I have been spending a great deal of time on projects. Fixing up the new synagogue. Helping someone in great need rebuild their engine. Trying to finish the patio (aka, get the house ready to sell). I have also been spending a great deal of time researching “the law.” Naturally, writing gets pushed to the bottom of the stack.
Yesterday, during my morning prayer, I asked what we could do in order to make more rapid spiritual progression. “Why aren’t you writing?” I had lots of reasons, but chose to skip the rationalization/self-justification step. I knew immediately that I was convicted.
This last Sunday, I taught (among other things) part of Amulek’s sermon to the Zoramites (see Alma 34:31-33; highlighting mine; punctuation and style taken from The Book of Mormon — The Earliest Text).
31 Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer.
For behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation.
And therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts,
immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you.32 For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God.
Yea, behold, the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.
33 And now as I said unto you before,
as ye have had so many witnesses,
therefore I beseech of you
that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end.
For after this day of life which is given us to prepare for eternity,
behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life,
then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.
I don’t think that the full impact of the urgency of these words ever hit me before. It was (is) as if the Lord was (is) crying out, ” ‘choose ye this day’ means choose redemption now; yes, right now! Don’t plan to do it. Don’t prepare to do it. Don’t take it under advisement or into consideration. Wake up. I’m waiting! Do it!”