Musings from Mosiah

Today, in my scripture study, I read Mosiah 5.  I just love Mosiah.  I remember the first time I ever read it - the power, understanding, faith, and love I feel for my Savior seemed to grow miraculously.  It is easy for me to understand why the people said that they believed all the words that he (King Benjamin)had spoken to them and they knew of their "surety and truth" because the Spirit is so strong in those words and I become "changed" every time I read them and have "no more disposition to do evil continually, but to do good continually" too.  I had to smile to myself this morning when I realized that I always feel this way but then having the resolve and ability to actually be this kind of individual seems to struggle when I have to put it all into practice.  King Benjamin certainly knew that when he gave his counsel in the previous chapter to "watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God."

However, in Mosiah 5 much is about me becoming a daughter of Christ and being called by His name.  I sense there is such deeper meaning to these words than I understand...but some pondering gave me some additional insight...perhaps not new to anyone else...but certainly new to me.  In verse 7, "because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons and his daughters" - obviously the baptismal covenant provides us that transformative power - and because of the covenant we become members of his Kingdom, and able to stand on the right hand of God. 

It is verse 12 that caused me to consider - "...remember to retain the name written always in your hearts, that ye are not found on the left hand of God, but that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called, and also, the name by which he shall call you."  Obviously, once we have been baptized and received the companionship of the Holy Ghost it behooves us to learn to hear and know THAT voice if we are to utilize that power to help us return to our Heavenly Father.  What I didn't anticipate was the thought that the partaking of the sacrament each Sunday renews that covenant but the specific wording in that prayer is about our being "willing to take upon" ourselves His name...it is my willingness to enter into His temple...His life...exaltation...and it by His name that He will call me and I need to hear and know the voice by which I will be called.  If I cannot or do not hear and know that voice in my every day walk how will I ever hear and know that voice to enter into His glory and presence?  Do I think that it will be any quieter, easier, less confusing or chaotic then?  I would be no different than the five foolish virgins who thought they had all the time in the world - or perhaps they thought they wouldn't have to wait so long so they had plenty and over time they just didn't listen to that voice above the commotion of the impending feast - didn't hear or recognize and act upon those precious instructions that come but go just as fleetingly to those who will not hear or do not know. What could be more important than to be able to hear and recognize His voice?  This was a "tender mercy" today - a glimmer of the eternities and a musing that helps me see, just for a moment, the eternal round of the gospel.