I would like to share with all of you a short insight into the part of the Book of Mormon titled "Lehi's Dream" located in Chapter 8 of First Nephi:
19 And I beheld a of iron, and it extended along the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I stood.
20 And I also beheld a strait and narrow path, which came along by the rod of iron, even to the tree by which I stood; and it also led by the head of the fountain, unto a large and spacious field, as if it had been a world.
21 And I saw numberless concourses of people, many of whom were pressing forward, that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree by which I stood.
23 And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost.
24 And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree.
Knowing that the tree is the love of God, the rod of iron is the word of God, and the mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil, it all seems so simple, right? Hold on to the rod, to be delivered through temptation and find the tree. Why were there so many that lost their way? But picturing it firsthand makes it all so relevant. I think of those people in a strange place, so desperate for direction. They find hope in the iron rod and start to follow it, but then there is a thick fog, so thick that no light can be seen. In Nephi's version of the dream he describes thunder, lightning, earthquakes, and all sorts of "tumultuous noises." And all they have is a rod that leads to somewhere they're not sure of. What if there's another rod? Or a shortcut that they're missing out on? It's been hours, they're tired, they're frightened, and sometimes it is just so hard to hold on.
When it comes down to it, the difference between those that made it to the tree and those that didn't was diligence. In "Preach My Gospel" it describes diligence as a "steady, consistent, earnest, and energetic effort in doing the Lord's work. The Lord expects you to work diligently--persistently with great effort and care." Diligence is REPEATED faith. It's holding on to the rod, even when you're too tired to hold on to it anymore. We're not always going to be perfect in following all of the commandments, but the rod will always be there to bring us back. When it comes down to it, it's not when you get to the end of the path that matters, it's just the getting there.
Knowing that the tree is the love of God, the rod of iron is the word of God, and the mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil, it all seems so simple, right? Hold on to the rod, to be delivered through temptation and find the tree. Why were there so many that lost their way? But picturing it firsthand makes it all so relevant. I think of those people in a strange place, so desperate for direction. They find hope in the iron rod and start to follow it, but then there is a thick fog, so thick that no light can be seen. In Nephi's version of the dream he describes thunder, lightning, earthquakes, and all sorts of "tumultuous noises." And all they have is a rod that leads to somewhere they're not sure of. What if there's another rod? Or a shortcut that they're missing out on? It's been hours, they're tired, they're frightened, and sometimes it is just so hard to hold on.
When it comes down to it, the difference between those that made it to the tree and those that didn't was diligence. In "Preach My Gospel" it describes diligence as a "steady, consistent, earnest, and energetic effort in doing the Lord's work. The Lord expects you to work diligently--persistently with great effort and care." Diligence is REPEATED faith. It's holding on to the rod, even when you're too tired to hold on to it anymore. We're not always going to be perfect in following all of the commandments, but the rod will always be there to bring us back. When it comes down to it, it's not when you get to the end of the path that matters, it's just the getting there.
Isn't it funny how when people start to come back to church, all these things start to come at them? It's that fog, but the comforting thing is that no matter what happens to the world or to ourselves that rod is always going to be there. Thanks for sharing that today. I really needed to hear it before church!
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