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The things of the Spirit

1 Corinthians 2:14 -

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Ah, Laman and Lemuel. These murderous, backsliding, and generally faithless men! They become the quintessential antagonist to our protagonists early in the Book of Mormon. You want to loathe them, but then, if you're like me, you often find yourself identifying with certain aspects of their nature...

One of the interesting things that comes from the second chapter of 1 Nephi is how hard headed these young men are. Lehi, being their father, has to speak rather harshly to them in order for them to come along for the ride. Their complaints never really ever quit, and they eventually found the opposing nation to the righteous Nephites.

The thing that grabbed my attention this morning was how they thought that their father was foolish for abandoning their lands and gold in pursuit of some kind of unknowable and nebulous promises. Living in a tent is difficult at best, and when the comparative luxuries of Jerusalem are only a few days away, it seems foolish to languish in hard conditions in the hope of receiving some reward.

The reaction is predictable. Nephi prays to know the truth of these things, and as a result he gains the favor of the the Lord and the promises that are attendant with such favor. His brothers make no such attempt, believing that the Lord will not make such things known to them. And you know what? In both cases they are right.

The things of the Lord are only to be known or perceived by inspiration and guidance of the Spirit. They cannot otherwise be known. The Lord often deigns to use similes, metaphors, parables, etc, to help us naturally understand. But ultimately there is a definite spiritual aspect of every principle, every program of the gospel. Seeking this spiritual meaning in what we are all about not only leads to a deeper, more satisfying understanding of the gospel and it's principles, but it draws us closer to the Lord. Further, it refines us in the process. As we humble ourselves before Him, seeking understanding in faith and diligence and with the sincere desire to act on knowledge gained, we will find treasures of knowledge and learning that will enlarge our souls and hearts. We will be more effective in sharing the gospel, in living the gospel, and in knowing how we should act. We will be able to strengthen our brothers and sisters. And we will gain the supreme confidence and assurance that comes from familiarity with the things of the Spirit.

What else do you want?

These are not foolish things.

Comments

Deb said…
I've wondered, did Nephi praying for a personal witness of Lehi's instruction show that he had doubts, too? I think I have fallen into the trap of thinking of Nephi as, if not mindless, at least a follower of his father rather than a leader in his own right (at least in the beginning). His virtue was always that he "followed his father" rather than "he followed the Father." This has made me think: did Nephi hear his dad lay out the plan and think to himself, "Okay, the old man's really lost it this time, I'd better pray and see for myself?" Because that makes a lot of sense to me.
November 5, 2009 at 3:49 AM
Bill Cobabe said…
There is a careful balance between questioning authority's sanity and questioning their answers. I think that questioning is not only encouraged but commanded - the Lord Himself repeatedly directs us to ask, seek, knock... If we don't ask we are not gaining that relationship with the Lord that is required for salvation. I believe that Joseph Smith is the model for us in this - we should follow Joseph into the woods to find out for ourselves. However, once we have received confirmation, we should go with it.

I would also suggest that faith assumes there is an answer and that diligence and patience will lead us to that answer. Doubt assumes there is no answer, only questions that cannot be answered. Let us ask in faith.
November 5, 2009 at 5:59 AM
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