Stiffnecked

A few years ago I woke up one morning and could hardly move my neck.  Any movement caused incredible pain and I had a hard time even getting out of bed.  It took a Priesthood blessing and a visit to the chiropractor to finally gain some of the movement back.  It was sore for a while but gratefully I was able to gain full control of my neck again.  As I think about that experience I’m led to ponder the scriptural warnings about being stiffnecked.  The dictionary definition of the word has both the literal and spiritual meanings—“having a stiff neck” and “haughty and obstinate”—and I believe the first is symbolic of the second.  I was completely crippled in my progress physically when I couldn’t move my neck and it affected all of the activities I had planned for the day.  In the same manner, being spiritually stiffnecked cripples us in our spiritual progress.  With stiff necks we do not bow to the Lord in humility or receive knowledge from Him because of our pride.  As Ammon taught, “there is none that knoweth these things, save it be the penitent” (Alma 26:21).  Having spiritually stiff necks prevents us from knowing the things of God, and the Lord lamented “this unbelieving and stiffnecked generation” of our day (D&C 5:8).

               It’s no wonder that the Book of Mormon, the book for our day, speaks often of being stiffnecked, and this serves as a warning for us when so many are so prideful in our time.  It clearly teaches that being stiffnecked prevents us from obtaining spiritual knowledge.  For example, Jarom spoke of the “stiffness” of the necks of his people, suggesting that we can have “many revelations” if we are not stiffnecked (Jarom 1:4).  Alma wrote how the people of Ammonihah “knew not that God could do such marvelous works, for they were a hard-hearted and a stiffnecked people” (Alma 9:5).  They did not know God or His power because of their stiff necks.  Samuel the Lamanite lamented to the Nephites, “O ye wicked and ye perverse generation; ye hardened and ye stiffnecked people, how long will ye suppose that the Lord will suffer you? Yea, how long will ye suffer yourselves to be led by foolish and blind guides? Yea, how long will ye choose darkness rather than light?” (Helaman 13:29)  Their stiff necks prevented them from having light and being led by the Lord instead of by blind guides.  Moroni wrote of being stiffnecked in our day, explaining that this pride prevents us from receiving the word of God in its true form: “O ye wicked and perverse and stiffnecked people, why have ye built up churches unto yourselves to get gain? Why have ye transfigured the holy word of God, that ye might bring damnation upon your souls? Behold, look ye unto the revelations of God; for behold, the time cometh at that day when all these things must be fulfilled” (Mormon 8:33).  If we want to know the things of God, we must be able to bend our necks in prayer, we must be able to bow our heads in humility as we repent of our sins, and we must be able to meekly seek the Lord and His wisdom.