The Faith and Diligence and Heed

We know from Alma’s teachings that the Liahona was representative of the words of Christ in the scriptures: “For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land. And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise” (Alma 37:44-45). Given that, I believe that 1 Nephi 16:23-30 is symbolic of what our experience studying the scriptures should be. Nephi had a question that he took to his father: “Whither shall I go to obtain food?” This was a question that they desperately needed an answer to; in fact, their very lives depended on getting an answer so they would not starve to death. Lehi took that question to the Lord in prayer, and at least part of the answer was this: “Look upon the ball, and behold the things which are written.” I believe that sometimes the Lord will similarly say to us when we take questions to Him, “Look at the scriptures, and behold the things which are written.” Just as Lehi and his family were to find answers written in the Liahona, we are to find answers written in the words of Christ in the scriptures to personally guide our lives.

                We might think, though, that it was much easier for Lehi to get directions from the ball because they were simply written there for him. For us answers are not written out that directly to us in the scriptures—we have to search and apply principles we see and listen to the voice of the Spirit to find our specific answers on what we should do. But Nephi suggested that it was in fact similar for them and not as automatic as we might think: “And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the pointers which were in the ball, that they did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them.” It took faith, diligence, and heed (or obedience) for the Liahona to work properly. For example, it did not work on the boat once Nephi was tied up because Laman and Lemuel lacked all three of those things. In this experience, Lehi clearly had humbled himself before the Lord and put faith in Him again to find an answer. This is what happened: “And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord.” I believe that as we come diligently to the word of the Lord, with faith and an intention to heed the messages we obtain, it can be the same for us. Of course, the words of the scriptures don’t actually change for us, but as we humbly search in a spirit of prayer for answers, there will be “new” writings that teach us in ways that we perhaps haven’t seen before. The “new” writing will be the way in which old stories will suddenly apply differently to our current situation and help us see what we should do now. The messages of any given story for us personally will be “changed from time to time” as we have “faith and diligence” in our seeking of answers from the Lord. Perhaps as we search for solutions to our problems in the scriptures, if we struggle to find them, we can ask ourselves, “Do I need more faith as a study the words of Christ? Do I need to be more diligent in my reading of the scriptures? Or do I need to give more heed to what I have already learned in the scriptures by acting upon it?” Nephi’s testimony is that the scriptures will work for us as intended as we cultivate those three things. And Alma assured us that the way for us to find answers and guidance has been set in the words of holy writ: “Do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would look they might live; even so it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever” (Alma 37:46). Through diligence, faith, and obedience we can look to the Lord in the scriptures and find the guidance and direction we seek.