The inner vessel
In Alma chapter 60 Moroni sends a letter to Pahoran demanding support for the troops at the front. In verse 23 Moroni says, "Now I would that ye should remember that God has said that the inward vessel shall be cleansed first, and then shall the outer vessel be cleansed also." I've found that the wars at the end of Alma are a great metaphor for our war against Satan. We see that without the clean inner vessel that Moroni speaks of the war would have been lost. Not too long after this in the early chapters of the book of Helaman the lamanites attack at the center of the land in Zarahemla and (for a short time) conquer that part of the land.
I've found that in my life I do the best when I'm striving to live righteously out of love not out of obedience. When I worry about everything that is going in my life (at the wars front) I find that it is easier to give ground. When I'm worried about the letter of the law and not the spirit of the law I lose ground. But when I worry more about the inner vessel I find the front stays fairly static. I like to think of the inner vessel as my testimony. I want to give you a very common scriptural reference here, but I want you to think of it in very different terms. Helaman 5:12. Think of it not in terms of a foundation, but in the terms of this war that we are speaking of and your very own inner vessel.
So I find that the best way to combat Satan is with my testimony. If I read my scriptures every day, and pray every day with the goal of keeping the spirit in my life and helping my testimony to grow then I am strengthened. Think of how the U.S. helped to win World War II. Our inner vessel provided all the food, soldiers, materials and other elements necessary to help the allies win the war. I hope that my testimony can be like this.
I think that a good question to ask ourselves at this point is what can our testimonies provide? If we are lacking in man power at the front then what can we do to cleanse our inward vessels? These are of course very personal questions, but they should be asked and answered on a regular basis if we are going to survive the war.
I've found that in my life I do the best when I'm striving to live righteously out of love not out of obedience. When I worry about everything that is going in my life (at the wars front) I find that it is easier to give ground. When I'm worried about the letter of the law and not the spirit of the law I lose ground. But when I worry more about the inner vessel I find the front stays fairly static. I like to think of the inner vessel as my testimony. I want to give you a very common scriptural reference here, but I want you to think of it in very different terms. Helaman 5:12. Think of it not in terms of a foundation, but in the terms of this war that we are speaking of and your very own inner vessel.
So I find that the best way to combat Satan is with my testimony. If I read my scriptures every day, and pray every day with the goal of keeping the spirit in my life and helping my testimony to grow then I am strengthened. Think of how the U.S. helped to win World War II. Our inner vessel provided all the food, soldiers, materials and other elements necessary to help the allies win the war. I hope that my testimony can be like this.
I think that a good question to ask ourselves at this point is what can our testimonies provide? If we are lacking in man power at the front then what can we do to cleanse our inward vessels? These are of course very personal questions, but they should be asked and answered on a regular basis if we are going to survive the war.
posted by Chuck Bateman | 8:04 PM
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