Discipleship: Following in the Savior's Footsteps

There is a story in the Book of Mormon concerning a vision seen by Lehi and then by his son Nephi. It is commonly referred to as “The Tree of Life”.

In this vision, Lehi finds himself in an unknown and dark world. He desperately begins to search for some source of light, or of guidance to remove him from the situation he is in. Eventually, Lehi finds a “rod of iron”. He grabs on to this symbol of security and begins to follow its path. The iron rod ends at a beautiful tree filled with fruit that is delicious, desirable, and puts joy in the heart.

After Lehi tells his family about the vision, explaining the presence of the rod and tree as well as many other aspects of the scene, his son Nephi wants to know more. He wants to understand what his father’s words can tell him about the gospel and how he should live his life. When he asks God for understanding Nephi is granted a view of the same events; however, he is also provided with a guide to help him understand what he is seeing.

Each piece of the vision tells Nephi something else about the world he lives in and God’s eternal plan for man’s happiness. Central to this happiness are two pieces of the vision: the rod and the tree.

When grasped firmly, the rod provides a sure and straight path to the tree. Nephi learns that this rod is available to all men; some will hold to it firmly, some will begin with it in their grasp then let go, some will refuse to use it at all. Whatever the choices of man, the rod is there as a guide. The rod that is offered to each of us is the word of God, His scriptures, the doctrine of Christ. It is His gospel that can make our steps sure and steady. It is His rod of truth that will take us to the presence of the Father to dwell in joy and peace. The tree represents this goal: the love of God toward each of us and His beckoning call to eternal life.

“And they said unto me: What meaneth the rod of iron which our father saw, that led to the tree?

And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction.” 1 Nephi 15:23-24

It’s a simple message, really. But, it holds a significant promise. The doctrines of Christ will lead us home.

So, then the question becomes: How do we take hold of the rod? The Savior provides the answer.

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” John 5:39

This is the prayer that Henry B. Eyring shares for the youth. But it’s message and promises are applicable to each of us as well.

“The pure gospel of Jesus Christ must go down into the hearts of young people by the power of the Holy Ghost. It will not be enough for them to have had a spiritual witness of the truth and to want good things later. It will not be enough for them to hope for some future cleansing and strengthening. Our aim must be for them to become truly converted to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ while they are young.
Then they will have gained a strength from what they are, not only from what they know. They will become disciples of Christ. They will be His spiritual children who always remember Him with gratitude and in faith. They will then have the Holy Ghost as a constant companion. Their hearts will be turned outward, concerned for the temporal and spiritual welfare of others. They will walk humbly. They will feel cleansed, and they will look on evil with abhorrence.” We Must Raise Our Sights, Henry B. Eyring

In the scriptures we find the doctrine of Christ, we begin to understand His ways, and hear His voice calling us toward eternity. To be a disciple of Christ, each individual needs to learn how to come unto Christ and be perfected in Him. Each one of us needs to understand His words through diligent study, every day rather than casual reading. We are told to gain a firm grip on the rod, not a light touch, so that we may not become lost to a confusing world. That grip, the diligence we put into learning and exemplifying the doctrines of Christ, is what writes a testimony of the Savior onto our hearts and keeps our feet firmly planted on His paths.

Think back on a time in your life when you faced a challenging or dark time. It is a natural response within the disciple to go to the Lord with a pleading in our heart and a hope for relief. What do we ask for? The righteous desires of our hearts.

I doubt that many of us would ask to win the lottery. If the issue is money our prayers are more likely to be a plea for “just enough”: enough to see us through. No matter the need, we entreat our Heavenly Father to see us through with righteous desires.

Please, don’t let me be late for work.

Please, let me find a way to help my teenage son.

Please, guide the surgeon’s hand so that all the cancer can be removed.

Whatever the need, we turn to Him to succor our wounds and bring peace to our lives. We ask Him for a blessing, we trust in the author of our faith, we do the best we can, and then we wait.

What if the blessing we think we need does not come? What if the heavens seem silent in response to our pleadings? What if the answer is no?

Life on this earth is a difficult path to conquer. It is full of trials and sadness, but it is also full of blessings and joy. Sometimes, in the middle of the sorrow it becomes very easy to forget the moments of happiness. Our vision narrows and even though we are desperately reaching for Christ and His blessings, we can not see the full picture.

What if being late for work meant you avoided the accident you would have been in? The “what ifs” that go with larger trials are just as large. It becomes impossible to know what would have been, even when we think we know what could have been had our righteous desires been answered. It’s still a matter of perspective. We do not have the view of the eternities that God has. We know ourselves well, but not as well as He knows us.

There is great wisdom in His plan and a design to His will. The Savior taught this during His ministry. Jesus told us that He came to earth to do the will of His father. He taught us to do our best and pray, “Thy will be done.” He also became the ultimate example of this in the garden of Gethsemane.

“And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” Matthew 26:39

It is a hard thing to trust in the wisdom of God, yet we must. His design and purpose is to see us through to eternal joy in His presence. He does not take pleasure in our pain. He gives us the tools and the strength that we will need to face our trials— whatever they may be.

Take your trials to the Lord. He has promised to help us bear our burdens. He has promised to hear and answer our prayers. But, He did not promise that His answer would always be yes, only that His answer would always be in our best interest.

There is a hymn that I enjoy that helps me keep this perspective even when heart wants to pull me in another direction.

Lead, kindly Light, amid th’encircling gloom;
Lead thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home;
Lead thou me on!
Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene—one step enough for me.

“Lead, kindly Light,” Hymn #97

He keeps His promises if we will let Him. If we show ourselves willing to submit to His will, instead of turning away, the end will always be better than the beginning.