The Parable of the Snowmobile and the Forest

We've been visiting family in Bear Lake for a couple of days to celebrate the New Year. Yesterday afternoon, on a brisk and clear day, we took the snowmobiles into the beautiful mountains near Bear lake. It was to be a short ride, we rode away with only two hours of sunlight left.

As we continued to climb and go farther back in the mountains, we broke above the haze that lingered in the valley and the bright, deep-blue sky appeared. It was brilliant as the sun reflected off the snow.

We continued to go farther and deeper into the mountains, I was comfortable because I was with my brother-in-laws who knew the area very well. As we climbed up through some trees and came out on a ridge, I noticed that all the fresh snowmobile tracks disappeared. As we continued through the trees and up the ridge, I was thinking to myself, "I'm glad they know where we are, because I certainly have no idea." The entire ride we had seen fresh tracks everywhere, now it was just our tracks. After a few minutes, my brother-in-law pulled up and said that he had no idea where we were, even though they knew the general direction we needed to go, we were lost. This wouldn't have been a significant concern, except that the sun was setting and darkness wasn't far away from enveloping us.

I suggested we follow our own tracks out and so we turned around and started back. We had only gone for a few minutes and my brother-in-law, who was in the lead, made a U turn. I asked what we were doing and he said the tracks we had started to follow had turned into someone else's tracks. We were definitely lost. We chose a couple of directions and went for a few minutes before realizing that we were just making circles. I had always wondered how it was possible for people to get lost in what were normally totally familiar mountains, this was my answer!

We decided to simply start "down" the mountain, but after going for just a few minutes, we came upon a steep ravine and couldn't continue on that path - once again we had to turn around. Now the sun was low on the horizon and we didn't have much time before it was gone. We decided to say a prayer. We gathered in a circle, said a quick prayer asking for help and guidance and then closed the prayer. My brother-in-law decided to ride around a set of trees and see what was on the other side, we rode for one minute and discovered a large set of fresh tracks pointing the direction we needed to go. We followed those tracks for less than two minutes and as we went over one more ridge, the valley we were looking for opened into view - we knew we had made it and were safe! It took us 30 minutes to ride back home and the sun was below the horizon when we arrived at the house.

When we were lost, I couldn't help think of all the symbolism in this event.  We were closer  to a very dangerous situation than we probably realized, especially because we had no survival kit of any kind (matches, flares, etc.) and the temperatures that night would be below zero degrees.

Sometimes in life we cruise along on a path we think is safe. We think all is well and we're quite comfortable with our current situation. Some people go through their entire life, thinking they're on the right trail, when in reality they're going deeper and deeper into the forest where the return becomes even more difficult. Sometimes, we look around and suddenly realize "all is not well", and we try to get back to the true path. Even when we begin to awake, we sometimes try to do it on our own. We look for the path, but end up going in circles. It's not until we sincerely look to the Lord, that he alone can quickly lead us back to the true path and put us on the correct course leading to eternal life. There are many deceptive trails in life, we can choose to follow any one of them, but only when we look to the Lord, will he illuminate the correct path.

I'm grateful for prayer and the quick and immediate answer we received yesterday while snowmobiling. I'm grateful for the lesson taught to me by the Lord. He is the master teacher. I came home and hugged our children, the outcome could have been very different. Let us all look to the Lord and live. Let's be careful about complacency in the gospel or we may find ourselves in a place we never expected to be.

For God So Loved the World

I watch this video in wonder and awe at the majestic man who condescended to come down amongst men when he didn't have too. Here was a man who was already a God and the creator of the world, he had no need of himself to do what he did. In a fullness of charity and mercy, he chose to be born in the humblest circumstances, with no fanfare to laud his coming into this mortal realm. He was raised as a carpenter and then spent his time among the hungry, the "unclean", and those who sought him.

This video is a reminder of true and complete love. For whoever may read this, I know that Christ lives and the time draws near when he will return in majesty and glory. He offers a love and joy that isn't known on earth, only through him can it be found. The world as a whole continues to pull away, but he yet calls for those who are willing to lay down their lives and forget themselves, and in turn, find him.

The Power of Music

Last night my Wife and I attended the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas concert.  It was a beautiful event and the music was incredible. That's one of the primary reasons I love the Christmas season, the music!

For some reason, there is a power to music that can cut through the hardest heart and tear down the thickest walls. Music has pierced hearts when nothing else could.

I scanned the scriptures last night when we returned home, it was interesting to see that many times when people glimpsed and saw the throne of God, he was surrounded by concourses of angels singing.

These are just a few notable times when music was part of a sacred event:

1 Nephi 1:8 "He saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God."

2 Nephi 8:11 "Therefore, the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy and holiness shall be upon their heads."

Mosiah 2:28 "I am about to go down to my grave, that I might go down in peace, and my immortal spirit may join the choirs above in singing the praises of a just God."

D&C 138:24 "Their countenances shone, and the radiance from the presence of the Lord rested upon them, and they sang praises unto his holy name."

D&C 128:22"Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel,"


And there are countless more verses, but these are a good sampling. I would encourage all of us to bring music into our homes, especially during Christmas. If there's just two people, sing as a couple - it's still powerful! I would encourage us to sing hymns with our children in our home. We've found that our children will hum the tune of the hymns we sing with them as they randomly walk around the house.

I love music and the power it brings into our lives. I look forward to the day when we can join the heavenly choirs above where everything is amplified to a degree we can only faintly comprehend.

Have a great week!