Why Go To Church?

Sometimes people "just don't feel like going" to Church. Maybe it's easier to stay in bed; maybe there's something "more fun" to do, etc.

Well, I agree with Aunt Sue: "Be where you're supposed to be, when you're supposed to be there." Whether it's attending our church meetings, being in class, going to work, etc., we should be where we're supposed to be when we're supposed to be there.

This is especially true with church. We won't get fired or fined if we don't go, but we do miss out on some very important guidance, instruction, and revelation that we would have received had we been where we were supposed to be when we were supposed to be there.

For instance, Nate Staheli was one of the speakers in our Sacrament Meeting today. The things he shared had a big impact on me and were great reminders.

Remember the brother of Jared at the time of the tower of Babel, and how his language was not confounded along with Jared and their family and friends? They were commanded to leave the land they had known all their lives, there was much preparation of food, animals, seeds, and other supplies. And then they were instructed to build several barges, in which they were to travel with all the things they had prepared. They were even given the means to have light in their barges.

Once all the preparations were made and everything was loaded within the "tight like a dish" vessels, they boarded their barges, set forth into the sea, "commending themselves unto the Lord their God."

The very next verse is interesting: "And it came to pass that the Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters..."

I wonder how many of the people in those barges got seasick, how many were scared to death, how many questioned their sanity at undertaking this "adventure." The brother of Jared knew what he had been commanded to do; hopefully others sought and received their own witness of what the Lord was telling them to do. Once the "furious winds" started to blow, there must have been some extremely difficult times...and it lasted nearly a YEAR...yep, three hundred and forty-four days!!

Another interesting point is brought up as the sentence is finished: "...caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters towards the promised land;"

Was it difficult for them to envision a "promised land" as waves crashed around them and they were tossed about, not for just a day or two, but a LONG TIME! In fact, the scriptures say, "And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land while they were upon the waters; and thus they were driven forth before the wind." Sheesh!! I can't even imagine how tough that must have been!

Now, my question is this: Have we ever started on a "journey" that we were spiritually guided to, and then found ourselves saying in so many words: "What is going on?! I thought You told me to do this...but nothing is going right!! This is STUPID! Why should I even try if all I'm going to get is a bunch of TRIALS!?!?"

Perhaps we need to take a deep breath, (also known as "suck it up!") and endure our trials well as we are "blown towards the promised land." It might take a LONG TIME, but then, again, it might not!

BE where we're supposed to be when we're supposed to be there; LEARN what we're supposed to learn; DO what we're supposed to do, and we truly will arrive (maybe 'tossed and somewhat battered) in the "promised land."

(Ether 1:33, parts of Ether 2, and Ether 3)