Today I have entitled my talk the strait and narrow path. We have heard this phrase in the church a lot. There are 7 chapters in the Book Of Mormon and teaches us about the strait and narrow path. one chapter in the New Testament and one in the doctrine and covenants.
First, I would like to point out that in every passage of scripture in reference to the Strait and narrow path the word Strait isn't Spelled S-T-R-A-I-G-H-T like in a straight line but rather spelled S-T-R-A-I-T which is defined as Strict, Rigorous, Difficult. I like to think of the Strait and Narrow path as a steep hiking trail leading up to the tall mountain peak.
How do we get on strait and narrow path?
2 Nephi 31: 17-18
17 ...For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.
18 And then are ye in this strait and narrow path ....
In Lehi's dream we learn where the strait and narrow path end...
1 Nephi 8: 20
20 And I also beheld a strait and narrow path, which came along by the rod of iron, even to the tree by which I stood; ....
Earlier in the Lehi's dream the tree is symbolized as the love of God or of Jesus Christ. In Doctrine and Covenants section 132 we further learn
Doctrine and Covenants 132: 22
22 For strait is the gate, and narrow the way that leadeth unto the exaltation ....
So now we know where the path starts and where it ends. So, what do we need to do when we are on this path. Some Primary answers might include, pray, go to church, read the scriptures. Some youth might answer Endure to the End.
Today, I hope to give you a few different things to ponder.
So before we are baptized we are living the telestial laws. Then when we are baptized we are commanded to live by the terrestrial laws. Jesus said if ye love me keep my commandments. So on the strait and narrow path we are between baptism and exaltation we are living the Terrestrial laws while learning and transforming ourselves to live the celestial laws.
Anyone, that knows me knows that I love tools. So what are some tools that we are given to help us transverse the strait and narrow path? For one we are given the gift of the Holy Ghost. And another is that we are promised that we will have the opportunity to receive a new or changed heart.
Ezekiel 11: 19-20
19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
The stony heart is symbolic of the selfish desires of the natural man. The new heart of flesh is able to be filled with God's love.
After King Benjamin's address in Mosiah 5:2 the people experienced a change of heart.
Mosiah 5:2
2...the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.
This mighty change of heart removes all the desire to sin from us.
Like I said earlier in my talk the strait and narrow path is not easy. It can be very difficult at times. In Lehi's dream he uses imagery of mist of darkness to illustrate how hard the path can be.
When Joseph and Ben were little we had a family hobby of Geo-caching. People would hide geocaches through out the national forest where we lived and publish the GPS coordinates on a website along with a short note on how diffcult it is to find. One partiliuar geocache I can remember very well. This geocache was on top of mountain. When we go to the trail head and parked our car. I can remember that pulling out my GPS and seeing the coordinates given were only 1 mile away. I should mention that a GPS calculates distance as the crow flies. This journey to find the geocache ended up much longer than one mile with all the switch backs. Halfway through the hike I realized that my young kids weren't going to be able to make it to the top. As we were resting at an unmarked fork in the trail. At this point we had 3 options. Turn back and go home and try again in a couple of years when my kids are older. Take the easy trail at the fork. Or take the steeper trail up the mountain.