The Mechanics (And Pitfalls) Of Learning "Line-Upon-Line"

I came across this talk from Elder Henry B. Eyring explaining a little about the mechanics of learning line-upon-line, precept upon precept that I had never heard before.  It helped me to understand a little better about how I can receive the next "line", and what to do if I get stuck.

"A Life Founded In Light And Truth", Elder Henry B. Eyring, BYU Devotional, 15 Aug 2000.

Obedience to commandments is the way we build a foundation of truth. Here is the way that works, in words so simple that a child could understand: The truth of most worth is to know God our Heavenly Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and Their plan for us to have eternal life with Them in families. When God communicates that priceless truth to us, He does it by the Spirit of Truth. We have to ask for it in prayer. Then He sends us a small part of that truth by the Spirit. It comes to our hearts and minds. It feels good, like the light from the sun shining through the clouds on a dark day. He sends truth line upon line, like the lines on the page of a book. Each time a line of truth comes to us, we get to choose what we will do about it. If we try hard to do what that truth requires of us, God will send more light and more truth. It will go on, line after line, as long as we choose to obey the truth. That is why the Savior said that the man who obeyed His commandments built on a rock so solid that no storm or flood could hurt his house.

Did you catch that part that not a lot of people seem to understand?

Let me state it again...

Each time a line of truth comes to us, we get to choose what we will do about it. If we try hard to do what that truth requires of us, God will send more light and more truth. It will go on, line after line, as long as we choose to obey the truth.

See it now?

Receiving the next line has to do with us taking the steps required by the last line of truth we've already received.  Yep - that's right.  This isn't just an "academic" pursuit, nor is it simply a matter of being "worthy enough".  It has to do with putting faith into action.  It has to do with obedience.  It has to do with change.  It has to do with proving through our works that we are willing to not just learn about His word, but also to do something about it. We may even need to repent if necessary for things we may have been doing (or not doing) in ignorance.  We have to prepare ourselves and be willing to receive the next line by what we do with what we have already been given.

And on the flipside, if we take no action then we don't get the next "line".  Simple as that - obedience or stagnation.

Here is a little story about the song "I Am a Child of God" that I think also testifies of this point:

The words in one line of the chorus originally read, "Teach me all that I must know." After the song was written, President Spencer W. Kimball attended a conference where a Primary children's chorus sang the song. He later asked if Sister Randall would agree to change "Teach me all that I must know" to "Teach me all that I must do," and so the line reads today.

"To know isn't enough," President Kimball said. "The devils know and tremble; the devils know everything. We have to do something" ("New Verse Is Written for Popular Song," Church News, April 1, 1978, 16).

Two things come to mind at this point.  First is that notice how Elder Eyring used the word "try".  He didn't say be perfect at it.  He didn't say give everything you have and disrupt every aspect of your life to focus on it solely.  He didn't say do it all by yourself.  He said to "try hard to do what that truth requires of us".  We usually know what that means, (and if we don't, we know where to turn to in order to have it explained to us).  Sometimes it is just a matter of having a willing heart and looking for opportunities that don't currently exist to put it into practice.  Sometimes it is going back to a wrong that was committed and trying to make amends.  Sometimes it is "turning yourself in" and talking to Priesthood leaders.  Whatever it is, the Lord knows when you've given everything you can to align your "do" with your "know".

The second point is that this is one of the reasons that we must study and ponder the scriptures and the Gospel over and over.  The last time we may have read a book of scripture we may not had yet put a "line" into practice, and thus we missed the next "line" that was sitting in the same scripture staring us right in the face.  We were unable to see it last time, but this time we are open and receptive because we have finally made the changes necessary to receive it.

I guess we can think of it like building a special brick wall. Imagine building an amazing mosaic where each brick has a certain place where it must fit.  Each brick is a "truth" or a "precept", and although a few may be handed to us, they won't do us much good until we lay down some mortar and actually put them in place.  Once we've laid some of the brick in our pile, we can receive another, and another, and another.  At some point, we will have laid enough bricks together in a line to support some bricks being laid on top of them, and thus receive new bricks that we can support, (and after all, why would the Lord hand us bricks that we can't lay yet and would just be an unnecessary burden??).  As we continue to receive and take action, the mosaic grows larger, stronger, and more beautiful, until finally it is complete.  (Got some good news / bad news here - we'll never finish the wall in this lifetime, but we can get a good jump start on it now, and as long as we don't give up we'll have time in the eternities to finish it...).

Now, here is also where we can get into trouble.  Everyone is working on their own mosaic, but realistically, it is the same pattern and layout as everyone else's.  We all have different circumstances, different capacities, and different opportunities than everyone else.  Our current mosaic can look dramatically different that someone else's, simply because of the choices and the order that we have laid our bricks may be different than others, or that other may have a particular brick that they have had a hard time laying into place, (or vice-versa).  We can look at the mosaics of others, and get some hints on how some parts we haven't tackled may look, but we can't try to skip ahead or leave some parts out, (or else we'd have to knock it all back down until we get to the omission and start over again...).  Just like you can't judge a book by it's cover, you can't judge someone else by comparing their imperfect "work-in-progress" wall to the state of your own, (or vice-versa).

So, how can we use this in daily life?  Have you ever felt like you're spiritually "stuck"?  Ever feel like you think you're doing what you need to do, but don't feel like you're getting anywhere?  Ever feel like you've been praying for an answer to something and it just doesn't seem to come?  Maybe it's time to look back and see if somehow there is a brick that was set aside or forgotten about.  Maybe there is a change that needs to take place that hasn't yet.  Maybe someone was wronged and things haven't been mended yet.  Maybe there is a habit that needs to be done away with, or a new one started.  Maybe there is a pint of creme that was held back that really needs to be returned to the Bishop's storehouse.  Maybe there is a change of heart that needs to be offered up to the Lord.  Take a look, and I'll bet you'll find something.

I'm thankful that Elder Eyring shared one of the "lines" that I hadn't come across before, and I'm glad that I was doing enough with the last "line" I received to be able to receive this one. I'm glad that Heavenly Father love us so much, and wants to pour out the mysteries of heaven upon us, but knows that we are like a baby chicken who is learning how to hatch and we must struggle and strive to use our agency and our actions to grow enough to be able to receive more truth, else our whole experience on this earth be wasted.