Having The Vision To Do

(The following thoughts are based on a talk by O. Vincent Halek given in April 2012 General Conference, Having the Vision to Do)

My elementary school administered a yearly eye diagnostic test to identify any students that required corrective lens wear.  The stigma of potentially being labeled a ‘four-eyes’ deeply affected me for some reason, and I evaded the result of failing these tests (an inevitable reality from my Mom’s eye gene pool, haha. Sorry Mama.) by daily censoring the mail and confiscating the letter sent out to parents yearly informing them of their child’s eye condition.  (Naughty!) This worked rather well until I hit Junior High when my eye sight had deteriorated to the point that it was affecting my performance in class.  Long story short, my folks allowed me to get contact lenses and life went on. 

This experience came back to me during my most recent eye examination.  Let me set the scene.  I am sitting in a red exam chair at one end of a darkened room staring at the opposing wall that has a small square with nearly indecipherable letters glowing from a projection display.  “Read the line you can see” the doctor commands, to which I, eyes squinting, audibly list the contents of the furthest line down I can manage.  This continues line after line first unaided and then with a phoropter in place like the one seen below. I notice throughout the process that the doctor seems to know every letter and line without referring to an answer sheet.  At one point I ask him if he has memorized the lines, to which he emotionlessly answers, “I’ve been doing this a long time.” Hmm.   This gets me thinking. I realize the letters never change.

Hypothetically, one could memorize line after line as this eye practitioner has and give the right response when tested. I doubt you could fool a thorough examiner, and besides, the whole point of your exam is not giving the right answer but gaining clearer vision.  Proverbs says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (29:18). 

“If we are to prosper rather than perish, we must gain a vision of ourselves as the Savior sees us.” And to paraphrase Elder Halek, once we have caught the vision of the gospel we must then go out to act upon that vision, sharing it with others.  The scriptures are replete with accounts of those who slumbered in the sleep of sin and ignorance, awakening to a vision of the reality of the Savior: Enos, Alma the Younger, Paul, King Limhi to name a few.  Even good King Benjamin shares his experience of catching the vision of Christ in Mosiah 3:3. An angel commands, “Awake, and hear the words which I shall tell thee; for behold, I am come to declare unto you the glad tidings of great joy.” He relates his vision of Christ to his people and they too in turn see themselves clearly.  

“they had viewed themselves in their own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth. And they all cried aloud with one voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men. And it came to pass that after they had spoken these words the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come” (Mosiah 4:2-3)

This scripture marries well with President Monson’s address to the Priesthood brethren concerning duty and its byproduct.  Said he, 

“I slept and dreamt that life was joy, I awoke and saw that life was duty I acted and behold duty was joy.  Robert Louis Stevenson put it another way. Said he,   

“I know what pleasure is, for I have done good work.” 

As we perform our duties and exercise our priesthood, we will find true joy. We will experience the satisfaction of having completed our tasks.”

 Going back to Elder Halek, “As we put into action the teachings of our leaders, we gain a deeper understanding of our Savior’s vision for us.” And to King Benjamin: 

 “I say unto you, if ye have come to a knowledge of the goodness of God, and his matchless power, and his wisdom, and his patience, and his long-suffering towards the children of men; and also, the atonement which has been prepared from the foundation of the world, that thereby salvation might come to him that should put his trust in the Lord, and should be diligent in keeping his commandments, and continue in the faith even unto the end of his life, I mean the life of the mortal body—I say, that this is the man who receiveth salvation.” (Mosiah 4:6)

I came to a greater awareness of the goodness of God through my youngest son, and in striving to raise my oldest, I am gaining a clearer vision of God’s plan for me.  Thanks be to God for that.  I hope and pray we can catch the vision of what our inspired leaders and prophet will share with us today and tomorrow.