One of my favorite parts of the Book of Mormon is when King Benjamin speaks to the people. One part that has always stood out to me is that the people pitched their tents towards the temple. This demonstrates how focused the people were on learning and living the gospel Another story from the Bible that teaches about our focus is when Lot’s wife is turned to salt because she turns back to look at the city. Her focus was not where it needed to be.
As I was reading in Mosiah today, I asked myself where is my focus. Do I have my tent pitched towards the temple or am I going in another direction? This is an important question to ask on a regular basis. It is not that we intentionally let ourselves turn away, but we often crowd out the truly important with other good things. It is important to realize that our relationship with our Savior is essential for us to return to live with Him.
When it comes to pitching our tents, it can be as simple as the music we choose to listen to, the shows that we watch or the books that we read. It may be the time that we spend volunteering or chatting with friends. These things can all be good, but we need to make sure that we are making the wisest choices in regards to the use of our time and our priorities. Truly the little things help to keep us on the correct path. If we are making the right smaller choices, the bigger choices are easier to make.
It is also important to not long for things that we know we should not do or have. Our commitment needs to be deep. In longing for a different lifestyle or an easier path, we may be undermining our decision to keep the commandments. It is important to find contentment in the gospel. When Lot’s wife looked back to the city, she may have looked from curiosity or it may be that she wanted part of that life. The Lord does require us to be fully committed to keeping the commandments. We are promised a sense of personal peace and contentment when we do this.
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