Now is the Time

Yesterday I backpacked into the Uinta Mountains with the deacons and teachers in our ward (which includes two of my sons). We knew the whole time that there was forecasted to be rain in the afternoon and so we wanted to get there and set up before the storm. After driving over two hours we hiked in with our packs over four miles. As a big group we were somewhat slow, taking a lot of breaks. We moved without a lot of urgency, especially when it warmed up and the sun was shining. When we got somewhat close to our destination, we started to hear thunder and see threatening clouds, so we tried to move more quickly. We finally made it and right as we began to set up tents it started to mercilessly hail on us. Some got tents up in time while others were scrambling to do it in the hail. Eventually everyone got some sort of shelter and we waited out the storm. As we tried to dry out the inside of tents afterwards, we lamented that we had needed just about ten more minutes to have been safe and dry in our tents from the storm. In the end everything was fine and we got dried out by the evening, but to me the experience is a reminder of the urgency we need in the gospel and our own spiritual preparation. We knew during the whole hike in that we were racing a storm, and yet that didn’t motivate us much until we started hearing thunder. We could have easily done the whole thing ten minutes faster if we had pushed ourselves just a little harder, but we didn’t. We were perhaps a bit like the foolish virgins who knew the bridegroom was coming and yet still didn’t have enough oil. When he finally came, they had to go buy and “while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us” (Matthew 25:10-11). They only hurried to be prepared when they saw he was arriving, and by then it was too late. The time to prepare is now, well before the bridegroom shows up.

This experience also reminds me of the way that the Savior finished His teachings in the Sermon on the Mount. He said, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock” (Matthew 7:24-25). One key point of this story is that the man built the house on the rock before the storms came. Not only was the foundation important, but the timing was as well. We should seek to be spiritually prepared before life’s storms seek to tear us down. We know that there will be difficult times ahead, just as in our hike we knew a storm was coming. For example, the Savior taught His disciples, “Behold, I speak these things unto you for the elect’s sake; and you also shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled, for all I have told you must come to pass; but the end is not yet…. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. And again, because iniquity shall abound, the love of men shall wax cold; but he that shall not be overcome, the same shall be saved…. And whoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceived” (JSM 1:23, 29-30, 37). The apostle Paul also warned us in these words, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come” and then described the kinds of people and sins that would be prevalent in the last days. He encouraged us to action with these words, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:1-7, 16-17). Most recently, President Nelson warned us with this now well-known statement, “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.” All of these passages remind us both that there will be difficulties ahead and that we need to prepare by treasuring up the words of the Lord and obtaining the Holy Ghost in our lives. We should not risk waiting too long, even while the sun seems to be shining, for the storms will surely come. Amulek’s invitation is very relevant to us today: “Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you. For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God” (Alma 34:31-32).