Lay Hold

Sometimes in life we make things so complicated. Like setting so many rules or guidelines that it is difficult to achieve the original desired result because you are so busy worrying about each of the little things.

The Jews during Christ's mortal ministry were like that. In fact, they had so many of these rules and guidelines that they didn't even understand the spirit with which those guidelines are given.

Sometimes we as Latter-Day Saints are like that. We worry so much about doing each of the things that we know we should do (i.e., Home/Visiting Teaching, attend the temple regularly, go to church, read scriptures every day, pray, study, visit the sick/needy, care for the widows, give service, etc. etc. etc.) that sometimes we lose sight of the basics of the Gospel and the purpose of our lives. Does this make any of our worries untrue? I mean, we are supposed to do all of those things, but if we can understand the "why" and get into the spirit of these guidelines, I feel like that would help make it less of a task list and more of an attitude of serving God.

In reality, it's simple. It's just what Lehi saw in his dream about holding to the iron rod, or the word of God, which leads us to the love of God.

"29 Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—

30 And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out." (Helaman 3:29-30)

I think this is just a testament to how powerful God's word is. If we simply "lay hold upon" it, we are led to God. To "lay hold upon the word of God" seems to me to mean more than simply a casual "place your hand gently on", and more of a "I'm gonna hold onto this with all my might and never let it go!" kind of thing. You have to think through your actions and make a plan to reach those goals.You are responsible to make sure you do what you're supposed to, but the simpler way to do it is to lay hold upon the word of God, which will strengthen us and support us.

If we do this, that's how our souls land at the right hand of God. We will have done what is required/asked of us without touching the "to-do" list approach, which sounds good to me.