There was a lot of ground to cover for last week's lesson (Helaman 13-16). Samuel the Lamanite came onto the scene and then left just as quickly. I think most are familiar with his prophecies concerning the birth and death of the Savior and the accompanying signs for those in the Americas.
One thing jumped out at me that I had never picked up before. Helaman 13:19 reads,
"For I will, saith the Lord, that they shall hide up their treasures unto me... for none hideth up their treasures unto me save it be the righteous..."
This really got me thinking, and three questions worked their way to the surface.
1. What is our treasure?
2. How do we hide it up unto the Lord?
3. Why are we hiding it?
First, what is our treasure? Once I figured this out, the other two seemed to fall into place. Like many good insights, this one came to me as I was in sacrament meeting. Desperation? Maybe... Anyhow, I thought of the Sermon on the Mount when Christ taught,
"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (3 Nephi 13:21, also in Matt 6)
It seems to me that the Lord is saying He wants us to hide up our hearts unto Him, as our hearts and treasures seem to be nearly synonymous. If our hearts aren't in the right place, we'll need to go through the "mighty change of heart" so we can hide it up to Him.
Second, how do we hide it unto the Lord? I think this means keeping our hearts safe from influences that would pull our desires away from the Lord.
Elder David A. Bednar taught in the April 2006 General Conference:
"The standard is clear. If something we think, see, hear, or do distances us from the Holy Ghost, then we should stop thinking, seeing, hearing, or doing that thing."
We need to protect our hearts as we would a precious valuable. We go to great lengths to protect our temporal treasures, there are industries devoted to safety and security. But how much protection do we place around our hearts?
Third, why do we need to hide our hearts? Something from this weeks lesson stuck out as I was driving around. 3 Nephi 6:15-16 tells of how "Satan had great power, unto the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity...
"And thus Satan did lead away the hearts of the people..." (emphasis added).
The Nephites seem to have been "lull[ed]... away into carnal security" (2 Nephi 28:21) and let down their guard to the point where "they did willfully rebel against God." (3 Nephi 6:18).
If we hide our hearts unto the Lord, then they will be safe from the "fiery darts of the adversary" (Eph 6:16, 1 Nephi 15:24). We often have a tendency to neglect the areas of our lives which we feel are strong and impervious. Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught:
"Satan can ... attack us where we think we are strong -- in the very areas where we are proud of our strengths. He will approach us through the greatest talents and spiritual gifts we possess. If we are not wary, Satan can cause our spiritual downfall by corrupting us through our strengths as well as by exploiting our weaknesses." (Ensign, Oct. 1994, p. 12)
So, what is the Lord trying to tell us when he asks us to hide up our treasures unto him? I think it is an invitation to turn our hearts completely to him where they will be kept safe. And like anything else we willingly give to the Lord, he returns to us with increase.
One thing jumped out at me that I had never picked up before. Helaman 13:19 reads,
"For I will, saith the Lord, that they shall hide up their treasures unto me... for none hideth up their treasures unto me save it be the righteous..."
This really got me thinking, and three questions worked their way to the surface.
1. What is our treasure?
2. How do we hide it up unto the Lord?
3. Why are we hiding it?
First, what is our treasure? Once I figured this out, the other two seemed to fall into place. Like many good insights, this one came to me as I was in sacrament meeting. Desperation? Maybe... Anyhow, I thought of the Sermon on the Mount when Christ taught,
"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (3 Nephi 13:21, also in Matt 6)
It seems to me that the Lord is saying He wants us to hide up our hearts unto Him, as our hearts and treasures seem to be nearly synonymous. If our hearts aren't in the right place, we'll need to go through the "mighty change of heart" so we can hide it up to Him.
Second, how do we hide it unto the Lord? I think this means keeping our hearts safe from influences that would pull our desires away from the Lord.
Elder David A. Bednar taught in the April 2006 General Conference:
"The standard is clear. If something we think, see, hear, or do distances us from the Holy Ghost, then we should stop thinking, seeing, hearing, or doing that thing."
We need to protect our hearts as we would a precious valuable. We go to great lengths to protect our temporal treasures, there are industries devoted to safety and security. But how much protection do we place around our hearts?
Third, why do we need to hide our hearts? Something from this weeks lesson stuck out as I was driving around. 3 Nephi 6:15-16 tells of how "Satan had great power, unto the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity...
"And thus Satan did lead away the hearts of the people..." (emphasis added).
The Nephites seem to have been "lull[ed]... away into carnal security" (2 Nephi 28:21) and let down their guard to the point where "they did willfully rebel against God." (3 Nephi 6:18).
If we hide our hearts unto the Lord, then they will be safe from the "fiery darts of the adversary" (Eph 6:16, 1 Nephi 15:24). We often have a tendency to neglect the areas of our lives which we feel are strong and impervious. Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught:
"Satan can ... attack us where we think we are strong -- in the very areas where we are proud of our strengths. He will approach us through the greatest talents and spiritual gifts we possess. If we are not wary, Satan can cause our spiritual downfall by corrupting us through our strengths as well as by exploiting our weaknesses." (Ensign, Oct. 1994, p. 12)
So, what is the Lord trying to tell us when he asks us to hide up our treasures unto him? I think it is an invitation to turn our hearts completely to him where they will be kept safe. And like anything else we willingly give to the Lord, he returns to us with increase.
3 comments:
Thank you for this post, Gary.
I have been pondering on what points Satan planted the seeds to my falling away from the church and how I can stop them in the future. God spoke to me through this post (it always amazes me how God helps us when we are in the mist of righteous endeavors).
I can tell you some treasures I lost from my fall:
The Holy Ghost as my companion (I truly miss this one)
God’s protection (he cannot protect me from my willingness to choose wrongfulness)
My eternal self growth
As I soul searched I have found the weakness that Satan used against me; my feeling of unworthiness of having such a loving and kind Heavenly Father. I am not sure I will ever lose or want to lose that feeling. It’s a double sharp sword, I need that feeling to change my behaviors to ones that pleases God, if I lose that feeling I can become arrogant and fall from thinking too highly of myself.
If I understand correctly what God is telling me through this post is when I get these gifts from God instead of keeping them to myself to give them back to him, through acknowledging where the gift came from to myself and others, by using them to build his church and doing his work then the loophole that Satan used against me should be close.
I can feel unworthy but grateful to have such a loving and kind God and ready to do what is need to complete my work here on earth.
I don’t know if this will make any sense to anyone other than me.
Thank you for linking this blog on born-readers yahoo group.
Regards,
Anna
Thanks for the great post. I was actually doing research on that very question because someone in my Sunday School class asked about it. I Googled, and yours is the best answer I've found so far.
Thanks again for the insight. I really appreciate it.
- Chas
http://sevenyearmountain.wordpress.com/
Thanks for the insight. I was stumped by "hiding up your treasure" and your thoughts clarified the verse.
Post a Comment