guided by Him
The book of Ether in the Book of Mormon begins with a man named Jared and his family. After the building of the tower of Babel and the confounding of languages, their family was told by the Lord to cross the ocean and go to a promised land that the Lord had prepared for them. The family got to work and built barges that were "tight like unto a dish" in order to cross the ocean (Ether 2:17). However, building these sealed barges presented three problems:
1. There was no light
2. They had no way to steer
3. They had no way to breathe
The brother of Jared cried unto the Lord and told Him about the problems they were faced with, and the Lord gave each problem a different response (Ether 2:19).
For the problem with steering, the Lord told them not to worry, as He would guide their barges through the water.
For the problem with no way to breathe, the Lord gave the brother of Jared step-by-step instructions and told him how to make holes in the barges for air.
For the problem with light, the Lord took a third approach. He asked the brother of Jared, "what will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels (Ether 2:23)?" He didn't tell them not to worry and didn't give instructions like He did with the first two problems. Instead, the Lord gave the brother of Jared the opportunity to exercise agency and come up with a solution himself. The Lord was willing to help, but he wanted the brother of Jared to make the decision of what to do. Eventually, the brother of Jared decided to collect rocks and have the Lord touch them to make them light up, which the Lord did, and the problem was solved.
These three ways that the Lord answered the brother of Jared's questions closely parallel our own lives. Many times, we want the Lord to solve our problems like He solved the issue with steering and air. We want specific instructions, or, even better, we want to not worry about it and have the Lord take care of it. Yet, it seems that most of the time, our questions are answered the same way that the Lord answered the question about light: "What will ye that I should do?" That answer is probably my least favorite, yet that answer has stretched and shaped me throughout my entire life. Without the Lord allowing me to make my own choices and use agency to solve problems, I wouldn't be the person that I am today. When He asks us what we would have Him do, it allows us to truly ponder and think about how we can overcome challenges, and this helps us to grow and become more like Him. By not being given all the answers, we can develop faith and learn to trust in His almighty power and love even when we don't know how things will turn out.
The Lord will always answer our prayers, and sometimes He'll answer differently than others. However, we can have the assurance that He listens, that He cares, and that He is willing to help us whenever we remember to look up and ask.
1. There was no light
2. They had no way to steer
3. They had no way to breathe
The brother of Jared cried unto the Lord and told Him about the problems they were faced with, and the Lord gave each problem a different response (Ether 2:19).
For the problem with steering, the Lord told them not to worry, as He would guide their barges through the water.
For the problem with no way to breathe, the Lord gave the brother of Jared step-by-step instructions and told him how to make holes in the barges for air.
For the problem with light, the Lord took a third approach. He asked the brother of Jared, "what will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels (Ether 2:23)?" He didn't tell them not to worry and didn't give instructions like He did with the first two problems. Instead, the Lord gave the brother of Jared the opportunity to exercise agency and come up with a solution himself. The Lord was willing to help, but he wanted the brother of Jared to make the decision of what to do. Eventually, the brother of Jared decided to collect rocks and have the Lord touch them to make them light up, which the Lord did, and the problem was solved.
These three ways that the Lord answered the brother of Jared's questions closely parallel our own lives. Many times, we want the Lord to solve our problems like He solved the issue with steering and air. We want specific instructions, or, even better, we want to not worry about it and have the Lord take care of it. Yet, it seems that most of the time, our questions are answered the same way that the Lord answered the question about light: "What will ye that I should do?" That answer is probably my least favorite, yet that answer has stretched and shaped me throughout my entire life. Without the Lord allowing me to make my own choices and use agency to solve problems, I wouldn't be the person that I am today. When He asks us what we would have Him do, it allows us to truly ponder and think about how we can overcome challenges, and this helps us to grow and become more like Him. By not being given all the answers, we can develop faith and learn to trust in His almighty power and love even when we don't know how things will turn out.
The Lord will always answer our prayers, and sometimes He'll answer differently than others. However, we can have the assurance that He listens, that He cares, and that He is willing to help us whenever we remember to look up and ask.
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