The first terrestrial cartographers—map makers designed maps to help find their way, to reduce fear of the unknown, to instill courage and increase the confidence of hesitant travelers. These maps were valuable sources of information and provided a new way to visualize knowledge and gain additional insights.
Spiritual maps serve similar purposes and provide valuable insights such as; we are spiritual beings, spiritual offspring of Heavenly Parents on a journey through mortality to learn from our physical experiences and to gain knowledge that we could obtain in no other way. Like the explorers and cartographers of old we too are mariners, voyagers on a journey through life enroute to the Heavenly ports from which we set sail at our birth.
Ancient mariners used maps of earth and seas, heavenly maps of the stars and constellations, in conjunction with sextants, loadstones (lodestone) and other compass-like tools as they navigated the world. A loadstone is a piece of magnetite, a naturally magnetized piece of mineral. Pieces of loadstone, suspended so they could turn, were the first magnetic compasses. The name comes from Middle English meaning ‘course stone’ or ‘leading stone’.
In Greek mythology the goddess Circe promised to provide Odysseus with a map for his epic journey, “I will set you a course and chart each seamark, so neither on sea nor land will some new trap ensnare you in trouble, make you suffer more.”
Such assurances and the reality of divine guidance are more than myth. Our Heavenly Father has provided us with just such a map—the Plan of Salvation, with seamarks—commandments and covenants, designed to help us avoid the snares of the adversary and their subsequent consequences.
A map may include intricate details and be beautifully designed, but if it fails to clearly communicate its intended use, then it is purely decorative. For a map to be of any real value it is essential to know the cartographer’s intent and purpose for creating the map. Jehovah, the god of the Old Testament, revealed to Moses His divine purpose for man when he proclaimed, “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39)
Just as ancient mariners kept a vigilant watch out for key landmarks and waypoints we too must periodically check our bearings, verify our location and make necessary course corrections to compensate for the drift caused by the storms raging in the world today.
For some the re-evaluation of their current location and the determination to make needed course corrections comes but once a year in the form of New Year's Resolutions and goals.
At this time of year many give at least a momentary thought to, or backward glance at, the passing year. Some say it’s only human nature to seek change, to strive to improve our conditions. But I believe the desire to change is central to our souls, integral to our heavenly born spirits as well as to our physical beings. It is a divinely inherited attribute to seek to improve our conditions and to have our basic spiritual, as well as physical needs, satisfied.
Whether we spend a day, hours or perhaps only a few fleeting minutes to reflect on the past will largely depend on inherited cultural practices, societal customs, past experience and personal habits. How we choose to prioritize these ponderings, and on what and when we choose to act is as varied as we are.
Having said that I do believe it is safe to say, that while we are all different in many ways, we also have much in common. Think about it. Buried deep within your subconscious mind and body, even woven into your spiritual being is the desire to love and to be loved. To feel the touch of another person, whether it be a verbal shout out, a compliment or praise, a firm handshake, a pat on the back or a secure embrace. The need to be loved, to feel warmth, to have our thirst quenched and our appetite quelled are innate and essential needs that we each share in common.
Have you ever heard this saying,
“If you don’t change direction, you will arrive at where you are going.”
Not too earth shattering. Pretty simple concept right? Something that everyone can comprehend. However, making good, meaningful changes, ones that will have a positive impact on our spiritual progress, is a bit more complicated. You see it’s neither understanding alone that change is needed, nor random changing that is useful. We’ve all seen the disastrous results that a generic promise or slogan to change brings. Random and unorganized changing is what we call Chaos. The desire to change because we are dissatisfied or unhappy with something can be positive. But herein lies the rub, all changes are not for the better. Some changes actually make things worse.
That change is needed, there is no doubt. That we as individuals, communities and nations need to constantly assess our goals and progress toward them is clear. But in order for meaningful change and positive improvement to occur we need to return to the basic values and beliefs that our great nation was founded on. You know the ones I am referring to, they come as naturally to your mind as they did to the minds of our founding fathers. The right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In God We Trust, placing trust in our creator. That ALL are created equal and likewise all will stand and be accountable to that same God for their actions.
Sure we need change, but in a positive, measurable and consistent way. From time to time we need to slow down and look up from the road immediately before us, look off into the distance and check for the important landmarks on our mortal journey. At times, better still ‘oft times’, we need to pause and gaze beyond the farthest horizon into the heavens and ask these essential questions; Where am I headed? What is my final destination? Am I making the necessary plans and preparations to arrive there safely?
As you evaluate the route you are taking to reach your ultimate goal (exaltation) and your final destination (to return to live with your Heavenly Parents), think on these questions; When your children, grandchildren, and your posterity look back at your life what will they find? Will they see by the light of your examples and actions what your highest priorities were? Will they see in your achievements what you were willing to sacrifice your time, talents and worldly possessions for? Will they be able to easily identify what was most important to you?
If you are like me these questions will prompt introspection, re-evaluation of priorities and ultimately changes to and improvements in your mortal travel itinerary.
Many years ago, when I was a resident in a very demanding post graduate program my father counseled me. He said,
“We may not always look where we are going, but we will always go where we are looking.”
I think he could tell by the expression on my face that I didn’t quite understand what he was trying to teach me. He then proceeded to share with me this story about two men, who on a cold winter morning decided to stop and get a cup of hot chocolate on their way to work. Walking into the little coffee shop they passed by a young man poorly outfitted for the cold, sitting on the ground begging for money. The one man turned and said to his companion, “I’ll bet he didn’t plan on being here.” The other responded, “I’ll bet he didn’t plan not to be.”
I understood the lesson, you must set clear goals and then actively work towards achieving them. Said another way,
“You must plan your work, and then work your plan.”
Earlier in this post I stated that we all (if not all, then at least most of humanity) have much in common and that we also have other things that make us unique. One very important difference shared by individuals who believe in the God of Israel, Jesus Christ and the prophets, both ancient and modern is our motivation, the why we do things and our methods, the how we go about doing them.
To evaluate our ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ is an exercise requiring more than a casual glance backwards. For me the word exercise implies a level of activity beyond normal effort. And the effort to which I am referring is an exertion of the soul, which if done properly, like physical exercise, must be engaged in more than once a year or for only a few minutes here and there. Real spiritual improvement and sustained personal growth requires vigilant attention and even continuous effort.
Make no mistake the world is full of charlatans selling shortcuts and counterfeits designed to entice those who are either gullible or ignorant of the truth. Their disclaimers are numerous and their guaranties misleading. They are prepared with tested sales pitches and paraded in TV infomercials. I’m sure you know the ones I’m referring to, selling the latest gadgets and gizmos designed to melt away fat while you sleep or give you the abs of your dreams while merely day dreaming of doing actual sit ups. Pills that can make you thinner, more intelligent and mystical potions and magical elixirs that will turn you from a frog into a charming prince or princess. Oops! The later two are from fairytales and not real, at least not yet.
The same can be said of our spiritual growth and betterment. There are no shortcuts or magic potions. If one of your goals in 2016 is to create a better, happier life for yourself and your family, then you will need to make time, find a space in your busy schedule, create a list of goals and resolutions, and use your agency to choose the best course of action.
Let’s switch metaphors as we consider a very important precursor to deciding what, where and how to change your course. First you must enable your personal GPS location services. Let me be clear, I am not speaking of the background function in your portable communications device /cell phone. Nope, in this metaphorical example, the GPS location service to which I’m referring is your conscious, the light of Christ, which has been given to all who are born into mortality. In addition, for those who have been baptized and received the gift of the Holy Ghost, you have the most powerful PSG— Personal Spiritual Guidance app available at your disposal. And to work properly it must be enabled, turned on and remain on always.
Why?
Because, even a good map is only useful if you know where you are to begin with, where you are in your spiritual journey at this very moment. Think back to the last time that you visited a large shopping mall to find a particular store, one you had never visited before. Likely the first thing you did upon entering the mall was to find the kiosk or stand displaying a map of all of the stores. Next you scoured the index for the name and number of the store. Each of these actions provided valuable information to be sure, but before you set out to walk to the store you still needed one additional piece of information. Do you know what that one more thing was?
Yep! You guessed it. To scan the map for the big red ‘X’. You know the one that says “You are Here”. To improve yourself and your spiritual conditions as well as your physical circumstances you must first know exactly where you are at this very moment and at all times. I’m not talking about your physical location, although that may need changing as well, but instead your spiritual location. Where are you spiritually? Are you traveling the straight and narrow path? Are you on a straight course through the more fertile parts of the wilderness? Or are you mired down somewhere off the map, or on a strange path leading away from the light?
If you aren’t sure where you are, you could be lost. And if you are lost, remember misery loves company and there will always be many who will call for you to join them in their short-lived pleasures and pastimes. To return to the straight and narrow path, the road less traveled you must listen to the your conscious and use the light of Christ for your route guidance.
If your are uncertain which way to go, then pullover at the next service station. Not to get fuel in the traditional sense, but to give service to others. In so doing you will discover that serving not only helps succor others stranded along the road, but it will also refuel your own spiritual tank and point you in the right direction. Before long you’ll be speeding on your way. After all,
“there are no traffic jams along the extra mile.”
Perhaps asking yourself these simple questions will help further illustrate my meaning. How is my personal relationship with my spouse, family, and loved ones? Do I feel close to God? Can I see His hand in my life? Do I feel gratitude for my many blessings? Am I honest with myself? Am I honest with others, and in business?
Do I regularly take part in my church? Do I volunteer to help others? Am I charitable? Do I have a daily pattern of personal religious observances such as prayer and scripture study?
These reflections can give legs to your desire to make the coming year a little brighter, life a little more productive, employment a little more profitable and your family a little happier.
I call this process MAPPING, whereby I can, at a glance, see where I have been and determine the proper direction to travel to take me to my chosen destination.
M - Meaningfully
A - Applied
P - Planned
P - Progress
I - Intended to bring me
N - Nearer to
G - God
Once you have located where you are on your personal journey, you’ve chosen your final destination and identified what it will take to bring you safely there, then the next task is to prioritize your to do list.
The Lord’s counsel to Emma Smith is true for all of us, “And verily I say unto thee that thou shalt lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better.” (Doctrine and Covenants 25:10)
In reference to this scripture, President Gordon B. Hinckley said:
I feel He was not telling Emma that she should not feel concerned about a place to live, food on her table, and clothing. He was saying to her that she should not be obsessed with these things, as so many of us are wont to be. He was telling her to get her thoughts on the higher things of life, the things of righteousness and goodness, matters of charity and love for others, the things of eternity. [“If Thou Art Faithful,” Ensign, November 1984, 91]
Being on God's path in life doesn't insure an easy or uneventful journey through the wilderness—mortality. But it does allow us to travel a straight course through the more fertile parts of the wilderness. Those who find themselves on a course other than this straight and narrow path have either disabled their personal guidance system, lost their spiritual map or undervalued it’s wisdom. In essence they have exchanged the bright and pure light of the gospel of Jesus Christ for the filtered, faint, ever wavering light of secularism. Doing so will ultimately lead down forbidden paths, leaving them to wander on strange roads shrouded by mists of darkness.
Sadly, but not surprisingly these diverse paths lead into the darkened regions of mortality where peace and happiness appear as seemingly random spikes plotted on a linear graph, measured only by their height and not by their length or duration.
To find lasting peace, the peace which passeth all understanding and enduring happiness we must rely on the god given knowledge and direction contained in heavenly maps of divine origin, and rely on the inner spiritual loadstone given to each of us, even the Light of Christ as well as personalized guidance from the Holy Ghost.