How do you build a barge?
If the Lord commanded me to go and build a barge that my family would have to survive in, how would I build it? I've never built a boat before, so I would go and find the best boat-building instructions around. I would look up the very best techniques and use the very best materials available. Price would not be a matter - because we are talking about the safety of my family!
Perhaps somebody came to me and said, "nope... do it this way instead," referring to a way that I'd never seen before. I would definitely be hesitant to be experimenting with the safety of my family.
Yet that is what happened to the brother of Jared. Had he ever built a barge before? I don't know. He had to trust the Lord and build the barges "according to the instructions of the Lord."
In essence we are building barges for our families! The homes we live in are the vessels that will bring our families back to live with Heavenly Father. How should we build our homes? There are many philosophies that you learn about on TV and read in books. Some are "proven by studies" or are easier implement than others. But the truth is that the way we build our homes affects the eternal safety of our families. There is no better instruction manual than the gospel. The scriptures and words of Church leaders along with the guidance of the Spirit are the materials we can use to build and make the foundation for our home. I'm sure that the Lord directed the brother of Jared to use boat-building methods that he'd never seen before. The Lord has also shown us ways to build our homes that are unheard of by the world. For example, the Lord directs mothers to be the primary care-givers to their children. This is preposterous to feminists and career-driven societies.
The Lord knows best the storms that lie ahead
The Lord tells the brother of Jared "ye shall be as a whale in the midst of the sea; for the mountain waves shall dash upon you..." (Ether 2:24) The Lord knew what storms they would be facing. The brother of Jared did not. For this reason it was essential that the brother of Jared follow the Lord's instructions in everything! The Lord promised, "I will prepare you against these things; for ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come." (Ether 2:25)
Even though they are not the customary nor accepted ways that the world works, I will use the Lord's methods to build our home and raise our family. Why? Because the Lord knows better what kind of storms lay ahead for us. He knows better than anyone how to achieve Eternal Life. Since that is my goal for myself and my family, I will follow His instructions.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment