The Spirit does not dwell in Unholy Temples

Today I read Helaman 4, a clear example of what I was talking about at the beginning of the war chapters, here is a war that I believe actually even takes longer than the war of Amalickiah and Ammoron, but Helaman only gives it 1 chapters worth of consideration. It makes you wonder what is so special about that war compared to all the others that the Nephites had?

However, the main focus of this chapter is the Spiritual problems that the Nephites are having during this time. The entire issue they are having during this time of their history is completely due to the fact that they are wavering in righteousness. If they were more concerned with living a righteous life then this wouldn't be happening according to Mormon.

It honestly reminds me of a thought that I had last night while driving home. I have been listening to the October General Conference as I drive around these days and last night I was listening to President Boyd K. Packers talk from the Sunday session and I had a thought as I was driving home. Now that I think about it, I'm honestly not sure if it was his talk or President Monson's Priesthood talk, but one of them talked about the fact that to return to live with God requires a life of righteous living and one single great even won't cut it. We know that is true because it's all about what WE want and what kind of person we are, as we have discussed many, many times on this blog already.

However, the thought that was added on to it last night was this: only those that are comfortable living the kind of life that the Savior lived are going to be comfortable in His presence. I must be tired, I remember now, it WAS President Packer because it was the part of his talk where he talked about having the agency to throw away our life or preserve it unto the Lord. We need to get to the point in our life where when we are doing nothing else, we desire to go to the temple, or to do missionary work, or visit the sick and afflicted in the ward, etc. To be true disciples, of Jesus Christ, we need to get to the point where those are the things we desire to do. It's not enough to just do them, they need to be what we WANT to do.

Once we get to that point, we won't want to sin anymore. We will shake at the very appearance of evil, as did Nephi. We will cleanse the inner vessel so that the Spirit may find purchase in us. That phrasing has always made me smile. It always gives me the thought of the Spirit really is a ghost like thing that flits through us with a Spiritual hook, and if our innards are not cleaned off enough then the Spirit has no place to "hook on" to us and floats in and then back out of us. But my crazy imagery aside, the fact remains that the Spirit cannot dwell in us if are not worthy of its companionship.

And the only way to be worthy of its companionship is to do that which is right, and the only way to do that which is right all the day long is to change our very nature, as we have discussed many times before. This chapter is really just a reiteration of what has already been taught to us in the Book of Mormon a few times before already. The great news though is, just like with everything else worthwhile in our lives, the Lord will help us and help preserve us. We are not left alone in this fight and what's even better, God WANTS us to succeed. He is going to do everything He can for us. We just have to ask Him for that help, and it is ours. May we all humble ourselves enough to ask. Until tomorrow.