The Difference

Here's a short list of the "Sunday School answers."  You know, the basic stuff that most* of us figure is the basic recipe for spiritual success.

Church is often an excellent reminder of the why's and how's associated with checking of this to-do list.  And as far as those check-marks go, I'd say I'm averaging about 3 of 8, so there's plenty of work still to do.

But an excellent talk in Sacrament Meeting today suggested that even if I've checked off every item, there's a good chance I haven't really gotten it done the way I needed to.  

I mean, consider Laman and Lemuel, Mormonism's most notorious complainers.  If you really think about it, they got check-marks in the same basic places that Nephi did:

Brother Densley explained a few points that make all sorts of sense to me:

• Laman and Lemuel saw an an angel and still lacked faith
• If they had spiritually understood the significance of that, they would have been held accountable for the whole denying-the-spirit business
• Heavenly Father is a loving God who wouldn't have set Laman and Lemuel up for failure
• According to Lehi's dream, Laman and Lemuel never tasted the fruit (which is the love of God)

The pivotal difference between Nephi and his brothers was not what he did but what he believed when he was doing it.

Which was pretty much an "Oh, crap!" moment for me.  You mean, I can't just earn the check-marks for check-marks' sake?  You mean I need to feel the spirit while I work toward my eternal reward?  You mean that there's often a whole lot more standing between me and the Savior than a few empty boxes?

Wait... you mean the whole point of each of the boxes is actually to help me feel that spirit and increase that testimony?  

And then came the "Well, duh!" moment for me.  I've known that all along.  And I am certainly capable of working toward that.  But I am grateful for the opportunity to refocus and try harder to make up the difference.

*By "us," I mean practicing members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and I use the word "us," because that's where my beliefs and the beliefs of many of my friends and family lie.  If you would like to know more, please visit http://mormon.org/.