Pathway

I've thought long and hard about this post. Let me preface. I have decided to go back to school. Long story short, I have enrolled in an incredible program through Brigham Young University-Idaho called Pathway. It allows me to take real-life courses such as math and English (in the coming semesters), but it is based in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am able to hold active Christ-centered discussions with my online classmates, as well as at our once-a-week in-person gatherings. I have been given an assignment to share what I have learned so far. The option I chose is a difficult one. You, my readers have the privilege of reading my testimony. I don't always share it for fear of disagreement. But, I am now putting it out there for anyone to read because it is important to me. It is the core of who I am.

This week I have been studying the first few chapters of the Book of Mormon. I have been counseled by inspired leaders to not only read the scriptures, but to actively study them. A fellow classmate shared a quote this week from one of his former teachers, whose name I do not have. Paraphrasing, "Don't just jet ski, but scuba dive." As the subtitle of the Book of Mormon states, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, I believe that the Book of Mormon and the Bible go hand in hand in convincing the reader that Jesus is our Savior, our perfect exemplar and the way to eternal life. The Book of Mormon was written for our day and has countless insights to improve our relationship with Jesus Christ and our Father in Heaven.

The Book of Mormon begins with the account of a great prophet named Lehi, who lived in Jerusalem about 600 years before the birth of Christ. It is written by his son, Nephi, who was also a prophet. In the first chapter of Nephi, he tells us that Lehi was commanded to preach to the people of Jerusalem about the destruction of their great city unless they repented. They didn't listen, so the Lord commanded Lehi to take his family and basic provisions into the uninhabited desert. Keep in mind, he left everything behind, his beloved city, his home, his money. Can you imagine having that much faith to uproot your entire family, give up everything and leave? But, he did just that. We don't know much about what happened before that. I've never really thought about what Lehi endured before the account begins. My classmates and I were discussing some interesting thoughts about Lehi, like the idea that maybe the revelation to preach to the people and to go out into the wilderness were the beginning of his conversion. The account written in Nephi has a similarity to Alma the Younger in the 27th chapter of the book of Mosiah later in the Book of Mormon and also to Joseph Smith, our first prophet in these latter days. All three were blessed with marvelous revelations from God and then fell to the earth from exhaustion before their conversion.

Another thought I had while studying the second and third chapters of Nephi was after they had traveled in the desert for about 12 days (several hundred miles), the Lord commanded Lehi to send his four sons back to Jerusalem to get the brass plates, the beginning portion of the Old Testament. Surely the Lord knew that they needed the scriptures with them on their journey and could very well have told them to take them before Lehi's family left the city. But, I think they needed that test of faith to find out if they were willing to follow Heavenly Father's commandments. The older two brothers, Laman and Lemuel complained. The younger two brothers, Sam and Nephi were willing to "go and do as the Lord hath commanded." (1 Nephi 3:7) Reading this and listening to the spiritual insights of my Pathway instructor caused me to reflect on my own obedience. Am I a Laman/Lemuel and complain about difficult tasks? Or am I a Sam/Nephi and am willing to do difficult tasks? As I pondered on the task at hand, I tried to imagine it in my day. The distance from my home in Idaho to the other side of the country, let's say New York City, is about 2500 miles. If airplanes weren't invented and I was faced with the task of driving across the country, it would take me 36 hours straight. Let's include rest stops and sleeping at night. If I were to drive eight hours per day, it would take me close to four days to arrive at my destination. That is about one third of the time that Lehi and his family walked to theirs. I can't imagine driving to New York and then having to turn around and go back home to get one item. If I were Laman/Lemuel and didn't believe that one item had eternal significance, I most certainly would have complained and thought the task at hand were ridiculous. Sam/Nephi didn't even hesitate. They were willing to go all the way back and come up with any way possible, even putting their lives on the line, to get those very important scriptures, which they knew would bless their family and many generations to come. I can't imagine not having my scriptures. I would be so lost without them. Sam/Nephi understood the implications of not having them. I need to adjust my faith to become more like Sam/Nephi and less like Laman/Lemuel, who may have been justified in their murmerings, but just needed a little faith.

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4:13)