Glory in Plainness

Jacob 4:14


14 But behold, the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it. And because they desired it God hath done it, that they may stumble.


I am sure that I do this too and maybe it's the cause of so many of my struggles.

It reminds me of the other day when I was sick and wasn't able to wear my contacts. I have terrible vision and had to use my glasses. I was so grateful to have them. But when I put them on I was reminded how terrible they are. I can't drive in them. I can barely even see across the room in them. In fact, when I have them on, I can only see clearly two feet in front of me. Without them on I can't even see my hand in focus without pressing it to my nose.

Well, after wearing my glasses for a day I put my contacts back in. But I not only had the worst headache, I couldn't see as well anymore with my contacts. I guess the stress on my eyes due to looking beyond "the mark", or where I could actually focus with my glasses, had made me in a way blind.

Maybe it's a silly analogy and maybe there is more to it than this analogy can portray, but having to try and focus only on things closest to me for a whole day helped me to see what was really most important... and even if my kids were as far away from me as their height, I could still see them in focus. And when closing my eyes brought relief from the stress on my eyes, I was always drawn to prayer. And because of prayer and because of the spirit I feel when I pray and read His word, I know that even if I were blind, if my Savior were standing in front of me, I would know it was Him. Seeing him did the Jews no good, because they kept looking beyond him. He was there and they couldn't see him, the wouldn't hear him and couldn't feel his love for them.

Matt 7:7


Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:


The way is plain for sure. 

2 Nephi 33:6

 "I glory in plainness; 

I glory in truth; 

I glory in my Jesus, 

For he hath redeemed my soul from hell."