Lehi's Dream

            In 1 Nephi 8 (here) the prophet Lehi tells his family of a vision that he had received.  In his vision he see’s many people hanging onto an iron rod which leads to the tree of life. (video found here) There is a river along the path that leads to the tree.  Across the river is large and spacious building where several people are engaged in worldly activities.  Lehi sees people from his day as well as others – perhaps even our day.  He does not tell us that those toward the end of the line are wearing face masks and are standing six feet apart for instance.  The people in the spacious building laugh and point fingers at those holding onto the iron rod.  They have tried to convince the rod-holders to let go – especially those who are wearing masks and distancing themselves.  The people in the spacious building think that the rod holders are giving up their freedoms and are doing their best to convince them that they are allowing the government to control them. 

             The people in the building are saying things like, “We have jobs over here”   
             “We have many markets and stores”  
             "You can stand as close to one another as you’d like” 
            “If we so desire we can embrace other people who don’t live in our same house” 
             “We don’t have a government or a god.  We control ourselves”

                                                                                             

             Meanwhile, many of the people that are holding onto the rod continue to clutch even tighter.  Some have believed the words of the spacious building people and have let go.  Some of them are standing near the river trying to decide if it’s worth crossing.  Some have already been swallowed up by the mist of darkness.  They don’t quite believe the “spacious” people but have lost sight of the rod.  I think my boys fall into that category.  At least two think that this is a conspiracy and I have just shaken my head in disbelief.  Would the prophet, who is the mouthpiece of God, really lead us astray?  The government, perhaps, but not the leaders of the church.  They have been telling us this and preparing us for years – though none of us imagined this.

             COVID 19 may be scary, but not as scary as the aftermath.  Violent shoppers who don’t respect the distancing.  Many who have the idea that the universe revolves around them.  Riots.  Crowds.  Yea, crowds.  That in itself does not even appeal to me.  Though there are many who want to believe the words of the people from the spacious building, they don’t know how to get to the other side.  There has been too large a number of people drowning in the river as they try to cross.  They don’t have the insight that let’s them know we have to SLOWLY get back to normal – a new normal.  But they are impatient.  I believe that there impatience will set us back even further.