Illusions

April 2008
Illusions

We are as wanderers, strangers in a strange land. Wandering in a vast wasteland, a desert, parched by the sun, thirsting, hungering, seeking a shaded spot, a moment of rest. On we trudge, ever onward, reaching, hoping, praying for relief.(see Heb. 11)
Alas, what is that, up ahead? Could it be? Trees, lawns, a motel, a market, and WATER. With renewed strength we press forward, faster, running now, anticipating the relief that will shortly be ours. No!!! No, it can’t be, it’s fading, it’s...it’s gone.
It was a mirage, a fake, an illusion. Why? Who did this. It was the work of Satan, the master of illusion. He is the great magician. He makes the desert appear as a garden, and parching, life draining heat appear as a cool refreshing breeze. He promises, but never delivers. He lies, he deceives, and he offers what he cannot give. But many see nothing else. And, void of hope, and seared as with a hot iron they search for the next mirage.
So we trudge on. Seeking for what can never be found. Hoping for what we cannot have. We are mystified by the wonders that we see. When one mirage fades before our eyes, and depression, despair, and discouragement overtake us, that great magician laughs. He has deceived yet another helpless, hopeless soul. Realizing our situation, determined not to be deceived again, some with renewed strength rise from the life sapping sand and press on, believing that it must get better just over the next hill, it has to.
After many disappointing failures some will find a damp spot in the desert, and with effort will dig a hole deep enough to find some muddy water seeping through the sand. With careful planning and foresight they will exploit their new find. Other wanders will pass by and seeing the carefully guarded treasure will beg for a sip. The request is granted, if the wanderer has something to offer. A trinket of some type. Perhaps an umbrella, a cup, a lawn chair. Soon the discoverer of the muddy water hole finds that he is "wealthy." More and more wanderers arrive and stay, trading anything that they have that may be of worth. When the trinkets run out, the proprietor offers to continue supplying muddy water if the wanderer will work for him. With so many staying on, the hole needs to be deeper and wider to provide a greater volume of muddy water. Those with special talents such as marketing, packaging, personnel management, accounting etc., are given a little more muddy ration than the others. For some the situation looks tolerable. They begin to forget where they are, and what they spend their lives for.
Some find that they are not happy with the conditions around the water hole, and decide to once again take their chances in the desert. As soon as they leave the crowded muddy spot in the desert, they realize where they have been, and that there is surely something better. This takes a great deal of courage, for the memory of the hot sun, the parched lips and the hopelessness of the wasteland quickly comes to remembrance. Many times they will chase the illusive mirage, and eventually they may find some other lucky character with a water hole, or maybe, just maybe, if they are persistent enough, and patient enough, they will find a water hole of their own. And like other discoverers, they will spend the rest of their lives making the best of a muddy water hole, imagining that they are in a paradise.
All the while, there is a sound, a voice in the wind. It beacons in soft tones, almost like a dream. "Come, follow me." "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst...."(John 4:14) "He that cometh to me shall never hunger."(John 6:35 "Come unto me.... and I will give you rest..."(Mat.11:28-30) But, we find it hard to believe what we cannot see, smell, touch, or hear. We want real solutions, not vague promises. It’s interesting that we would rather believe our eyes when we see a mirage, than to believe that still small voice in our heads.
To leave the muddy water hole and follow that voice on the wind we must trust what we hear. We’re not sure that it’s a good idea to leave the security of the water hole and follow the non-tangible whisper, and to make matters more difficult, the voice leads us in a direction that we already know leads to more desert. But, we think that we know a "better way" so we can’t understand why we are lead in the "wrong direction." Furthermore, after some days in the heat the situation begins to get desperate and we begin to wonder if we really did hear a voice. Or, maybe we heard wrong. Maybe the water hole was best. We ask, what makes me think I’m better than all of those people I left behind. And so we taunt ourselves with uncertainty and doubt. But, if we will just be still for a moment, just listen, we will hear the sweet, reassuring voice on the wind and feel the hope, and courage returns.(see Isa. 42:16)
Trusting God is easy to talk about, but not so easy to do. Many of us would rather take matters into our own hands feeling that we have more control over the situation this way and can be sure that things turn our the way we want them to. My way, is not necessarily the right way. The Savior sets the infallible standard with "...not my will be done, but Thine." Basically, my way is the wrong way.(Mat. 26:39-42)
Some would argue that such a concept denies agency. On the contrary. This is precisely what agency is all about. We are free to choose to follow Gods will concerning us, or our own will. To choose Gods will for us results in greater agency. To follow our own will results in the loss of agency. We must learn to give our will entirely, until it is swallowed up in His.(see 2 Nephi 10:23,24)(also see 2 Nephi 2:27)
The problem before us is the mirage. The despair that results leads us to the second problem, the muddy water hole.
Those who chase the mirages, are the self motivated, determined souls who are willing to make great sacrifices for success. The masses however, will live out their lives at the water hole, fearful to make a break from its feeble security.
The mirage is a false hope. It stands before us as a promise of happiness that never delivers. Like the building that Lehi saw in his dream which "...stood as it were in the air,"(1 Nephi 8:26)(also see 1 Nephi 12:18) the mirage has no foundation in truth. The building too, was an illusion. Both represent Satan’s plan for happiness, which is that it can be purchased. The more money you have the happier you will be. So we spend our lives chasing the false Horus of happiness.
Probably the greatest obstacle we face is our culture. Designed by the master magician, it is difficult to discern. From the time we are old enough to understand possession we are taught that diligent effort returns material reward, and that this is honorable beyond responsibility.(see Mosiah 4:16,17)(also see Jacob 2:17-19) We are also taught to be happy at the receiving of material gifts for which we did nothing, and when matured a little more we begin to grasp the concept of gaining through chance. We are conditioned to seek an education, but for what? Brigham Young said education has a purpose, but it wasn’t for making money. Yet it seems that making money is the whole reason for education today.(see 2 Nephi 9:30,42) We are also taught that placement in the labor market justifies any sacrifice, even the ruin of the unfortunate who weren’t on their toes. The more qualified take the livelihood of the less qualified without consideration for their needs. Yes, it’s just a dog eat dog world. The whole process in its most honorable form is a chain reaction like an atom bomb that leads to disaster. We observe what others have, we desire it, work for it, get educated, sacrifice, suffer, gamble, and spiritually self destruct. Our culture leads us to desire that which has no substance, and which will only canker our souls.(D&C 1:16)
The muddy water hole offers a temporal security. Many will find that they are satisfied with a cup of mud every Friday, and as long as it will last until the next week, they will offer little complaint. Today we face yet another great illusion. The cup of mud which has its obvious limits does not satisfy our longing for the beautiful skyline of the mirage that is indelibly imprinted upon our memories. When someone offers us a piece of that paradise for a number of monthly payments, we risk it, and suddenly we find that we must now work overtime in the pit to keep up. It’s a trap. The water hole doesn’t offer security at all. It enslaves us, and keeps us busy so that we can’t stop, stand still, and listen.
If followed, that still small voice on the wind will lead us away from the water hole, and steer us clear of the mirages. But if I follow the voice, how will we eat? How will we quench our thirst? When and where will I find rest? Do I worry about food, drink, rest? Well, what if the answer is NO!!! What if we are to worry about something else? Ah, here is the rub. Can we worry about obeying the still small voice instead of worrying about quenching our thirst, filling our bellies, or resting our tired feet?(see Mat. 6:24-34)
This reminds me of the well known question, "which came first, the chicken or the egg?" Do we work hard to supply all of our wants and needs so that we may better follow that still small voice, or do we follow that still small voice and leave the wants and needs to the wisdom of God? Jacob put it this way, "Seek not for riches, but for the kingdom of God and after ye have obtained a hope in Christ, then ye can seek for riches, if ye desire them...."(Jacob 2:17-19) A "hope in Christ" is the promise of Eternal Life. Once obtained, our loyalty is no longer in question. Our commitment is proven, and we may now obtain riches, because, we know what to do with them. But to seek for the riches first, will lead us to the illusive conclusion that our success is somehow evident of our righteousness.
Saul of Tarsus believed that he was right. He had a good job and a promising future. He was involved in a holy war against what he thought was the enemy. But all of his success, and hope was crushed when it was compared to "kicking against the pricks." His focus had been on what he perceived to be right, nay, what he wanted to be right. But, after his encounter with a voice in the desert he spent the rest of his life concerned about one thing, building the kingdom of God. In the end, not even his life was worth saving, in comparison to the glories of Eternal Life.(see Acts 9)
The challenge here is to get the right perspective. To do this we need to find a quiet spot. Stop, listen, and ponder. Seek the still small voice and be brave enough to follow it’s lead. All other loyalties, and worries, obligations, contracts, associations, bonds, etc., must be set aside in favor of the direction of the spirit, for they really have no value.(see D&C 132:7) We must ask, and get the answer to the most important of questions...."What would Thou have me do?" All choice is made under the influence of either God, or Satan. Nothing is outside of these two influences. Nothing is in the magical, illusive grey area. So we must be able to detect the influence, and become familiar with the sound of the still small voice.
Now, lest the author be misunderstood, it should be made clear that the suggestion is not that we should all throw down our picks and shovels, and wonder into the wilderness unguided, or sit ourselves upon the ground and meditate uncontrollably. How, when and where are questions with customized answers. It is typical of our natures to desire a set of rules, or guidelines by which to govern our choices. We want it written down, and dangling before our eyes. The more complex and detailed it is, the more we like it. We become expert in the law....another one of those "evidences of our righteousness." But, we must learn to be guided by just one rule, just one guideline, the law written upon our hearts. Not in stony places, but on the fleshy tables of the heart.(2 Cor. 3:3)
The children of Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years around a water hole because they rejected the customizing of the still small voice in favor of having all of the rules written down....in stone!
To see clearly, to be rid of the influence of the pit, we need to step away from it, out into the desert, strip ourselves of everything, put it all in a pile and stand there naked.(Mat. 19:21) When completely exposed to the elements, with nothing to hide, we see our dependency upon God. Our nakedness reveals our nothingness. Our nothingness opens the door to understanding our true selves. When humility overtakes pride, our spirits contrite, and our hearts broken, that still small voice is clear, and discernable. Suddenly the memory of that water hole seems like a bad dream. The mirage no longer deceives us. With our minds clear and our wits keen we venture into the desert lead by that perfect brightness of hope of a better world, instead of being lured by the tantalizing sights and sounds of the vague and illusive promises of the world.
This fallen world is designed to be an obstacle course of illusion and distraction. We spend our lives here working to acquire that which has no worth. Our lives are soon exhausted and we find that in all of our acquiring, we have nothing. "Lay up treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not corrupt and where thieves do not break through and steal." Like putting blinders on a horse, we must learn to train our vision. We still must pull the load, work for our bread, and attend to the task of preservation, it is true. But we must do so with our will, completely swallowed up in the will of God. That is to say, do it in His way, place, time, etc. Only by doing so can we find our way through this desert maze safely and into the arms of Jesus.(Rev. 7:14-16)