I am the kind of guy who enjoys to ramble (You'll hopefully notice that the word 'ramble' is cleverly hidden in the web address of this here blog). Get me started on a subject I love to talk about, and I'll ramble for hours. A prime example of that: Anatomy. For those who know me uber-well, you will recognize the fact that I have a love-hate relationship with this particular subject. I really and truly do enjoy learning about the amazing human body...but memorization and countless hours of studying for harsh midterms is something that I really and truly do not enjoy. Oh well.
Lately in Anatomy we've started discussing the nervous system. At the particular college I attend, the entire Anatomy class is split into two parts: Lecture, and Lab. In Lecture we've started learning about basic nervous system terminology and functions; in Lab we've been able to identify the various structures and parts of the human nervous system.
There's one part of the nervous system that I'd like to focus on for now. It is known as the cerebellum; it is the bulbous-looking part of the brain that is found on the posterior (back) part of the brain, below the main body of the brain (the cerebrum). When a sagittal cut (in other words, a cut that parts the cerebellum into left and right halves) is made on the cerebellum, we are able to see what it looks like inside. In all actuality, it looks pretty cool! The white and gray matter of the brain are formed in such a way as to make the inside of the cerebellum look like a tree - in fact, the anatomical name for this particular area of the cerebellum is the arbor vitae (Latin for 'tree of life').
The arbor vitae and the cerebellum are both responsible for movement in the body, amongst other functions - without the proper functioning of the arbor vitae we would not be able to walk properly, learn correctly, or function to the fullest.
With this knowledge in mind, I'd like to refocus your attention to Helaman 13:2-4, the scripture referenced in the title:
"And it came to pass that in this year there was one Samuel, a Lamanite, came into the land...and began to preach unto the people. And it came to pass that he did preach, many days, repentance unto the people, and they did cast him out, and he was about to return to his own land.
"But behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, that he should return again, and prophesy unto the people whatsoever things should come into his heart.
"And it came to pass that they would not suffer that he should enter into the city; therefore he went and got upon the wall thereof, and stretched forth his hand and cried with a loud voice, and prophesied unto the people whatsoever things the Lord put into his heart."
[For those unfamiliar with the Book of Mormon, the Lamanites were a certain tribe of peoples who were often categorized by their unbelief and hatred of God and those who worshipped Him; however, during Samuel the Lamanite's day, the tables were turned: the Lamanites were, for the most part, those who faithfully served God, while those once of the true faith and correct beliefs had become wicked and persecuted any who still believed in the God of their forefathers]
My religion professor made a very interesting point regarding Samuel the Lamanite. Throughout the entirety of the Book of Mormon, we have a record of only Samuel's teachings and incredible prophecies, which accurately predicted the events surrounding both the birth and death of Jesus Christ - we have no knowledge about Samuel himself. We know much about Samuel the prophet, but we know very little about Samuel the man.
In other words, Samuel was just an ordinary person who was called of God to preach the Gospel to those who once believed but needed to be brought back. He felt the same regular emotions that you and I feel; he experienced anger, sorrow, love, fear, and weakness. He was not exempt from the hardships or trials of this world - a fact that is evidenced when this prophet was cast out of the midst of the people and was barred from entering into their city so that he might return to fulfill God's command to preach the word.
At the point when Samuel was expelled from the city and was returning to his own home, at the moment when the voice of the Lord spoke to him and told him to return and preach whatever happened to come into his heart at that time, Samuel had a choice. He didn't have to do anything; he didn't have to obey the voice from heaven. He didn't have to return to that city and face more failure and defeat. He didn't have to go back and be ridiculed, cast out, and possibly even stoned or killed for his beliefs.
He didn't have to.
Samuel had a choice - a choice to turn around and return to the city, or to keep on the path he was walking down.
This gift of choice, this gift of agency, is something that has been a right and privilege of mankind since Adam. It is most eloquently described by the warrior-prophet Joshua, successor of Moses, in the 24th chapter of the book bearing his name:
"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (KJV Joshua 24:15).
Samuel had this same choice just as his Israelite forebears did before him. And what did he do? Allow me to reread for you the fourth verse of Helaman 13 again:
"And it came to pass that [the people] would not suffer that [Samuel] should enter into the city; therefore he went and got upon the wall thereof, and stretched forth his hand and cried with a loud voice, and prophesied unto the people whatsoever things the Lord put into his heart." (emphasis added)
Samuel chose to follow his God. This regular human being chose to move forward in faith.
Remember that arbor vitae we discussed earlier, the portion of the brain that influences movement? We all know and acknowledge the fact that we have a physical arbor vitae within our skulls, helping us to walk, talk, run, jump, and swim.
Is it possible, then, for us also to have a spiritual arbor vitae, some sort of driving force that would propel us forward to do as Samuel and the ancient prophet Joshua did - that is, choose to serve the Lord? Of course there is! And what is another name for this spiritual arbor vitae of ours?
"...[T]he Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him...Wherefore, let us be faithful to him" (1 Nephi 7:12).
In other words, we could call our spiritual arbor vitae - that part within us that, if we choose and will it to, will move us to follow our God's command - FAITH. We receive an excellent definition of faith in Alma 32:21 - "And now as I said concerning faith - faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true."
[For further reading discussing faith, how to grow it, continue to strengthen and nourish it, and how to come closer to our Savior, I wholeheartedly invite you to read the entirety of Alma 32 :)
The interesting thing about faith (spiritual arbor vitae) is that it leads us to the ultimate arbor vitae, the greatest Tree of Life - the Savior Jesus Christ.
In the opening pages of the Book of Mormon, the ancient prophet Lehi received a vision of the tree of life, bearing precious, white fruit that is symbolic of eternal life (if you are interested in reading this beautiful vision, I invite you to read 1 Nephi 8 :) . His son, Nephi, first record-keeper of the Book of Mormon, had such great faith and such earnest desires to see the same things his father saw, that an angel of the Lord revealed this vision unto him as well. He was, in fact, shown some things that his father Lehi never mentioned, things that the vision of the tree of life allegorically depicted but never came outright and stated. Why, Nephi even saw the birth of the Savior:
"And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.
"And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! [Now do you know] the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?
"And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.
"And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul" (1 Nephi 11:20-23).
Just as we will our physical arbor vitae to move us to walk or dance, so, I pray, may we choose to utilize that spiritual arbor vitae of faith. Samuel, an ordinary man blessed with extraordinary knowledge of restored truths, had the exact same opportunity that we do now. May we make the same choice that he did, the choice that will bring us closer to the Tree of Life Himself, the God of the Old Testament, the Savior of the New Testament, and the Redeemer of mankind: Jesus the Christ.
May God be with you till we meet again, my friends.
Sam
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