Thinking
My mind has been on a roll lately. I seem to jump from one thought to another at random. It is like there is so much going on that I cannot stay focused one thing for good period of time. Fortunately, the thoughts keep coming back full circle. I can generally pick up on the previous thoughts where I left off.
One of the common ones is how important it is to keep balance in life. I have been studying 1 Nephi 15. Chapter 14 was incredible. But what Nephi writes in the first few verses of 15 have left me in pondering mode.
He returns from this incredible spiritual experience. He is in a balance of super high and super low. Just having the experience would leave you on an awesome high. Unfortunately, he was shown things that were pretty depressing. As he walks into camp, he finds his brother disputing the words of their father. They are not marveling, testifying, teaching, searching, studying, enlightening, but disputing.
Nephi points out that the words of Lehi were hard to understand if one did not inquire of the Lord. One had to be in spiritual tune to understand them or have the spiritual mind set to study them out, ponder them and then go to the Lord in prayer.
Laman, Lemual and probably the sons of Ismael were disputing. It make you wonder how they could. They did not have this spiritual enlightenment. They were taking Lehi's words and trying to interpret the temporally. They would just keep going round and round with no conclusion. Nephi makes in clear that they needed to inquire of the Lord.
The more I think about this, the more I am convinced that if one does not have or seek this spiritual balance, they are always going to be left to the interpretations of man. When Alma talks about a seed, they are going to see the seed as literal and not spiritual. When Lehi taught of the olive tree, they are going to think of a vineyard, but not symbolism that leads to eternal life. When they read about the differing glories of the sun, the moon, and the stars, that is all they will see.
We must see both sides. We must see the spiritual as well as the temporal. This not always easy, but so very important. If we don't, we will begin mixing the spiritual truths and plainness of the gospel with the teaching so men. Before long the teachings of men will over bare and we will forget the pureness of the gospel. We can see how so many ancient tribes and peoples have done this. We hear the traditions of Elders upon the islands of the sea to the deepest jungles of Central and South Americas. The truths have been lost.
Equally so with the translations of the bible and the various teaching so the prophets and apostles. In order for us to find that pureness, we must inquire of the Lord. Don't lose that balance.
One of the common ones is how important it is to keep balance in life. I have been studying 1 Nephi 15. Chapter 14 was incredible. But what Nephi writes in the first few verses of 15 have left me in pondering mode.
He returns from this incredible spiritual experience. He is in a balance of super high and super low. Just having the experience would leave you on an awesome high. Unfortunately, he was shown things that were pretty depressing. As he walks into camp, he finds his brother disputing the words of their father. They are not marveling, testifying, teaching, searching, studying, enlightening, but disputing.
Nephi points out that the words of Lehi were hard to understand if one did not inquire of the Lord. One had to be in spiritual tune to understand them or have the spiritual mind set to study them out, ponder them and then go to the Lord in prayer.
Laman, Lemual and probably the sons of Ismael were disputing. It make you wonder how they could. They did not have this spiritual enlightenment. They were taking Lehi's words and trying to interpret the temporally. They would just keep going round and round with no conclusion. Nephi makes in clear that they needed to inquire of the Lord.
The more I think about this, the more I am convinced that if one does not have or seek this spiritual balance, they are always going to be left to the interpretations of man. When Alma talks about a seed, they are going to see the seed as literal and not spiritual. When Lehi taught of the olive tree, they are going to think of a vineyard, but not symbolism that leads to eternal life. When they read about the differing glories of the sun, the moon, and the stars, that is all they will see.
We must see both sides. We must see the spiritual as well as the temporal. This not always easy, but so very important. If we don't, we will begin mixing the spiritual truths and plainness of the gospel with the teaching so men. Before long the teachings of men will over bare and we will forget the pureness of the gospel. We can see how so many ancient tribes and peoples have done this. We hear the traditions of Elders upon the islands of the sea to the deepest jungles of Central and South Americas. The truths have been lost.
Equally so with the translations of the bible and the various teaching so the prophets and apostles. In order for us to find that pureness, we must inquire of the Lord. Don't lose that balance.
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