Clouds of Darkness

Helaman 5: 28-37

He was just a little boy,

On a week's first day.

Wandering home from Bible school,

And dawdling on the way.

He scuffed his shoes into the grass;

He even found a caterpillar.

He found a fluffy milkweed pod

And blew out all the 'filler.'

A bird's nest in a tree overhead,

So wisely placed up so high.

Was just another wonder,

That caught his eager eye.

A neighbor watched his zigzag course,

And hailed him from the lawn;

Asked him where he'd been that day

And what was going on.

'I've been to Bible School ,'

He said and turned a piece of sod.

He picked up a wiggly worm replying,

'I've learned a lot about God.'

'M'm, very fine way,' the neighbor said,

'for a boy to spend his time.'

'If you'll tell me where God is,

I'll give you a brand new dime.'

Quick as a flash the answer came!

Nor were his accents faint.

'I'll give you a dollar, Mister,

If you can tell me where God ain't.'

Clouds of Darkness

When we don't believe in God... in anything.. we live in darkness. I read a cute cartoon today about a young boy (about 5) who was walking home from Sunday School. (above poem)He was noticing everything and as he did he smiled, he laughed, and he enjoyed every discovery he could find. He looked under every rock, every leaf, and heard every bird. He was really enjoying life.

As he walked he caught the attention of an older man who was tending his lawn. This older man asked the young boy what he was doing? Where had he come from? The young boy replied that he had just come from Sunday School where he had learned about God. The old man replied that he would give the young lad .10 if he could tell hi

m where God was.

The young lad responded with great excitement.. "Oh Mr. I will give you $1 if you can tell me one place were God is not!"

To those who don't believe there is a dark cloud that covers them. They can not see what they do not believe in. I think that it is interesting that clouds are made not just by hot water, but by hot and cold water coming together. If you take a jar of hot (almost boiling hot) water and empty about 1/3 of it, you can make a cloud by merely adding ice cubes. You have to put the ice

cubes onto a layer of saran wrap that covers the jar. When the hot and the cold air meet a cloud will form. Why do I bring this up? Because those that believe only have warm water. It's not until they allow the cold winds of unbelievers to settle on their minds that clouds begin to form.

My Daddy used to tell me that when we believe in what we cannot see, we see everything more clearly. Living the gosple clears the mind, he would say. If you think of the mind in terms of the hot water and the "disbelieving" ice cubes you can see how his adage holds true. We must first believe so that we can see more clearly. For in believing in God, we keep the clouds of darkness from obscuring our thoughts.

Words and Phrases

vs 28 overshadowed with a cloud of darkness - Darkness comes from many things, but mostly from disbelief. We are all human so we will all experience it. It is part of the cycle of learning to believe in things that are beyond our limited senses.

vs 29. a voice - Now they are blinded by the darkness, but they can hear. Even though their disbelief blinded them, they were able to hear the voice of reason. A voice of truth. Sometimes we have to be blinded to the vanity of the world around us before we will listen.

vs 30. it was a still voice of perfect mildness, it did pierce the very soul. - This voice did not yell. It did not

scream, but it did speak with the power of a mild strength. There was no wavering in the voice. It brought perfect stillness.

vs 33 the third time - God seems to do things.. do things in threes. Why? It's as if he knows the first time we will be shocked but not really listen. The second time we will wake up and hopefully by the third time we will comprehend. I think all parents should do like God and give their children three calls before they become upset. God does.

vs 34 could not flee- If you have ever been in a very dark cave, or a very dark room, the darkness can paralyze you. It takes great faith to move forward when you are unaware of what is in front of you. They did not have faith. The opposite of faith is fear. Fear paralyzes.

vs 35 who had once belonged - this person knew of the church and its beliefs. He was familiar with the ways of the spirit. He had experienced faith before. He understood more what was happening than most.

vs 36 he saw through - he was able to look beyond the darkness and see what was happening