Just be careful where you go when you choose not to see. I will never be able to think about blindfolds again without thinking about Washington Lake.
Years ago, when I was a Scoutmaster, I took a troop of Boy Scouts on a camping trip in the Uinta National Forest in Utah. One activity, a simple five mile hike, will always be a favorite Scouting memory for me. The hike involved maps, compasses, and blindfolds. The Assistant Scoutmaster, who was a good friend of mine, assisted me in tying blindfolds on each of our Scouts. We then drove to our starting point and helped the boys get out of the vehicle. With compasses and maps in hand, we led them through a grassy meadow in the forest until my vehicle was no longer in sight. That is when the blindfolds came off.
The instructions that followed were simple. “Okay, find your way back to camp.” That was it. We told them that our camp at Washington Lake was about five miles away, but no more. Like a boomerang, this retrieved some looks that varied from incredulity to worry, and then to something that conveyed the meaning, “You are joking, right?” Nope. It was no joke. We stayed with the boys to make sure they didn’t do anything stupid (not that boys would do such a thing if left to their own devices.) We didn’t offer much help.
The first few attempts at trying to figure out what to do weren’t very fruitful. We went a few paces this way, followed by a few paces that way, and then the boys did a few paces in their minds before coming to a complete stop. In addition to temporarily losing sight, some lost their confidence. Things were topsy-turvy. Those that were used to leading by popularity were suddenly confused, while those who liked to think emerged as new leaders.
Without giving anything away – and we were pretty stingy with our advice – we suggested that they look for landmarks they might recognize on the map. At that point they couldn’t see any landmarks because we were still surrounded by forest. So, we gave one more suggestion. “Why not climb some place higher where you might be able to see better?” That was the first principle that got things started.
On higher ground, the boys identified some small ponds, streams, and mountains that might be on their maps. They were guesses to start with, but they were at least attempts to see how they fit into the context of the map. This was the second principle we wanted them to learn.
From there, the guess work continued. They deduced that this pond and that stream next to that mountain could either be this place on the map or that one. Believing that the map was valid, they took some risks to see if their guesses were right. This was the third thing we hoped they would learn, and it worked. Some of their guesses were better than others. Occasionally we would have to back track because of an error. For the most part, though, they did pretty good.
Our boys learned how to use their tools with a little intuition, which I think is a really good combination. The compasses were generally helpful to make sure that we were still going the right direction when we had to descend back into the trees of the forest. The maps gave us some indication of how far we might have to go before finding the next landmark. Our intuition gave us the drive to keep going when we weren’t quite sure if we were still on track.
Fortunately, the fourth thing we hoped they would discover worked out as well. After a few hours of walking with nosebleeds, scratches, and mild dehydration, we successfully arrived back at our camp. They had a new appreciation for Washington Lake. It was nice to be some place with more certainty, comfort, and of course, food.
I have often looked back at that experience with gratitude. It was definitely one worth keeping in my pocket. There was really only one thing we wanted the boys to discover when we started, and that was how to get back to camp. The other three things sort of came up as we went along. While they were principles that my friend and I had learned when we were younger, we hadn’t identified them as specific things we hoped to teach. You might say that we learned to teach by doing, just as our Scouts learned to hike through their own experience. Perhaps that is another reason why that trip was so memorable. Both the teachers and the learners were edified.
Reflecting on this story caused me to think of the words from one of my favorite hymns, “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” Transposing a couple of the lines from the second verse, it says, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love…” “Let thy goodness, as a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to thee.”
Like my Scouts, I wonder how inclined I am to wander when I don’t’ take an appropriate guide. It is in our natures to choose things that are often not in our best interest. Left to our own devices, we seem to be attracted and enticed by things that will do us harm. I am learning that it is not because the things we choose are always wrong, as much as how we try to meet our needs. We are learning to make appropriate choices, which often involves some risk. When I make mistakes by choice, I am often prone to wander.
Moses led the ancient Israelites out of Egypt, just so they could experience what it is like to wander for forty years. I’m sure that isn’t quite what he had in mind when he told Pharaoh, “Let my people go,” but there they were. Moses was weary, and the people were weary, and it took a long time to do it. They had two choices, to wander or not to wander. They chose to harden their hearts against their guide, the Great I Am.
On one occasion when the Israelites were whining about wandering, “the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people,” and many of them died. They repented a little and asked Moses to pray for them, so he did. The Lord then told Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole” so that “every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.” (Numbers 21:5-9) Sadly, because of the hardness of their hearts, in spite of the easiness of the way, they did not believe and would not look and live, therefore they perished.
Sometimes we blindfold ourselves without meaning to. We become blinded by our appetites, our desires, and our ambitions. We set our hearts upon the things of this world so much that we fail to recognize the voice of the Master. Then, before we are aware, we are left to our own devices, “to kick against the pricks… and fight against God.” (D&C 121:35, 38)
It is hard to see afar off until we get to higher ground. When we elevate our thoughts to be more in line with Father’s, we can see much clearer. We begin to recognize where we are because of landmarks that were meant to be familiar. If we are wise, these landmarks will encourage us to look for the Savior in the symbols, and then act.
Until I become perfect, I am still growing and learning. I am still like a little child that needs to depend on my Father for direction, because I know that He knows all things. Until I can see further past the forest, I am learning to trust His all-seeing eyes. In those moments when I forget, I wonder just how long I wander. Hopefully it is not forty years.
The ancient American prophet, Alma, taught us to “Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good.” (Alma 37:37) Similarly, the prophet Jacob taught, “seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works.” (Jacob 4:10)
Like the Scout hike in the Uintas, each of us can remove our blindfolds and use the tools we have been given. We have the prophets who can see afar off and will give us direction. Thankfully, they are not very stingy, but prefer to share with the whole world. We also have good maps of scripture that help us identify landmarks for our faith. We have a moral compass which is enhanced by the Gift of the Holy Ghost to point us in the right direction. And finally, we have our agency that can be applied intuitively to our circumstances.
Whether it is living prophets, the scriptures of old, or the Holy Ghost that speaks to our hearts, they all speak the words of Christ. Our intuition is only as good as our faith, heed, and diligence in following His voice.
Alma continues by telling us that these things are not without a shadow. For, “it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to [us] a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for [his] fathers” to follow the Liahona, or for a troop of Scouts to follow their compasses. If it was easy for the Israelites to look at a serpent on a staff and live, can it be any easier for us to pick up the scriptures and read so we might live? Or perhaps we prefer wandering, merely because we are prone to do so. As Jesus said, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 11:15)
If I choose not to blindfold my eyes, I hope it is so that I can use the tools I have been given. When I choose to wear a blindfold once in a while, hopefully it is so I can trust Father’s eyes all the more.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
Years ago, when I was a Scoutmaster, I took a troop of Boy Scouts on a camping trip in the Uinta National Forest in Utah. One activity, a simple five mile hike, will always be a favorite Scouting memory for me. The hike involved maps, compasses, and blindfolds. The Assistant Scoutmaster, who was a good friend of mine, assisted me in tying blindfolds on each of our Scouts. We then drove to our starting point and helped the boys get out of the vehicle. With compasses and maps in hand, we led them through a grassy meadow in the forest until my vehicle was no longer in sight. That is when the blindfolds came off.
The instructions that followed were simple. “Okay, find your way back to camp.” That was it. We told them that our camp at Washington Lake was about five miles away, but no more. Like a boomerang, this retrieved some looks that varied from incredulity to worry, and then to something that conveyed the meaning, “You are joking, right?” Nope. It was no joke. We stayed with the boys to make sure they didn’t do anything stupid (not that boys would do such a thing if left to their own devices.) We didn’t offer much help.
The first few attempts at trying to figure out what to do weren’t very fruitful. We went a few paces this way, followed by a few paces that way, and then the boys did a few paces in their minds before coming to a complete stop. In addition to temporarily losing sight, some lost their confidence. Things were topsy-turvy. Those that were used to leading by popularity were suddenly confused, while those who liked to think emerged as new leaders.
Without giving anything away – and we were pretty stingy with our advice – we suggested that they look for landmarks they might recognize on the map. At that point they couldn’t see any landmarks because we were still surrounded by forest. So, we gave one more suggestion. “Why not climb some place higher where you might be able to see better?” That was the first principle that got things started.
On higher ground, the boys identified some small ponds, streams, and mountains that might be on their maps. They were guesses to start with, but they were at least attempts to see how they fit into the context of the map. This was the second principle we wanted them to learn.
From there, the guess work continued. They deduced that this pond and that stream next to that mountain could either be this place on the map or that one. Believing that the map was valid, they took some risks to see if their guesses were right. This was the third thing we hoped they would learn, and it worked. Some of their guesses were better than others. Occasionally we would have to back track because of an error. For the most part, though, they did pretty good.
Our boys learned how to use their tools with a little intuition, which I think is a really good combination. The compasses were generally helpful to make sure that we were still going the right direction when we had to descend back into the trees of the forest. The maps gave us some indication of how far we might have to go before finding the next landmark. Our intuition gave us the drive to keep going when we weren’t quite sure if we were still on track.
Fortunately, the fourth thing we hoped they would discover worked out as well. After a few hours of walking with nosebleeds, scratches, and mild dehydration, we successfully arrived back at our camp. They had a new appreciation for Washington Lake. It was nice to be some place with more certainty, comfort, and of course, food.
I have often looked back at that experience with gratitude. It was definitely one worth keeping in my pocket. There was really only one thing we wanted the boys to discover when we started, and that was how to get back to camp. The other three things sort of came up as we went along. While they were principles that my friend and I had learned when we were younger, we hadn’t identified them as specific things we hoped to teach. You might say that we learned to teach by doing, just as our Scouts learned to hike through their own experience. Perhaps that is another reason why that trip was so memorable. Both the teachers and the learners were edified.
Reflecting on this story caused me to think of the words from one of my favorite hymns, “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” Transposing a couple of the lines from the second verse, it says, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love…” “Let thy goodness, as a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to thee.”
Like my Scouts, I wonder how inclined I am to wander when I don’t’ take an appropriate guide. It is in our natures to choose things that are often not in our best interest. Left to our own devices, we seem to be attracted and enticed by things that will do us harm. I am learning that it is not because the things we choose are always wrong, as much as how we try to meet our needs. We are learning to make appropriate choices, which often involves some risk. When I make mistakes by choice, I am often prone to wander.
Moses led the ancient Israelites out of Egypt, just so they could experience what it is like to wander for forty years. I’m sure that isn’t quite what he had in mind when he told Pharaoh, “Let my people go,” but there they were. Moses was weary, and the people were weary, and it took a long time to do it. They had two choices, to wander or not to wander. They chose to harden their hearts against their guide, the Great I Am.
On one occasion when the Israelites were whining about wandering, “the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people,” and many of them died. They repented a little and asked Moses to pray for them, so he did. The Lord then told Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole” so that “every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.” (Numbers 21:5-9) Sadly, because of the hardness of their hearts, in spite of the easiness of the way, they did not believe and would not look and live, therefore they perished.
Sometimes we blindfold ourselves without meaning to. We become blinded by our appetites, our desires, and our ambitions. We set our hearts upon the things of this world so much that we fail to recognize the voice of the Master. Then, before we are aware, we are left to our own devices, “to kick against the pricks… and fight against God.” (D&C 121:35, 38)
It is hard to see afar off until we get to higher ground. When we elevate our thoughts to be more in line with Father’s, we can see much clearer. We begin to recognize where we are because of landmarks that were meant to be familiar. If we are wise, these landmarks will encourage us to look for the Savior in the symbols, and then act.
Until I become perfect, I am still growing and learning. I am still like a little child that needs to depend on my Father for direction, because I know that He knows all things. Until I can see further past the forest, I am learning to trust His all-seeing eyes. In those moments when I forget, I wonder just how long I wander. Hopefully it is not forty years.
The ancient American prophet, Alma, taught us to “Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good.” (Alma 37:37) Similarly, the prophet Jacob taught, “seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works.” (Jacob 4:10)
Like the Scout hike in the Uintas, each of us can remove our blindfolds and use the tools we have been given. We have the prophets who can see afar off and will give us direction. Thankfully, they are not very stingy, but prefer to share with the whole world. We also have good maps of scripture that help us identify landmarks for our faith. We have a moral compass which is enhanced by the Gift of the Holy Ghost to point us in the right direction. And finally, we have our agency that can be applied intuitively to our circumstances.
Whether it is living prophets, the scriptures of old, or the Holy Ghost that speaks to our hearts, they all speak the words of Christ. Our intuition is only as good as our faith, heed, and diligence in following His voice.
Alma continues by telling us that these things are not without a shadow. For, “it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to [us] a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for [his] fathers” to follow the Liahona, or for a troop of Scouts to follow their compasses. If it was easy for the Israelites to look at a serpent on a staff and live, can it be any easier for us to pick up the scriptures and read so we might live? Or perhaps we prefer wandering, merely because we are prone to do so. As Jesus said, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 11:15)
If I choose not to blindfold my eyes, I hope it is so that I can use the tools I have been given. When I choose to wear a blindfold once in a while, hopefully it is so I can trust Father’s eyes all the more.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
Sunday, November 1, 2009
To Behold What Isaiah Saw
If you have read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover, have you every wondered why an ancient American prophet would find the writings of Isaiah so important that he would include a third of them in his personal record? Just under 5% of the Book of Mormon quotes or makes reference to this prophet of Israel. Few prophets have been quoted as much as Isaiah in any book of scripture, particularly by the Savior, Jesus Christ, himself.
Ironically, if you are like me, you have heard many running jokes about how difficult these writings are to understand and apply. Misunderstanding may be like the prickly part of a pineapple that surrounds a delicious fruit. Regrettably, this difficulty stops many from going deeper than the surface.
Personally, I find the writings of Isaiah to be exquisite and beautiful. While I don’t pretend to understand everything, I have learned a few simple keys that unlock the fruit and make it easier to digest. First, consider why the fruit is worth the effort.
Early in the writings of Nephi, we learn that he was commanded by the Lord to keep two separate records. The Large Plates of Nephi contain the record of his father, their journeyings in the wilderness, and the history of Nephi’s people. The Small Plates of Nephi contain a record of his ministry and his prophecies, as well as the prophecies of Isaiah, because they will more fully persuade us to believe in Jesus Christ. Nephi teaches us to liken these scriptures to ourselves that we may also find hope in the promises of the Lord. (1 Nephi 19:23-24)
Near the conclusion of the Book of Mormon, Moroni finishes the record of his father, Mormon, and gives us some council relative to these writings. In Mormon 8:23, he says, “Search the prophecies of Isaiah. … those saints who have gone before me… shall cry, yea, even from the dust will they cry unto the Lord; and as the Lord liveth he will remember the covenant which he hath made with them.” Moroni knew that both the writings of Isaiah and the faith of his fathers in those writings would be fulfilled and would not be in vain.
In subsequent verses in this chapter, Moroni continues, “Behold, look ye unto the revelations of God; for behold, the time cometh at that day when all these things must be fulfilled. Behold, the Lord hath shown unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come, at that day when these things shall come forth among you. Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.” (Mormon 8:33-35) What wonderful instruction we have been given from a prophet who not only believed but has seen our day.
If it were not enough to have the validation of the first and last prophets to write in the Book of Mormon regarding Isaiah, the Savior, Himself, instructed us to search Isaiah’s writings with a promise that they would be fulfilled. During His visit to the ancient people of the Americas following His resurrection, He said, “Ye remember that I spake unto you, and said that when the words of Isaiah should be fulfilled — behold they are written, ye have them before you, therefore search them — And verily, verily, I say unto you, that when they shall be fulfilled then is the fulfilling of the covenant which the Father hath made unto his people, O house of Israel. And then shall the remnants, which shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth, be gathered in from the east and from the west, and from the south and from the north; and they shall be brought to the knowledge of the Lord their God, who hath redeemed them. (3 Nephi 20:11-13)
Jesus adds emphasis to this instruction in 3 Nephi 23:1-4, and Isaiah becomes the only prophet I know of whom the Lord commands us to search his writings specifically. “And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah. For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles. And all things that he spake have been and shall be, even according to the words which he spake. Therefore give heed to my words; write the things which I have told you; and according to the time and the will of the Father they shall go forth unto the Gentiles.”
Being told that Isaiah’s writings are important does not make them any easier to understand. If anything, it makes the task more daunting. When we are told to do something we don’t know how to do, it is not uncommon to freeze and do nothing. However, the prophet Nephi recognized this and provided some keys to help improve understanding so we can liken them to ourselves. 2 Nephi chapter 25 provides a summary of the things Nephi felt were important about Isaiah’s writings.
Key #1 – Look for Symbolism
Nephi said, “Now I, Nephi, do speak somewhat concerning the words which I have written, which have been spoken by the mouth of Isaiah. For behold, Isaiah spake many things which were hard for many of my people to understand; for they know not concerning the manner of prophesying among the Jews.” (2 Nephi 25:1) The manner of prophesying among the Jews often used symbolism – using an object that the people were familiar with to represent something else. The association enhanced meaning. While we may not be as familiar with the cedars of Lebanon today, we can still glean meaning from Isaiah’s reference.
In Isaiah 2, or 2 Nephi 12, Isaiah speaks about the proud who walk in their own way rather than walking in the light of the Lord. His reference to the cedars of Lebanon in verse 13 might be completely lost unless we realize it isn’t the cedars he is concerned with. In 2 Nephi 12:13 we read, “Yea, and the day of the Lord shall come upon all the cedars of Lebanon, for they are high and lifted up; and upon all the oaks of Bashan.” The important part of the verse is that the cedars are high and lifted up. In this chapter, other examples are cited, but it is the adjectives that are important, not the symbols. Lofty, haughtiness, proud, lifted up, and high are used repeatedly. While knowing what the symbols meant would provide additional insight and depth, Isaiah has already told us what the symbols mean.
Looking at this chapter as a whole provides a beautiful contrast between the work of God and the work of His children. While Isaiah refers to high mountains as a comparison of pride, he begins the chapter with a reference to the Lord’s mountain, or the holy temple – a subtle message that we should seek the Most High God rather than supplant him with our own ambition. In 2 Nephi 12:2-3 we read, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, when the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths….”
Because of his choice of contrast, perhaps Isaiah intended to suggest that we are proud when we do not worship in holy temples. Isaiah will often contrast symbols with other symbols.
Key #2 – Seek for the Spirit of Prophecy
Nephi describes the next key in 2 Nephi 25:4. “Wherefore, hearken, O my people, which are of the house of Israel, and give ear unto my words; for because the words of Isaiah are not plain unto you, nevertheless they are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy.”
The apostle John tells us “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:10) Remember, the spirit of prophecy was not intended to be a mystery. It is the role of the Holy Spirit to reveal the mysteries, not create them. When we receive a testimony of the Savior, we gain a comfort and an assurance of things that will happen that may not have happened yet. When we gain a knowledge about a law or principle of the gospel, such as tithing, we know the Lord will bless us for our sacrifice, based on previous experience in obeying the law.
Nephi tells us that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that “he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost….” (1 Nephi 10:18-19) The Lord may not reveal to us every detail of a mystery, but he will certainly show us the parts that are pertinent for our application, if we seek them. Thus, we don’t have to know everything, we only need to see the parts the Lord wishes for us to apply.
Pray for the spirit and look for applications without having to have a complete understanding. Look for the gist, not the full explanation. This, at least, is a great place to start.
Key #3 – Learn More about the Jews
Nephi explains that another difficulty in understanding Isaiah has to do with training. “Yea, and my soul delighteth in the words of Isaiah, for I came out from Jerusalem, and mine eyes hath beheld the things of the Jews, and I know that the Jews do understand the things of the prophets, and there is none other people that understand the things which were spoken unto the Jews like unto them, save it be that they are taught after the manner of the things of the Jews.” (2 Nephi 25:5)
Years ago, I remember asking my seminary teacher what would be the best way to be taught the manner of things the Jews were taught. His response was both profound and simple, and was something to the effect of, “Rather than take a class about the Jews, why not just study their scriptures. If you want to understand Isaiah, spend a little more time reading the Old Testament.” As you begin to understand their context, you will see allusions and references more clearly.
In Isaiah 7, or 2 Nephi 17, we learn of a little dilemma for the kingdom of Judah. “And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it. And it was told the house of David, saying: Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.” (2 Nephi 17:1-2)
If you don’t know anything about Jewish history, this passage will offer very little that can be applied to today. Between names, geography, and poetry, these first two verses of the chapter can be a little intimidating. Understanding Isaiah requires that the reader slow down a bit and focus a little more on what is being said. Anyone who loved and admired the teachings of Elder Neal A. Maxwell can appreciate the pace required to comprehend what is being said.
A few minutes in the Bible Dictionary looking under Israel, Kingdom of, will help unlock the meaning of this chapter. This summary will help explain how the kingdom of Israel was divided into two kingdoms. At the time of Isaiah, Ahaz was the king of Judah, or the southern kingdom. Unfriendly to the southern kingdom, Pekah, who was a prince of the northern kingdom had established an alliance or confederacy with the neighboring country of Syria. Their purpose was to depose Ahaz and set another king in his place. Simply put, there are three countries, two of which are plotting against the kingdom of Judah where the temple was.
The Lord tells Isaiah to meet with Ahaz and prophesy that the alliance will come to not. Isaiah also prophesies that the northern kingdom will no longer be a country within 65 years. He further warns Ahaz of a similar fate for Judah. History shows that the northern kingdom was carried away by Assyria and become known as the “lost tribes of Israel.” Part of the southern kingdom was later taken into captivity by Babylon with Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego, under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar.
In the following chapter, the Lord tells Isaiah, “Say ye not, A confederacy, to all to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.” The important thing for us to remember is not the geography lesson; it’s the idea that a confederacy against the Lord, or his people, is not a good idea. We are better off siding with God than turning to the world to form an alliance.
Look for the lesson hidden in the specifics.
Key #4 – Look at a Map
Most Nephites including Nephi’s brothers, Jacob and Joseph, had never been to Jerusalem. Nephi, however, lived in Jerusalem and knew concerning the regions round about. While Nephi chose not to teach his children after the manner of the Jews, he had insight into the scriptures that was helpful to understand. (2 Nephi 2:6)
A phrase that is used a number of times in the Old Testament, though not in Isaiah, is “from Dan even to Beer-sheba.” A look at the Bible Maps under The Division of the 12 Tribes will show that these two locations are at opposite extremes of Israel, Dan in the North, and Beersheba in the south. The expression is the equivalent of “from one end to the other.”
Isaiah will often make references to geographical locations. Sometimes these are very important, and sometimes they are merely used as examples that have no required relevance for our day. A good rule of thumb is to know where countries like Syria or Babylon are in relation to Israel. An awareness of some capitol cities can also be helpful. Understanding that Damascus is a city in Syria, or that Nineveh is the capitol of Assyria, will help bring meaning to Isaiah’s comparisons. Lesser known cities may not be as critical for the application. A good rule of thumb is to look for an obvious meaning. If it isn’t there, look to see if there is a general reason that Isaiah is giving a geography lesson. Chances are that his point really has nothing to do with geography.
Key #5 – Watch for the Signs
When Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith as a resurrected being to tell him about the record that he would translate, Moroni quoted the words of Isaiah and said his words were about to be fulfilled.
In addition to Moroni, Nephi gives us similar assurance that these words have great relevance to our day. In 2 Nephi 25:7-8 he said, “in the days that the prophecies of Isaiah shall be fulfilled men shall know of a surety, at the times when they shall come to pass. Wherefore, they are of worth unto the children of men, and he that supposeth that they are not, unto them will I speak particularly, and confine the words unto mine own people; for I know that they shall be of great worth unto them in the last days; for in that day shall they understand them; wherefore, for their good have I written them.”
Those who are watching will see and understand. While some things may not be as clear, as the prophecies of Isaiah begin to be fulfilled, they will be very clear and of great worth in the last days. Watching will allow us to make greater connections between our lives and the prophesies of hundreds of years ago.
Isaiah wrote during a time when the house of Israel was turning from the Lord. His purpose was to turn them back. Thus, his message contains important scriptures relating to the role and mission of Jesus Christ and the covenants He has made with His people. Many of those covenants would not be fulfilled in Isaiah’s time but would be remembered later, in our time.
Deciding to decipher Isaiah may be considered an act of faith. Like the parables the Savior taught, even his disciples didn’t understand them and had to ask what they meant. Each time they asked, Jesus taught them. After giving his disciples the parable of the sower, Jesus said, “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” His disciples asked why he spoke in parables, and he replied, “Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever receiveth, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever continueth not to receive, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
“And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of [Isaiah] which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive…. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not hear them.” (JST Matthew 13:9-18)
As I study Isaiah, I try to keep a few things in mind. The Savior himself commanded us to search his writings because of the power of the covenants made by the Father to His children. Moroni emphasized that these writings were about to be fulfilled. Nephi stated that his writings would be of great worth and he gave us some valuable keys to unlocking the meaning. Jesus tells us that we will only receive if we seek to understand, and to him who seeketh shall be given more.
Understanding doesn’t come all at once, but setting a course and following that direction consistently will help us arrive at the appropriate destination. It will help us to behold what Isaiah saw, both in understanding and in fulfillment of prophecies given hundreds of years ago.
In addition to understanding what Isaiah meant, I have gained great peace and comfort in knowing that God makes and keeps His covenants. Though we may forget Him from time to time, He does not forget us. “For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.” (2 Nephi 19:12, 17, 21) Father loves His children and He wants to bless them. Jesus has worked out an infinite sacrifice and has graven us on the palms of His hands. These images and symbols are real, and reading Isaiah makes beholding these things even clearer.
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Ironically, if you are like me, you have heard many running jokes about how difficult these writings are to understand and apply. Misunderstanding may be like the prickly part of a pineapple that surrounds a delicious fruit. Regrettably, this difficulty stops many from going deeper than the surface.
Personally, I find the writings of Isaiah to be exquisite and beautiful. While I don’t pretend to understand everything, I have learned a few simple keys that unlock the fruit and make it easier to digest. First, consider why the fruit is worth the effort.
Early in the writings of Nephi, we learn that he was commanded by the Lord to keep two separate records. The Large Plates of Nephi contain the record of his father, their journeyings in the wilderness, and the history of Nephi’s people. The Small Plates of Nephi contain a record of his ministry and his prophecies, as well as the prophecies of Isaiah, because they will more fully persuade us to believe in Jesus Christ. Nephi teaches us to liken these scriptures to ourselves that we may also find hope in the promises of the Lord. (1 Nephi 19:23-24)
Near the conclusion of the Book of Mormon, Moroni finishes the record of his father, Mormon, and gives us some council relative to these writings. In Mormon 8:23, he says, “Search the prophecies of Isaiah. … those saints who have gone before me… shall cry, yea, even from the dust will they cry unto the Lord; and as the Lord liveth he will remember the covenant which he hath made with them.” Moroni knew that both the writings of Isaiah and the faith of his fathers in those writings would be fulfilled and would not be in vain.
In subsequent verses in this chapter, Moroni continues, “Behold, look ye unto the revelations of God; for behold, the time cometh at that day when all these things must be fulfilled. Behold, the Lord hath shown unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come, at that day when these things shall come forth among you. Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.” (Mormon 8:33-35) What wonderful instruction we have been given from a prophet who not only believed but has seen our day.
If it were not enough to have the validation of the first and last prophets to write in the Book of Mormon regarding Isaiah, the Savior, Himself, instructed us to search Isaiah’s writings with a promise that they would be fulfilled. During His visit to the ancient people of the Americas following His resurrection, He said, “Ye remember that I spake unto you, and said that when the words of Isaiah should be fulfilled — behold they are written, ye have them before you, therefore search them — And verily, verily, I say unto you, that when they shall be fulfilled then is the fulfilling of the covenant which the Father hath made unto his people, O house of Israel. And then shall the remnants, which shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth, be gathered in from the east and from the west, and from the south and from the north; and they shall be brought to the knowledge of the Lord their God, who hath redeemed them. (3 Nephi 20:11-13)
Jesus adds emphasis to this instruction in 3 Nephi 23:1-4, and Isaiah becomes the only prophet I know of whom the Lord commands us to search his writings specifically. “And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah. For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles. And all things that he spake have been and shall be, even according to the words which he spake. Therefore give heed to my words; write the things which I have told you; and according to the time and the will of the Father they shall go forth unto the Gentiles.”
Being told that Isaiah’s writings are important does not make them any easier to understand. If anything, it makes the task more daunting. When we are told to do something we don’t know how to do, it is not uncommon to freeze and do nothing. However, the prophet Nephi recognized this and provided some keys to help improve understanding so we can liken them to ourselves. 2 Nephi chapter 25 provides a summary of the things Nephi felt were important about Isaiah’s writings.
Key #1 – Look for Symbolism
Nephi said, “Now I, Nephi, do speak somewhat concerning the words which I have written, which have been spoken by the mouth of Isaiah. For behold, Isaiah spake many things which were hard for many of my people to understand; for they know not concerning the manner of prophesying among the Jews.” (2 Nephi 25:1) The manner of prophesying among the Jews often used symbolism – using an object that the people were familiar with to represent something else. The association enhanced meaning. While we may not be as familiar with the cedars of Lebanon today, we can still glean meaning from Isaiah’s reference.
In Isaiah 2, or 2 Nephi 12, Isaiah speaks about the proud who walk in their own way rather than walking in the light of the Lord. His reference to the cedars of Lebanon in verse 13 might be completely lost unless we realize it isn’t the cedars he is concerned with. In 2 Nephi 12:13 we read, “Yea, and the day of the Lord shall come upon all the cedars of Lebanon, for they are high and lifted up; and upon all the oaks of Bashan.” The important part of the verse is that the cedars are high and lifted up. In this chapter, other examples are cited, but it is the adjectives that are important, not the symbols. Lofty, haughtiness, proud, lifted up, and high are used repeatedly. While knowing what the symbols meant would provide additional insight and depth, Isaiah has already told us what the symbols mean.
Looking at this chapter as a whole provides a beautiful contrast between the work of God and the work of His children. While Isaiah refers to high mountains as a comparison of pride, he begins the chapter with a reference to the Lord’s mountain, or the holy temple – a subtle message that we should seek the Most High God rather than supplant him with our own ambition. In 2 Nephi 12:2-3 we read, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, when the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths….”
Because of his choice of contrast, perhaps Isaiah intended to suggest that we are proud when we do not worship in holy temples. Isaiah will often contrast symbols with other symbols.
Key #2 – Seek for the Spirit of Prophecy
Nephi describes the next key in 2 Nephi 25:4. “Wherefore, hearken, O my people, which are of the house of Israel, and give ear unto my words; for because the words of Isaiah are not plain unto you, nevertheless they are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy.”
The apostle John tells us “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:10) Remember, the spirit of prophecy was not intended to be a mystery. It is the role of the Holy Spirit to reveal the mysteries, not create them. When we receive a testimony of the Savior, we gain a comfort and an assurance of things that will happen that may not have happened yet. When we gain a knowledge about a law or principle of the gospel, such as tithing, we know the Lord will bless us for our sacrifice, based on previous experience in obeying the law.
Nephi tells us that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that “he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost….” (1 Nephi 10:18-19) The Lord may not reveal to us every detail of a mystery, but he will certainly show us the parts that are pertinent for our application, if we seek them. Thus, we don’t have to know everything, we only need to see the parts the Lord wishes for us to apply.
Pray for the spirit and look for applications without having to have a complete understanding. Look for the gist, not the full explanation. This, at least, is a great place to start.
Key #3 – Learn More about the Jews
Nephi explains that another difficulty in understanding Isaiah has to do with training. “Yea, and my soul delighteth in the words of Isaiah, for I came out from Jerusalem, and mine eyes hath beheld the things of the Jews, and I know that the Jews do understand the things of the prophets, and there is none other people that understand the things which were spoken unto the Jews like unto them, save it be that they are taught after the manner of the things of the Jews.” (2 Nephi 25:5)
Years ago, I remember asking my seminary teacher what would be the best way to be taught the manner of things the Jews were taught. His response was both profound and simple, and was something to the effect of, “Rather than take a class about the Jews, why not just study their scriptures. If you want to understand Isaiah, spend a little more time reading the Old Testament.” As you begin to understand their context, you will see allusions and references more clearly.
In Isaiah 7, or 2 Nephi 17, we learn of a little dilemma for the kingdom of Judah. “And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it. And it was told the house of David, saying: Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.” (2 Nephi 17:1-2)
If you don’t know anything about Jewish history, this passage will offer very little that can be applied to today. Between names, geography, and poetry, these first two verses of the chapter can be a little intimidating. Understanding Isaiah requires that the reader slow down a bit and focus a little more on what is being said. Anyone who loved and admired the teachings of Elder Neal A. Maxwell can appreciate the pace required to comprehend what is being said.
A few minutes in the Bible Dictionary looking under Israel, Kingdom of, will help unlock the meaning of this chapter. This summary will help explain how the kingdom of Israel was divided into two kingdoms. At the time of Isaiah, Ahaz was the king of Judah, or the southern kingdom. Unfriendly to the southern kingdom, Pekah, who was a prince of the northern kingdom had established an alliance or confederacy with the neighboring country of Syria. Their purpose was to depose Ahaz and set another king in his place. Simply put, there are three countries, two of which are plotting against the kingdom of Judah where the temple was.
The Lord tells Isaiah to meet with Ahaz and prophesy that the alliance will come to not. Isaiah also prophesies that the northern kingdom will no longer be a country within 65 years. He further warns Ahaz of a similar fate for Judah. History shows that the northern kingdom was carried away by Assyria and become known as the “lost tribes of Israel.” Part of the southern kingdom was later taken into captivity by Babylon with Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego, under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar.
In the following chapter, the Lord tells Isaiah, “Say ye not, A confederacy, to all to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.” The important thing for us to remember is not the geography lesson; it’s the idea that a confederacy against the Lord, or his people, is not a good idea. We are better off siding with God than turning to the world to form an alliance.
Look for the lesson hidden in the specifics.
Key #4 – Look at a Map
Most Nephites including Nephi’s brothers, Jacob and Joseph, had never been to Jerusalem. Nephi, however, lived in Jerusalem and knew concerning the regions round about. While Nephi chose not to teach his children after the manner of the Jews, he had insight into the scriptures that was helpful to understand. (2 Nephi 2:6)
A phrase that is used a number of times in the Old Testament, though not in Isaiah, is “from Dan even to Beer-sheba.” A look at the Bible Maps under The Division of the 12 Tribes will show that these two locations are at opposite extremes of Israel, Dan in the North, and Beersheba in the south. The expression is the equivalent of “from one end to the other.”
Isaiah will often make references to geographical locations. Sometimes these are very important, and sometimes they are merely used as examples that have no required relevance for our day. A good rule of thumb is to know where countries like Syria or Babylon are in relation to Israel. An awareness of some capitol cities can also be helpful. Understanding that Damascus is a city in Syria, or that Nineveh is the capitol of Assyria, will help bring meaning to Isaiah’s comparisons. Lesser known cities may not be as critical for the application. A good rule of thumb is to look for an obvious meaning. If it isn’t there, look to see if there is a general reason that Isaiah is giving a geography lesson. Chances are that his point really has nothing to do with geography.
Key #5 – Watch for the Signs
When Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith as a resurrected being to tell him about the record that he would translate, Moroni quoted the words of Isaiah and said his words were about to be fulfilled.
In addition to Moroni, Nephi gives us similar assurance that these words have great relevance to our day. In 2 Nephi 25:7-8 he said, “in the days that the prophecies of Isaiah shall be fulfilled men shall know of a surety, at the times when they shall come to pass. Wherefore, they are of worth unto the children of men, and he that supposeth that they are not, unto them will I speak particularly, and confine the words unto mine own people; for I know that they shall be of great worth unto them in the last days; for in that day shall they understand them; wherefore, for their good have I written them.”
Those who are watching will see and understand. While some things may not be as clear, as the prophecies of Isaiah begin to be fulfilled, they will be very clear and of great worth in the last days. Watching will allow us to make greater connections between our lives and the prophesies of hundreds of years ago.
Isaiah wrote during a time when the house of Israel was turning from the Lord. His purpose was to turn them back. Thus, his message contains important scriptures relating to the role and mission of Jesus Christ and the covenants He has made with His people. Many of those covenants would not be fulfilled in Isaiah’s time but would be remembered later, in our time.
Deciding to decipher Isaiah may be considered an act of faith. Like the parables the Savior taught, even his disciples didn’t understand them and had to ask what they meant. Each time they asked, Jesus taught them. After giving his disciples the parable of the sower, Jesus said, “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” His disciples asked why he spoke in parables, and he replied, “Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever receiveth, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever continueth not to receive, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
“And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of [Isaiah] which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive…. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not hear them.” (JST Matthew 13:9-18)
As I study Isaiah, I try to keep a few things in mind. The Savior himself commanded us to search his writings because of the power of the covenants made by the Father to His children. Moroni emphasized that these writings were about to be fulfilled. Nephi stated that his writings would be of great worth and he gave us some valuable keys to unlocking the meaning. Jesus tells us that we will only receive if we seek to understand, and to him who seeketh shall be given more.
Understanding doesn’t come all at once, but setting a course and following that direction consistently will help us arrive at the appropriate destination. It will help us to behold what Isaiah saw, both in understanding and in fulfillment of prophecies given hundreds of years ago.
In addition to understanding what Isaiah meant, I have gained great peace and comfort in knowing that God makes and keeps His covenants. Though we may forget Him from time to time, He does not forget us. “For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.” (2 Nephi 19:12, 17, 21) Father loves His children and He wants to bless them. Jesus has worked out an infinite sacrifice and has graven us on the palms of His hands. These images and symbols are real, and reading Isaiah makes beholding these things even clearer.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Loaves, Fishes, and Hope
Every few days or so, I hear of another friend who has just lost a job or experienced a pay reduction due to our current economic recession. Times are hard. Sympathies are high, and I have seen an increased effort to help friends who are going without. While these efforts relieve some of the pressure that is borne by the shoulders of many, it may not be enough to see us through our trials.
When, suddenly, you have to rethink your financial situation because of conditions that are outside your control, it is not uncommon to think, “How can I manage with less?” If I have a place setting at the dinner table for a family of seven, and find that one of the plates has been broken, I have to consider getting another plate or finding a way to take turns. If I own two pair of pants and one is damaged so that it is not suitable for wearing, I have to find a way to repair it or do without. If I choose the latter, I may consider what else the material from the pants may be good for.
When my wife, Liz, and I were first married, she received a book from a friend titled, Something from Nothing. The story is based on a Jewish folktale where a young boy, Joseph, is the recipient of a blanket from his grandfather. After considerable use, the blanket becomes tattered and is about to be discarded. Not wanting to give up the blanket, Joseph takes it to his grandfather who is the village tailor. His grandfather salvages the material from the blanket and makes Joseph a coat. After further use and wear, the coat is salvaged to make a vest and finally a button.
Each time the gift from Joseph’s grandfather is modified, it was given new life. It was also reduced in size. Occasionally when we have to follow this pattern of salvaging in our own lives, our hopes may shrink proportionately. However, this need not be the case. It all depends on where we place our hope.
The Savior provided an alternate route of travel for overcoming what may seem impossible circumstances. His road is the road of faith. In Matthew 14:14-21 we have an account of a time when a multitude of people followed Jesus to be with them. He had compassion on them and healed their sick. When it was evening, His disciples were about to send the multitude away because they had no food. Rather than send them away, Jesus said unto his disciples, “They need not depart; give ye them to eat.”
Those who were faithful followers in Jesus did not yet see the alternate route. “We have here but five loaves, and two fishes,” they said. He merely replied, “Bring them hither to me.” After the multitude sat down, Jesus looked up to heaven, he blessed the food, brake, and gave the pieces to his disciples to distribute among 5,000 men, beside women and children. When all were fed and filled, there were twelve baskets full of the food that remained.
While I feel I have a certain amount of faith in God, I continue to marvel at the beauty of this miracle. I continue to wonder how I can apply this passage of scripture in my own life. Here are a few interesting points to ponder. First, the multitude was seeking Jesus. I don’t know that I can expect even the smallest miracle in my own life if I am not in the attitude of seeking the Lord. Second, His disciples brought what they had and turned it over to Jesus. They weren’t empty handed. Sometimes I ask for help without making an effort to contribute anything. The disciples brought everything they had. That should tell us something. Third, when Jesus performed the miracle, He looked up to heaven. It is critical that I look to Father, not only to ask for a desired blessing, but in an attitude ready to do His will, whatever it may be. Jesus did not have selfish reasons for performing the miracle. He was not only concerned with feeding the people. He was concerned about their faith and He wanted them to clearly understand that with God anything is possible. Or in other words, there is a better way to that which we have known in the past.
Pondering this passage of scripture, and comparing it with the Jewish folktale, I am left to wonder, “Rather than just manage, how can I make more with less? How can I take what little I have and create rather than just salvage? Is it possible to have a better lifestyle than I had previously, even though my means have been reduced?” The key is to put our trust in the master creator rather than listen to the destroyer of our souls. Jesus is the light and life of the world who has provided us a pattern to do the Father’s will. As Moroni said in Ether 12:11, “But in the gift of his Son hath God prepared a more excellent way; and it is by faith that it hath been fulfilled.”
We live in a time of trouble, darkness, and anguish. But if we turn to the Savior with full purpose of heart, he can replenish our diminished hopes. Nephi quoted the prophet Isaiah who said, “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. Thou hast multiplied the nation, and increased the joy—they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.” (2 Nephi 19:2-3) The Creator of all has the power to increase our meager offerings. He has the ability to increase our joy.
In a prophecy regarding the Book of Mormon, Isaiah also said, “But behold, saith the Lord of Hosts: I will show unto the children of men that it is yet a very little while and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field; and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest. And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. And the meek also shall increase, and their joy shall be in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.” (2 Nephi 27:28-30) When we turn to the Lord in meekness, he will increase our blessings. He can change barren to a fruitful field that will eventually become a forest.
One more example from the scriptures where the Lord increased and magnified the efforts of His servants is the brother of Jared. After constructing barges to travel across the ocean as he was directed, Mahonri is asked by the Lord what he would do for light during their journey. After some thought and effort, Mahonri decides to molten out of rock sixteen small stones that are white and clear, even as transparent glass. He then takes the stones upon Mount Shelem and prays to the Lord that He will touch the stones that they may shine forth in darkness. The Lord agrees and touches the stones and “the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared.” (Ether 3:1-6)
There are times when I feel I am asked to do something very difficult, or even impossible. I look, but I can’t see a way out. My only hope has been that, when I prayed about the matter, I had a calm feeling come over me that everything would be fine. In retrospect, I realize that I could not see the obvious answer because the veil had not been taken from my eyes. Father’s purposes in my trial were not yet realized, and my faith was not yet as was the brother of Jared’s.
Looking at the alternate route that Jesus showed unto Mahonri Moriancumer, I am again left to ponder, “How can I apply this passage of scripture in my own life? How can I get the Lord to touch my stones and make them shine with the light of Christ in my life? The answer is clear, but not so easy. I need faith like unto the brother of Jared. And yet I need not be discouraged because a veil is still placed over my eyes – because my faith is still wanting. Father rewards faith in whatever quantity it comes in, even the size of a mustard seed. Jesus told His disciples, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed… nothing shall be impossible unto you.” (Matthew 17:20)
A part of this story that I find especially interesting is the manner in which Mahonri’s prayer is answered. After he sees the Lord’s finger, and after Jesus shows himself unto the brother of Jared, Jesus proceeds to show him all things from the beginning of the world to the end. Even to this point, he received a lot more than he asked for. Jesus then gives the brother of Jared something else he didn’t ask for.
When the brother of Jared went to Mount Shelem, he took with him sixteen stones. The beautiful part about this story is that this is not the number he returned with. Jesus gave him two additional stones, or interpreters, that were to be sealed up with his record. These two stones, a Urim and Thummim, were to bring to light hidden things out of darkness. It is as if the Lord were to say, “You want light? Let me give you light.” And the brother of Jared returned with, not sixteen, but eighteen stones. When we trust in the Lord and put our faith fully in Him, he not only answers our prayers, he gives us more than we ask for. The Lord always sweetens the deal.
Thinking about our current situation, I believe there is still wisdom to be found, and practiced, in the old pioneer adage, “Use it up, wear it out. Make do, or do without.” Perhaps it is when we are looking for ways to manage with less that the Lord can take the veil from our eyes enough for us to see how we can increase the meager offering in our own baskets. As our faith increases, we may find the veil slipping freely from our minds.
There is strength to be discovered as we do difficult things and turn to the Lord with our faith. This is what is required of us when the Lord asks us to do all that we can do, so that His grace may be sufficient for us.
The most reassuring thing to me about difficult times is my knowledge and understanding that Father truly hears and answers prayers. He has provided a more excellent way, and that way is through His Only Begotten Son. As we look to the Son and follow Him, we will begin to see an alternate route to the familiar road we have traveled so frequently. This way is the Lord’s way. It is a way of hope and increased happiness. It is a road filled with light that will lead us out of darkness and doubt. It is the only route home, and it provides hope for anyone who seeks it.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
When, suddenly, you have to rethink your financial situation because of conditions that are outside your control, it is not uncommon to think, “How can I manage with less?” If I have a place setting at the dinner table for a family of seven, and find that one of the plates has been broken, I have to consider getting another plate or finding a way to take turns. If I own two pair of pants and one is damaged so that it is not suitable for wearing, I have to find a way to repair it or do without. If I choose the latter, I may consider what else the material from the pants may be good for.
When my wife, Liz, and I were first married, she received a book from a friend titled, Something from Nothing. The story is based on a Jewish folktale where a young boy, Joseph, is the recipient of a blanket from his grandfather. After considerable use, the blanket becomes tattered and is about to be discarded. Not wanting to give up the blanket, Joseph takes it to his grandfather who is the village tailor. His grandfather salvages the material from the blanket and makes Joseph a coat. After further use and wear, the coat is salvaged to make a vest and finally a button.
Each time the gift from Joseph’s grandfather is modified, it was given new life. It was also reduced in size. Occasionally when we have to follow this pattern of salvaging in our own lives, our hopes may shrink proportionately. However, this need not be the case. It all depends on where we place our hope.
The Savior provided an alternate route of travel for overcoming what may seem impossible circumstances. His road is the road of faith. In Matthew 14:14-21 we have an account of a time when a multitude of people followed Jesus to be with them. He had compassion on them and healed their sick. When it was evening, His disciples were about to send the multitude away because they had no food. Rather than send them away, Jesus said unto his disciples, “They need not depart; give ye them to eat.”
Those who were faithful followers in Jesus did not yet see the alternate route. “We have here but five loaves, and two fishes,” they said. He merely replied, “Bring them hither to me.” After the multitude sat down, Jesus looked up to heaven, he blessed the food, brake, and gave the pieces to his disciples to distribute among 5,000 men, beside women and children. When all were fed and filled, there were twelve baskets full of the food that remained.
While I feel I have a certain amount of faith in God, I continue to marvel at the beauty of this miracle. I continue to wonder how I can apply this passage of scripture in my own life. Here are a few interesting points to ponder. First, the multitude was seeking Jesus. I don’t know that I can expect even the smallest miracle in my own life if I am not in the attitude of seeking the Lord. Second, His disciples brought what they had and turned it over to Jesus. They weren’t empty handed. Sometimes I ask for help without making an effort to contribute anything. The disciples brought everything they had. That should tell us something. Third, when Jesus performed the miracle, He looked up to heaven. It is critical that I look to Father, not only to ask for a desired blessing, but in an attitude ready to do His will, whatever it may be. Jesus did not have selfish reasons for performing the miracle. He was not only concerned with feeding the people. He was concerned about their faith and He wanted them to clearly understand that with God anything is possible. Or in other words, there is a better way to that which we have known in the past.
Pondering this passage of scripture, and comparing it with the Jewish folktale, I am left to wonder, “Rather than just manage, how can I make more with less? How can I take what little I have and create rather than just salvage? Is it possible to have a better lifestyle than I had previously, even though my means have been reduced?” The key is to put our trust in the master creator rather than listen to the destroyer of our souls. Jesus is the light and life of the world who has provided us a pattern to do the Father’s will. As Moroni said in Ether 12:11, “But in the gift of his Son hath God prepared a more excellent way; and it is by faith that it hath been fulfilled.”
We live in a time of trouble, darkness, and anguish. But if we turn to the Savior with full purpose of heart, he can replenish our diminished hopes. Nephi quoted the prophet Isaiah who said, “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. Thou hast multiplied the nation, and increased the joy—they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.” (2 Nephi 19:2-3) The Creator of all has the power to increase our meager offerings. He has the ability to increase our joy.
In a prophecy regarding the Book of Mormon, Isaiah also said, “But behold, saith the Lord of Hosts: I will show unto the children of men that it is yet a very little while and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field; and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest. And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. And the meek also shall increase, and their joy shall be in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.” (2 Nephi 27:28-30) When we turn to the Lord in meekness, he will increase our blessings. He can change barren to a fruitful field that will eventually become a forest.
One more example from the scriptures where the Lord increased and magnified the efforts of His servants is the brother of Jared. After constructing barges to travel across the ocean as he was directed, Mahonri is asked by the Lord what he would do for light during their journey. After some thought and effort, Mahonri decides to molten out of rock sixteen small stones that are white and clear, even as transparent glass. He then takes the stones upon Mount Shelem and prays to the Lord that He will touch the stones that they may shine forth in darkness. The Lord agrees and touches the stones and “the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared.” (Ether 3:1-6)
There are times when I feel I am asked to do something very difficult, or even impossible. I look, but I can’t see a way out. My only hope has been that, when I prayed about the matter, I had a calm feeling come over me that everything would be fine. In retrospect, I realize that I could not see the obvious answer because the veil had not been taken from my eyes. Father’s purposes in my trial were not yet realized, and my faith was not yet as was the brother of Jared’s.
Looking at the alternate route that Jesus showed unto Mahonri Moriancumer, I am again left to ponder, “How can I apply this passage of scripture in my own life? How can I get the Lord to touch my stones and make them shine with the light of Christ in my life? The answer is clear, but not so easy. I need faith like unto the brother of Jared. And yet I need not be discouraged because a veil is still placed over my eyes – because my faith is still wanting. Father rewards faith in whatever quantity it comes in, even the size of a mustard seed. Jesus told His disciples, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed… nothing shall be impossible unto you.” (Matthew 17:20)
A part of this story that I find especially interesting is the manner in which Mahonri’s prayer is answered. After he sees the Lord’s finger, and after Jesus shows himself unto the brother of Jared, Jesus proceeds to show him all things from the beginning of the world to the end. Even to this point, he received a lot more than he asked for. Jesus then gives the brother of Jared something else he didn’t ask for.
When the brother of Jared went to Mount Shelem, he took with him sixteen stones. The beautiful part about this story is that this is not the number he returned with. Jesus gave him two additional stones, or interpreters, that were to be sealed up with his record. These two stones, a Urim and Thummim, were to bring to light hidden things out of darkness. It is as if the Lord were to say, “You want light? Let me give you light.” And the brother of Jared returned with, not sixteen, but eighteen stones. When we trust in the Lord and put our faith fully in Him, he not only answers our prayers, he gives us more than we ask for. The Lord always sweetens the deal.
Thinking about our current situation, I believe there is still wisdom to be found, and practiced, in the old pioneer adage, “Use it up, wear it out. Make do, or do without.” Perhaps it is when we are looking for ways to manage with less that the Lord can take the veil from our eyes enough for us to see how we can increase the meager offering in our own baskets. As our faith increases, we may find the veil slipping freely from our minds.
There is strength to be discovered as we do difficult things and turn to the Lord with our faith. This is what is required of us when the Lord asks us to do all that we can do, so that His grace may be sufficient for us.
The most reassuring thing to me about difficult times is my knowledge and understanding that Father truly hears and answers prayers. He has provided a more excellent way, and that way is through His Only Begotten Son. As we look to the Son and follow Him, we will begin to see an alternate route to the familiar road we have traveled so frequently. This way is the Lord’s way. It is a way of hope and increased happiness. It is a road filled with light that will lead us out of darkness and doubt. It is the only route home, and it provides hope for anyone who seeks it.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Revelation is a Reality
While not an undeserving setting, Yosemite National Park was an unexpected location to hear the voice of the Lord. I was a missionary at the time, serving in the California – Fresno Mission, and our mission president had chosen to hold a half-mission conference in an outdoor amphitheater. I remember listening to some messages prepared by the assistants to the president when I had an experience I am glad I recorded in my journal.
Previous to that occasion, I had been praying about a question for some time. It was a question that I already knew the answer to, or rather, I felt the answer but I didn’t quite know how to express it. My question was, “Why are the scriptures so important?”
As I sat on a bench in the amphitheater, listening to one of the assistants, I had a feeling or an impression. It was more like experiencing a meaning – something that wasn’t necessarily spoken but was understood. In my journal I wrote, “The feeling I had, as Heavenly Father put the answer in my head, was a great feeling. It was a sure feeling, confident, and exciting.” I began to write my thoughts until I had a few sentences down on paper. And then I marveled at what had just happened. Again I felt the Spirit confirming that what I had written down was an accurate and correct representation of what I felt.
Reflecting on the experience has given me a greater understanding of what Father was trying to teach me. He didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know, but I had new insight on how my knowledge fit together and how it could be applied. Knowing something and knowing what to do with it are two very different things. A person may have knowledge but still lack common sense or wisdom. For me, it was as though I had the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. I knew the pieces fit together somehow and that the full picture was worth figuring out. Once Father gave me an understanding of how the pieces fit together, I was able to assemble them in my mind and could then appreciate what had happened. More important than the information that I comprehended was the witness I gained that Father hears and answers prayers and that He does speak to His children. I learned what it meant to feel the voice of the Lord.
There is a beautiful key to receiving answers to prayer in Doctrine and Covenants 84:62-66. The Lord told Joseph Smith, “And again, verily I say unto you, my friends, I leave these sayings with you to ponder in your hearts, with this commandment which I give unto you, that ye shall call upon me while I am near—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 be given unto you, that is expedient for you; … Behold, that which you hear is as the voice of one crying in the wilderness—in the wilderness, because you cannot see him—my voice, because my voice is Spirit; my Spirit is truth; truth abideth and hath no end; and if it be in you it shall abound.
Our Father wants us to ask questions. He wants us to receive. Jesus promises that if we seek we will find. Because He does not lie, His promise is sure. If you truly seek, you will truly find. The process becomes clearer as we draw near to him.
It stands to reason that if you see a familiar friend in the distance whom you wish to talk to, you will approach them until you are close enough to converse. When you are yet at a distance, but within earshot, you may shout a greeting because you are glad to see your friend. However, this is usually not sufficient for a lengthy conversation. Instead it is easier to continue approaching your friend until you can talk openly and freely, face to face. It is hard to hear a whisper from a distance.
Learning to hear the Master’s voice is synonymous with learning to feel and recognize the Holy Spirit, or the influence of the Holy Spirit. Feeling His influence is the same as feeling the spirit, or the light of Christ that is given to everyone. Whether we describe His voice as spirit, or light, or truth, it matters not. They are the same. This influence is the word of the Lord.
One question I consider often is, “Am I close enough to Father to recognize His voice?” It is not enough to acknowledge that I once was if I no longer am. I want to stay close to Father at all times, just as a young child wants to cling to his or her mother. I want to hear his voice clearly enough to know what it is He wants me to hear. When I am close, I can more easily put words to the feelings and impressions that I feel. Understanding what the Lord wants us to know requires deliberate effort.
As an architect, I often compare what I do with the work of a tailor. A tailor has a specific job to fashion a piece of clothing for a very specific person. Thus a tailored fit is an exact fit. Similarly, I design buildings for people, very often communities. I feel that architecture should be the clothing of a community, and it should be a perfect fit. If we desire to receive answers to our prayers, it is our responsibility to not only feel an answer, but to dress it appropriately with words that are an accurate and correct representation of what we felt, lest we are deceived or miss a very significant part of the meaning.
When we have these experiences – when we feel the influence of the Holy Ghost and are uplifted, edified, and enlightened – we receive revelation. The information we may seek may be religious or secular. It may be large or small. Regardless of the nature, context, content, or weight of that knowledge, Father has promised to reveal the answers to our questions if we follow His pattern and direction.
Joseph Smith taught, “A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the same day or soon; (i.e.) those things that were presented unto your minds by the Spirit of God, will come to pass; and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus.”
Joseph Smith further taught: “The Holy Ghost is a revelator.” And, “No man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelations.”
After an individual follows the example of the Savior and is baptized, the ordinance of confirmation is administered. It is here that the Gift of the Holy Ghost is bestowed to any and every person desiring to come unto Christ. At the end of that prayer is a directive to “receive the Holy Ghost.” It is not an absolute to be taken for granted, nor is it merely an invitation. It is a gift being offered with the obligation of the receiver to formally receive or take the gift. We accept Father’s gift when we take the Holy Spirit as our constant companion and guide. This privilege is not rescinded as long as we are willing. One hand reaches out to extend the offer, the other hand is required to reach out and accept. As both hands reach out, we draw near to Father and He draws near to us.
More and more I recognize the Lord’s hand in my life, especially when I am looking, asking, or seeking. I recognize what he is offering me. He speaks to each of us far more than we acknowledge or give credit. If there is a time when his voice is silent, I find that it is either because I am not listening, or he is waiting for me to stretch a little more, to reach toward him a little more. It is in those moments when I reach out in faith that the answers come.
Revelation is a reality. The realization of this privilege has everything to do with my continuous efforts to draw near to Father – to approach him in faith, looking for moments of revelation each day.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
Previous to that occasion, I had been praying about a question for some time. It was a question that I already knew the answer to, or rather, I felt the answer but I didn’t quite know how to express it. My question was, “Why are the scriptures so important?”
As I sat on a bench in the amphitheater, listening to one of the assistants, I had a feeling or an impression. It was more like experiencing a meaning – something that wasn’t necessarily spoken but was understood. In my journal I wrote, “The feeling I had, as Heavenly Father put the answer in my head, was a great feeling. It was a sure feeling, confident, and exciting.” I began to write my thoughts until I had a few sentences down on paper. And then I marveled at what had just happened. Again I felt the Spirit confirming that what I had written down was an accurate and correct representation of what I felt.
Reflecting on the experience has given me a greater understanding of what Father was trying to teach me. He didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know, but I had new insight on how my knowledge fit together and how it could be applied. Knowing something and knowing what to do with it are two very different things. A person may have knowledge but still lack common sense or wisdom. For me, it was as though I had the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. I knew the pieces fit together somehow and that the full picture was worth figuring out. Once Father gave me an understanding of how the pieces fit together, I was able to assemble them in my mind and could then appreciate what had happened. More important than the information that I comprehended was the witness I gained that Father hears and answers prayers and that He does speak to His children. I learned what it meant to feel the voice of the Lord.
There is a beautiful key to receiving answers to prayer in Doctrine and Covenants 84:62-66. The Lord told Joseph Smith, “And again, verily I say unto you, my friends, I leave these sayings with you to ponder in your hearts, with this commandment which I give unto you, that ye shall call upon me while I am near—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 be given unto you, that is expedient for you; … Behold, that which you hear is as the voice of one crying in the wilderness—in the wilderness, because you cannot see him—my voice, because my voice is Spirit; my Spirit is truth; truth abideth and hath no end; and if it be in you it shall abound.
Our Father wants us to ask questions. He wants us to receive. Jesus promises that if we seek we will find. Because He does not lie, His promise is sure. If you truly seek, you will truly find. The process becomes clearer as we draw near to him.
It stands to reason that if you see a familiar friend in the distance whom you wish to talk to, you will approach them until you are close enough to converse. When you are yet at a distance, but within earshot, you may shout a greeting because you are glad to see your friend. However, this is usually not sufficient for a lengthy conversation. Instead it is easier to continue approaching your friend until you can talk openly and freely, face to face. It is hard to hear a whisper from a distance.
Learning to hear the Master’s voice is synonymous with learning to feel and recognize the Holy Spirit, or the influence of the Holy Spirit. Feeling His influence is the same as feeling the spirit, or the light of Christ that is given to everyone. Whether we describe His voice as spirit, or light, or truth, it matters not. They are the same. This influence is the word of the Lord.
One question I consider often is, “Am I close enough to Father to recognize His voice?” It is not enough to acknowledge that I once was if I no longer am. I want to stay close to Father at all times, just as a young child wants to cling to his or her mother. I want to hear his voice clearly enough to know what it is He wants me to hear. When I am close, I can more easily put words to the feelings and impressions that I feel. Understanding what the Lord wants us to know requires deliberate effort.
As an architect, I often compare what I do with the work of a tailor. A tailor has a specific job to fashion a piece of clothing for a very specific person. Thus a tailored fit is an exact fit. Similarly, I design buildings for people, very often communities. I feel that architecture should be the clothing of a community, and it should be a perfect fit. If we desire to receive answers to our prayers, it is our responsibility to not only feel an answer, but to dress it appropriately with words that are an accurate and correct representation of what we felt, lest we are deceived or miss a very significant part of the meaning.
When we have these experiences – when we feel the influence of the Holy Ghost and are uplifted, edified, and enlightened – we receive revelation. The information we may seek may be religious or secular. It may be large or small. Regardless of the nature, context, content, or weight of that knowledge, Father has promised to reveal the answers to our questions if we follow His pattern and direction.
Joseph Smith taught, “A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the same day or soon; (i.e.) those things that were presented unto your minds by the Spirit of God, will come to pass; and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus.”
Joseph Smith further taught: “The Holy Ghost is a revelator.” And, “No man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelations.”
After an individual follows the example of the Savior and is baptized, the ordinance of confirmation is administered. It is here that the Gift of the Holy Ghost is bestowed to any and every person desiring to come unto Christ. At the end of that prayer is a directive to “receive the Holy Ghost.” It is not an absolute to be taken for granted, nor is it merely an invitation. It is a gift being offered with the obligation of the receiver to formally receive or take the gift. We accept Father’s gift when we take the Holy Spirit as our constant companion and guide. This privilege is not rescinded as long as we are willing. One hand reaches out to extend the offer, the other hand is required to reach out and accept. As both hands reach out, we draw near to Father and He draws near to us.
More and more I recognize the Lord’s hand in my life, especially when I am looking, asking, or seeking. I recognize what he is offering me. He speaks to each of us far more than we acknowledge or give credit. If there is a time when his voice is silent, I find that it is either because I am not listening, or he is waiting for me to stretch a little more, to reach toward him a little more. It is in those moments when I reach out in faith that the answers come.
Revelation is a reality. The realization of this privilege has everything to do with my continuous efforts to draw near to Father – to approach him in faith, looking for moments of revelation each day.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Desire
Over the past ten years I have been working on a novel inspired by two verses in the Book of Ether contained in the Book of Mormon. My curiosity has caused me to wonder how two separate nations can be brought to their knees to the point of near extinction. I believe the real reason lies in a power that begins very small in the heart of each individual. Unchecked, these motivations provide an immense amount of fuel for a lifetime of decisions. Lately I have put my ideas on the shelf to take care of other responsibilities, but I still find the study intriguing.
The most prominent theme in the Book of Mormon is clearly the witness that Jesus Christ lives and that he visited the people in the Western Hemisphere after His resurrection. Other important themes are the importance of covenants made with God, the pride cycle that we each tend to go through in various degrees, and the power of secret combinations. While it is not a primary focus, secret combinations, and how to deal with them, is an overarching theme of the writings in Helaman, Third Nephi, Mormon, and Ether.
I look at the motives to establish Zion and secret combinations as being direct opposites. The purpose of Zion is to build up the ideal society. The objective of secret combinations is to destroy all societies, as was demonstrated with the Nephites and the Jaredites.
Personally, I see no need to fear. We live in the only dispensation that will not fail and fall into apostasy. However, we have been warned of what is coming and how we need to prepare. We have been given what we need to understand the pertinent parts of secret combinations for our benefit.
Moroni tells us in Ether 8:24, “Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up.”
In Mormon 8:34-35, Moroni also says, “Behold, the Lord hath shown unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come, at that day when these things shall come forth among you. Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.”
These two statements tell us that the Lord has shown Moroni our day, and what to expect when they happen. The intriguing part to me is that Moroni states that we would awake to our awful situation, which means that if we are not watching carefully, the situation will catch us by surprise. He also says “when,” not “if.”
Moroni then tells us why he included this information in his record. Continuing in Ether 8:26 we read, “Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved.”
As I have pondered this topic and the related accounts in the Book of Mormon, I have come to understand that the desire of an individual is very powerful – it has tremendous effects on both the individual and society at large. Desire unchecked is the seed of secret combinations. Even if we are not engaged in secret combinations, we may support them through indifference.
In Helaman 6:31-32, Mormon tells us the predicament the ancient Nephites faced before the Savior’s first advent. “And now behold, he had got great hold upon the hearts of the Nephites; yea, insomuch that they had become exceedingly wicked; yea, the more part of them had turned out of the way of righteousness, and did trample under their feet the commandments of God, and did turn unto their own ways, and did build up unto themselves idols of their gold and their silver. And it came to pass that all these iniquities did come unto them in the space of not many years….”
Mormon goes on to describe how the Nephites, who became focused on their wealth more than God, began to dwindle in unbelief while the Lamanites began to grow in the knowledge of God. Because of this, the Spirit of the Lord began to withdraw because of the hardness of their hearts – a hardness which I believe was a very gradual process. This is implied by the use of the word “began” three times in reference to the Nephites, the Lamanites, and the Holy Spirit. Consequently, the Nephites supported the secret combinations which were around them. A lack of effort to resist these combinations allowed them to benefit materially from the works of others.
My interest in this topic is not to explore the darker side of the said combinations, but rather to understand the concerns that caused Moroni to write so much on the matter. My hope is that understanding the opposition may help me make deliberate choices for good, and prepare for the establishment of the Zion foreseen by ancient prophets.
In an effort to clarify the thoughts driving my story, I wrote a concept summary in poetic form. Poetry helps me cut to the essence of an idea. I share it here as a quick look at the power of desire unchecked.
Desire,
A subtle flame conceived in the heart –
Invisible, but proud in the street.
Without restraint, it becomes a master,
Fooling the author to believe the opposite.
Desire forgets the poor and feeds ambition.
It quickens senses and stirs the heart,
Yet lulls reason to sleep.
Desire dominates will.
With mastery, it spreads with whispers,
Filling homes, closets, and thoughts.
Preying upon some and enlisting others,
It despises those who offer nothing.
Merchants, officers, and politic-makers
Garb their master in power obtained.
Distinguished by rank and chance for learning
They walk in their sleep, indifferent to the sun.
Seduced by gain and deceived by flattery,
The once innocent trade ethics for advantage,
Until bound fast, occasionally remembering
The wakeful freedom of control.
The hot wind murmurs. The silent heart plots.
Walls listen intently in the shade,
Yet few trouble to douse the flame.
Secret and dark, it stays hidden.
Desire combines with faithful servants
To alter law and destroy the measure
By which it may be fatally judged,
Dismissing those less useful.
Each servant followed by another,
The master wastes, then replaces,
Fueling a fiery system of destruction,
Fanning without restraint.
Vain things are offered and believed.
Nothing matters but the secret.
Not people, not law, nor the sacred –
Nothing, but the opposition.
Awake! Awake, from vanity and death!
Look to the source and not the shadow.
See the power that binds you captive.
We are the enemy, and the enemy is combined.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
The most prominent theme in the Book of Mormon is clearly the witness that Jesus Christ lives and that he visited the people in the Western Hemisphere after His resurrection. Other important themes are the importance of covenants made with God, the pride cycle that we each tend to go through in various degrees, and the power of secret combinations. While it is not a primary focus, secret combinations, and how to deal with them, is an overarching theme of the writings in Helaman, Third Nephi, Mormon, and Ether.
I look at the motives to establish Zion and secret combinations as being direct opposites. The purpose of Zion is to build up the ideal society. The objective of secret combinations is to destroy all societies, as was demonstrated with the Nephites and the Jaredites.
Personally, I see no need to fear. We live in the only dispensation that will not fail and fall into apostasy. However, we have been warned of what is coming and how we need to prepare. We have been given what we need to understand the pertinent parts of secret combinations for our benefit.
Moroni tells us in Ether 8:24, “Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up.”
In Mormon 8:34-35, Moroni also says, “Behold, the Lord hath shown unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come, at that day when these things shall come forth among you. Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.”
These two statements tell us that the Lord has shown Moroni our day, and what to expect when they happen. The intriguing part to me is that Moroni states that we would awake to our awful situation, which means that if we are not watching carefully, the situation will catch us by surprise. He also says “when,” not “if.”
Moroni then tells us why he included this information in his record. Continuing in Ether 8:26 we read, “Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved.”
As I have pondered this topic and the related accounts in the Book of Mormon, I have come to understand that the desire of an individual is very powerful – it has tremendous effects on both the individual and society at large. Desire unchecked is the seed of secret combinations. Even if we are not engaged in secret combinations, we may support them through indifference.
In Helaman 6:31-32, Mormon tells us the predicament the ancient Nephites faced before the Savior’s first advent. “And now behold, he had got great hold upon the hearts of the Nephites; yea, insomuch that they had become exceedingly wicked; yea, the more part of them had turned out of the way of righteousness, and did trample under their feet the commandments of God, and did turn unto their own ways, and did build up unto themselves idols of their gold and their silver. And it came to pass that all these iniquities did come unto them in the space of not many years….”
Mormon goes on to describe how the Nephites, who became focused on their wealth more than God, began to dwindle in unbelief while the Lamanites began to grow in the knowledge of God. Because of this, the Spirit of the Lord began to withdraw because of the hardness of their hearts – a hardness which I believe was a very gradual process. This is implied by the use of the word “began” three times in reference to the Nephites, the Lamanites, and the Holy Spirit. Consequently, the Nephites supported the secret combinations which were around them. A lack of effort to resist these combinations allowed them to benefit materially from the works of others.
My interest in this topic is not to explore the darker side of the said combinations, but rather to understand the concerns that caused Moroni to write so much on the matter. My hope is that understanding the opposition may help me make deliberate choices for good, and prepare for the establishment of the Zion foreseen by ancient prophets.
In an effort to clarify the thoughts driving my story, I wrote a concept summary in poetic form. Poetry helps me cut to the essence of an idea. I share it here as a quick look at the power of desire unchecked.
Desire,
A subtle flame conceived in the heart –
Invisible, but proud in the street.
Without restraint, it becomes a master,
Fooling the author to believe the opposite.
Desire forgets the poor and feeds ambition.
It quickens senses and stirs the heart,
Yet lulls reason to sleep.
Desire dominates will.
With mastery, it spreads with whispers,
Filling homes, closets, and thoughts.
Preying upon some and enlisting others,
It despises those who offer nothing.
Merchants, officers, and politic-makers
Garb their master in power obtained.
Distinguished by rank and chance for learning
They walk in their sleep, indifferent to the sun.
Seduced by gain and deceived by flattery,
The once innocent trade ethics for advantage,
Until bound fast, occasionally remembering
The wakeful freedom of control.
The hot wind murmurs. The silent heart plots.
Walls listen intently in the shade,
Yet few trouble to douse the flame.
Secret and dark, it stays hidden.
Desire combines with faithful servants
To alter law and destroy the measure
By which it may be fatally judged,
Dismissing those less useful.
Each servant followed by another,
The master wastes, then replaces,
Fueling a fiery system of destruction,
Fanning without restraint.
Vain things are offered and believed.
Nothing matters but the secret.
Not people, not law, nor the sacred –
Nothing, but the opposition.
Awake! Awake, from vanity and death!
Look to the source and not the shadow.
See the power that binds you captive.
We are the enemy, and the enemy is combined.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Happiness – Sometimes a Gift, Usually a Choice
Occasionally I will wake from a dream that has a certain familiarity. I may be in a place I have never seen before, but usually this doesn’t occur to me during the dream. Instead my attention is focused on how beautiful the setting feels. I don’t see all the detail, but I feel it, and I comprehend its richness. In these particular dreams, I am able to move freely, to explore and soak in the feeling. I will often encounter a friend or relation in such places. Like the rich detail of the setting, little is said, but the conversation is deep and meaningful. The common theme in each of these dreams is peace and contentment. My happiness is full.
Without success, I resist waking. Not always, but usually, the happiness of the experience spills out into the rest of my day and I am left to marvel at the power of that brief moment. Once I am awake, I can choose to think about it again and again, or I can leave it behind. Many are the dreams that I no longer remember, but there are also dreams that I will likely never forget. Such dreams are gifts to me – evidence of a happiness once experienced. They are memories I can carry in my pocket.
If you have had such dreams, you have probably also experienced a “rude awakening” at some point. In this case, the awakening takes place some time after you have awoken from the dream. For me, it has been at a moment when a problem, and often one that I thought had been solved, reintroduces itself with the intent to become reacquainted. Suddenly, the happiness I felt is gone and the unwelcomed intruder is despised for robbing me of my peace.
My life seems to be full of these moments – episodes of happiness and disappointment. The contrast can be quite stark. Whether I like it or not, this alternating current is part of Father’s Plan of Happiness.
I remember one occasion as a little boy when I was bored. My parents were busy watching a session of General Conference on the television, and it wasn’t nearly enough to hold my attention. Thinking of a solution to my problem, I remembered a small cardboard box that Dad kept some items to make small electrical repairs. I retrieved the box and went into the kitchen.
In the box were a variety of electrical parts and pieces. I recognized some cylindrical fuses (if you are old enough you may recall the fuse boxes that were used in homes before circuit breakers.) Dad used these to replace old fuses in the wall. There was also a small power cord that had been removed from some appliance, and some electrical tape. I’m sure there were other items, but like my dreams, I don’t remember all the details.
Not knowing exactly what these pieces did, I figured my curiosity would teach me what I needed to know. First I took several fuses and arranged them in a circle. I didn’t know what circuit meant back then, but a circle seemed like a good thing to try. Then I carefully placed some small uncoated wire around the tops of the fuses and secured them with the electrical tape. The crowning moment was when I connected the wire to the scrap of power cord in the box and plugged my new invention into the wall. I really didn’t know what to expect, but I was full of anticipation. At that moment I realized a couple things. First, no one was interested in General Conference anymore. And, secondly, I discovered that I didn’t know much about electricity.
The sparks that suddenly appeared were accompanied by a very loud noise. That part was pretty exciting. The commotion was enough to get my parents away from the TV and in front of my invention. Success! Or so I thought. I think they had a rude awakening of sorts. I didn’t receive any harm from the power outlet, just a serious reprimand from my Dad; and that was fortunate on both counts. It didn’t take a scientist to tell me that my invention was going nowhere. I may have had the right parts, but I didn’t have the understanding of what to do with them.
Sometimes I wonder if I understand happiness any better than dreams or alternating current. I have had many failed attempts at finding the peace of my dreams. Sometimes I have the right elements, but I flounder as if I don’t know what to do with them. Unfortunately, this is where I am mistaken. I have been taught the parts and pieces to lasting happiness. However, it is as though I still have some childhood boredom and I try to invent some new path to happiness.
I often watch my children fall into a slump of unhappiness when something doesn’t go their way. Usually they experience their own rude awakening when a sibling teases or says something mean or hurtful. Perhaps they were hoping for one more helping of apple pie, only to find out that it is all gone. Quite often they are unhappy about a homework assignment that seems to get in the way of their Game Cube time in front of the television. Each of those examples provides understandable reasons for being sad. The hard part is helping them understand how to sort out the pieces and plug them in the right places so they don’t let their sadness overwhelm them. As often as I have told them, “Don’t let that get you down. Cheer up. You can choose to be happy.” I find myself making the same choices. We are not so very different from our children. The only difference is the sophisticated garb that we surround our desires for happiness with.
The more experience I get, and the more successful experience I have with happiness, the more I recognize that happiness is sometimes a gift but is usually a choice. Here are a few parts and pieces that I have figured out how to plug in the right places.
The prophet Lehi taught his son, Jacob, important truths about happiness in 2 Nephi 2:11. “For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one….”
Being a compound in one implies that you cannot have happiness without sadness. It is the depth of contrast between the two that gives such rich meaning and appreciation. Focusing on one without acknowledgement of the other limits both the happiness we can enjoy and the sadness we can endure. Difficult experiences lead us to treasure moments of happiness and place greater value on peace. Similarly, treasured experiences provide the hope to endure periods of sadness and discouragement for desires that are not yet realized.
Happiness and sadness are like a pair of shoes in a foot race. You need both to sustain a long journey. (My wife pointed out to me the absurdity of hopping along in one shoe.) Each shoe takes a step forward, allowing the other to propel forward in turn. Sadness defines greater happiness when it is experienced, and happiness provides the power to endure. Sometimes we are tempted to search for happiness without sorrow. We may also be tempted to dwell too much on our present sadness which keeps us from taking the next step towards being happy again. Both have a proper place.
Lehi continues with another empowering key in verses 14, 16, and 26. “And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and learning; for there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon. ... Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other. ... And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.”
Lehi teaches us that God has created things to act and things to be acted upon. God has also given us agency that we should act for ourselves. This means, as he states, we are to act, and not be acted upon.
I don’t believe this means we will not feel outside pressures that appear to be acting upon us. Rather, we are to learn that these outside influences cannot control us as much as we think they do. They are merely creations that were intended for us to act upon. They are the object lesson for our benefit. This subtle difference places greater focus and priority on God’s children and less emphasis on either the difficult or pleasurable experience that we respond to. Father wants us to be happy, and He has created things through His Only Begotten that allow us that opportunity.
Agency is choice. And choice is a God-given right that cannot be taken away. We may find ourselves compelled to action by outside forces or constraints, but we can choose our actions. If we choose to align our actions with outside demands, such as a need to provide for a family, or an obligation to help a friend or family member in a difficult circumstance, we can still choose how we feel about it and which way we will orient our heart.
Lehi further reminds Jacob, “But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.” (2 Nephi 2:24-25) I trust in Father, who knows all things, that this combination of sadness and joy is the path to eternal happiness. It is just what we need to learn to be like our Father. This is His Plan of Happiness.
The most important key for our happiness comes in the next few verses of scripture from Lehi to Jacob. In 2 Nephi 2:27-29 we read, “Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself. And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit; And not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate, to bring you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom.”
Father has given us everything we need to succeed. We are free to act and not be acted upon. Circumstances that may seem otherwise are illusions, like a veil, that allow us to have faith in our Father – faith that the only way to His happiness is by obedience to His commandments. Failure to follow His precise directions will cause us to fall in places that make it difficult to get up. I think that is when I am most miserable.
The prophet Alma taught his son, Corianton, “Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness.” (Alma 41:10) While we may not be guaranteed happiness without sadness, choosing to be happy is synonymous to choosing to be holy. Looking for happiness in the wrong places is no different than plugging a misconstructed circuit of parts and pieces into a power outlet, hoping that something extraordinary will happen. Well… something might happen, but there are better ways of using powerful motivations to secure the peace we want. Happiness doesn’t always just happen. Happiness can be a deliberate choice in spite of the circumstances around us.
I am grateful for examples of strength such as Joshua, or Enoch, who say with solid resolve, “choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)
So much of my happiness is dependent upon my expectations. If I expect to find happiness where there isn’t any, I will always be disappointed. Like C.S. Lewis said, “God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing." If I am not content with what I have, I will always be searching to satisfy an insatiable appetite. But if I learn to rely upon the Lord, day by day, I know He will not lead me astray. Father keeps His promises.
There is a relationship between dreams and actions that is very much akin to faith and works. In those moments when we dream and there is nothing to harm nor hinder that moment, we are given a taste of what we can experience in reality when we awake. But this depends upon our choices.
This last year has been the happiest in my entire life, and it truly has been a gift. I think the greatest part of the gift has been an understanding of what will truly make me happy and then having the strength to do it.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
Without success, I resist waking. Not always, but usually, the happiness of the experience spills out into the rest of my day and I am left to marvel at the power of that brief moment. Once I am awake, I can choose to think about it again and again, or I can leave it behind. Many are the dreams that I no longer remember, but there are also dreams that I will likely never forget. Such dreams are gifts to me – evidence of a happiness once experienced. They are memories I can carry in my pocket.
If you have had such dreams, you have probably also experienced a “rude awakening” at some point. In this case, the awakening takes place some time after you have awoken from the dream. For me, it has been at a moment when a problem, and often one that I thought had been solved, reintroduces itself with the intent to become reacquainted. Suddenly, the happiness I felt is gone and the unwelcomed intruder is despised for robbing me of my peace.
My life seems to be full of these moments – episodes of happiness and disappointment. The contrast can be quite stark. Whether I like it or not, this alternating current is part of Father’s Plan of Happiness.
I remember one occasion as a little boy when I was bored. My parents were busy watching a session of General Conference on the television, and it wasn’t nearly enough to hold my attention. Thinking of a solution to my problem, I remembered a small cardboard box that Dad kept some items to make small electrical repairs. I retrieved the box and went into the kitchen.
In the box were a variety of electrical parts and pieces. I recognized some cylindrical fuses (if you are old enough you may recall the fuse boxes that were used in homes before circuit breakers.) Dad used these to replace old fuses in the wall. There was also a small power cord that had been removed from some appliance, and some electrical tape. I’m sure there were other items, but like my dreams, I don’t remember all the details.
Not knowing exactly what these pieces did, I figured my curiosity would teach me what I needed to know. First I took several fuses and arranged them in a circle. I didn’t know what circuit meant back then, but a circle seemed like a good thing to try. Then I carefully placed some small uncoated wire around the tops of the fuses and secured them with the electrical tape. The crowning moment was when I connected the wire to the scrap of power cord in the box and plugged my new invention into the wall. I really didn’t know what to expect, but I was full of anticipation. At that moment I realized a couple things. First, no one was interested in General Conference anymore. And, secondly, I discovered that I didn’t know much about electricity.
The sparks that suddenly appeared were accompanied by a very loud noise. That part was pretty exciting. The commotion was enough to get my parents away from the TV and in front of my invention. Success! Or so I thought. I think they had a rude awakening of sorts. I didn’t receive any harm from the power outlet, just a serious reprimand from my Dad; and that was fortunate on both counts. It didn’t take a scientist to tell me that my invention was going nowhere. I may have had the right parts, but I didn’t have the understanding of what to do with them.
Sometimes I wonder if I understand happiness any better than dreams or alternating current. I have had many failed attempts at finding the peace of my dreams. Sometimes I have the right elements, but I flounder as if I don’t know what to do with them. Unfortunately, this is where I am mistaken. I have been taught the parts and pieces to lasting happiness. However, it is as though I still have some childhood boredom and I try to invent some new path to happiness.
I often watch my children fall into a slump of unhappiness when something doesn’t go their way. Usually they experience their own rude awakening when a sibling teases or says something mean or hurtful. Perhaps they were hoping for one more helping of apple pie, only to find out that it is all gone. Quite often they are unhappy about a homework assignment that seems to get in the way of their Game Cube time in front of the television. Each of those examples provides understandable reasons for being sad. The hard part is helping them understand how to sort out the pieces and plug them in the right places so they don’t let their sadness overwhelm them. As often as I have told them, “Don’t let that get you down. Cheer up. You can choose to be happy.” I find myself making the same choices. We are not so very different from our children. The only difference is the sophisticated garb that we surround our desires for happiness with.
The more experience I get, and the more successful experience I have with happiness, the more I recognize that happiness is sometimes a gift but is usually a choice. Here are a few parts and pieces that I have figured out how to plug in the right places.
The prophet Lehi taught his son, Jacob, important truths about happiness in 2 Nephi 2:11. “For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one….”
Being a compound in one implies that you cannot have happiness without sadness. It is the depth of contrast between the two that gives such rich meaning and appreciation. Focusing on one without acknowledgement of the other limits both the happiness we can enjoy and the sadness we can endure. Difficult experiences lead us to treasure moments of happiness and place greater value on peace. Similarly, treasured experiences provide the hope to endure periods of sadness and discouragement for desires that are not yet realized.
Happiness and sadness are like a pair of shoes in a foot race. You need both to sustain a long journey. (My wife pointed out to me the absurdity of hopping along in one shoe.) Each shoe takes a step forward, allowing the other to propel forward in turn. Sadness defines greater happiness when it is experienced, and happiness provides the power to endure. Sometimes we are tempted to search for happiness without sorrow. We may also be tempted to dwell too much on our present sadness which keeps us from taking the next step towards being happy again. Both have a proper place.
Lehi continues with another empowering key in verses 14, 16, and 26. “And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and learning; for there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon. ... Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other. ... And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.”
Lehi teaches us that God has created things to act and things to be acted upon. God has also given us agency that we should act for ourselves. This means, as he states, we are to act, and not be acted upon.
I don’t believe this means we will not feel outside pressures that appear to be acting upon us. Rather, we are to learn that these outside influences cannot control us as much as we think they do. They are merely creations that were intended for us to act upon. They are the object lesson for our benefit. This subtle difference places greater focus and priority on God’s children and less emphasis on either the difficult or pleasurable experience that we respond to. Father wants us to be happy, and He has created things through His Only Begotten that allow us that opportunity.
Agency is choice. And choice is a God-given right that cannot be taken away. We may find ourselves compelled to action by outside forces or constraints, but we can choose our actions. If we choose to align our actions with outside demands, such as a need to provide for a family, or an obligation to help a friend or family member in a difficult circumstance, we can still choose how we feel about it and which way we will orient our heart.
Lehi further reminds Jacob, “But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.” (2 Nephi 2:24-25) I trust in Father, who knows all things, that this combination of sadness and joy is the path to eternal happiness. It is just what we need to learn to be like our Father. This is His Plan of Happiness.
The most important key for our happiness comes in the next few verses of scripture from Lehi to Jacob. In 2 Nephi 2:27-29 we read, “Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself. And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit; And not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate, to bring you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom.”
Father has given us everything we need to succeed. We are free to act and not be acted upon. Circumstances that may seem otherwise are illusions, like a veil, that allow us to have faith in our Father – faith that the only way to His happiness is by obedience to His commandments. Failure to follow His precise directions will cause us to fall in places that make it difficult to get up. I think that is when I am most miserable.
The prophet Alma taught his son, Corianton, “Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness.” (Alma 41:10) While we may not be guaranteed happiness without sadness, choosing to be happy is synonymous to choosing to be holy. Looking for happiness in the wrong places is no different than plugging a misconstructed circuit of parts and pieces into a power outlet, hoping that something extraordinary will happen. Well… something might happen, but there are better ways of using powerful motivations to secure the peace we want. Happiness doesn’t always just happen. Happiness can be a deliberate choice in spite of the circumstances around us.
I am grateful for examples of strength such as Joshua, or Enoch, who say with solid resolve, “choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)
So much of my happiness is dependent upon my expectations. If I expect to find happiness where there isn’t any, I will always be disappointed. Like C.S. Lewis said, “God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing." If I am not content with what I have, I will always be searching to satisfy an insatiable appetite. But if I learn to rely upon the Lord, day by day, I know He will not lead me astray. Father keeps His promises.
There is a relationship between dreams and actions that is very much akin to faith and works. In those moments when we dream and there is nothing to harm nor hinder that moment, we are given a taste of what we can experience in reality when we awake. But this depends upon our choices.
This last year has been the happiest in my entire life, and it truly has been a gift. I think the greatest part of the gift has been an understanding of what will truly make me happy and then having the strength to do it.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
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