Episode #257 - Who Are You?

While the world wants to define your identity, the Lord already has.

Transcript

Episode #257 – Who Are You?  This week marks a five year anniversary of this podcast.  And I am so grateful for you as an audience.  I know that I have great listeners and some fans as I hear from you every so often.  As an announcement, this podcast will have a sister podcast translated into Spanish.  Now I had attempted this previously but my skills as a translator lacked significant education.  But I have a wonderful translator now who will provide for the Spanish version.  You will see this in the next couple of weeks.  I hope that it will provide help to our Hispanic friends who suffer they same way we do.  I also recognize the difficulties in the United States right now and the anxiety and depression that must accompany immigration politics.  My heart goes out to my brothers and sisters who struggle to survive not just financially but because of their nationality.

Who are you?  That question has deep meaning to us as human beings.  We have a deep need to feel included, belonging and most of all identity.  We need to know who we are and our place in the craziness we call mortality.  We actually spend a good portion of our early life determining our identity only to rip it apart and to rework it.  Identity is perhaps our greatest emotional need.  With identity comes desire, motivation, direction, character and everything we are as humans.  So today we are going to look at identity first through the lens of the scriptures starting with Lehi’s version of the Tree of Life.  

As we look and study this dream of Lehi we begin to see various characters emerge from the large field that seemingly contains the souls of the earth.  What we first notice is that these individuals are already grown and seem to have some direction towards the rod of iron.  This is the first thing we note about their identity, a portion and perhaps a large portion of the identity of the people has already been developed.  These are individuals ready to learn and to choose based on what they feel and know.  We learn that they are pressing forward to find the rod of iron but we also learn just a little bit later in the story that some are far more motivated than others.  Some seem easily distracted while others are simply determined to find other paths.  So these people do not come to the rod with the same spiritual nature.  Otherwise we would seem the same result for every person.  Much of what we see in the dream can only be explained by assuming that the individuals already have a solid foundation of knowledge.  They know about the rod at least in a deep emotional sense.  We call this the light of Christ.  They know the direction to the rod and again they seem to be motivated.  

As this press of individuals nears the rod we then see the mists of darkness arise.  A mist should cause great concern in the sense of finding the rod.  Yes it is not visible for long distances but it also appears that a path has been established to get there.  The mists would be somewhat concerning depending upon the strength of your conviction.  So we really shouldn’t see as much trouble as we do when the mists arise.  These mists seem to be some type of sorting system for the individuals and their nature.  It seems to give each their identity in relation to the tree of life.  

The mists are stated to be the temptations of the devil.  We will call them distractions rather than temptations although temptation does bring about ideas of emotional connection.  Once this group that appears to be mostly together comes upon the mists the sorting begins almost immediately.  This again reinforces the idea that these individuals are coming to the mists with already developed characters and natures.  They quickly begin the sorting process by choosing their identity.  Initially we see three identities emerge.  Those feeling their way to the rod and using the rod to find and partake of the tree.  Those who are feeling their way to the great and spacious building.  And those who take hold of the rod but lose interest and conviction and begin to play in the murky water that runs along the path.  

What we find initially is the direct separation into two groups.  One group whose feelings for the rod and tree were never really developed very well and another determined to find the rod.  The building people seem to always be the building people.  Almost as if there nature and their choices before this life would never really allow them to accept the gospel.  They feel the pull of the building and those people already in the building and they then feel their way into that building.  There exists no discussion that they ever really sought the rod of iron only the building.  And it was their nature that caused this separation before the head of the waters so that they would be on the other side of the river searching for the building.  The second group of individuals who find the rod then begin to split into another set of identities.  We find individuals distracted by the diversion of playing in the waters  rather than walking the path.  Recreation holds their attention because they can always walk to the tree.  The rod is just right up the hill.  But the banks are muddy and slick and time passes quickly until the path is no longer accessible and they wind up drowning in the waters of the river.  They can never really remove the longing for the water and the muddy river and time just ran out on their days of recreation and they never found the tree.  So now we have the building people and the river people.  This rod of iron group continues to hold fast and to find and partake of the tree.  These are those who hold fast, obtain a testimony, live the gospel, find a relationship with Christ and truly continue the conversion process.  Once you are at the tree the mists seem to clear a little and you can now see the first group who split off.  They are living what appears to be a very lavish life. It doesn’t look at all like the Lord is punishing them for their wickedness if anything they look blessed.

It is here we find the final major identity classification, the wanderer.  The individual always searching for new paths, new adventures and attempting to find an alternate tree that provides everything the original does without the needed rigorous religious doctrine.  These individuals see the building and the tree and find some shame that the tree isn’t as beautiful as the building and so they seek an alternative.  Something between the two and are never really able to find anything.  Lehi calls them lost on strange roads.

So now we have the four major identities that we have on the earth.  The building people, the river people, the wanders and the tree people.  Each has distinguishing characteristics and nature and we find some crossover in each of us.  We all have a little of each of the identities within us.  I have no doubt you have felt that.  What we are attempting to do is simply remove the identities of the other three and become converted tree people.

Why are these identities so important?  Because they reveal the true nature and perspective of identity.  We can identity in many ways and we do but the reality of life and the gospel tells us that these four identities are what is real in the sense of an identity.  Most of the identity of the world is wrapped up in the three opposing identities to the tree people. And those identities are wrapped in the mortal world.  Some identify with material things like the building people.  Some individuals identify with experiences such as the river people.  Other identify with a mixture of world ideas and mortal flawed science that leaves them always searching for the truth but never really able to find it.  These are the wanderers.  Interestingly enough, we find the same four identities in the parable of the Sower.  However, in that parable we find what is truly motivating their actions.

When you consider that parable you will see those who never allowed the seed of the gospel to enter. No seeders.  Then you see the partial seeders who didn’t last because of lack of endurance.  The next group are seeders but one is weeded out by the worldly weeds.  The other group the produces seed.  What we see is identical to the tree of life the building people are the no seeders.  They never really obtained and planted the seed.  They allowed it to be eaten and of little value.  The partial seeders are the river people.  They simply don’t endure and get lost in experience and recreation.  The weedy seeders are those lost in strange roads and you know who the final group is.  What we see from the Lord is four specific identities that emerge from the field before the mists.  This likely means that those four identities are likely eternal rather than mortal.  We likely already had most of our path determined before we came to mortality.  Not by the Lord but by our own choices.  This doesn’t mean that mercy and grace can’t make up the difference.  It just means that we are not likely to choose mercy and grace when we find ourselves in the three opposing identities.

When you look at the identities and the focus we find that while the rod, river and building are important the focus of the identity is around the tree, finding the tree, eating from the tree, and remaining loyal to the tree.  If we base our identity on anything but the Savior and his knowledge of us we will find ourselves sitting in a building, playing in a river or wandering on strange paths.  What is interesting is that the joy and happiness we are seeking through our identities only comes from the fruit of the tree.  You can’t get it anywhere else.  When we base our identity on anything but the Savior and his revelation for us, we are lying to ourselves and we are taking upon ourselves other identities.

So how do you do this when you identity is based on your feelings but your feelings don’t match your true identity?  One you understand that your true identity is not those feelings.  That takes time and practice.  Two, you ask the Savior to help you see your true identity.  I have found in my experience that he will allow you to see it clearly.  It may not remain with you but the Lord can help you to see who you truly are.  The one thing you should know is that you are tree people.  While you might feel like a river or building person, and you might even feel as though your are wandering, but you are tree people.

This covering that is your illness is not you and when it is removed you will find a wonderful, happy, loving person on the other side.  Your illness may not allow you to see who you truly are but the Savior can do this.  However, we need to ask him.  I fully believe you will find a wonderful person under your illness.  This illness while severely difficult in nature causes such a change of nature in such a rapid way.  It is a gift, although I know that it feels like an ever increasing weight trying to drowned you.  That is the purpose of your illness, to change your nature in ways that you might live forever in exalted life.  The question that the Savior asked is the same for us.  There is no other way for us to be exalted.  Our illness is the catalyst of our exaltation and while it is difficult to see now.  One day you and I will be very grateful for what we have.  So until that day. Hold onto what you have and the riches of eternity will be yours.  Until next week do your part so that the Lord can do his.