Things Which Are Pleasing

Near the beginning of his record Nephi wrote: “Wherefore, the things which are pleasing unto the world I do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the world” (1 Nephi 6:5).  This is perhaps a litmus test for us to know if we are “of the world”—if the words of the Book of Mormon and the scriptures in general are “pleasing” unto us then we are not of the world.  Those who love the things of the world will find no pleasure in reading the words of God, but if we are unspotted from the world then we will find, like Mormon, that “the things which are upon these plates [are] pleasing” (Words of Mormon 1:4). 

                I think we get a similar message about God’s words in what the Lord taught to Adam in the account in the Pearl of Great Price.  Adam learned that in life we must “be born again into the kingdom of heaven” through baptism and the Holy Ghost and be “cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten.”  If we do that, then we will “enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come” (Moses 6:59).  I love that language: we will “enjoy” the words of the scriptures and prophets if we have been born again and purified from sin.  So there’s our test again: if we find ourselves enjoying the words of God, then perhaps we are making progress on overcoming the pull of the things of the world.  If the words of the scriptures cause us to “lift up [our] hearts and rejoice” like the testimony of Isaiah did for Nephi (2 Nephi 11:8), or if we care more about obtaining the words of the scriptures than meeting our own physical needs as Paul (see 2 Timothy 4:13), or if our experience with the word of God causes us to “feast upon [God’s] love” as Jacob invited (Jacob 3:2), then surely we can successfully turn away from the empty enticements of the things of the world. 

                I just finished reading The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis to my children.  Towards the end, Uncle Andrew—who was certainly one who was “of the world”—was in Narnia when Aslan was in the midst of creation.  But as Aslan talked to the animals and to Digory and Polly (the two main characters), Uncle Andrew could not understand his words.  Aslan explained, “He has made himself unable to hear my voice.  If I spoke to him, he would hear only growlings and roarings.  Oh Adam’s sons, how cleverly you defend yourselves against all that might do you good!” (pg. 185)  I think it is the same for us.  Those who have chosen to find their life’s fulfillment in the things of the world can no longer hear the voice of the Lord.  To them the scriptures are just words without any meaning, for they cannot hear in them the voice of the Giver of the words.  But if we truly treasure up the words of scriptures then the promise of the Lord to us is this: “You can testify that you have heard my voice, and know my words” (D&C 18:36).