Tag: Faith

Simple Things: Too Good to be True?

When simple things look too good to be true, consider the story found in 2 Kings, chapter 5:

A commander in the Syrian Army by the name of Naaman, was popular, intelligent, a war hero and a born leader. One day he was unexpectantly diagnosed with leprosy. There was no known cure for this disease at that time. They could only isolate the infected person so he would have no contact with anyone else and risk spreading the horrible curse on others. It was not only the end of Naaman’s social life but also the end of his military career (to say nothing of it being a painful way to die). Naaman had heard of a prophet in Israel (see: 2 Kings 5: 3-4) and although he was not a believer himself, his desperation forced him to seek out the man call Elisha.

After having gathered a large amount of money and gifts, along with a company of soldiers and attendants, he set out to visit Elisha. When he finally arrived at the tent of the prophet he was disappointed to have only a servant there to greet him. An important man like himself would rather have been greeted by the prophet. Still, the servant had a message for Naaman: “Go, wash thyself seven times in the River Jordan and thou wilt be healed.” (See: 2 Kings 5: 10.)

Naaman was outraged. 

“Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean?” (2 Kings 5: 11-12.)

Now Naaman had brought with him a large amount of money and gifts. He expected to have to pay for being cured. Indeed, if he had been asked to do some great thing, he would have done it.

What then was the problem with being asked to something so simple and so inexpensive as washing seven times in the local river? Wasn’t it worth even trying? When his own servant pointed that out to him, Naaman admitted he was wrong to have been angry and closed minded. He proceeded to the river to wash seven times as requested. To every one’s amazement, he was healed instantly.( 2 Kings 5: 13-14.)

All Naaman needed to be healed was faith in the prophet and willingness to obey his advice.

Obedience takes faith, and faith overcomes pride. It was really pride that was stopping Naaman from being obedient. It all just looked too simple – too good to be true.

How little things have changed in human nature since that day. We are often asked to do simple things by today’s prophets. And we still sometimes think the words of these men of God to be foolish or meaningless or both. Baptism, paying tithing, studying the scriptures, observing the Sabbath, sure, they help the church. But how could these simple things possibly help me? 

Yes, those things help the Church to be strong, but they are just like what Naaman finally did to be healed. These simple things will also heal and help us to be strong as well. 

Baptism is a process of covenanting with God that we will be obedient. It not only gives us purpose but also opens the door to the help and assistance God can freely offer to sustain our spiritual health and welfare. Baptism also brings with it the Gift of the Holy Ghost which sustains us with knowledge, understanding and the comfort of peace which our hearts long for. (See Mosiah 18:8–10, 13)

Tithing does not require extra money for it to be paid. It requires faith: Faith to put your money on the line and your trust in the Lord, knowing you will not be penalized for obeying him but will rather be blessed for your faith in him. You will never go short when you pay your 10% to the Lord. You may have to learn how to budget, learn how to control spending and better use the 90% (which the Lord really also owns but has allowed you to use for yourself), but you will not go without. (See Malachi 3: 8-10)

Studying the scriptures is how we come to know God. “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17: 3)

Observing the Sabbath We observe the Sabbath as a sign of our obedience (Deuteronomy 5: 12-13). We renew and remember our covenant to serve him by attending and participating in his Sacrament (Luke 22:19–20). It is a break from the other 6 days of labour, where we spend our time and devotion to worldly affairs. One could become totally absorbed in those endeavours at the expense of their commitment to God if it were not for the Sabbath Day commitment. Each of these commandments are for our betterment and not his. He is already perfect. He could manage all these things without our help. But we are allowed to participate so that we may learn to become as he is by experience. 

When you ask yourself what price you would pay to get rid of your inflictions, bad habits and addictions, what is your answer? If your doctor told you that a very expensive operation and a very painful recovery would be the solution, would you sign up? Then why not consider what the Lord asks? Is it possible that pride prevents us from taking these simple steps?

We aren’t told what happened to Naaman after he was healed, but his story obviously didn’t end there. It really only began. Our life too can have a new beginning when we let go of pride and grab hold of the words and commandments of Christ. It only requires faith, knowledge and obedience.

“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And what I can do, I ought to do. And what I ought to do, by the grace of God, I shall do.” Edward Everett Hale

– Doug Garrett

I Know, Therefore I Do

From a story found in the Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi, Chapter 3, we read that Lehi’s family fled into the vast, scorching desert to escape the wrath of the Jews who sought their lives. Having reached safety, or so they thought, they then received staggering news. God had commanded the sons of Lehi to return to the danger of Jerusalem to obtain records which contained the history of their people written on brass plates.

Even worse, the plates were in the possession of a treacherous commander of a unit of the army of Israel. He could not be easily approached as there were many soldiers protecting him. The brothers were terrified. But then one of the brothers boldly stood and declared:

” I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know the Lord giveth no commandment unto the children of men save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.” (1Nephi 3:7)

From this statement we learn two very important principles:

1/ God never commands us to do anything that is impossible to do. Without faith it may well appear to be impossible. But the fact remains: no matter what God commands us to do, there is a way and he has already provided it before he asked. Our job is to have faith that the statement is true and to act on that assumption until we discover what the solution is. 

2/ God never issues a command that is for his benefit alone. In each case, in each commandment whatsoever he commanded us to do, it is always, always for the betterment, protection, edification or improvement of his Children. 

We know the second principle to be correct because later, the portion of the people (the people of Zarahemla) who didn’t take written records of their history were unable to retain their language or maintain the memory of the basic purposes of moral, spiritual or intellectual principles. Those who did keep those and future records found them not only to be a stabilizing force for good, but were able to maintain their original language and core values which served as a reservoir of their collective wisdom and customs.

The records of their history were to disclose another equally important principle as well.

Knowing history is not enough by itself. For a society to remain intact, they must also be be willing to have the courage to apply and live what they know.

This is true and applies to every one of us. Most of us perform at a level below that which we know we should. The challenge is to bring our performance up to that higher level of understanding or as Nephi declared, “I know… [therefore] I will go and do.” This struggle determines who we are and what we will become as a people, and as a nation.

As we are always learning, we must therefore always be changing. We must realign our behaviour to match our understanding, knowledge and wisdom.

We are instructed to pray in the morning: “What would thou have me do today?”

Likewise in the evening, our prayer should be: “How well did I do with those assignments you gave me today?

The way to overcome our weaknesses is one step at a time, one weakness at a time. In other words: consistent practice until we are made perfect.

-Doug Garrett

The Trapped Chilean Miners

Hardly anyone of the millions who heard or watched the rescue of the Chilean miners who were trapped 700 meters underground for sixty-nine days, will ever forget the complete fascination and anticipation that kept us glued to our TV screens in 2005. Yet this was only the dramatic conclusion to a greater, bolder, courageous, personal drama that had been unfolding for months earlier — half a mile below the surface in the Chilean Mountains.

Thirty-three miners had been trapped in the San José copper mine in Copiapó, Chile for 17 days and none of them had heard a word about their fate. Somewhere, somehow, in those first 17 days, someone initiated the idea and convinced the others that their desperate situation was not hopeless. It is the miners code that no matter the cause of the entrapment, and regardless of how long it may take, or how great the cost or effort, those above will come and find them, dead or alive. All the buried men had to do was muster the means and will to stay alive until they were found. 

No doubt there was contention and arguing at first between those miners who were convinced and those who doubted. But in the end, we know they all agreed. They agreed to share their water, their food, and the batteries in their lights which were only intended to last 48 hours. All knew that on their own as individuals, there was no hope any one could make it. But if they were willing to share and work together, there was a slim hope they could all make it out together.

As they began to organize themselves, their thinking began to shift. Instead of just thinking about the problem, they began to allow themselves to consider and plan for a future. They began to think about what would happen if they actually survived!. They would imagine themselves being cheered and greeted by their family, friends and the news media around the world. Slowly but surely the feelings of hopelessness were replaced by a concern for their other miners and their families. That faint flickering flame of hope was being fanned and embellished each time they thought of their future instead of their present condition.

Each man was given an immediate responsibility. One was made responsible for the food supply and to insure each ate something three times a day. Another with First Aid experience was made the official “ Doctor”. Still another was assigned to keep a daily journal and to encourage the others to add to it. As their lives began to take on a structured feeling again, they began to encourage each other to pull together and hope together.

Can you imagine the moment when a pipe was pushed into their isolation? Contact from those on the surface, along with fresh air, water, food and supplies coming down the pipe. The greatest thing they received when that pipe broke through their dark hole was hope. Now they knew they were no longer alone. They knew someone was working to save them. They didn’t know how it was going to work, but somehow, somewhere, someone up there had a plan to save them, something they painfully understood, they could not do for themselves.

They were right. A plan had been put in place to rescue them one at a time. A capsule, just big enough to carry one man, but small enough to slide down the bore hole, could bring them back from the dead to the living again. Yet the first capsuled lowered to the waiting miners did no go down empty. In it was its creative engineer who felt he personally had to go down to show his faith that the capsule functioned correctly and to be there so others would know how it was done.

This is where the TV worldwide coverage had picked up the events that we had all watched.

Included were skilled technicians and ground crews from many countries around the world, the Presidents of Chile and Peru, and planners from N.A.S.A. Also waiting and cheering were family members and friends, who had camped in a makeshift village while keeping a candle light vigil and hope alive until their loved ones were safely back with them. As the miners came up, one by one, from the bowels of the earth, they were embraced in the arms of their loved ones and we all shouted and wept for joy.

How much like the miners we sometimes feel when we are in a dark hole, where we fear there is no hope or way out. We have nothing but a small flickering light and limited reserves that are about to expire. We may have even felt such self-pity that we thought no one really cared if we lived or died. 

Yet, high above us, there is a plan in operation to bring us safely out, if we will just do everything in our power to hold on until the rescue party comes and shows us how. That rescue party is Christ and his Church. It has come. The Savior personally came down to earth to show us how it’s done.

Have faith, reach out and climb into the rescue capsule. Christ promises us, if we do so, he will bring us back home to our loved ones.

Note: THE 33 is a movie that has been made about these courageous men and their remarkable rescue.

Doug Garrett