The Three-Word Promise

During my morning reading session, I came across a striking phrase in Helaman in the Book of Mormon. As I reflected on it, I realized how significant they are.

Three simple words. If my grammar is correct, it’s a pronoun and two verbs. They hold out an eternal promise to the entire human race. And they place in the lap of all of Adam and Eve’s children the responsibility for their own future.

May they be of some comfort and encouragement for all of us.

    Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—

So many things get in the way. So many intellectual philosophies muddy the water. But there it is, plain and simple. The secret to happiness, in three simple words.

Lehi and Jeremiah

    Yesterday was the mid-point of our term as missionaries. Hard to believe it’s gone this fast. For the past two and a half months, we have had a temporary assignment in the mission office in order to bridge the gap between two sets of office specialist missionaries. So that chunk represents a good third of our mission so far.

    We have enjoyed our time there. We have enjoyed getting to know the people there. But it is now time to resume our normal missionary labors. And as we face that prospect, I find myself thinking about Lehi and Jeremiah.

    Both of these men were prophets. Both lived at Jerusalem at the same time. Both were pleading with their fellow citizens to repent in order to avoid destruction. Both loved the Lord. Both ended up making significant sacrifices to follow their prophetic calling.

    However, their settings were quite different. Although Jeremiah remained in Jerusalem, Lehi and his family were called to begin a severe wilderness experience. Did they meet and discuss this change in their mission assignment? Would Jeremiah have been tempted to beg Lehi to take him with them on their exit from Jerusalem? Did he refrain from doing so on the basis of his understanding of the finely designed nature of missions?

    Neither experience was a picnic. Both men suffered for their callings. I found myself contemplating the change from structure to innovation as this transition back to a “regular” mission commences.

    And yet who’s to say where the greatest blessings were? It was from the wilderness that we received Lehi’s magnificent dream (in which Lehi did a double journey...a trip through a visionary wilderness in the middle of a real one). The miraculous Liahona was given to alleviate some of the directional challenges of the voyagers. The women were made physically equal to their circumstances. Some in the party crumbled under those same circumstances, including Lehi and Sariah temporarily.

    All who went provided a saga worthy of the most epic movie (which paradoxically has so far been beyond the realm of the film producers). All who followed them in the story taught us of the subsequent generations lessons of which they may have been totally unaware, but lessons which strengthen us in our own individual wildernesses.

    So goodbye, Jerusalem! Goodbye regular routines and easy contributions. Goodbye days automatically filled with things to do. Goodbye friends who have also taught us impressive lessons as we worked side by side.

    Hello again to our beloved, struggling, heroic, challenged friends in the ward. We’re glad to be back, even if it is the wilderness again!