Nearly five years ago I had the opportunity to meet with President Clark while applying to become a faculty member in the BYU-Idaho Art Department. Toward the end of our interview I asked him if he would share his biggest concern for the students at BYU-Idaho. After some thoughtful contemplation he replied, "to help them keep the world out of their hearts. It gets in so easily." I have though a lot about that comment during the ensuing five years and would like to share some thoughts on that topic today. I'll begin by asking you three questions:
- In a world rife with turmoil, what is the greatest danger you will face in the future?
- What will protect you from that danger?
- What does that protection cost?
Brothers and sisters, ancient prophets not only saw our day but worked hard to tell us what we would need to know. The scriptures are filled with information both about and for us. We know that our time will be both wonderful and tumultuous. Many of those ancient prophets rejoiced to see the gospel of Jesus Christ spread across the earth, temples multiply, and the word of God become so accessible to so many of God's children. However, along with these visions of hope and righteousness, prophets have also foretold that the earth would experience turmoil and that the adversary would increase his efforts.
The scriptures tell us that we will experience great pollutions, there will be wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes and other natural disasters, and that there will be famines and pestilences across the earth. More troubling than these external difficulties will be the turmoil raging in human hearts. The ancient apostle Paul provided a long list of the ways this turmoil will manifest itself. Among other things, Paul warned that men would become covetous and proud, unthankful and unholy, despising those that are good. That they would be high-minded, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, and that they would ultimately love pleasure more than they would love God.[1]
The Savior Himself taught that in the last days that "... because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold"[2] and that "... men's hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people."[3]
Because the gospel of Jesus Christ nurtures faith, not fear, we must be careful that fear does not overshadow our faith and that we allow anxiety to overwhelm us. Many of these latter-day problems, when viewed through the eye of faith, are only temporary anyway. However, some are not. The Savior explained this distinction to His apostles when He taught, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."[4]
Although media outlets report daily about the physical dangers--the wars, natural disasters, and epidemics--we must not let these things trouble us to the point where our hearts fail us. However, please note that only the prophets of God are clearly reporting on the real danger, drawing our attention to those things that will destroy the soul. If we have ears to hear and eyes to see, our prophet will help us discern the nearly invisible flaxen chords Satan is subtly weaving to lead mankind carefully down to hell where he will bind with the unbreakable chains of spiritual death.
Again, the greatest dangers we face are not physical. They will not come from an epidemic, a natural disaster, or from war, but rather from distraction, disinterest, and doubt. These dangers are so real because their consequences aren't temporary. They are eternal.
In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Lehi introduces us to two such dangers through an inspired dream he experienced. He describes the first danger as mists of darkness, both dull and subtle, that would become exceedingly thick. In our day these mists present themselves in the form of entertainment that encourages carnal pleasure and the philosophies of the world that can dull our spiritual senses and blind our minds, that distort our perception of the truth until we can't see the difference between good and evil and morality becomes relative.
The other danger Lehi witnessed presented itself as a sharp and confrontational finger of scorn leveled at those who would follow Christ. This finger mocks in an effort to intimidate and shame those who seek righteousness because it is not culturally correct. Again, these dangers are real and, as the scriptures warn, will increase in both subtlety and in brazenness as we progress towards the Savior's eventual return.
What will protect us from these dangers? Fortunately, Lehi's dream not only reveals the dangers but also teaches about that protection which God has prepared for His children. In the account of this dream we are introduced to a strait and narrow path, a rod of iron, and ultimately to a tree of eternal life bearing fruit that is precious above all other fruit. By studying these metaphors more closely we can understand the protection our loving Heavenly Father has provided for each of us and the price we must each pay for such protection.
Let's first concentrate on the iron rod. The prophet Nephi taught that it is a representation of the word of God. He then explains:
"... whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction."[5]
Although we might be accustomed to thinking of the word of God as the scriptures and as conference talks, it is much, much more than that. Elder Lance Wickham explains that, "At a more specific level, [the word of God] is the sacred covenants between God and man." In this light, because we understand a covenant to be a promise between two individuals, the word of God can literally be viewed as God's word, His part of the promise extended to us and given on His integrity of character. Elder D. Todd Christofferson explains that when God enters into a covenant with us He, "... binds Himself to sustain, sanctify, and exalt us in return for our commitment to serve Him and keep His commandments."[6]
Just think of it. God binds Himself to us through His covenant promise. What a powerfully reassuring thought. As part of His covenant God gives His word that, if we trust Him, all things will be turned for our good. When we trust God's word we trust His plan of salvation for each of us, including both its trials and rewards. We trust that He knows us each individually and is personally engaged in our salvation. We trust that His instructions to us will really work and that the things He warns us against really are harmful for us.
Thus, to hold fast to the iron rod is to trust God implicitly, to hold on when the mists of darkness become exceedingly dark, when the broad roads and spacious buildings become most alluring, or when our hearts are heavy from the difficulty of the path we must travel.
Do you trust God's word? Do you believe He will keep His promise to you? Ultimately, God's promise to each of us is embodied in Jesus Christ. The apostle John taught, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God....And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us."[7] Jesus Christ is central to our Heavenly Father's plan for His children. In giving His Word, God gave us His Only Begotten who, in turn, gave Himself a ransom for us. So, to hold fast to the iron rod is to both believe that Christ is mighty to save and to accept that we must live by every word that proceeds forth from His mouth. Do you believe that through the atonement of Jesus Christ you can be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel?
There are always two parties in a covenant relationship. If we view the iron rod as symbolizing God's part of the agreement, we can then view the strait and narrow path as our covenant promise to God. Unlike God's word, which is constant, steadfast, and eternal, our word to Him represents a journey of becoming. When we enter a covenant with God we give our word that we will change, that we will put off the natural man through the process of conversion. We promise to go wherever the path leads us and do whatever our Father calls us to do. We commit ourselves to the journey of discipleship.
Please note the description of our part of the covenant. The term "strait and narrow" is important. First, note that the word strait is spelled s-t-r-a-i-t, not s-t-r-a-i-g-h-t. Lehi was not describing a path that never turned to the left or the right. Rather, he chose a word that has many different interpretations. The most common synonym for strait is narrow. Lehi could have certainly chosen this redundancy--narrow and narrow--to emphasize the nature of our covenant. Repetition is a Hebrew literary technique used for emphasis, much like the phrase "remember, remember," found often in the Book of Mormon.
Other definitions for the word strait proffer even greater understanding of the nature of our covenant path. For instance, Strait can mean:
- Stringent, strict, and allowing no evasion.
- Precise, definite, or exactly rendered
- In reference to friendship; close or intimate
- It can also mean tightly drawn (as in a knot), tight-fitting, or binding[8]
Each of these definitions sheds wonderful light on the nature of our covenant promise and what God expects from His children who enter that covenant.
That last definition, tightly drawn, tight-fitting, or binding, provides the origin for the word strait jacket. However, unlike a strait jacket, which is usually forcefully fitted to its wearer, God will never bind us against our will. If we become bound by our covenants to God it is because we chose to. When we talk of being bound by God's laws or by our duty to Him, we are really talking about our willingness to be bound.
The strait and narrow path stands in stark contrast to other elements in Lehi's dream: the spacious field, the broad roads, and the great and spacious building. Each of these symbols promise wide-open expanse in contrast to the strictness of discipleship, marketing individual expression, carnal pleasure, and total freedom from obligation as more fulfilling than the exacting commitments God requires. Please remember that none of these advertisements can deliver on their promise. In fact, they are cunning devices crafted by the adversary to ultimately bind us to him with a binding worse than any man-made strait jacket provides. There is no freedom in sin. As a bishop I have watched helplessly as individuals have disregarded their covenants, choosing instead the fake freedom of the broad roads and spacious buildings. I have also struggled and cried and prayed along side many who, tightly bound by the fetters of addiction or the consequences of sin, long for the peace and protection that comes from binding ourselves to God. Our covenants protect us.
What is the price of this protection? To explore this question I'd like to discuss the three different groups of people in Lehi's dream who commence on the strait and narrow path intending to reach the tree of life. Nephi explains that baptism is the gateway covenant that leads to that path. He teaches, "For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost. And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life."[9]
With this in mind let's view these three groups of individuals in Lehi's dream as baptized members of the Church of Jesus Christ who have entered into a covenant with God and have commenced on their journey toward eternal life. These groups comprise of, (1) those who attempt the journey without holding on to the iron rod, (2) those who complete the journey only to be shamed away by the mocking coming from the great and spacious building, and (3) those who complete the journey, partake of the fruit of the tree of eternal life and who are subsequently filled with such light and joy that the pointing fingers have no effect and the forbidden paths have no allure.
Many of God's covenant children attempt to walk the covenant path without holding on to the iron rod without trusting in God's word. This happens in one of two ways. First, we may not trust that God knows us, that He knows when we are suffering, or that He can turn that suffering to our good and for our exaltation. This doubting approach to discipleship happens far too often.
The other way we attempt to travel the strait and narrow path with out the safety of the iron rod occurs when we justify actions that oppose God's word or when we rationalize thoughts and opinions that contradict His guidance. When we do this we cease holding onto the iron rod and attempt the journey unaided, trusting our own judgment over God's. In either of these two circumstances, not trusting God's intentions or not trusting His wisdom, the outcome is the same: we inevitably become lost in the mists of darkness leaving ourselves vulnerable, without any protection from the merciless enemy of our souls.
The second group in Lehi's dream traveled along the strait and narrow path getting close enough to the tree of eternal life to actually taste its fruit. But they were still vulnerable, embarrassed at being identified as saints when mocking came from the great and spacious building. The results were devastating. Nephi records, "And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost."[10]
How could this happen? Didn't they have the same experience Lehi did when he tasted the fruit? Listen to Lehi's description of his experience:
"And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen. And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy."[11]
When comparing the actions of this second group to the description Lehi gave of the fruit itself I can't help but wonder, "did these people taste the same thing Lehi tasted?" I don't think they did. What would keep them from experiencing a sweetness that filled Lehi's soul with exceedingly great joy? I have some thoughts I'd like to share. If the covenant path is ultimately a path of conversion, of changing from the natural man into an individual prepared for eternal life, then this second group seems to have gone through the motions of change without actually changing. In other words, although these individuals followed the strait and narrow path holding to the iron rod, they were not sufficiently binding themselves to God along the way for their covenants to protect them when that protection was most needed.
Although there could be various reasons why these individuals were not fully changed through their covenant journey, one reason might be found in the weakness they exhibited that ultimately proved their destruction: their concern for the opinions of others. Could it be that by merely clinging to God's word instead of holding fast to it--a distinction addressed by Elder David A. Bednar during his October 2011 conference address--that these individuals were splitting their allegiance? In similar fashion to Abraham's nephew, Lot, who pitched his tent in the fertile valleys of the Promised Land but directed the door of that tent toward Sodom and Gomorra, we place our whole covenant process in jeopardy when we continue to look back at the world we are working to leave behind, to hold on to desires for broad roads and spacious buildings, even if we believe those desires are harmless. To bind ourselves to God we must also actively unbind ourselves from the world, from cultural norms, family traditions, and personal philosophies that tug our attention away from the eternally important journey of discipleship.
The Book of Mormon prophet Alma clearly explained that the desires of our heart will play a pivotal role in determining the final outcome of our mortal experience.[12] And Elder Neal A Maxwell explained that we allow our desires to determine how susceptible we are to the world:
"What we are speaking about is so much more than merely deflecting temptations for which we somehow do not feel responsible. Remember, brothers and sisters, it is our own desires which determine the sizing and the attractiveness of various temptations. We set our thermostats as to temptations."[13]
Do you desire to make and keep sacred covenants with your Father in Heaven? Do you desire the changes the covenant path will bring? Or, does your heart really desire other things? Too often we approach our covenants with God through what my brother-in-law calls the tax code approach to discipleship; always searching for a loophole so we don't have to pay the full price that such discipleship demands. This will not work because covenants are not about what we get in exchange for what we give, but rather what we are willing to become because of what we desire more and whom we trust most. If you look for opportunities to skirt around your commitment to abide by the honor code, including the dress and grooming standards, if you look for opportunities to dress immodestly now because one day you plan to enter the holy temple and will then have to give up immodest dress, if you look for entertainment that is titillating but not technically pornography, you are bound by loopholes, not covenants. Unless you change your desires now your fate will be that of the five foolish virgins who knew the gospel in theory but never paid the price to know Jesus. Please do not let this happen!
So, what was different about that third group? Why were they able to successfully travel the strait and narrow path, partake of the fruit of the tree of life, and ultimately experience the same joy that Lehi experienced? Remember that they also suffered through the mists of darkness and were not spared the scorn and ridicule coming from the great and spacious building. How did they remain covenant keepers when other covenant makers failed to? There must be something in the way this third group approached that journey which made the difference. Nephi explains that they "held fast" to the iron rod as they pressed forward along the path. Remember, to hold fast to God's word is to implicitly trust both His intentions and His wisdom. We must believe in the power of Christ's atonement and in His grace sufficiently that we intentionally live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, including those words delivered through His prophets. Doing so will require sacrifice. Christ teaches this relationship between covenants and sacrifice:
"Verily I say unto you, all among them who know their hearts are honest, and are broken, and their spirits contrite, and are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice--yea, every sacrifice which I, the Lord, shall command--they are accepted of me."[14]
What will we be called to sacrifice in exchange for covenant protection? Like Lamoni's father, we will need to give away all our sins to know God. Like Saul of Tarsus who originally sought to persecute the followers of Christ, we will need to give away any deeply held but wrong belief or tradition. If we are prideful we must pay the price to become humble. Bitterness, anger, and hurt must be replaced with forgiveness, coveting with charity, and distraction with active effort. We must sacrifice anything that is keeping us from becoming converted, including our desires for these things.The cost of covenant protection, then, is to not only faithfully sacrifice the things of this world, but to actively educate our desires so that, instead of craving the praise and possessions of this world, we hunger and thirst after righteousness. Only then will our hearts be honest and fortified against letting the world in.
Brothers and sisters, this may seem like a steep price. But remember, with God, all things are possible. Hold fast to His word. Christ's grace is sufficient to strengthen any one of you who desire to make and keep sacred covenants, even if that desire is tentative at first. The price is not out of reach for anyone. Here is the Lord's promise to all who do pay the price for covenant protection, "For I, the Lord, will cause them to bring forth as a very fruitful tree which is planted in a goodly land, by a pure stream, that yieldeth much precious fruit."[15]
That promise is a promise not only of protection but ultimately of exaltation. It is a valid promise that will be honored especially today, in this wonderful but tumultuous world.
Now, I would like to speak specifically to a group of individuals who I have learned to care deeply for during my service as a bishop. There are members in the church, some probably in this audience, who have faithfully strived to follow the covenant path but are experiencing heartache, feelings of betrayal, and even drastic life changes because others, who you trusted, have violated their own sacred covenants through abuse, infidelity, or addiction. As a result you may be questioning your own self worth.
You may be wondering how God could allow such things to happen. You may feel doubt or even despair concerning your own covenants. Whatever you do, do not let go of God's word! Please hold on to Christ. The healing power of His atoning sacrifice is especially for you. Because we live in a fallen world and because agency is so important to Heavenly Father's plan of salvation, we will each experience consequences resulting from other people's actions. This is precisely why we need covenant protection. Your God will not abandon you. He will strengthen you through your own covenants to bear up this burden. But you must trust Him enough to do everything He guides you to do, especially as He guides you through how to forgive those who have hurt you.
Brothers and sisters, your covenants do matter. Being bound to God through them is the only protection you have to escape being bound by Satan. But you must be willing to be completely bound by your covenants. In Lehi's dream, those who moved toward the tree of eternal life while still holding on to the world in their hearts suffered the same fate as those who actively sought the broad roads or spacious building. The gospel of Jesus Christ was restored in these latter days specifically so we could have access to covenant protection. God lives. He loves each of His children perfectly. Jesus Christ is the perfect mediator in God's plan of salvation. He is mighty to save each one of us if we will honestly and completely trust Him. I bear this testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] 2 Timothy 3:2-7
[2] Matthew 24:12
[3] D&C 88:91
[4] Matthew 10:28
[5] 1 Nephi 15:24
[6] Elder D. Todd Christofferson, The Power of Covenants, April 2009 Conference Address
[7] John 1:1, 14
[8] Oxford English Dictionary
[9] 2 Nephi 31:17-18
[10] 1 Nephi 8:28
[11] 1 Nephi 8:11-12
[12] Alma 41:4-5
[13] Elder Neal A. Maxwell, According to the Desire of [Our] Hearts, October 1996 Conference Address
[14] D&C 97:8
[15] D&C 97:9