The Fourth Rung of the Ladder


My brother shared an analogy with me last night. He used a ladder to describe our motives and attitude behind why we do the things we do. The first rung of the ladder is out of fear, the second is out of duty (checking the box), and the third is because we love the person. The fourth and final rungs are because we love God.

I had this analogy in my thoughts this morning as I read 1 Nephi 8. In particular, look at verses 24-25, 28 and compare them to verse 30 thinking about the ladder analogy. What is the difference between these two groups? All of them pressed forward, then caught hold of the rod, and continued pressing forward through the mists of darkness. One group clung to the rod and the other group continually held fast, but both groups had hold of the rod. It is what happens after that makes all the difference.

President Packer taught the following about the word after in relation to this chapter. “One word in this dream or vision should have special meaning to you young Latter-day Saints. The word is after. It was after the people had found the tree that they became ashamed, and because of the mockery of the world they fell away. … At your baptism and confirmation, you took hold of the iron rod. But you are never safe. It is after you have partaken of that fruit that your test will come” (Boyd K. Packer, “Lehi’s Dream and You,” BYU Devotional, 16 January 2007).

Both groups partook of the fruit, but the first group then became ashamed and fell away while the second group fell down prior to partaking. Think about it: why would they fall down if they were aiming to pick the fruit? (see 3 Nephi 11:12, 17, 19) Which rung do you think the second group is on?

I believe they were on the fourth rung – their love of God was the motive for why they did the things they did. So, how do we climb to this fourth and final rung?

Both groups look the same on the outside. They were both on the path and had hold of the rod. Both groups wanted what Christ was offering them and entered into a covenant relationship. I think the difference lies in having a relationship with Him. The second group recognized Him because they had a relationship with Him. They fell down and worshiped at His feet because they already knew Him. I believe it comes down to their motive – their love of God.

Who is Jesus Christ to me?
And how does He influence my life each and every day?
What can I do today to strengthen my relationship with Him?
Are the things I’m doing today helping me draw closer to Christ?

"Every Knee Shall Bow" by J. Kirk Richards




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Roma - day 2

Image
Our first night sleeping here was quite an adventure.  We are staying in a wonderful hotel that is kind of a cross between a B&B and a hotel.  They gave us a lovely room at the front of the hotel.  Last night our air conditioning wasn't working for some reason.  When we returned to our room last night, the room was extremely hot and stuffy, so we had to sleep with the window open.  The temperature was great, but it meant that we heard all the going ons on the street below.  We went to bed late enough that it was not a problem falling asleep.  Neither of us slept soundly until the early hours of the morning.  Just before 8 I was jarred from a deep sleep when the garbage man dumped a trash can full of bottles into his truck.  Once I got my bearings and my heart had slowed down a bit, I looked over to find Mike sound asleep with his noise-canceling headphones on.  Smart man!  We love the noise of the street during the day when we'r...
Read more

"then came Jesus"

Image
As Conference ended Sunday evening, I sat for a time trying to make sense of all the thoughts running through my head. I believe COVID-19 has everyone mourning something right now. It might be your daughter’s last prom or your son’s graduation. Perhaps it’s a canceled wedding reception or missing the birth of a grandchild. All of us are feeling the ache of missing out on something. We all are feeling cut off from the people and things we love. There is so much to mourn right now. Yet, as I sat there Sunday evening trying to unravel my thoughts, the only words that came to me were HOPE and LOVE. Not just any love, but the all-encompassing love that comes only from our Father above. I have found these two words woven throughout my studies this week as I have focused on the people who witnessed the events of the Holy Week firsthand. Yesterday I studied the story of Thomas (see John 20:24-29). Like all of us, he felt the ache of missing out on something big. Des...
Read more

General Conference Preparation #3

Image
When I was younger, my parents could not afford to buy our family a television. They scrimped and saved for six months and rented a TV for a weekend twice a year, so we could watch General Conference. The anticipation for those weekends was almost like Christmas. I loved conference weekends: the anticipation and magic of the television, the love I felt, which I now also realize was the abundance of the Spirit, and we always closed the weekend with root beer floats. "Traditions cement families together and give them the strength to handle whatever comes their way." ( Mormon.org ) Traditions unify and create a sense of belonging. They create memories and provide learning opportunities. Traditions also create security in an ever-changing world. The Spirit helped me understand traditions were an important ingredient in creating a family-building and bonding weekend each spring and fall as we gathered to participate in General Conference. Some traditions are passed down from ge...
Read more