With Wings as Eagles

 I’ve been listening to Gerald Lund’s new book To Soar with Eagles, a historical fiction novel that tells the story of the early San Juan settlers.  The title of the book comes from the famous passage in Isaiah: “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).  The story shows how these early settlers had to indeed wait upon the Lord during many very difficult experiences with neighboring Indians, cowboys, and harsh conditions.  But because they waited upon the Lord they were strengthened and, figuratively speaking, they were able to mount up over all their problems and triumph over their foes.  I’m not sure I totally understand the significance of the phrase to “mount up with wings as eagles,” but I think that it connotes that we will indeed be able to overcome our trials and challenges.  

                The Lord used this same analogy twice in the Doctrine and Covenants.  William Law was told to “be humble” and “be without guile,” and one of the blessings he was promised if he did that was this: “he shall mount up in the imagination of his thoughts as upon eagles’ wings” (D&C 124:97, 99).  I’m not sure I know what the Lord means by speaking of the “imagination of his thoughts,” but my guess is that it has something to do with being able to commune with the divine.  In other words, mounting up his thoughts would mean transcending the base thoughts of the world and communing with God at a higher level.  The second time the Lord used similar language was actually in the same chapter.   He said, “And again, I say unto you that it is my will that my servant Lyman Wight should continue in preaching for Zion, in the spirit of meekness, confessing me before the world; and I will bear him up as on eagles’ wings; and he shall beget glory and honor to himself and unto my name” (D&C 124:18).  It’s interesting here that again the blessing of eagles’ wings is dependent upon humility.  If we want to have the strength of the Lord, then we must recognize that it is His power and that we are wholly dependent upon Him.  We all need the blessing of being lifted over our greatest trials, and as we show great humility and trust in the Lord He will indeed give us wings to fly with and overcome those challenges.