Category Archives: Journeys

The Fierceness of the Wind

24 Tuesday Nov 2020

Posted by in General, Journeys, Preparation, Strength, Success, Trials

≈ 2 Comments

Quite a while ago, I wrote about how some of the travel stories in the Book of Mormon have common themes and are great examples of trials, tribulations, and struggles during a trip, including the idea that a journey might not just be defined as the time period elapsed or distance traveled between point A and point B.  Recently in re-reading the Jaredite journey, I liked a particular phrase (and theme) that could be related to the pre-journey and preparations that set the stage for the journey more than the actual journey (even though I love the journey on it’s own).  I know that many times this Jaredite journey has been ‘likened’ unto our mortal journeys, but what about the preparation, instruction, and stage-setting that took place prior to the actual journey?

I

This story starts out in Genesis 11:4-9 where the people become ‘confounded’.  Their language or ability to communicate with each other was disrupted to the point that they couldn’t ‘understand one another’s speech’.  Soon after this confusion, the people become ‘scattered abroad upon all the face of the earth’.   The notable exception to this mass confusion is the brother of Jared, his family, and a few of their friends.  Ether 1:33-37 tells us that the brother of Jared ‘cried’ unto the Lord for the continued ability to ‘understand’ his brother (Jared), and then cried unto the Lord a second time to expand this restored understanding to their family and friends, and that ‘the Lord had compassion upon them, that they were not confounded’.  Now, with the language confounded (mostly), and the people being scattered abroad upon all the earth, there is little doubt that these guys (the Jaredites) knew that the Lord was ‘in his anger’ – and in a very humble way the brother of Jared asked the Lord (in verses 38-39) for some additional guidance.  He asked the question ‘whither shall we go’?  He did not ask if they had to go, or if they could stay where they were – he asked ‘whither’. 

The response from the Lord in verses 41-42 is one that sets the tone for this blog post, and is the hallmark of a pre-journey stage setting.  He says: ‘Go [get all your stuff and your families], and meet me in the valley which is northward.  And there will I meet thee, and I will go before thee into a land which is choice above all the lands of the earth.  Yes.  Sign me up for that journey.  I can’t imagine it was very hard to follow that advice – even in these circumstances.

So, let’s set this stage for ourselves at the same time as the Jaredites.  I can imagine that the mass of people in the pre-existence experienced some level of ‘confusion’ (potentially being ‘confounded’) when Lucifer introduced his plan, campaigned for our support of his plan, and even starting gaining a significant following who thought his plan was a good one, and the assurances of being ‘saved’.  There was essentially the introduction of a ‘new’ or ‘alternative’ means of communication.  In addition, let’s not discount that fact that the Lord had instructed each of us that we would all (by necessity) be ‘scattered abroad upon all the earth’ – which meant we had to leave the place of our residence.  This left all of us with at least the choice of which voice (communication) to follow and seek to understand.   After the differing plans were presented and the confusion set in, we hopefully followed the example of the brother of Jared and ‘cried’ unto the Lord and asked him to lessen the effect of the ‘confusion’ that was present (which is code for ‘please allow me and my family to keep ‘understanding’ the right voices).  Then, I like to think of us (our loved ones, families, etc.) counseling with one another being thankful that we could understand each other, expecting and hoping that even though the Lord will be sending us out on a journey, that He would ‘carry us forth into a land which is choice above all the earth’ and letting that hope guide us to humbly approach the Lord and asking the same question that the brother of Jared did; ‘Lord, whither shall we go’?

Next, let’s imagine the Lord’s response to the brother of Jared as our response: ‘Go to and gather together [your flocks] and go down into the land which is northward.  And there will I meet thee, and I will go before thee into a land which is choice above all the lands of the earth.  Our flocks in the pre-existence could likely represent our knowledge, understanding, talents, characteristics, growth, motivation, testimony, etc. that we were blessed with or developed during our time there.  He essentially gave us the opportunity to ‘gather’ it all together, mentally prepare ourselves, and meet him ‘in the land which is northward’1 for our next step in the preparation stage.  Notice that there is no timeline or due date for this ‘gathering’.  The process of ‘gathering’ our stuff in the pre-existence could be hundreds or thousands of years. 

II

Ether 2:1-7 next explains the various preparations that the Jaredite party completed; they gathered flocks, fowls, vessels, honeybees, fish, and all manner of seeds.  Please note that they went on a mini-journey (to the land northward) as  preparation for and part of the ‘gathering’ for the real journey to the promised land that was in the future.  Then the Lord guided and directed them, and ‘gave directions whither they should travel’ along the way (another journey).  In addition, they did ‘build barges, in which they did cross many waters’.  Let’s pause and ask ourselves if during this preparation stage the lord was helping them learn and grow and experience things that would help them later on?  (Hint: building barges to cross many waters during their pre-journey might be a helpful thing to learn because the Lord knows that He will soon ask the brother of Jared to build ‘barges’ ‘to cross that great sea which divideth the lands’ – which is their big journey).  The fascinating phrase during this preparation/gathering/mini-journey activity is that the Jaredites were ‘being directed continually by the hand of the Lord’.   After their mini-journey, the Jaredites take a little break (potentially thinking they had arrived at the promised land) – only to realize that the Lord was just wrapping up the ‘preparation’ or ‘pre-journey’ phase. 

This little break earns the brother of Jared a 3-hour chastisement, which prompts him to quickly repents and is then told to ‘go to work’ (Ether 2:14-16).  Notice how the ‘work’ that the brother of Jared is told to do, is remarkably similar to the ‘work’ that they had already done (during the preparation journey).  They are asked to build barges  ‘after the manner which they had [already] built’.  I wonder if the Jaredites were grateful for the knowledge and experience they had gained during their pre-journey when they were asked to cross the great sea…probably. 

When we liken ourselves and our pre-mortal journeys to the Jaredites, we can see some themes that help us understand that the journey we took during our ‘gathering’ and ‘preparing’ in the pre-existence and those growing experiences we no doubt had which took us to ‘the land northward’ for our next meeting with the Lord are very real mini-journeys that were preparing us and giving us experiences that will likely be drawn out of us during our ‘real’ journeys (if and when they come) during the pre-existence and certainly here on earth.

III

The next step in the Jaredite journey occurs when most of the requisite preparations have been completed, and the brother of Jared is putting the finishing touches on a few things before they cross the great sea.  I see this last little series of exchanges as a final closeout meeting in order to make sure everything is in tip-top shape before they actually ‘set forth’.  In verses 18-20 (still in Ether Chapter 2) the brother of Jared says; “I have performed the work which thou hast commanded me, and I have made the barges”…  But, then he explains that he sees 2 potential problems: 1) There is no light, and 2) we can’t really breathe in these barges.  The lord handles problem number 2 by instructing him to make a hole in the top and the bottom, but leaves problem 1 apparently unsolved.  

The brother of Jared makes the holes as instructed, and then comes again to the Lord regarding his first problem (light) – and asks the Lord ‘wilt thou suffer that we shall cross this great water in darkness’?  I don’t know what the Jaredites had used for light in their previous barges, but it seems to me that the Lord was using this situation as a teaching opportunity for the brother of Jared to work some things out on his own – essentially study it out in his mind and come up with a solution – because He doesn’t answer the question directly, but does give some basic guidelines; they couldn’t have windows (they’d break), and couldn’t have fire (burning boat in the middle of the tempest tossed ocean could be bad news).  Then, in addition, he gave some context for the brother of Jared to consider (while he is coming up with a proposed lighting solution) that he (the barges) will be a ‘whale in the midst of the sea’, and that the ‘mountain waves shall dash upon you’, and that he will be ‘in the depths of the sea’ due to the winds, the rains, and the floods that He will send forth.  

At this point – the Lord says something totally amazing – “behold, I prepare you against these things; for ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds… and the floods” – essentially letting the brother of Jared know (or remember) that the previous years of instruction, focused ‘gathering’ and the mini-journeys have all been ‘preparation’ against the trials that have been laid out, and that are sure to come in the ‘real’ journey.  The reason that is important is because that he literally could not cross the ‘real’ journey save he was prepared.  Amazing.  Yet, not as amazing as the next question he asks – ‘therefore what will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea’?  I have prepared you for all these things  – but, what is it that you need, or what else would you like as ‘preparation’ for this great journey – when (a key word), when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea.  He doesn’t ask what he needs for light when it’s sunny and calm, The Lord asks what he needs for light ‘when [he is] swallowed up in the depths of the sea’.  When we think of these things being ‘prepared’ for the journey (these things being the winds, the floods, the rains, and the mountain waves) and realize that they are a necessary part of the journey – He doesn’t ask the brother of Jared what he needs to avoid them, He asks what he needs ‘when he is swallowed by them’. 

Let’s take a break and put ourselves back into our pre-mortal Jaradite ‘type(s)’.  We complete the work that the Lord has asked us to do in the pre-existence.  We have finished the majority of our requirements, we have ‘gathered’ our flocks and our other things, we have mentally prepared (and we even traveled to ‘the land which is northward’ to meet up with the Lord and receive a few more instructions along the way).  Then, we worked through a mini-journey to get to the seashore and are asked to ‘build a barge to cross the great sea’, which we do.  After all these preparations, we feel like we are nearly ready, but there are a couple of nagging questions that have been lingering in our minds that we’d like answered before we take the plunge into ‘the depths of the sea’ (mortality).  So, we humbly ask the lord for a little more clarification on a couple of things.  Our concerns could have been based on the makeup or functions of our physical bodies (pain, weakness, illness, disease and death) or they could have been based on situations or even family relationships  (stress, emotional turmoil, etc.), they could have been based on the functionality of the veil that we would pass through, – or they could have been based on areas that the Lord seems to have been quietly waiting for us to work out on our own – but his guidance to us would be the same.  He would help us to re-remember that “behold, I prepare you against these things; for ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds….and the floods”.  He says to us; ‘I prepared you [yes, just you] against everything that you will see down there.  There is no way you could make it without everything I’ve taught you here.  But, since you’re concerned about it, ‘what will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea’?  In addition to all that I’ve prepared you for (and against) in mortality, what more do you need/want to give you light when ye get completely buried by it all?  Such an amazing question!

IV

This question (what else do you need?) spurred the brother of Jared to go to work.  No doubt he laid out a plan, thought about his options, worked through the pros and cons of each idea, and finally settled on a plan that would give light to the barges.  He likely talked it over with his family based on their previous building of barges.  They learned from their experience, previous experience from others and the scriptures and he went to work on a solution.  In Ether 3:1 we learn that the brother of Jared ‘went forth unto the mount, (which is exceedingly high) and did molten out of a rock sixteen small stones’.  With this passage we learn some things that the brother of Jared did not do.  He did not wander to the nearest rock pile from his tent/house and grab 16 stones.  He did not walk to the river and select a few clean rocks.  He did not even just go chip out a few clear rocks from a larger clear rock.  What he did do was ‘go forth unto an exceedingly high mount, and molten out of a rock sixteen small stones; and they were white and clear, even as transparent glass’.   Molten (the verb) is the past participle of melt, but when used as an adjective means liquefied by heat; in a state of fusion or produced by melting and casting.2 This means that it wasn’t very easy for the brother of Jared to make these sixteen stones and they most certainly were not something that he found on the ground.  He created them with a singular purpose in mind. 

Once he had diligently created and developed his sixteen stones, ‘he did carry them in his hands upon the top of the mount’, presenting his proposed solution to the Lord.  He asks the Lord to ‘not be angry with thy servant because of his weakness’, – and acknowledging what may appear to the Lord as a completely weak and rudimentary solution – to ‘look upon me in pity’ and ‘suffer not that they shall go forth across this raging deep in darkness’.  So humble and so powerful – but he’s not done.  He says; ‘behold these things (he doesn’t even dare call them anything other than ‘things’) which I have molten out of the rock’…therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us… that we may have light while we shall cross the sea’.  Then, as the story unfolds, we realize that this humility and this faith that the brother of Jared demonstrated (remember, we are still in the preparation and pre-journey stage) is the catalyst for maybe the most amazing vision and experience ever. They are so great in fact, that we can’t even read them because they would overpower us [and they’ve been sealed] (see Ether 12:24 and Ether 4:4-5).  The Lord touches the stones – or as it’s referred to in both Ether 3:4 and Ether 6:2 the Lord ‘prepared’ the stones – ‘and they did give light unto the vessels’ – because ‘the Lord caused stones to shine in darkness, to give light unto men, women, and children, that they might not cross the great waters in darkness’.  Now, after each phase of his preparation (‘after they had done all these things’) the Jaredites ‘got aboard of their vessels or barges, and set forth into the sea.  He was finally ready to start his journey.

If we transplant ourselves back in time to when we had been asked by the Lord (what else we needed to give us light when we were to be swallowed), and think about the process that the brother of Jared went through before he approached the Lord with a potential solution, it can open up some interesting possibilities in our characters, our personalities, our interests, and maybe most importantly, our talents.  If we each took that pre-mortal time individually to reflect on the question (what is it that you want for light during the dark days of your journey) internally answering the question.  We – just like the brother of Jared – likely counseled with loved ones, reflected on past mini-journeys or preparations, looked at the pros and cons of various different possibilities, and then ultimately, we selected an option that we felt was the best solution.  Hopefully each of us came up with these solutions after much prayer, meditation, and work, and didn’t just pick up some rocks that were in the nearby field.  Then, if we imagine the term ‘molten stones out of rock’ to be synonymous with ‘developed talents, or abilities, or skills, or compassions, or character traits’ that would allow for ‘light’ to shine in times of greatest darkness, then we can see how amazing of a parallel this really is.  As we (young and struggling premortal spirits) worked so hard to develop a solution for a journey that we barely understood, the natural results of that hard work would have made us feel incredibly humble as we approached the perfection of the Lord and asked Him to ‘not be angry with thy servant because of his weakness’ and to ‘look upon us with pity’ while we feebly explained to a perfect spirit how or why we felt this meek and lowly talent could help us when we are ‘swallowed in the depths of the sea’.  Yet, we continued and asked the Lord to ‘prepare our stones, that they may shine forth in darkness… that we may have light while we cross the sea’.  Our stones are the individual talents, abilities, gifts, and natures that we spent time developing in the pre-existence molting out of rock – and as the Lord had compassion on us – he ‘prepared’ them and caused them to shine in darkness for our journey through mortality.  Even though it was the brother of Jared who created the stones, and brought them to the Lord, and even though the talents or gifts were developed by us through much hard work (in the pre-existence and here) it was and is the Lord who causes them to shine.  We bring our gifts and our talents to the Lord, and he gives them light. Then we, like the brother of Jared, hopefully use that humility and that blessing from the Lord as a catalyst of spiritual power and faith to sustain us through the long journey ahead.  Then, and only then were we ready to ‘get aboard our vessels and set forth into the sea’.

V

Once the Jaredites were sufficiently prepared, boarded, and actually in the water, ‘the Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land; and thus were they tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind… they were many times buried in the depths of the sea, because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, and also the great and terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind… the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land… and thus they were driven forth before the wind’ (Ether 6:5-8).  If I imagine a voyage across the sea (cruise, sailing, etc.) I don’t want to see the following words; furious wind, tossed upon the waves, buried in the depths, mountain waves, great and terrible tempests, fierceness of the wind, and wind did never cease.  Yet, somehow the Lords words ‘I prepare against these things’ may have echoed just enough in the Jaredites ears that they understood the reasons, plus the fact that these winds ‘did never cease to blow towards the promised land’.  It may have helped them realize that the mountain waves that were burying them in the depths of the sea, were somehow getting them closer to their destination.  And, there is little doubt that those bright white stones prepared by the Lord offered comfort, peace, and light during the most troubling of times, and also provided them a constant reminder of the hard work, faith, humility, and presence of a savior and guide who would never leave them alone. 

Once we as pre-mortal spirits were sufficiently prepared, were able to have our final pre-mortal pep talks and interviews and had both feet in the water of mortality, ‘the Lord God causes that there to be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land; and thus are we tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind… we are many times buried in the depths of the sea, because of the mountain waves which break upon us, and also the great and terrible tempests which are caused by the fierceness of the wind… the wind will never cease to blow towards the promised land… and thus are we driven forth before the wind’.  It helps us to know that the great and terrible tempests, the mountain waves, and the repeated burying in the depths of the sea, are all due to the fierceness of the wind. 

The fierceness of this wind is in direct proportion to the fierceness of His love – since that furious wind is eagerly blowing each of us towards the promised land.  In times of trouble, when we are swallowed up, and when it seems as if there is no way out of the darkness – let us recall the gifts, talents, and small stones that we have molten out of rock that were touched and prepared by the Lord to give us and others traveling with us light specifically for those times – when we are seemingly buried in the darkness and remember, that being buried in the depths was always part of the plan. 

Notes

1 ‘The Land which is northward’ could represent any check-in station where we evaluate or re-evaluate our direction, trajectory, or standing before the Lord.  It could also represent a very real change of phase or responsibility.  It’s use in this story was a launching pad or starting line for the first part of the journey.  I don’t think it is strange to think of ‘the land which is northward’ being a starting line for any and all new journeys.  It is also likely that ‘the land which is northward’ could reference the temple since that is where he can give us counsel and direction and help us determine our location and/or direction in our various journeys. 

2 Dictionary.reference.com/browse/molten?s=t

Just Breathe

16 Monday Jan 2017

Posted by in Battle, Failure, Fundamentals, General, Journeys, Motivation, Patience, Success, Weakness

≈ 1 Comment

di8lrq7ie

In November of last year, for reasons beyond my comprehension, I decided that I was going to try and do a triathlon. That rash decision was a direct result of me being shown up big time by my little brother Tyson. He had just finished a full Ironman triathlon, and made it look easy.

As has been well documented in this blog, competition among us brothers has always been, and will probably always be, in the forefront of our relationships. Let’s at least try and call it “healthy competition”. We push each other to be better. Or, we push ourselves to try to be as good as the other guy. This triathlon thing though….?

Last time I wrote about this, I described the initial attempts I had made in the swimming pool. These initial forays trying to swim didn’t go smoothly. They instead made me feel more like I was in that Gravity movie with George Clooney and was spinning out of control in a punctured space suit, hurtling and cartwheeling towards the black abyss of outer space. Tyson had warned me about that and kept saying that I would eventually get it. But it wasn’t happening very quickly.

When trying to swim the right way, or trying to emulate the way the real swimmers do it, you have to alternate breathing by turning your head either left or right, while you are pulling your way through the water. All this while your head is probably halfway submerged in the water. The official way to do this is during every third stroke. Thats how they teach it on youtube anyway, and thats where I learn to do everything.

If I wanted to be a good swimmer, I was supposed to take a stroke with my right, left, then quickly inhale a breath while turning my head to the left on the third stroke. I was then supposed to repeat and alternate ad nauseam until I either passed out, drowned, or made it to the other side of the pool. The pros make it look easy, but its not. Its not, because swimming is a very “aerobic” exercise in a very anaerobic (underwater) environment.

For the first several months I made small improvements. I went from an initial limit of around 100 meters, to being able to go to almost 400 meters without stopping to perform life saving measures.  That may seem nice, but when you consider the length of the swim on a “half” ironman triathlon is 1.2 miles or 1,930 meters it puts a damper on your excitement. It makes you feel like you have to clean the entire bathroom with only a toothbrush, and only using your teeth. Not pretty. I started to see myself as being the only one needing to swim with Dora the Explorer arm floaties during the triathlon.

I was pretty discouraged, I couldn’t seem to be able to build up enough endurance to even sniff what I was supposed to be able to do. I would go to the pool almost every single day, and the same thing would happen. I’d swim 450 meters, nearly pass out, get nauseous, and see stars for the next 3 hours while I recovered on the couch (which was not exactly getting me prepared to bike for 3 hours, then run for an hour and a half immediately after I swam).

It was about this time that a timely phone call to Tyson changed everything. We were talking about techniques and things, and he passively mentioned that he took a breath every other stroke, not every third. I decided to try out this super secret, highly advanced technique of breathing more often instead of tempting death and nearly drowning each time I entered the pool. It turned out that breathing more often was a good idea. Funny.  So I guess if you’re suffocating under water, breathing more often is helpful. Why didn’t I think of that?

The next time I went to the pool, I tried it. I took off, and took a nice deep breath every other stroke, and kept going. I passed my old record of 500 meters, and kept going. I passed 750 meters and kept going, then 900, and all the way to 1000 meters. I stopped only because I had to pinch myself and make sure it was real.  It was. I shook my head and wondered again why I hadn’t previously thought of breathing more when I was out of breath. It was just that simple.

The next day, I decided to see just how far I could go, and made it to 2000 meters without stopping. I just laughed at myself to think that such a simple change had made such a drastic improvement in what I was doing. I decided that every “how to swim” video on youtube should have Pearl Jam singing the theme song, “Just Breathe”.

 

As I contemplated this improvement, and as I was swimming for those longer training days in the pool, I kept thinking about how much better my life was now that I had a steady supply of oxygen, or breath. I thought about the similarities of having enough “breath” in all the aspects of my life. I thought about the significance of spending one day a week concentrating as much as possible on the good things in life, my Savior, and the gospel. It reminded me of how Sundays, and everyday really, could be that breath of fresh air.

Sometimes its easy to get caught up in trying to do to much of our everyday stuff, that we seldom take the time to spiritually breathe. We are here on this planet for a purpose. That purpose is not to make the most money, have the best toys, or be the most successful in our chosen field. We are here to learn to be like God.

He puts us here for that reason alone.

As I have been through my daily, weekly and yearly routines, I have been guilty of trying to tough it out for too long without taking a breath. I have struggled to make it even a few hundred meters before I felt like I couldn’t keep going. I was seemingly doing the right things, I just wasn’t “breathing” often enough.

Our physical bodies need oxygen to survive and function. Our spirits also need constant spiritual oxygen for nourishment. When its continuous, it feeds us in a way that enables us to continue progressing and we become stronger and stronger. We become a smoother swimmer so to speak. We feel more comfortable, excited, and familiar with our purpose on earth. If we go too long without it, we tend to struggle, and sometimes find ourselves on the couch seeing stars.

Every day I should be breathing in the lessons taught in the scriptures, praying, and thinking about my real purpose on this planet,  and taking in big deep breaths with my spirit. It makes a difference. If I  do it daily, as the “professional swimmers” have counseled us to do, I will have plenty of spiritual oxygen for endurance.

Breathing gives us life. It sustains our mortal lives, but the frequent breathing in of spiritual oxygen is just as critical to our spiritual survival and endurance. After all, thats really the hard part, enduring to the end.

“The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.”
–Job 33:4

Felonies and Bended Knees

12 Tuesday Jul 2016

Posted by in Agency, Cars, Failure, General, Journeys, Obedience

≈ 1 Comment

abondoned car

Disclaimer #1: The statute of limitations has long expired for any and all misdeeds explicitly expressed in, and/or eluded to, in the following post.

Disclaimer #2: To the owner of the car subject to the aforementioned misdeeds in disclaimer #1 and subsequent subject in the following story…yeah, sorry about that.

This story is one of those that stays hidden for many years because of fear. The fear of a swift kick in the butt from your Dad, or punishment in a juvenile delinquent facility if the truth ever squeaked out. I can talk about it now, because, as is clearly stated in disclaimer #1, the statute of limitations has expired. And, I don’t live close enough for my Dad to kick my butt anymore. It’s actually kind of funny now, but it sure wasn’t at the time.

This crazy event took place 22 years ago, back when I was 15 and knew everything. I couldn’t drive yet, but I was getting close. I was kind of in that weird teenage time when you are annoyed that you can’t do whatever you want, whenever you want. That was me. I wasn’t a bad kid, but I remember feeling pretty dang smart. It had been a while since my last slice of humble pie.

The incident occurred on a Friday or Saturday night. As was the tradition in those days, myself and my merry band of buddies had just spent most of the night hanging out playing pool (billiards). That was our traditional go to hang out event. We had a good friend (we will call her Cassie to protect her identity) who generously allowed us to utilize the pool table in her basement. This was probably against her better judgment, but being the thoughtful friends that we were, we invited ourselves over all the time. The girls would watch movies, while we boys would have intense pool tournaments, and pretend we were awesome.

pool

This is kind of what we were going for, minus the doogies.

We were all good kids, and had good parents, so, naturally, we all had curfews. We all had the same one- 12 midnight. All of us. However, we were all only 15 and no one had a car, or a driver’s license. This usually meant that one of our parents had to come pick us all up, and systematically drop us all off, all at around 1145 at night. This isn’t exactly cool if you are 15. But, this night would prove to be different.

Whatever possessed us (the boys) that night to decide to walk home is beyond me (the girls were too smart for that). I guess it must have been the cumulative lack of brain power in our 15 year old underdeveloped brains. We were at least smart enough to know that we had to leave before midnight to give ourselves a shot at walking the 7 miles from Santaquin to Payson in order to be home by our curfew. Brilliant idea. Lets walk home, all 7 miles, in the pitch dark, orchard lined back streets with no street lights. What could go wrong? We were awesome like that.

When I say we, I mean there were 7 of us (as far as I remember). Again, to protect the identities of my friends, let’s just call them Brad, Mark, Mo, Blake, Sterling, and Anthony. Anthony only lived a short few blocks away, so he was spared from any culpability or involvement, not that he wouldn’t have been right there with us if given the chance.

That left 6 of us walking home. After a few blocks, myself and “Brad” decided that 7 miles would take longer to walk than we thought. So, we decided we would run home. By running, we would be home early, or at least on time, and by so doing, avoid a royal butt kicking. So we took off, leaving the other 4 guys behind. They were on their own. Remember, this was before cell phones, so calling for a ride after we left “Cassie’s” house wasn’t an option.

We ran straight through and never walked over the next 6.5 miles. And we were on top of the world with how brilliant we were. We were nearly home. But, as fate would have it. Our night was really just beginning. It was at that moment that we discovered what would become the source of our absolute fear for the next several months. We passed an abandoned car, or at least that is what we, in our brilliant 15 year old minds, thought. Never mind the fact that it was parked in cleared away area right by the freeway entrance that most people would recognize as a car pool parking lot. But, oft times, the connection between a 15 year old boy’s eyes and his small underdeveloped brain is blocked by an oversized ego.

Most people with any sense would have walked right by this car, without a second thought. We certainly should have, because we were only about another 3 minutes from being home. But, we were 15, and far from having any sense at all, so, we decided to see if the doors were locked. That’s what any reasonable person would do if they walked past a car that wasn’t theirs night? Nope, we weren’t reasonable. So we checked, and, sure enough, the doors were open. Well, might as well check for keys, right? Yep, lets check. Wow, the keys were in it! So, whats next? Try to start it obviously. So, I tried and tried and tried. But, it wouldn’t start, so I gave up hope. Hope for what I still have no idea. But, then “Brad” tried to start it, and he, actually knowing what a clutch was, was able to get it going. It was obviously a miracle.

So now you have two 15 year olds, without drivers licenses, sitting in a running car at 11:50 at night. So we did what any 15 year old would do in that situation. In our infinite teenage wisdom, and displaying our excellent decision making skills, came up with the most beneficent plan ever conceived. We would serve our fellow man, namely our 4 other walking friends in need, by driving back to them, and giving them a ride back to the spot where we “found” this poor abandoned car.

How thoughtful of us. Then, “Brad” and I (having obviously suffered simultaneous teenage brain infarcts) pulled out of the spot, and proceeded to drive the several miles back to the road where our friends would be, whooping, hollering, and laughing all the way. Life was good. They would be so happy.

Life was good, for another 4 minutes. Then life was not good. Not good at all. We realized about 4 minutes too late that the car we had just borrowed was out of gas. Way out of gas. It stalled in the road about 100 yards from our friends. Great just what we needed. Witnesses. 15 year old boy witnesses.

“Brad” then let the car coast to the side of the road, where we tried desperately and hopelessly to get it started again. We tried for another several minutes, before we realized we would be spending the rest of our lives in a jail cell. Both the brain cells in our heads started firing and wondering what life would be like in juvenile detention.

At that moment our friends walked up and we got hooted out. Sterling especially had a hay day. Anyone that knows him will attest that he can laugh AT someone better than anyone in the whole world. Its a special skill, it’s a gift really. A talent unmatched by anyone in the history of mankind. And he did not disappoint that night. He cackled relentlessly, endlessly, loudly, unrepentantly, and uncontrollably for what seemed like an eternity. We were toast.

Then our brains had to snap back to reality. We then frantically put two and two together and realized that this car was not going to be where the owners left it, when they eventually came back for it. That meant that the cops would be called to help find it. That meant that they would be looking for who took it. That meant that we were in deep do-do. We had to destroy the evidence. So, the brilliant young budding felons that we were, we took our t-shirts and rubbed everywhere we had touched! We had to get rid of our fingerprints! You should have seen us. 6 15 year old kids rubbing every square inch of every handle, door, dash, steering wheel, and fender!

I remember being convinced that the police department had my prints on file because of that one time in cub scouts when we went to the police station and the policeman taught us how they recorded the fingerprints of the criminals as they came in. I was certain that they kept a file of my 9 year old prints just in case. I knew it was only a matter of time. I could run, but I couldn’t hide. I would be making license plates for the rest of my life.

As if becoming a felon guilty of grand theft auto wasn’t enough, this whole incident had taken time. Not only time we didn’t have, but now we were back to almost where we began, now 5 miles from home, and well after our curfew. It was bad. By the time I got back home I fully expected to be strung up, skinned, and left as just a memory and a skid mark in the driveway. I was really late. And I remember getting an earful. Quite an earful. But what could I say? “Sorry Mom and Dad, we would have been back home in time, but instead, we decided to steal a car and drove it back towards Santaquin until it ran out of gas, so we had to abandon it, and then had to run another 5 miles back home.” Yeah right.

So, “Brad” and I waited. We waited for the moment when the cops would knock on our doors, ask for us by name, and read us our miranda rights, and haul us away in cuffs. I remember being scared to death each and every time the doorbell rang, or there was a knock on the door for at least 2 months. No kidding. It wasn’t fun. I lived in continuous fear and anxiety. There was also the very real threat of one of our 4 other friends (witnesses) blabbing all over town with the funniest story ever. Which, would inevitably lead to our arrest and conviction. Thanks guys.

But, it never came. Thankfully, the police record of my 9 year old prints had been misplaced. And we were spared a life scarred by years spent in jail. But, a lesson was learned that night. A lesson that has sunk in over the last 22 years, and still teaches me even today. It was not fun living like that. Worrying constantly about the repercussions of my decision that night. I didn’t want to do anything like that ever again. I couldn’t take it.

As I look back on that story of that night, and all the things I learned from it, I can see similarities to a lot of our lives. Its almost like that 2 hour saga is an abridgment of a life story that has taken a wrong turn. Lets look a little closer at what happened and phrase it only slightly differently. Looking back, this is how I could describe it. Remember, there are lessons, even gospel lessons, in every aspect of our lives. Even when we “borrow” a car without asking.

Listen to it again, this way…

After a great night, I started on the path back home just as I was supposed to. I even decided to hurry to make sure I was home on time. I was pointed in the right direction, committed, determined, and headed to where I should have been. I had traveled 99% of the way on the correct and straight path, without even a slight variation. But, at the last minute, I saw something slightly off the correct course. I knew it was off course, I knew better, but I was curious. So I ignored my better judgment. I decided to just take a moment to check it out. I would be home in just a minute anyway. No harm in checking.

But then the distraction sucked me in. I was hooked. I traded the security of being home on time, for the temporary thrill of the new and exciting. I had ignored the whisperings of my conscience. And before I even realized what had really happened, I was speeding backwards in exactly the wrong direction. And the forces that pulled me in that wrong direction abandoned me, and dumped me far from home.

That temporary, fleeting, and false excitement had deceived me. I fell for it. And it made for a long, even painful road back home. I made it, and we all can make it, even if we mess up, and the lessons we learn the hard way, sometimes stick better in our minds. But, it would have been so much easier if I had just finished that last 1% without even thinking about that distraction on the side of the road. And that is the lesson I keep learning even today. I don’t want to learn any more lessons the hard way.

We are constantly being distracted, and pulled away from who we want to be, and where we want to go. The appeal of the car on the side of the road is different for all of us. For some, it may be drugs or alcohol, pornography, movies, books, or music. For others it may be seemingly harmless hobbies, or social media that just take away so much of our time. It may be small things that distract us, or it could be even bigger faith shaking things that start as a curiosity, but soon lead us to speeding in the opposite direction of the home we were headed towards.

Regardless of what it is, the lesson is the same. We just need to finish, keeping our eyes focused ahead towards our heavenly home. And take it one step at a time. We will also need to take very frequent breaks to kneel down.

When we are committed and determined to make it back to our Father in Heaven, we can finally feel the peace that comes with the journey. The freedom we achieve by following the Savior, and becoming more like him, is not so much a physical place, but a feeling, or a state of mind. Its a freedom from guilt, from torment, and shame. Its a freedom from anxiety for what potential penalty awaits us right around the corner. Its the avoidance of waiting for the cops to come haul us away!

We feel at peace when we follow our Savior. His spirit and his love fills our lives when we make the everyday choices to follow him. We will never be truly at peace if we chase after the temporary thrills of the distractions on the side of the road. Ive been there. If we want to live our lives free of fear, doubt, and anxiety we simply need to walk towards him, and not stop until we get there.

This hymn sums it up perfectly….

I will not doubt, I will not fear;
God’s love and strength are always near.
His promised gift helps me to find
An inner strength and peace of mind.

I give the Father willingly
My trust, my prayers, humility.
His Spirit guides; his love assures
That fear departs when faith endures.

-Hymn 158 “When Faith Endures”

All this

16 Thursday Jul 2015

Posted by in Blessings, Divinity, Faith, Journeys, Visions

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brother-of-jared-seeing-finger-of-lord-39668-wallpaper

Brother of Jared Seeing the Finger of the Lord, by Arnold Friberg

I think most of us are generally familiar with the story of the brother of Jared, but just as a refresher I’ll provide a recap.  He and his family lived when the language is confounded at the time of the building of the tower of babel.  He cries to the Lord and is able to continue communicating with his friends and family.  Then, when the Lord tells them to prepare for a monumental journey to the promised land, they do just that.  They prepare for this great journey and are led all along the way by the Lord himself.  Just prior to actually setting off into the ocean, the brother of Jared was trying to get a few “small” questions answered and went to the Lord in humility for a little bit more guidance (and to calm his fears).  What happened was pretty amazing.  In chapters 2 and 3 of Ether we learn:

  • The Lord continually provided the brother of Jared with revelation including specific instructions for preparation
  • The Lord provided an opportunity for the brother of Jared to struggle with and develop a solution for his problems, and be rewarded for his work
  • The Lord caused the stones that the brother of Jared prepared to “shine forth in darkness” (Ether 3:4-6)
  • The Lord showed himself unto the brother of Jared (Ether 3:13)
  • The brother of Jared was redeemed him from the fall and was brought back into the Lord’s presence (Ether 3:13)
  • The Lord ministered unto the brother of Jared even as he ministered unto the Nephites (Ether 3:17-18)
  • The Lord gave the brother of Jared two stones (Ether 3:23) “that shall magnify to the eyes of men the things he should write”
  • The Lord showed the brother of Jared “all the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all that would be, even unto the ends of the earth” (Ether 3:25-26)

In reality, the Lord literally showed the brother of Jared “all things”.  And “there never were greater things made manifest than those which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared” (Ether 4:4).  But, since I want to really emphasize both the number and the quality of “things” that the Lord showed him, I will include the list of things that the Lord did while He ministered among the Nephites, specifically because Moroni tells us that the Lord did indeed minister to the brother of Jared “even as he ministered unto the Nephites” (meaning just as recorded in 3 Ne. chapters 11-26) where we learn that:

  • Jesus showed himself unto them one by one and allowed each of them to feel his wounds (3 Ne. 11:14-15)
  • Jesus gave them power (3 Ne. 11:21-22)
  • Jesus taught them true doctrines and principles (including particulars regarding ordinances) and expounded the scriptures and the prophets unto them (3 Ne. 11:23-41, all of 3 Ne. 12-16; 19:10-23:5; and 23:14)
  • He blessed and healed them (3 Ne. 17:5-10) and their children (3 Ne. 17:11-12; 21, see also 3 Ne. 26:15)
  • Christ himself prayed with and for them (3 Ne. 17:13-18; 19:19-24; 19:27-29; 19:31)
  • He wept with them due to joy – even until his joy was full (3 Ne. 17:21-22)
  • Jesus facilitated the ministering of angels and they were all encircled about with fire (3 Ne. 17:24; 19:14-15)
  • He instituted the sacrament (3 Ne. 18: 1-14; 19:8-9; 26:13)
  • He gave them the Holy Ghost (3 Ne. 18:36-37; 19:13)
  • Jesus shone the light of his countenance upon them (3 Ne. 19:25,30)
  • He prayed “words which cannot be written by man” in their presence (3 Ne. 19:32-33)
  • He performed a miracle of feeding them bread and wine when there was none (3 Ne. 19:3-7)
  • He gave them new scripture (3 Ne. 24-25; 26:2)
  • He expounded all things unto them, both great and small (3 Ne. 23:14; 26:1,3-5)
  • He taught and ministered with them for 3 days (3 Ne. 26:13)
  • He loosed the children’s tongues (26:14) that they could “speak things which were unlawful for man to utter”
  • He revealed “even greater things” unto the children (26:14)

So, now we are looking at quite the list of accomplishments when the Lord ministered to the Nephites, which by reference were things that can be included in our understanding of the ministration to the brother of Jared.  But let us remember that the author puts all of these great things outlined in 3 Ne. 11-26 in context by telling us that “there cannot be written even a hundredth part of the things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people” (3 Ne. 26:6).  Numerically (and just for emphasis), that means that if we review the 17 items on that list and that’s not even a hundredth part, we really could make a bullet list of over 1,700 things that were pretty great.  Combine that with Moroni’s statement regarding the abridgment the Jaredite record that tells us he “could not make a full account of these things” (the brother of Jared’s encounter) – and we can truly understand that we are only getting a tiny sampling of how amazing both events really were.

Hopefully these lists of amazing items help us realize the absolute gravity and weight of a simple phrase like “these things” or “all this” when it refers to ministering visits from the Lord.

That brings us to the question; “why are we making a list of amazing things that the Lord showed the brother of Jared?”

The answer is found in Ether 3:18 which reads “and all this, that this man might know that he was God, because of the many great works which the Lord had showed unto him.”

All this (everything on these lists, and a hundred times more), that this man (this one man in the singular) might know that he was God.  This small and simple statement tells us that the Lord did all these great works and made himself known just so that the brother of Jared would know that he was God (which naturally leads to faith, repentance, improvement, etc.).  That seems like a lot of time and work and effort went into making sure one guy knew the truth, especially when we remember that this is a man who is pretty confident that the Lord was in charge all along the way.

The message is that the Lord will show each one of us “all this” just so that we might know that he is God just like he did for the brother of Jared.  He says it himself (through the allegory of the olive trees) when “the Lord of the vineyard said again unto his servant: Look hither, and behold another branch also, which I have planted; behold that I have nourished it also, and it hath brought forth fruit.  And he said unto the servant: Look hither and behold the last.  Behold, this have I planted in a good spot of ground; and I have nourished it this long time… behold; I have nourished this tree like unto the others” (Jacob 5:24-25).  Each of us is a tree “like unto the others” meaning that we will be “nourished this long time” individually by the Lord of the vineyard.

Remember, the worth of souls is great in the sight of God; For behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him (D&C 18:10-11).  He is intimately invested in each of us, and has already offered his down payment.

I wonder, if we set out to make a list of all the “things” that the Lord has done for us as individuals to show that he is God, if it wouldn’t look very similar to the brother of Jared’s list; to the point where if we are honest with ourselves we might be able to recognize that the Lord has in fact “manifest himself unto us in word, and also in power, in very deed, unto the taking away of our stumbling blocks” (1 Ne. 14:1).

And all this, that we might know that he is God.

A Trip Across the Ocean

28 Sunday Jun 2015

Posted by in Journeys, Types

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There is a story – a true story.  About a ship, a family, and their journey to a better place.  This story is much more than just a nice story about a trip across the ocean, which is why it was selected among the thousands of other stories written long ago to be included in the “most correct of any book on earth.”1

Nephi and his extended family had gone through many afflictions and struggles in order to build a boat (not after the manner of men) from scratch that would allow them to cross the great waters.  This was no easy task, yet together they persevered, built the ship, gathered many provisions, boarded the ship and then set sail for a better world.  During this sailing trip they were “driven forth before the wind towards the promised land”2  and things were looking up.  Struggles and sacrifice had created strong familial bonds, humility, gratitude, and hope, and traction to move forward to another new beginning.

On this journey, after they “had been driven forth before the wind for the space of many days”3 a portion of his family on the boat “began to make themselves merry… to speak with much rudeness, yea, even that they did forget by what power they had been brought thither, yea, they were lifted up unto exceeding rudeness.”  Happiness and prosperity and progress had given way to rest, which led to complacency, which always results in forgetfulness.

Fearing that this rudeness and forgetfulness would incur the displeasure of God, and because he knew that this whimsical merriment and exceeding rudeness would no doubt have detrimental consequences to everyone aboard the ship, Nephi “began to speak to them with much soberness; but rather than pay attention to his words, “they were angry with [Nephi]” because they did not enjoy him to telling them what was right.4  Nephi warned them that their behavior was inappropriate.  He even warned them “with much soberness.”  Much soberness is code for “he told them in very plain terms that what they were doing was a bad idea and that they should stop.”  We might even say that he used words like ‘declare’ or ‘warn’).  These people thought and assumed that it was their right to have a little fun, and to decide what was okay and not okay all by themselves, and therefore paid little heed to his words.  In fact, they became angry at Nephi because of his words, and rather than give heed to his warnings they let their anger lead them to action.

Laman and Lemuel took it upon themselves to enforce their opinions by constraining Nephi.  Nephi explained; they “took me and bound me with cords, and they did treat me with much harshness”.  As this was happening, Nephi demonstrated no amazing show of power, called down no “signs” from heaven to thwart the mutiny, and likely just calmly yet unmistakably made his position known.   Essentially, Nephi allowed Laman and Lemuel to make their choice and to practice their agency.   The Lord (and Nephi) – just like he has in many other instances, and just like he does today – “did suffer it that he might show forth his power, unto the fulfilling of his word which he had spoken.”5  The Lord provides agency to everyone, and everyone means everyone, even when what those people are choosing is harmful.

At this point, I imagine that those individuals who bound Nephi with cords, and who treated him or spoke to him with much rudeness were quite pleased with themselves.  Their actions may have even been met with cheers and applause from others who were tired of Nephi preaching to them about Gods expectations and their behavior – and more importantly about the age-old promise of punishment for disobeying the commandments.  Perhaps they thought that now that Nephi was bound and captive they could be at peace, or that Nephi would change his mind about what is acceptable behavior when he realized and watched their seemingly innocent merriment had not brought forth immediate negative consequences or even when it was explained to him that exceptions should be made to laws while traveling on a boat, after all – times were different now.  It wasn’t the golden days of Jerusalem or the old world any more; they were in a new world on the ocean, they had grown up and things had changed.

There is a critical detail that Laman and Lemuel either didn’t consider, or didn’t think was important enough to worry about in their celebrations.  Nephi was the navigator of the ship.  He was the one that could read the compass.  He was the one that knew where to go and how to get there.

As soon as Laman and Lemuel had tied Nephi up, “the compass that pointed the way whither they should go”6 – “did cease to work”. 7  These two (Laman and Lemuel), and all of their followers – in their haste to be comfortable with their own merriment and by attempting to silencing any naysayers by force – had forfeited their navigational capabilities all in the very same act for which they were celebrating victory.

At this point in the story, a tragic observation is captured in the record.  A simple yet profound truth that reads “they knew not whither they should steer the ship.”8  It wasn’t just that they couldn’t steer the ship – although it was that too. These guys knew the hopeful destination existed but they had no idea how to get there.  These are the guys that wanted to be in charge of the ship and wanted to tell everyone on board that despite what Nephi was saying, that everything was going to be fine, and as a side note they didn’t want anyone else making things difficult for them along the way.  This was okay for a little while; a few hours, maybe even a few days, but some time after their we-tied-Nephi-up party “there arose a great storm, yea a great and terrible tempest, and [they] were driven back upon the waters.”9

As with all decisions to disobey God’s law and/or to ignore the warnings of the prophets, at some point unfavorable consequences are guaranteed to follow.  As soon as this storm came around some of the other passengers on the boat likely  started to see that Nephi had been right all along, and were became uncomfortably aware of the situation.  The only way to peace and safety was to do exactly what Nephi had told them; obey to the Lord, be humble, repent, and keep the commandments.  Everything else is the opposite of that law and will eventually end up in pain and regret.

As this storm worsened, and the situation became dire, Laman and Lemuel “began to be frightened exceedingly lest they should be drowned in the sea; nevertheless, they did not loose [Nephi].”10  They continued in their ignorance and likely shouted loud enough for everyone to hear that Nephi was still the crazy one and promised that the storm will pass soon enough.  They probably even told everyone that the storm had nothing to do with Nephi being bound and that it was just a coincidence.

It wasn’t until these two brothers understood that “the judgments of God were upon them, and that they must perish” that they realized the mistake they had made.  They finally understood that despite their hopes and dreams, they really had no idea what they were doing.  They didn’t know how to steer the ship.  To make matters worse, during this tempest, “they (Laman and Lemuel) did breathe out much threatenings against anyone that should speak for [Nephi]”11 or who shared Nephi’s values.  They didn’t show any concern for the other passengers on the boat or how the very real consequences of their actions affected all of them.  They didn’t do what was best for the entire group.  They did what they wanted to do and demanded that everyone allow them to do it – and threatened them to stay quiet about any reminders to the contrary – even if it meant death by tempest for every single person aboard the ship.

Only when Laman and Lemuel saw that “they were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea” and they finally understood that they had willingly forfeited the right to proper navigation by trusting in themselves and in their own judgment rather than the Lord and his compass did they truly see.  In other words – after being driven backwards upon the waters, and after experiencing a mighty tempest that threatened to destroy the entire party, it wasn’t until they came to the point of their own imminent death did they “hear” the words and warnings that Nephi had spoken.  It is a sobering fact indeed to realize that they really may have only been in it for themselves all along.

Yet, in a flash of long overdue wisdom, these two repented, loosed Nephi from his cords, and he (Nephi) ”took the compass, and it did work whither [he] desired it.  And it came to pass that [he] prayed unto the Lord… and the winds did cease, and the storm did cease, and there was a great calm.”12  Following that, “Nephi did guide the ship, that [they] sailed again towards the promised land.”13  Problem solved, crisis averted, lessons learned, and they were back on course.

The solution to surviving the great and terrible storm was so simple, and the solution to our great and terrible tempest is still so simple.  Follow the prophet, because “he knows the way.”14  The prophet and his apostles are the ones that can use the compass and that “know whither to steer the ship”.  If we try and put ourselves in charge, by discounting their words or their counsel, ignoring them, or becoming angry with them (essentially binding them), we run the risk of veering off course and being driven backwards.

The last note about this story that I feel is important for us all to remember, is the fact that everyone in the story – both the people who were listening to Nephi and the people who were not – were in the same boat – literally.   They were all experiencing their own individual journeys within the group journey.  The interaction between the two groups was necessary, because after all, “it must needs be that there is an opposition in all things”15 and that includes opposition in opinion and the use of our agency.  I highly doubt that Nephi and his immediate family reacted to his being bound by cursing Laman and Lemuel or calling them names, shunning their families, throwing their hands in the air, losing hope, or asking to take the emergency raft to the nearest island where they could live by themselves – even if that’s what they wanted to do.  I am positive that Nephi and his family didn’t begin to “speak with much rudeness” towards Laman and Lemuel.  I like to think that they fervently prayed and continued to exhibit faith and even let Laman and Lemuel know of their love for them as members of their family and boating party, all while continually declaring and enforcing their values and where they stood on the issue by their quiet yet powerful examples of faithfulness and humility to the Lord.

We are all on a journey.  We have someone who is steering the ship and even better than that; there is someone that is causing the wind to blow – which drives our boat towards the promised land.  The Lord is in charge, and we do not need to doubt that fact.  Let us follow his enticings, be loyal to him, and act like him to be quiet yet powerful examples and demonstrate where we stand by shining with brightness, love, kindness, and hope.

Notes

1 See the Introduction to the Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ

2 1 Ne. 18:8

3 1 Ne. 18:9

4 1 Ne. 18:10

5 1 Ne. 18:11

6 1 Ne. 16:10

7 1Ne. 18:12

8 1 Ne. 18:13

9 1 Ne. 18:13

10 1 Ne. 18:13

11 1 Ne. 18:17

12 1 Ne. 18:21

13 1 Ne. 18:22

14 Children’s LDS Songbook, 110, “Follow the Prophet”

15 2 Ne. 2:11

Where’s the Next Food?

05 Thursday Feb 2015

Posted by in Food, Journeys

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A few years ago, a good friend (and co-worker) of mine told me of a frequent occurrence related to meal time at their house; his son – who was age 10 at the time – would finish his plate of food, and immediately ask “dad, where’s the next food”?  It didn’t matter if it was breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, helping 1 or 2, the question came…”dad, where’s the next food”?  Apparently he was always on the lookout for the next food.  However, over the years as my friend and I have laughed over this recurring story, I have wondered if the question is only partly based on physical hunger (legitimately asking “where is the next food” because I am still hungry), but also partly based on knowledge and planning (for his mental preparation and ease, he needed to know where the next food fit into his day, so that he didn’t get overly anxious about not knowing where the next food is).  Maybe he just wanted to know the plan for ‘the next food’, or maybe just an assurance that there would indeed be a ‘next food’.  The point is – he was always eagerly awaiting ‘the next food’, and he was not satisfied with being full – even in that moment.

Another story related to ‘the next food’ is one that we are all likely familiar with; it’s called a vacation.  For me, 85% of the fun of vacationing is searching for, strategizing, planning, looking forward to, and then waiting for ‘the next food’.  Even if you are in the act of consuming ‘the current food’ or so full from ‘the last food’ that you are ill.  On vacation, we longingly ask the question “where’s the next food”?  This is pretty much what Disneyland is right?  At least for me it is.  Walking from the churro cart to the pretzel stand, only to be distracted by the ice cream shop or the frozen slushies.  This also happens to be a great activity to engage in while the children (or everyone else in the party minus the baby) are in line for 30-45 minutes.  This is likely why it is called the happiest place on earth.  Once, while vacationing with Colby and Catie a couple of years ago, we made it a goal to find the best fish tacos.  This led to an exhaustive search of the entire local area, and by necessity a taste test at nearly every location.  It didn’t matter if we were hungry or not, we were in constant search of ‘the next food’.  This process naturally culminated with the four of us being seriously ill (nigh unto death) for most of the vacation and then at our final destination (our last meal before we left) we found the best fish tacos.  They were delicious, and Colby made the perfect observation while we were forcing the food down; “just think of how good these tacos would be if we were actually hungry”!   The point is – we were always eagerly looking forward to ‘the next food’, and we were not even close to satisfied with just being full.  We wanted to be stuffed to the brim, and then start planning ‘the next food’.

Why is either of these stories important?  I think the answer is in the process of always looking for what’s next and never thinking that you’ve made it.  We should always ask the question, “where’s the next food”?  Whether that’s a meal, whether it’s a certain job or responsibility in the church, whether it’s a task that we’ve been sent to earth to accomplish (no matter where we live), whether it’s a person we need to affect, whether it’s something we need to experience and learn, whether it’s a situation at work, or even if there seems to be a noticeable lack of clearly orchestrated situations, we need to ask the question “where’s the next food”?  What can I learn from this situation or experience?  Even if we are spiritually full, let’s seek out and look for ‘the next food’.  Because after all, we don’t want to consider ourselves ‘satisfied’, lay on the couch, fall asleep, and then wake up 4 hours later with a rumbling stomach and no idea where ‘the next food’ is or where it will come from.

There are many stories of ‘journeys’ captured in the scriptures.  Journeys (by necessity) include tribulation, trials, murmurings, afflictions, struggles, successes, sickness, death, and every other possible thing.  That’s what makes them interesting right?  Yes.  But one important element of a journey is that sometimes the participants of these journeys think (or thought) that they were done ‘journeying’ (the point where they felt ‘satisfied’ or even ‘stuffed full’ of food), and thought  “yes, we made it.  I can stop looking for the next food because here it is in abundance”.

For example, in 1 Ne. 17, Nephi picks up with yet another journal entry in verse 1; “And it came to pass that we did again take our journey in the wilderness”… this is like the 86th time since leaving Jerusalem that they’ve stopped and rested, only to pick up and leave again.  He then starts listing all the fun they’ve had along the way (he cites much affliction, women bearing children, raw meat, murmurings, etc. along with many of the blessings they’d seen) then he gives us a fact check in verse 4: “And we did sojourn for the space of many years, yea, even eight years in the wilderness”.  Eight years.  Eight.  When Lehi told them that they were leaving Jerusalem to find the promised land, I’m not sure any of them had eight years in mind. I bet they were pretty tired of looking and searching for ‘the next food’.  In verses 6-7 they arrive in what they called ‘Bountiful’ because of its much fruit and wild honey, and other things which were prepared that they might not perish (not to mention it’s on a beach).  My guess is that they all looked around (at the much fruit, honey, beachfront property, lack of murderous colleagues, etc.) and thought; “Okay, I can do this place.  We made it.  We can stop searching for the promised land because we are here.  I guess dad wasn’t totally crazy.  This place is for sure the promised land, so the journey is over.  No more looking for ‘the next food’.

Another example is found in Ether, where we find the Jaredite party on a journey from the great tower to their own promised land.  They have a remarkably similar story (journey through lands ‘where man had never been’ likely filled with many afflictions, struggles, successes, etc.) through the wilderness until they reached the seashore.  It may be that they had the very same thoughts as Nephi and Lehi’s party (we made it).  So, they pitched their tents and they dwelt there upon the seashore (Ether 2:13).

In each of these two examples (and logically in all of our indivudial and familial journeys through the wilderness, which is code for our lives here in mortality), there is a theme of continual and repetitive movement, progress, struggles, blessings, trials, murmurings, etc. with the overall goal to arrive at the promised land.  Its something they are continually seeking, looking for, being led to, and hoping for, but if and when we think we have made it (when we stop asking where’s the next food), that’s when the Lord needs to jolt us out of a rut and remind us that we haven’t quite made it yet, because somehow it’s always just over the next ridge or just past that river on the horizon.  It might also be a part of the journey to ask ‘are we there yet’? 495 times to which the short answer ‘no’ is given…. all along the way (but that’s a post for another day).

In Nephi’s case (1 Ne. 17:7-8), it was after many days that the voice of the Lord came to him…and basically said “you may think that you’ve made it, and I know 8 years seems like quite a long time to wander, but I actually want you to build a boat and cross the sea, any questions?”  To Nephi’s credit, and as a fantastic example of obedience he said (again), “I will go and do, but where should I go to find ore to make some tools”? (vs. 9).

In the case of the Jaredite party, there is an interesting difference in the Lords presentation of ‘the next food’ to the brother of Jared.1 In Ether 2:14 we read that (4 years after the Jaredites had arrived at the seashore) ‘the Lord came to the brother of Jared and for the space of three hours did talk with him and chastened him because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord’.  Three hours of chastisement is bad enough, but three hours of chastisement directly from the Lord probably felt longer to Mahonri than the 8 years that Lehi and Nephi wandered through the wilderness.  The phrase ‘no longer called upon the name of the Lord’ seems a lot like ‘stopped looking or asking about the next food’ to me.  I think that 4-year period of seashore lounging might have started to look like a permanent vacation to the Jaradites, and they might not have wanted ‘the next food’, because they were satisfied with the food that they already had (and that they’d already spent enough time ‘looking for more food’).  This might have had something to do with them ‘not calling upon the Lord’.  I would guess that during that three hour chastising party the Lord let Mahonri know that he hadn’t quite arrived at the real promised land.  He might have also mentioned that 4 years is a long time to not ask ‘where’s the next food’?  This thought is strengthened by the Lords direction in verse 16, which says “Go to work”….2

For each of us and our mortal journeys the Lord will continually provide us with ‘the next food’ – especially if we are looking for it and asking for it.  Sometimes ‘the next food’ is disguised as a tricky situation at work that can teach us patience or give us an opportunity to show love to someone who really needs it. Sometimes ‘the next food’ is dressed up as a more than difficult home teaching assignment or partner.  Sometimes ‘the next food’ is an absolute shower of blessings that overcome you and fill you right up.  Sometimes ‘the next food’ is a tender mercy that could be considered a quick snack or power bar for the hill that you may or may not know you need to climb right around the corner.   Sometimes ‘the next food’ looks exactly like ‘the last food’, which you threw in the trash (didn’t eat) because you hate broccoli. Sometimes ‘the next food’ doesn’t look like what you ordered at all…. and in a huff you flag down the waiter and say “excuse me garcon, I ordered the filet mignon with mashed potatoes, and this looks like sautéed mushrooms and asparagus…. I think there has been some mistake”3, and the waiter looks at you with some pity, some humor, and much understanding and says “sir, this is the chef’s special prepared just for you, I think that you’ll find it most enjoyable…. if you’ll try it.4  Then, after you’ve completed this course, he will prepare for you the house special, a dish that the chef calls ‘the next food”.

Notes

1 Even though Nephi’s guidance (to build a ship) was ‘after many days’, it appears that these ‘many days’ were considered a typical period of rest for their party, because there was no chastisement from the Lord indicated in the record, nor did it appear that Nephi had ‘failed to call upon the Lord’ during those ‘many days’.

2 This story (the brother of Jared’s chastisement) has a very successful ending, as we all know.  Shortly after this mega chastisement, the Lord shows himself to the brother of Jared in one of the most amazing scripture stories that we have – ever.  The veil is completely removed, faith is done away with, and the Lord ‘could not withhold anything from him’ and the brother of Jared sees everything that had been, and all that would be (Ether 3:25-26).  Sounds pretty awesome to me.  It would also appear that the 3-hour chastisement was effective to bring the brother of Jared down to the depths of humility – which unlocked some serious power (see Ether 12:27 and 2 Cor. 12:9-10 for a review of how weakness is strength), and we’ve already covered here how failure is a necessary ingredient for success.  All of this indicates Mahonri’s humility, understanding, and action – because he listened when the Lord said ‘Go to work’, which is what all of us should do when we’ve been chastened.  Listen, understand, (and as Casey put it so well here), ponder, and then go to work. Don’t forget the secret ingredient.

3 This idea (‘the next food’ being the same ‘food’ we’ve seen time and time again, but have repeatedly thrown away or discounted for whatever reason) or not being ‘served’ what we think we’ve ordered is cause for thought (and serious pondering) because the Lord does not make mistakes, and there is most definitely a plan and purpose to each serving of ‘the next food’.  If I am continually being served  ‘food’ that I don’t want, don’t try, or turn away, I may have some questions to answer – especially when we are brought face to face with ‘the chef’ attempting to explain why we didn’t try the ‘food’ that he prepared especially for us.

4 As you grew up, your parents serve you vegetables right?  Yes.  No kid really likes broccoli and asparagus, but they are healthy and the parents understand that even though it may not be pleasant, they do your body a service and provide valuable nutrition, and this is why they serve them to kids.  Miraculously, the child grows up and learns to love asparagus and broccoli, and cannot fathom a time when this was not so, potentially losing sleep over the many times in past years that they’ve thrown delicious asparagus right into the trash can (with joy).  What a horrible thought.