CHOOSING THE EASY WAY

I know it is somewhat dangerous to reveal the strange workings of one’s mind, but on occasion I have wondered why our Heavenly Father’s Plan sent us to a Telestial World where there would be a profound abundance of carnal-ness, selfish-ness and devilish-ness rather than perhaps to a Terrestrial World where the propensity would be for the citizenry to be good and honorable. As reason quickly brings my mind back to reality, I remind myself that in order for Agency to be kept absolute in our testings, we would need to be exposed to the extremes of both good and evil.

Being in a world where such extremes dominate our choices, along with all the variable shadings in the Telestial - Celestial spectrum, I have had to pause many times along the journey to ponder Nephi’s statement found in 1 Nephi 17:41.

And he did straiten them in the wilderness with his rod; for they hardened their hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord straitened them because of their iniquity. He sent fiery flying serpents among them; and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished.

As I review in my mind the history of the descendants of Jacob who had not only been in slavery for several generations and were at the time of this event living in a desert which would make desolation seem like paradise, I am almost undone by Nephi’s rebuking them for their having failed to apply the simplest and easiest of solutions.

I suspect one of the universal experiences we share is when we are at one of those points in our lives when we are feeling beaten down by the testings we are undergoing in a Telestial world, it seems very difficult for us to consider the solutions offered by the Lord as being either easy or simple.

The reason I suspect this dilemma to be universal is because during the 50 plus years when I was continually working with students of all ages who were in the process of trying to do what was necessary for a change to be wrought upon their Telestial bodies their shared comments gave me to understand that we share many moments of mortality when the way seems hard and difficult.

I remember one particular classroom situation when we were studying the words of Neal A Maxwell, wherein he taught with emphasis that the problems which come upon us in life are usually because of the choices of others or our own choices. He went on to teach that the only choice we have when the choices of others drop heavily upon us is how much we are going to let them affect us. Of course he added with emphasis we have absolute control when it comes to our own choices and their attending consequences. All of which while we are on the journey seem anything but simple and easy.

And yet, we are reminded several times in the scriptures of the easiness of the way.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Mathew 11: 28-30)

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. (James 3:13-18)

The problem doesn’t seem to be that the way is hard, but the decision to choose the easy way is made hard because we seem to struggle against giving up our Telestial-ness in order to place our feet firmly on the simple and easy way.

And now my beloved brethren, I have said these things unto you that I might awaken you to a sense of your duty to God, that ye may walk blameless before him, that ye may walk after the holy order of God, after which ye have been received. And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive. And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works. (Alma 7:22-24)

Although the words which were recorded of Alma’s teachings as he went throughout the Nephite Kingdom trying to bring them unto the easy ways consist of several chapters, I think these few verses sum up all the essentials of The Way. Our problem doesn’t seem to be whether the tests and trials of mortality are easy or difficult, it seems more to be whether we choose to follow the nature of our Telestial Bodies as they seek the pleasures of a Telestial World or seek to be easily entreated to place our feet firmly on The Easy Way of the Lord.

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. (Romans 6:12, 13)

In the verses which in the latter days would be referred to as the Psalm of Nephi, we discover that the universality of the battle to put off the Telestial and walk upon the way is not bounded by time, space or persons.

Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.

Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me. And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.

My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep. He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh. He hath confounded mine enemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me. Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me knowledge by visions in the night-time. And by day have I waxed bold in mighty prayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high; and angels came down and ministered unto me. And upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been carried away upon exceedingly high mountains. And mine eyes have beheld great things, yea, even too great for man; therefore I was bidden that I should not write them.

O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions? And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy?

Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul. Do not anger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions. Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation.

O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin? May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite! O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road! O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way—but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy. O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm.

Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen. (2 Nephi 4: 16-35)

As we attempt to give an account of our own struggle to overcome our Telestial-ness and walk upon the Easy and Simple path of the Lord, I am sure we will not wax as eloquent as Nephi in expressing our journey, but I do believe he may have expressed what is universally our struggle to Choose The Easy Way.


THOUGHTS FOR A SABBATH DAY – WILLIAM L. RILEY

EDITED BY – KATHLEEN W. RILEY