In the Book of Mormon, there is an ancient account of the brother of Jared. The brother of Jared was asked by the Lord to build unique barges that had no windows, in preparation for their group to sail across the many waters to arrive in the promised land. The boats were basically shaped like almonds. This unique design presented the brother of Jared with three problems; three problems which the brother of Jared wisely chose to present to the Lord in prayer.
Problem 1:
"We cannot breathe" in the vessels. We will run out of air. "Therefore we shall perish."
Problem 2:
We cannot steer. "Whither shall we steer?" There is no mechanism to turn, nor any windows to see which way to go.
Problem 3:
"There is no light" in the vessels.
(A point worth pondering: all these problems only became apparent as the group actually did the work of building the boats. As they built them, they began to see and realize that there would be no light or air in them, etc.)
How would you, the reader, compare and contrast these three problems? How much work is each problem going to require? How much faith is each problem going to require? How much participation from the brother of Jared is each problem going to require?
But, more to the heart of this blog post, how strong and pressing is the need of each problem?
If we were to order the problems based on how insurmountable and life-threatening they were, it would likely be: 1) Air. Without air, they would suffocate and die. 2) Steering. Without steering, they would wander aimlessly on the sea and die. And, 3) Light.
The first two were a clearly matter of absolute need. But was the third problem? Probably not. The group likely could have survived the journey without light. It would have been extremely unpleasant, but they could have survived. But they certainly couldn't survive without a way to steer or without a way to get air.
In His response to the brother of Jared's prayer, the Lord addresses the first two problems—the needs—directly.
Problem 1: Air
"Behold, thou shalt make a hole in the top [of the boats], and also in the bottom; and when thou shalt suffer for air thou shalt unstop the hole and receive air."
Problem 2: Steering
"The winds have gone forth out of my mouth" to steer you to the promised land.
But, take note, the Lord did not provide an answer to the third problem. In fact, He did not even mention it. How do you suppose the brother of Jared would react to this? How would you react if you prayed for 3 problems, and the Lord provided answers for 2 of those problems—the 2 that were things you needed—but failed to even mention the third problem? Certainly you would think, 'Perhaps this is not meant to be. Perhaps the Lord feels this is a difficulty I must endure, since it is not technically a need. Perhaps this is meant to teach me to submit to the will of the Lord. After all, there are far worse trials that people are going through than this one.'
Each problem of the brother of Jared's will eventually have two things;
1) the solution, and 2) the work of implementing the solution.
For the first problem (steering), the Lord provides both 1) the solution and 2) the work. ("The winds" will steer you to the promised land.)
For the second problem (air), the Lord provides 1) the solution, but asks the brother of Jared to do 2) the work. (Make a hole in the top of the boats; and unstop the holes for air.)
For the final problem (light), the Lord provides no solution. But eventually, the Lord will require 1) the solution from the brother of Jared. And that solution, interestingly enough, will require 2) miraculous work from the Lord (as well as work from the brother of Jared)!
So, with his third problem remaining completely unaddressed, what does the brother of Jared do? He sets about to fulfill the obligations associated with the answers that he did receive, all the while wondering why the Lord was silent on the third request. How would you feel in that scenario? Where would your thoughts be leading you?
So, the brother of Jared makes the holes in the boats, as directed. And now, he is going to try once again to ask the Lord for light in the boats.
"O Lord..., I have prepared the vessels for my people [as thou hast commanded me], and behold there is no light in them."
This time around, the brother of Jared acknowledges that this request for light isn't necessarily a need per say. "Behold, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that we shall cross this great water in darkness?"
The brother of Jared is seeking to know the will of the Lord. He is asking directly, 'Is it Thy will that we cross these waters in darkness?'
Consider the challenges that you currently face. Is it the will of the Lord that you suffer through them? Or are they meant to be miraculously solved through a strengthening of your faith? Each challenge that we face will have it's own answer to that question, but you can pray to find out what that answer is!
Do we ever feel that we are asking for too much because we know that what we are asking for isn't strictly a need? Do we even hesitate to repeatedly ask for something because the Lord has not answered or even addressed the request in His responses to us? Do we not begin to wonder if this request simply isn't meant to be? How could we not? Yet, clearly, this isn't always the case.
But back to the brother of Jared. Quite simply put, the brother of Jared wanted windows. He didn't directly say that, probably because he knew that windows would be impossible given the turbulent seas they had to face. But, still, he wanted windows, and he hinted at such when he prayed to the Lord. He had given a lot of thought to his three problems, and he realized that windows were a good solution for all three of his problems. Windows would allow them to see where to steer; they would allow them to receive ventilation; and they would allow them to receive light.
And so, in his first prayer, he had presented his three problems to the Lord, having this impossible solution in the back of his mind. But then the Lord provided some different solutions, and left one of the problems unresolved.
So, the brother of Jared thought about it some more. He may have even thought about fire as another possible solution. But that solution was also rife with problems. So, he brings the matter up with the Lord again in his second prayer, pleading with the Lord for light. He even appeals to the Lord's great mercy. "Behold, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that we shall cross this great water in darkness?"
Up to this point, the brother of Jared's faith has been strongly tested. His prayers have been unanswered and even unaddressed. His mental facilities have been through great struggles. His desires have gone through multiple adjustments and displacements, and now they seem utterly hopeless. But he has found a way to muster the courage to ask once more in this second prayer.
And this is how the Lord responds. 'You can't have windows. And you can't have fire.' The Lord explains all the reasons why this won't work.
"Ye cannot have windows, for they will be dashed in pieces; neither shall ye take fire with you, for" there shall be too much commotion for that.
What do we desire from the Lord? What happens when He answers, 'No.'? Are the blessings we receive later worth the extra wait and effort?
For example, the brother of Jared's initial solution to have windows only provided light for the daytime. But his later solution provided light throughout the entire journey, day and night!
The Lord is helping the brother of Jared become far more proactive in his prayers. He challenges him to rise to a higher level of prayer and faith, even to the point of saying, "What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?" 'You have prayed about different problems, and I have provided many solution. But this time, I want you to present a solution to me! Don't make prayer a wishlist. Be more proactive in working with Me on solutions.'
Some might have heard this answer and thought that the Lord was saying, 'No, you can't have windows. Don't ask about it again.' But the Lord sometimes challenges us to simply improve our prayers and faith; and yet, we might not even realize it.
Having the onus of a solution placed on us is quite the challenge. We have to brainstorm a solution that is within the Lord's will, but that also solves the problem.
The brother of Jared's desire for light was not in conflict with the Lord's will. Only the first solution that he brainstormed, the idea of a window, was in conflict with the Lord's will.
Just because the specific details of our desires might be in conflict with the Lord's will does not necessarily mean that the desire itself is in conflict with the Lord's will. Sometimes just the opposite.
So, the brother of Jared brainstorms a new solution, and presents it to the Lord in prayer. He moltens out of a rock sixteen small stones, then prays:
"O Lord, thou hast said that we must be encompassed about by the floods. Now behold, O Lord, and do not be angry with thy servant because of his weakness before thee; for we know that thou art holy and dwellest in the heavens, and that we are unworthy before thee; because of the fall our natures have become evil continually; nevertheless, O Lord, thou hast given us a commandment that we must call upon thee, that from thee we may receive according to our desires.
"Behold, O Lord, thou hast smitten us because of our iniquity, and hast driven us forth, and for these many years we have been in the wilderness; nevertheless, thou hast been merciful unto us. O Lord, look upon me in pity, and turn away thine anger from this thy people, and suffer not that they shall go forth across this raging deep in darkness; but behold these things which I have molten out of the rock.
"And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness..., that we may have light while we shall cross the sea."
The brother of Jared's approach to his "light" problem in this final prayer is so vastly different than his previous prayers. There is such a high level of contrition and humility and recognition of weaknesses before the Lord.
In his earlier prayers, there may have been hints of entitlement. There may have been a hint of confusing "knowing God's will" with "assuming God's will". There may have been a hint of confusing "knowing God's will" with dictating to God what His will should be.
Even if the brother of Jared had none of this in his prayers, do we ever see this in ourselves? I know that I have been guilty of having an attitude of: "It's not really Your will that I should have to endure this, is it? Of course not. Please provide a solution for me. I'll patiently wait while you do." And I give myself a pat on the back for being such a good, patient guy.
But whatever level of pride or presumtiveness or entitlement the brother of Jared may have had in his initial prayers, these things are completely removed from this final prayer. Now he can hardly say a word without giving complete deference and respect and repentance to God. He went from 1) assuming light in the boats was a need in his first prayer; to 2) recognizing it as not strictly a need but as something to be expected in God's mercy in his second prayer; and finally, to 3) now seeing it as a complete and 100% blessing in this final prayer.
What level of humility would we have to achieve to sincerely and truthfully pray like this?
This experience of having his prayers unanswered and unaddressed was clearly a very humbling, and perhaps painful, experience for the brother of Jared. So much so that he perhaps misinterpreted the Lord's reactions as anger. He pleads twice in this short prayer for the Lord to not be angry with him and his people.
There is, of course, plenty about this account for each of us to ponder.
Just some food for thought. Thanks for reading.
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