The Fruit is within Earshot of the Building

Sunday School was split into two halves. The first half was Mormon 9:7-11, 16-25, on miracles and revelation. The second half was on the Brother of Jared’s stones. But we never got to the second half.

After Capital God and other discussion, we ended with Moroni 9:25

And whosoever shall believe in my name, doubting nothing, unto him will I confirm all my words, even unto the ends of the earth.

A missionary fresh to the field raised his hand, bravely it turns out.

So what if, he said, you do have doubts? I grew up in rural Idaho where every one is LDS. This is the first time I’m with people who are challenging me.

The subsequent discussion went in all sorts of directions. The ones that struck me were different than the ones that struck our young missionary.

The one that struck me the most was this—doubting nothing and receiving a confirmation of everything is the destination. In the nature of destinations, you aren’t there yet and can’t get there by wishing. An important principle of the gospel is keep going until you get to where you are going. This is what “endure to the end” means. Don’t stop until you are done. Your destination is glorious and loving, so if you aren’t there yet, keep journeying.

Someone pointed out that this was one point of the Brother of Jared’s story. You can’t get to the promised land by looking wistfully at the ocean for four years.

This year I have tried to use Lehi’s Dream as a tool for understanding other parts of the Book of Mormon. Instead, this insight connecting Moroni’s promise in 9:25 and the Jaredites’ journey helped me understand Lehi’s Dream. Why does Lehi wander, find an angel, but then have to wander some more? Why do people have to keep eating the fruit or else fall away? Because you can’t end the journey until you reach the journey’s end.

Any maybe when we think of Moroni writing his words in Mormon 9 and assembling the Book of Ether, we should consider that the poignant message of the Book of Mormon is that we eat the fruit in the presence of our enemies. The sweetness is only to be had within shouting range of the Great and Spacious Building.