Looking Beyond the Mark

[Warning: longer post than usual]

"But behold, the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it. And because they desired it God hath done it, that they may stumble." (Jacob 4:14)

This is a concept that I love about the Gospel: that you can stumble by trying to make it too complicated. I love that God wants His Gospel to be plain and simple.

Sometimes (Ok, a LOT of the time), I make things more complicated than they really are. Some of the most poignant, life-changing experiences I've had in my life stand out to me because it was in those moments that I realized I was indeed "looking beyond the mark". I'd like to share a few examples.

The first one, I think, is less of a singular experience, but rather a description of how I gained a testimony. At certain times in my life, I had decided that I wanted to have an experience, one that I could share with other people as being the pivotal moment in my life where I went from just believing to having a real testimony. I remember on several occasions, kneeling to pray, trying to get an answer to that question. The only real "answer" I've ever gotten in those moments is a very pointed "you already know". In fact, I can't ever remember not knowing. I think I gained a testimony brick by brick, experience by experience, not really realizing it was happening, so that when it came time to ask if it was true, I really did already know. I was looking beyond the mark, wanting a specific experience, when in reality, I had many experiences all leading up to a testimony.

Another experience came toward the end of my junior year in high school. I was part of a performing group, and it was time to audition to be in that group the following year. I really wanted to be part of the group again, but due to a number of circumstances, I didn't know what the right thing to do was. So I prayed about it, and got what seemed like a pretty clear answer: no. I was disappointed, but at the same time, I was ok. I felt like that was the right thing to do. Well, as I watched a number of my friends get prepared to audition, the natural man in me really wanted to audition. So I convinced myself that maybe my first answer wasn't right, when in reality, I knew that it was. I prayed again, this time, with a little more fervor, and I found myself feeling that auditioning would be the right thing to do (this was my desire coming through, not God's will, I'm sure of that now). So the next day, I was talking to one of my friends who knew about my previous decision, and how I had arrived at it, when I told her I had been praying for an answer to this question of whether or not I should audition. Before I could even finish my sentence, she said "Why? Didn't you already get an answer?" I was kind of stunned. She was right! I had already received my answer, but because of my own desire, I was looking beyond the mark, trying to make the question and answer more complicated than it really was, in the hopes that I could get my own way. I'm glad that I had such good friends to help me see the plainness that I had been missing, and I'm glad to report that I did not audition.

One final experience about this topic. Just before I left on my mission, I had been dating this girl. We mutually agreed that we didn't want to have any of this "waiting" business, so we said our goodbyes and I went on my way to proclaim the Gospel. She was a great support and friend for my whole mission, writing me, and encouraging me. Toward the end of my mission, she was still (to my surprise and delight) single. I had thought about the prospect of marriage in general, especially after my mission president's final interview where he told me that marriage should be one of the very highest things on my priority list after my mission. I also thought about what it would be like to be married to her. It actually sounded great. At the same time, it had been 2 years since we had been dating and that seemed like a long time, and that a lot could change in that time. I had this thought in the back of my mind that if I started dating her, we might even end up married, and while I thought that sounded awesome, it also sounded scary! I kept thinking that maybe I should just date several different people to get back into the dating scene before calling her and going out with her. This "seemed" like something important that I should do at the time, but honestly, every time I thought about going on a date with anyone else, my thoughts went back to her and the fact that I would rather go with her instead. I don't know how she put up with me, because I didn't call her or anything for over a month! At some point, though, I had this epiphany (more like a "spritual 2x4" hit me over the head) that I had been trying to make it WAY more complicated than it should be. I was looking beyond the mark, when the whole time, I knew that I would rather spend my time with her. Humbled by that realization, I called her, we went out, and sure enough, we ended up married, and I can honestly say that I have not regretted that decision EVER. She is truly the best thing that has ever happened to me.

The concept of "looking beyond the mark" hits the nail on the head. It really is something we have to be careful about in life. We can take anything too far, make anything too complicated. I think sometimes we as LDS people do this. We can delve into what has been called "deep doctrine" and try to understand all the theories or obscure quotes from earlier prophets, but what it really comes down to is this: are we living the Gospel? Do we have Faith in Christ? Are we repenting? Have we been baptized and are we keeping our baptismal covenants? Do we continue to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost into our lives through all of our thoughts and actions? Are we faithfully, valiantly enduring to the end? That is the Gospel. If we can honestly answer "yes" to each of those questions, then we are doing what we should. This is what is meant by "plain and simple truths". They are easy enough to understand that when I was young, I understood enough to gain a real, personal testimony of these truths, and continue to learn when I seek it.

I know that this simple, plain, yet wonderful Gospel is really God's plan for us. That we can be together with Him forever if we live it. And as hard as it is as natural, weak mortals, the truth is, it's still plain and simple.