Just Keep Swimming

A question was posed in my Pathway group this week: Why must we keep moving forward to endure to the end?  The word "endure" makes one think of holding on tight, standing your ground, and just waiting until something horrific is over.  However, in a gospel sense, life is the trial and we must keep moving forward to endure to the end.

In 2 Nephi 28:24 it says, "...wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!"  That sounds, to me, contrary to human nature. When things are going good I want to relax and enjoy it. In fact that is the time when we need to get working and continue to move forward. We should constantly be looking for ways to bless others and making goals to better ourselves.  When we are blessed we are obligated to share those blessings.

Imagine Lehi's dream again.  Those who held fast to the rod(the word of God)  had to keep moving toward the tree of life. If they stood still, they would likely be bumped off by those coming along behind them and get lost in the mists of darkness.  Life is a test, a journey, not a vacation.

This journey is a lot easier if we are willing to act in faith.  Because God does love us, when we are obedient and act according to His direction, we will be more successful and  find comfort in the bumps along the way.   When we act on faith and follow God's plan, refusing to buy into the rhetoric of the world, we find true joy.

2 Nephi chapter 28 talks about false doctrines that come from the churches of the world.  They deny God by saying that He no longer exists or He no longer communicates with man or works miracles.  They claim to understand something that they don't believe even exists.  They teach what people want to hear rather than the real word of God.  “Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things” (Isaiah 30:10)  They curry favor with man rather than God.

Don't be fooled by the precepts of men. The world talks of love and fairness and tolerance.  These are all good words but they can be deceptive and Satan uses them lure us away from the truth.   God is not tolerant of sin.  He does love us all but He would not be fair if there were no consequences for sin.  His laws do not change because society becomes more accepting of sin.

We are not to judge but to love all our fellow men and respect their agency as we expect them to  respect ours.  Respecting and loving them does not mean that we should embrace their philosophies.  We must always use the word of God as a lens through which we judge the philosophies and teachings of the world.  God's law is always the higher law.

"Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost."(2 Nephi 28:31)

As we move forward, serving and blessing the lives of those around us, we must be careful not to be misled. If we fail to continue moving forward, praying, studying, serving, we will become overwhelmed by the mists of darkness and led astray by the philosophies of the world.  Holding fast to the word of God, and seeking the Holy Ghost's guidance, we can overcome the world.  We can endure to the end and we will be able to stand at the last day

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curry favor:  to ingratiate oneself with someone through obsequious behavior.
obsequious: obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.

"Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. 
Life is beauty, admire it. 
Life is a dream, realize it. 
Life is a challenge, meet it. 
Life is a duty, complete it. 
Life is a game, play it. 
Life is a promise, fulfill it. 
Life is sorrow, overcome it. 
Life is a song, sing it. 
Life is a struggle, accept it. 
Life is a tragedy, confront it. 
Life is an adventure, dare it. 
Life is luck, make it. 
Life is life, fight for it."

~ Mother Teresa