Shifting Sands and Treasures in Heaven

Morris Island Lighthouse, Folly Beach S.C.

Helaman 5: 8-14

Shifting Sands

The beach is a wonderful place to rest and relax. The soft warm sand squishes between your toes and gives way as you saunter along the shore. It slides and makes way as you burrow your bottom into its supple surface under the shade of your beach umbrella. And it drips, drips, drips, one drop at a time as you let a wet handful sift through your fingertips to create a tall sandcastle turrets. Sandy beaches are great places to walk, build castles, and lie on as you bask in the summer sun.

Sand however has its limitations. Today my daughter and I tried riding our bikes on the beach. As we did our tires sunk into the sand leading us to change our gears and try again. What appeared to be firm and secure ground merely gave way under the weight of our tires, causing us to loose our balance and fall. As I turned we to leave the beach we noticed several tire marks where a car had foolishly tried to do the same. Unfortunately, for him, it appeared that he had to be dug out.. Also, as we rode our bikes, (on the hard pavement of the street) we noticed that all of the homes along the shoreline are built , not upon a sandy foundation, but rather upon fifteen-foot pilings that have been driven deep below the surface sand.

Sand shifts. In the sun’s heat, the wind’s whistle, and the wave’s wash, sand shifts.

Helaman taught his sons about the need to recognize life’s shifting sands. He counseled them to place their faith in eternal truths that “fade not away” or shift with the crowd’s whim. What are the sands of life that appear to be safe, but when you walk on them they lose their ground? They bring moments of fun but fail to live up to eternal laws. There are many ways that we can relax and enjoy ourselves, but we need to be careful not to build our life’s hopes and dreams on sands that shift .

Helaman taught his sons that eternal lasting rewards are found in the redeeming love our Savior Jesus Christ. He taught his sons the need to “remember, remember “ and to build upon the rock of our redeemer Jesus Christ.

How do we determine if the earthly pleasures we find so enticing are shifting sands or treasures in heaven? How do we know what is real? Real may not be something we touch. Real may in reality be something that touches us and leads us to the “precious gift of eternal life”.

Words and Phrases

Vs 8 lay up for yourselves a treasure in heaven – treasures in heaven do not shift, change, or go the way of the earth. They are eternal, lasting, and sure. The elements of life do not change them. They do not fade. When we rely on Jesus Christ's atonement, we lay up treasures in heaven.

vs 8 Precious gift of eternal life – We are taught that God’s work and glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. (Moses 1:39) His purpose of sending his son was to give us hope that we might strive for eternal life… truths that matter, truths that last.. truths that touch us and change us for the better.

Vs 9 O remember, remember, my sons, the words – words are important part of striving to gain eternal life. Words spoken by King Benjamin, and various other prophets speak of truths that will teach us how we can find and uncover the gift of eternal life within us.

Vs 9 no other way nor means – Jesus Christ is the only way we can have immortality. His atonement is the only way we can be saved not in our sins, but rather from our sins. (vs 10)

Vs 11 Why Jesus? Because God gave Jesus Christ power to redeem us from our sins… if we will repent.

Vs 11 How? He sent angles to tell us about repentance and its conditions. He sent angels to help us understand how the Redeemer Jesus Christ has power to bring salvation to our souls.

Vs 12 your foundation – Foundations support homes, buildings, and all things that are built. As we walked Folly Beach this morning, I noticed that Phase I of the restoration project for the Morris Island Lighthouse was completed. A small ship-worm had eaten through all of the foundation timbers and the lighthouse had begun to gradually settle toward the ocean (floor). A few million dollars of restoration has corrected this problem and the lighthouse now stands erect on a foundation of concrete footings. It will stand for many years to come as a guardian to the Carolina coastal waters. It is amazing to me that the foundation of such a mighty lighthouse that has protected thousands of ships from destruction did not face destruction because of the pelting waves, or gusting winds, but rather from a small mollusk worm that, like termites ate away until the timbers resembled tattered lace.

Vs 12 Rock upon which ye are built – Lighthouses that are built upon rocks stand for eons of time. Rocks do not allow infestations. Rocks do not shift like sand, or face infestation like timber. The oldest working lighthouse in the world was built upon a foundation of rock. It stands today in Spain as a national monument and reminder to the strength of rock foundations.

A foundation wheron if men build they cannot fall – Sand is not a foundation to build on as it shifts. But truths that stand firm in the face of trial, persecution, fads, and the whims of man will be as a rock. They will be as a lighthouse to you as you seek to gather your eternal treasures to take back to heaven. These truths come from our Savior Jesus Christ.

Vs 13 Helaman taught to his sons; We need to teach one another. Teach our children, our sons and our daughters. We need to love them so that they will listen and learn from our examples.

Vs 13 which are not written, and which are written – There is a great power in words. Words spoken with sincere sink deep into our hearts and help us make decisions from day to day. But sometimes its not our words, its what we do. We need to teach.. do what I do… and what I say.

14 And they did remember his words- Helaman’s sons remembered what he taught. Why? Because he was a man of his word. I noticed that while he was alive there were years of peace and prosperity, but soon after his death contention again began to enter the land. Why? I think that a strong leader who knows good from evil and can sway people.. not just by his words but by his actions.. by what is not written.. by the way he loved his sons, the way he loved his family. The way he treated others and loved his people more than the earthly possessions that like “shifting sands” lose their value once our eyes are closed to our earthly life.

I was led by the Spirit

1 Nephi 4: 6-11

I was led by the Spirit ...

Remember Wednesdays post Plan A, Plan B... This is Plan C. God's way. Nephi does not know where he is going or what he is doing. He is going on the cuff? Or is he? He believes God will deliver them. Did God tell Moses all that would transpire when he freed the Hebrews? No. Did God tell Aaron what to say before he opened his mouth? No. Did God tell Noah how complete the flood would be? Who taught Noah how to build the ark? God. These prophets were all led by the spirit.

It takes faith to be led by the Spirit. To know that with every moment God is with me. With every prayer there is an action that answers. We may not see. We may not realize immediately how the Lord has taken care of us, but he does take care of us. We must have faith, an open heart, and an ear to listen. We must be obedient to the basic laws that help shape our desire to know God.

This is really a beautiful story. Nephi tried mans way.( Plan A Plan B) How did Plan C unfold? He hid his brethren in the wall, he crept toward Laban's house, and he found Laban unconscious in a drunken stupor. The spirit says slay him. "it is better than one man should die than an entire nation should dwindle in unblief".

But this went against every thing that Nephi had ever known. The laws of civilization say "thou shalt not kill", (and yet Jerusalem had sought to slay the prophets?) He knew that this was wrong. But then why was it right for men of God to be put to death for stating the truth and giving warnings to Jerusalem's wickedness?

Laws are only good as long as the majority of the people are agreed of their value. Case in point.. Blue laws still exist in the deep south. Liquor can not be purchased on Sunday and many stores of all kind remain closed. South Carolina is one of the last strong holds of this law? Why? Because the people value its worth. A movement to repeal these laws failed not once but twice. Laws rely on the people to determine their value. Another law to consider in this regard is prohibition. After the law was passed, people found ways around it. The people could not live without their alcohol.

My point is this. Jerusalem valued not the truth the prophets gave and blatantly disregarded the laws when they sought to slay the prophets. Nephi, as a man of God chose to obey the greater law. He had to choose between man's law and the Lord's law. God had given him perspective and he saw the wisdom in having the law (the brass plate) to teach with. The spirit led him to help him retrieve the law of Moses so that Lehi's family could know and then teach the law of Moses and hence know God.

I wonder if Nephi would have acted so boldly if he had known beforehand what the Lord's plan was? I wonder if it is necessary for us to always know all that we are to do? Being led by the spirit is just that, it is not always knowing what is just around the corner, but believing it is the Lord's will anyway.

I beheld his sword (vs 9) hilt was of pure gold ...workmanship exceedlingly fine ..most precious steel..... -

Who was Laban? He was a man of great power. I know this because of Nephi's description of his sword. I think that a sword might have been like a car in our days. I noticed that everything about Laban's sword was the best of the best. This tells me that it was not going to be easy to get these plates without a fight.

Why didn't Nephi just go and steal the plates? Who was Laban? A man of great power and influence. What might have happened had he not obeyed the spirit? Lehi's family (only 3 days journey) might have been slain. This was a serious matter to consider.

I was constrained (vs 10) - compel or force (someone) toward a particular course of action - Who constrained Nephi? I am reminded that he is being led by the spirit, so I believe it is the spirit within him. And the spirit reasons with Nephi.. shows him the wisdom in this action.

dwindle in unbelief (vs 13) - Without God's law I dwindle in unbelief. When I take time each day to read his law, his words, and understand his ways, I discover "his righteous purposes." I don't want to dwindle in unbelief. I want God's love and law in my life.

I remembered the words of the Lord (vs 14) - When I read the words of God and I have to make daily choices I am glad to remember the words of the Lord. They serve as a guide post to help me through my day. Here Nephi remembers the words and they help him make a decisive choice. He remembers that it is better to serve God. God will keep His promises. God will help you prosper. When we have to make choices we need to remember the importance of keeping our covenants with God. We have his promise.

This section of 1 Nephi contains many deep subjects that could be discussed in great depth. I enjoyed contemplating these verses because they helped me see how God's love helps us preserve that which is vital for our survival. Lehi's family had everything physical that they needed for their trek into the wilderness. They needed God's law. His promises. His love written down in story. They needed to know so they could continue the traditions and "always have his spirit to be with them ." (Moroni 4:3)

"Even In A Dream" 1 Nephi 2:1-12

1 Nephi 2

I dream. I know that everyone does not dream, or at least remember what we dream. It has been explained to me that we all dream. It is a biological fact. So I wonder, why do some of us not remember? What keeps us separated from our sub-consciousness that we can not remember anything that happened to us while we sleep? I wonder if it might be our desires?

Desires it seems set our goals, our schedules, our tasks, our "to do" list, our priorities. Desires it seems become the barometer for our consciousness. Speaking from my own personal experience, I have noted that when I am driven to accomplish, when life has taken hold of me and has caused me to focus more on earthly success, I dream less. Or, I don't remember my dreams. I don't have time. I have too much to do. Too much else crowding out my subconscious mind.

Lehi dreamed. When Nephi described his father's reasoning for leaving Jerusalem, Nephi said it was because of a dream. Lamen and Lemuel, however called it "vain imaginations of his heart."

What is the difference? What did Lamen and Lemuel value that caused them to see their father's leadership in such a negative connotations? What did Nephi value that helped him see it as "direction from God?"

Phrases and Words

(these are my comments on phrases of words that jump out at me)

even in a dream (vs 1, 2)

thou hast been faithful (vs2) - We know. In our hearts, we know when we do good. We know also when we do wrong. The difference lies in how we react to each. When we do right, we are apt to continue doing right. Similarly when we do wrong we are apt to continue. The difference is that doing right relies upon our convictions. Doing wrong relies upon the lowest common denominator that we associate with. Our convictions are closely related to our desires.

When I read this phrase "thou hast been faithful" I realize that the Lord does honor his covenants with us. When we are faithful we are promised protection, guidance, and acceptance. If Lehi had loved anything more than goodness, obedience, or the understanding of God's higher purpose it wouldn't have worked. He would have second guessed himself and not followed through. God would not have honored his convenants.

Herein lies the beauty of this story. How do you know its the Lord in your dreams? How do you know the Lord? You know! We all know goodness. It's not always what we know, sometimes its what we love most.

What is a dream? Is it something we aspire to? Is it something we gain grater insight from? Is it something we find ourselves in? Dreams uniquely are our own. Like our relationships with faith, with God, with our own conscience. Dreams help us find our path. When we do or see evil, our dreams warn us. When we hope for and see good, our dreams guide us.

600 B.C. (vs 4) - I wonder what else took place in 600 B.C. At this time in history the calendar works backward. So the century is from 600 B.C - 501 B.C. So as we move closer toward the birth of Christ we are counting down in years. Lehi leaves Jerusalem around 600 B.C. and in about 587 (13 years) Nebuchadnezzar II captures Jerusalem. He carries away it's people to Babylon or various other cities within the Neo Babylonian Empire. This empire was also called Chaldean.

land of his inheritance (vs 4)- family, hills, dales, familiar places, memories, friends, acquaintances, anything that would make you feel connected to society and feel like you had a life. What was so wrong in Jerusalem that Lehi lost all feelings of being connected with everything he had grown accustomed to in his life?

gold, silver, precious things - Jerusalem had become prosperous because of trad with other nations. This trade led to the great diversity and the watering down of their religious beliefs. It really comes back to what do we desire most in life? Prosperity or Joy? What was truly valuable to him?

he came down ... into the wilderness (v5) - Lehi left civilization, a better way of life, to go into the wilderness. He came down out of Jerusalem, out of Judaea. Why would Lehi leave the safety of his homeland? Why would he leave the security of friendships? My guess is that he would leave only if he recognized they were no longer safe. Was there imminent danger? Yes, for his life. What happens to those who spread bad karma? It comes back to them. Would you want to be in the same place with someone who you know is going to get their bad karma returned to them? He was seeking for a better way. But why did he believe he would find it in the wilderness? In the Bible the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years until they had left behind all of the bad karma of the Egyptians. It was the Lord's way of helping them learn to rely upon Him for guidance. In the wilderness they could not turn to others for help, they had to figure things out. If they were to survive, they had to have faith in God. Also. God had commanded him. He did not necessarily know why, but he knew God and he know that all good comes from God.

he pitched his tent (vs5) This seemingly simple phrase hold more meaning than one might think. To pitch a tent means more than to put up a tent. It means to set it up and fix it into a definite position. When we camp I know the position of my tent is crucial to how well I sleep. Lehi pitched (purposefully set and fixed) his tent in a valley, by a river. Here he had water to bathe, to drink, to wash, to cook with. Here in a valley he was protected from the dessert storms, the wind the weather and the harshness of the wilderness.

He set up protection, he stopped and rested and what was the first thing he did?

built an altar (vs7) First things first. 1. Built an altar 2. made an offering 3. gave thanks. This really made be think.

Could I have given thanks? Would I have murmured? 3 days out it would have been easy to turn back. How do I react to the change the Lord brings into my life?

fountain (vs 9) - When I think of a fountain I think of downtown Cleveland where there is a burst of water that pours out of a statue. A fountain really means "source". Webster says it is a "source of desirable quality". When Lehi says to his son that he wishes that he would always run to the source of righteousness, he is asking that his son will always desire to bring forth good.

foolish imaginations (vs 11) This is a well known phrase. As I think about Lehi I am reminded that Nephi called his father's beliefs a dream. Lamen and Lemuel however, now that they are three days out in the wilderness and the excitement of the adventure has died down, call it "foolish imaginations of his heart". This is really a defining moment for everyone. When we are faced with challenges that will take us from our comfort zone, our way of life, our addictions, our routines, what do we call the "word of the Lord" (vs 3)? Is it a dream? A desire to live righteously? Is it vain imaginations that don't know reality from fantasy?

In the end there is no one answer. To those who have their hearts set upon the "real" world, the earthly riches, the comforts of this world, it is vain imaginations. Why? Because if you can't see anything more than what is in front of you, if you can't see the spiritual world that your conscience possesses then it is all in vain. But to those that believe in the dream, To those who have the ability to let their conscious mind live and breath and not be silenced by all of the demands of a capitalistic society, then dreams are real. Why? Because dreams represent the true spiritual nature of our being.

Like I said at the beginning. We know. We know truth when we see it. If we don't then we should listen more carefully. God brings goodness. God brings light. God brings hope and safety and security. These are things that Lehi left Jerusalem for. Jerusalem had lost its way and they had killed the prophets who would help them find their conscience.

When one's conscience dies so does his dream... When one's conscience dies it is replaced with desires for wealth, and fame and strength and power.

As a mother of a large family, I have to believe that Lehi felt the need to leave Jerusalem because he felt the weight of his parental responsibilities slipping away. The first thing he does three days out is to pull his children aside and tell them how much he loves them. What a beautiful statement"... "Oh that you might always be running toward the source of all goodness." Oh that I love you so much that all I ever wanted for you was to run to the God and see of his goodness.

I hope that I will run to God daily. I hope that I will run to the source so that I will not be carried away or lost in the wilderness of life. How do I teach my children to do this? How do I teach them to understand God's love for us? How do I teach them that we are not unlike Lehi in our journeys, in our ability to listen to the prophets, in our ability to find direction within our dreams of righteousness. I think I teach them by doing what Lehi did, letting God's love direct me, "even in a dream".