Move Those Rocks

©Darrell Wyatt

As I was reading today, I was reminded of James, chapter 2, in which James explains that "faith without works is dead".  Amulek was was talking to the people about faith.  He reminded them of the things that Alma had finished preaching, about prayer and faith, and then he said:

And now behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, do not suppose that this is all; for after ye have done all these things, if ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit not the sick and afflicted, and impart of your substance, if ye have, to those who stand in need - I say unto you, if ye do not any of these things, behold, your prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing, and ye are as hypocrites who do deny the faith. (Alma 34:28)

I have heard many different takes on James' sermon about faith, with some saying that he could not have meant what it sounds like, because "by the grace of God only, we are saved".  No works needed.  I cannot imagine this to be true.  To say that it is not necessary for us to put forth any effort toward our salvation just seems to me to be taking for granted everything that Jesus suffered.  Kind of like watching my mom work for hours or even days to make a huge and perfect Thanksgiving dinner, eating it all within just a few minutes, and then making her do all the dishes afterward.  It just doesn't seem right.

I read an article last night that shed some light on the events that led up to yesterday's miraculous mine rescue in Chile.  After the mine collapsed, a deep, narrow hole was drilled down to where the mine owners believed the miners to be.  When it was discovered that they were alive, a larger adjacent hole was drilled, through which the miners were eventually brought to the surface.  As these holes were being drilled, debris would fall into the shaft where the men were, and they in turn would move the debris to a different area of the shaft, allowing the drilling to continue.  The article said that by the time both holes were drilled, a staggering 3,000 to 4,000 metric tons of rock had been moved by the miners.

These miners had to put their faith and trust in the workers 2000 feet above them if they had any hope of being rescued.  But that is not all they had to do.  They had to work.  They had to do their part by removing the falling debris, or else the drilling could not be successful and they could have perished. They could not simply depend on the men and women above them to do everything.  Their faith alone was not enough.

So it is with my faith.  There is debris falling daily all around me.  It is easy for me to have faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ as my manner of rescue, but if I do not do my part and remove that debris, through the things that Amulek talked about - charity, prayer, study, repentance - then my faith is useless.  I may still have faith, but it availeth me nothing.  Looks like I've got some rocks to move.

Click here to read what I read today: Alma 34