January 13, 2010

I Am Lots Wife No More



At FHE in the singles ward this Monday, someone mentioned Lot's wife, and how we, like her, look back longingly at our old life and sins, in a nostalgic way. As I am beginning to make changes in my life to put it more in line with the gospel and more in line with how I feel it should be, I recognized I am also like Lot's wife.

While I want to make changes and live the gospel 100%, I still have a nagging feeling to go back to my old ways. This is difficult for me, because my old ways means hurt, pain, loneliness and anguish for me. Living the way I was brought me no happiness, only temporary gratification.

So how can I continue to flee that past, and look forward with a bright hope for the future, when I want to look back once in a while? My father, who is as wise as they come, turned me to a talk Jeffery R. Holland gave a year ago today at BYU, about Lot's wife and looking toward the future.

I will post the mp3 and also highlight some points that stood out to me. It has greatly helped me remember that God has a better, brighter, and glorious future than I could have ever given myself, and I need to exercise faith and not look back.

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Listen to Jeffery R. Holland Talk HERE
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"...people know they should have their primary residence in Zion, but they still hope to keep a summer cottage in Babylon." Neal A Maxwell

"She looked back longingly. In short, her attachment to the past outweighed her confidence in the future."

"So a more theological way to talk about Lot’s wife is to say that she did not have faith. She doubted the Lord’s ability to give her something better than she already had. Apparently she thought—fatally, as it turned out—that nothing that lay ahead could possibly be as good as those moments she was leaving behind."

"Can I trust in the Lord and in the future? Or would it be better to look back, to go back, to go home?

To all such of every generation, I call out, “Remember Lot’s wife.” Faith is for the future. Faith builds on the past but never longs to stay there. Faith trusts that God has great things in store for each of us and that Christ truly is the “high priest of good things to come.”

5 comments:

  1. You are wise. Thanks for the post. Helped

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  2. This is a great reminder. Thank you for posting it.

    I hope you are doing alright. You are in my continued thoughts and prayers.

    Happy day!

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  3. I think it is natural, indeed the natural man, to want to look back. You are doing great. Tell your dad that a lot of others appreciate him as well.

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  4. This was an interesting read because Lot's wife was talked about in my book reading too today. With both of these I have to ask the question though. Is a pillar of salt a bad thing? I mean aren't the chosen people the salt of the earth? perhaps we should have a theologian talk to us about that. Anyone up for the challenge?

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  5. I just found your blog. Brilliant post, and so beautifully put. Thank you for the inspiration.

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