Give Heed to This Compass

Give Heed to This Compass
Last week, I mentioned that I had intended to post about Abraham and Sarah; however, today in Sunday school we discussed Alma chapters 36–39, which I feel impelled to discuss further. In chapter 37, verses 38­–46, Alma is talking to his son, Helaman, about the Liahona. As I am currently trying to decide where my life should go post-graduation, I found this lesson intriguing. After I graduated in May, I worked extremely hard looking for a job. I was very diligent at it too, for almost two weeks. Then, I got discouraged and decided to stay with ICON for a while. This wasn't a decision I had made with the Lord; it was just a decision I made out of easiness.

Return to McDonald's
I was reminded today of the time I decided to return to McDonald's. Prior to my mission, I worked for my local McDonald's. I quit about a week before my mission. As I walked out the door, I shouted joyfully, “This is the last time I will ever work at McDonald's again!” And I meant it.

When I returned home from my mission, I avoided talking to my friends who still worked at McDonald's because I knew they would want me to return. Finally, my brother convinced me to visit my friend. He asked if I would consider coming back to McDonald's. I told him right away that I wouldn't, then I suddenly felt guilty. For two years I had been asking people to be open-minded and ask Heavenly Father what they should do. I softened my stance and said that I would pray about it, but probably not.

That night as I knelt in my room, I offered a vocal prayer (something I need to do more often). I said, “ Heavenly Father, I don't want to go back to McDonald's. I do need a job, but I really don't want to go to McDonald's. I did tell [my friend] that I would ask and I want to go where you want me to go. So, should I go back to working at McDonald's?”

Immediately, I heard these words in my mind, “Go until I tell thee otherwise.” It was one of the clearest answers I've ever received. I wanted to imitate Jonah and try to sail across the sea. Unfortunately I live in the desert and there is no sea, just the Salt Lake which won't take me very far. I knew I had to return to McDonald's. Now I can look back and see that I have developed many leadership qualities that I would not have gained in other pre-graduation jobs.

The Liahona
I decided today, that I need to be more diligent in seeking this type of guidance as I search for a job or decide to stay at ICON (because I'm not ruling anything out). Alma tells his son that the Liahona was compass that “was prepared to show unto our fathers the course which they should travel in the wilderness.” I love the analogy of a compass. I remember when I was trying to follow a compass and map in boy scouts. We were supposed to find our way to an exact location, but somewhere along the way, we set the compass to the wrong degree. We discovered that by following even one degree different would put us completely off track.

Alma continues to teach that the compass did “work according to their faith in God.” The teacher today asked for examples when this has happened with the scriptures. I thought about how I have used the scriptures for this very purpose. Unfortunately, as I have neglected my job search, I have also neglected this simple principle of using the scriptures as my Liahona. “. . . Because those miracles were worked by small means . . . they were slothful, and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence. And they did not progress in their journey. Therefore, they tarried in the wilderness, or did not travel a direct course, and were afflicted with hunger and thirst.”

A Far Better Land of Promise
According to Alma the reason they were slothful was because of the easiness of the way. Indeed, it should be easy, but I wonder if sometimes the spindles pointed to path that they did not want to travel. Perhaps they pointed towards a dark forest or a desert that looked very deserted. I believe sometimes we will get an answer that doesn't make sense. I know I didn't want to go back to McDonald's. I'm sure Abraham was confused when he was commanded to sacrifice Isaac. In time we come to understand the reason we were meant to travel down a certain path. We just have to have faith to follow that path and
trust that it will lead where we should go. “Just as surely as this director (the Liahona) did bring our fathers to the promised land, shall the words of Christ carry us to a far better land of promise.”

God's More Excellent Way

Introduction
While I was studying the Book of Mormon, looking specifically for powerful one liners, I came across this amazing line in Ether chapter 12 verse 11, "God prepared a more excellent way." As I contemplated this phrase, I realized that God knows a lot more than we do. We think we know what way we need to go, but then God tries to send us in a different direction. Sometimes it is God who sent us on the path we were on in the first place only to get us to his path.

The Law of Moses
For example, the entire verse reads, “Wherefore, by faith was the law of Moses given. But in the gift of his Son hath God prepared a more excellent way; and it is by faith that it hath been fulfilled.” The Jews were on the correct path as they followed the law of Moses. Many people are amazed at what they did to Jesus, but imagine what it would have been like for these people. They grew up believing that the Law of Moses was the truth, and it was. Many probably received answers to prayers telling them that Judaism was the way. Then this young man comes and claims that he is the Son of God. He had come to fulfill the law1 by bringing a higher law. Of course there were those pharisees and sadducees who were seeking for their own personal gain; however, I suppose there were some in that midst who simply did not soften their hearts to listen to God's more excellent way.

Zion's Camp and Other Stories
In pondering this phenomenon, I thought about other instances where God prepares surprisingly contrary, but more excellent ways. Some of these are good examples of people who listened, but some are people who would not follow the more excellent way. I thought about how Zion's Camp journeyed 900 miles from Kirtland, Illinois to Missouri in hopes to relieve the persecution of Latter-Day Saint members. After walking all that distance, the Lord told them to return home. What they didn't know was that nine of the twelve apostles and all of the members of the seventy would come from that camp.2 In addition, the next prophet, who had marched in this army, would one day lead thousands of pioneers across a similar distance from Nebraska to Utah. 3 I thought of many other examples such as when Joseph was sold into Egypt so that he could save his family from the famine, David O. McKay's (I think it was David O. McKay) story about turning down an investment opportunity that would have made him very wealthy, All of the circumstances that lead Moses to become a prince of Egypt and then a Prince of God.

Unfortunately there are also stories of people who did not follow the Lord's excellent way. For example, Saul was instructed to wait for the Lord's prophet, Samuel who would perform a sacrifice and lead the Israelites to victory. However, Saul lost hope and offered the sacrifice himself. From this one event, he lost the kingdom. Matthew tells of the rich, young man who comes to the Savior asking what he needs to do to enter the kingdom of heaven. Christ tells him to sell all that he hath and “follow me.” Unfortunately the young man does not have faith enough to follow this more excellent way.

Purpose of this Blog
I know that there are many, many examples of how the Lord has prepared a more excellent way than we originally thought. I originally planned to make this a book; however, after much pestering from my wife and from the spirit, I decided to create this blog. Perhaps this blog is the more excellent way. I will be researching and compiling these and similar stories that show the ultimate wisdom in choosing God's way. Feel free to add any comments, especially if you have examples that expound upon the current subject. In addition, if you have a story that you feel is appropriate and would like me to create a separate post for it, please email me your stories at writemcgee@gmail.com with all the relevant information. I will keep your name and information anonymous unless you specify otherwise.

Thy Will Be Done
Allow me to share one more story to end this blog. I had a religious teacher quote the Savior's words in a way I'd never thought about before. He said, “ There will come a point in your life when you have a choice. Either you will have to say to God, 'Thy will be done and not mine.' or God will have to say to you, 'Thy will be done and not mine.” I hope that we can have the faith we need to choose God's more excellent way. Let us remember that it is by faith that it hath been fulfilled.