On Reliance

I am happy to say that I believe I am finally understanding what it feels like to be an adult.  Being a full-time student as well as working almost full time have taught me the power that comes to multi-taskers, and and the joy that comes from completing "twofers" and even "threefers."  It also has brought into my mind again the importance of faith to guide our daily lives.  Added stress, lack of rest even when weary, and increased responsibility and expectations have all caused me to evaluate that which matters most to me; my hope is that through these words you will gain inspiration to see what matters most to you, and perhaps learn to rely on the Lord, bringing your list in concert with His list for you.

In the classic movie, Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, there is an iconic scene where the lead character must pass through a gauntlet of life-or-death situations that lead him to the Holy Grail, the most coveted piece of historical lore in ancient and modern times alike.  Among these tests Dr. Jones must step out over a chasm with endless depths and certain death waiting below.  He realizes that he is to take a "leap of faith," and moves himself to step out into the open, finding a narrow bridge camouflaged by the chasm walls all around.  With knowledge of the principle of faith, he crosses the bridge safely,  the same bridge where dozens before him with less pure intentions met their mortal demise.  In the moment of most need, Indiana Jones was able to tap into his reservoir of knowledge that enabled him to pass the test placed before him.

It is my testimony that the time will come for all of us when the hour of preparation will have  passed, a time when immediate performance will be expected of us.  Just like Dr. Jones, we will be asked to walk out over the edge of our understanding, putting our trust and faith in principles we accepted as truth at a prior date.  We won't have anyone to bail us out, and for a time we may even feel utterly alone.

This brings me to the theme of today's post: reliance.  In our Church culture we put a large emphasis on self-reliance such that perhaps sometimes we overlook the importance of relying on the Lord when the arm of our own flesh just doesn't seem to work any more.  However, there is peace and strength in learning to rely on the Lord in our times of most need.  If we live what we believe, we truly know through experience the words of President Uchtdorf just a month ago in General Conference:

"My dear brothers and sisters, it may be true that man is nothing in comparison to the greatness of the universe. At times we may even feel insignificant, invisible, alone, or forgotten. But always remember—you matter to Him!"

This is an important point to establish.  Because we matter to the Savior we know that He cares about everything that we do which either brings us closer to Him or draws us away.  Like a loving father motioning a baby to take its first steps toward him, the Savior motions us toward Him through the Spirit borne by countless angelic examples in our lives.  But are our hearts sufficiently pure in enabling us to step out into the darkness?

For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father. (Mosiah 3:19)

In order to better rely on the Lord we must understand that He loves us more than we will ever know in this life, and that He wants us to become willing to submit to all things that He sees fit to inflict upon us.  In my opinion it is a great travesty--but at the same time an essential part of living--that we think all too often on our own plans, leaving the Lord out of the equation.  True self-reliance in the Gospel sense involves a "pray and go" attitude, acknowledging that hiccups in the road, while often due to our disobedience, are an essential part of our growing to attain the standard set in the scripture above.  We read in Alma 37:37:

Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

My friends, this is the crux of reliance.  Let us first understand that we are precious to the Lord, and will always be precious to Him for the remainder of our existence. The Lord wants us to step out toward Him, and knowing that He will direct us for good will enable us to do so, even if we haven't experienced prior successful attempts at reliance.  Reliance becomes easier as we submit to his will, recognizing that the natural man does not grant us lasting happiness.  And lastly, reliance is primed through prayer--not just a rote utterance at the end of a stressful day, but true counsel with our Heavenly Father.  Just as the Savior was perfect and we strive to emulate His example, we must strive to become perfect in our counsel with God; improving (i.e., perfecting) the quality of our prayers comes as we implement the aforementioned skills and as we strive to have a real conversation with our Father in Heaven.

It is my prayer that we may be able to more fully rely on He who is mighty to save.  Have a great week!