With Firmness of Mind by Jamie Ashby

In 1 Nephi 2:10, Lehi pleads with his son saying, "O that thou mightest be like unto this valley, firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord!" What exactly did Lehi mean when he beckoned his children to be "firm"? The word "firm" can be interpreted in several different ways depending on which translation you look at. In Greek, the translation to the word firm means to be stable, and in Hebrew, it means properly to be erect. Similarly, in the English dictionary, the word firm means not yielding easily under pressure and it continues to give a list of synonyms such as solid, fixed, unchanging, resolute, and constant. Although each language provides us with different interpretations, the underlying meaning for each is the same. Lehi pleaded with his sons that they would keep the commandments of God no matter what. No matter how hard it might be, and no matter how tempting the opposing force might fight, nothing should budge them from the gospel of Jesus Christ.
If Lehi thought it was important to teach his children to be firm, then surely it must be important in our lives as well. But how can we today have a firm mind as Lehi counseled? One way that we can do this is by keeping an eternal perspective. In Jacob 2:18 it says, "but before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God." As our minds are set on spiritual things, it will become easier to simply live in the world rather than be of the world. Another way to help our minds stay untainted by the adversary can be found in Jacob 4:6. "Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope and our faith becometh unshaken." As we listen to the leaders of the church and heed their counsels, we will be taught all things that we need to know in order to keep our minds firm, steadfast, and immovable. In this October’s General Conference Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin gave further insight on how we can keep our minds fixed on the truth. He said, "come what may, and love it!" This means that no matter what happens in our lives, we need to have a positive attitude and keep an eternal perspective. If we can do this, our burdens will seem lighter and we will be able to bare them with happiness.
In D&C 5:22 we are commanded to "be firm in keeping the commandments." But what benefit is it to us to constantly keep our minds firm in the faith? The scriptures show us that we will be blessed both temporally and spiritually for our stability in the gospel. In Jacob 3:1 it says, "look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who seek your destruction." This tells us that as our minds are steadfast and immovable, God will bless us with our every day trials. He will help us to be able to endure our hardships and find joy and love in whatever comes our way. Another blessing we will receive can be found later on in D&C 5:22. Here it says, "if ye do this, behold I grant unto you eternal life."
Within my own life, having a firm mind has been a great blessing to me. I have seen the benefits that come as a result of having a firm mind, and in contrast, I have been able to recognize the setbacks that occur whenever my mind begins to quake. Every day I am given the opportunity, through small adversities, to allow my testimony to be shaken or to stay firm in the faith. For instance, this semester of school has brought a lot of ups and downs for me. The past couple of weeks have been particularly bad. After doing poorly on an extremely important test and having a large pile of work appear out of no where, my stress level was reaching its max. As a result, my scripture study time was being cut short, my prayers were becoming repetitive, I was finding it hard to be happy, and I was seriously lacking the presence of the Spirit. As things got worse, my attitude also became more and more negative. Finally, I realized that if I could keep a positive attitude, maintain an eternal perspective and make the best out of my situation, then the Lord would bless me. When Sunday came around, I prayed for a special blessing that I would be able to feel the Spirit that day and that I would have the strength to be able to keep a positive attitude throughout the week. That day, my prayers were answered. Church was amazing. I felt the Spirit that day for the first time in a couple of weeks and my testimony was strengthened immensely by that experience. Ever since that Sunday, I have tried my absolute hardest to keep my mind set on the eternities so that my testimony wouldn’t be shaken by the things of the world.
I know that the reason why I was suffering was because my mind wasn’t firm in the faith. But I also know that because I chose to make a change, I was blessed with the Spirit and I was able to regain happiness in my life. I am so grateful for the scriptures in my life and I know that the principles that we learn from them are true. I know that with firmness of mind, we will be blessed both temporally and spiritually, and we will be able to enjoy the lives that God has blessed us with.
Work Cited:
Book of Mormon
Webster’s New World College Dictionary Fourth Edition
November Ensign 2008
Doctrine and Covenants