I can’t sleep, therefore I bloge (pronounced like luge, it’s French for “blog”).
I had some interesting thoughts as I was reading in my Book of Mormon today that I figure I’ll throw out to the many hundreds of thousands of people who read my bloge.
…how is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea even he can slay fifty; then why not us?
After having just seen an Angel commanding him to retrieve sacred records from Laban (a powerful man in Jerusalem), and that God would prepare a way for this to happen, Laman, Nephi’s brother, still could not believe it was possible.
Reading this verse today, I didn’t have the same “woo what an idiot! He just saw a miracle and already he’s doubting?” thought that I typically do when I read that scripture. Considering Laman as a regular person instead of an overly simplified silhouette (which often happens in scripture) I came to the following conclusion: Real faith is based on knowing that
- God can perform miracles on our behalf.
- God will perform miracles on our behalf.
Laman obviously did not believe that God could or would help them and consequently his fear of Laban overcame any faith he may have possessed.
As a child, I always thought I was like Nephi (the good one), if only slightly less awesome or muscular. But at this moment, I realized I’m more like Laman: I too have evidence of the power and capabilities of God and have felt his love. I know he can and will do things to help me, even overcoming trials in my life. But yet I struggle to believe this in a way that changes my life.
Isn’t this the dilemma of anyone trying to live a faithful life? In such a course, the smallest things we can do to refresh our faith (such as regularly studying scripture and two-way communication with God daily, even hourly) are often the most difficult to maintain.
Whatever God’s dream about man may be, it seems certain it cannot come true unless man cooperates.
-Stella Terrill Mann
I like the quote at the end! So true. I really enjoy hearing your thoughts on discovered insights. Its nice to hear new perspectives and broaden my outlook on thigs. Thanks for this!