Cows

April 9, 2010: I was out running this morning and decided to go down a dirt road next to my neighbor’s house. I’ve been down the dirt road before. No big deal. It dead ends so I would just turn around at the end and come back. I thought it would be nice to change up my run a little. Well, I got to the end of my road where I would need to cross the highway to go down the dirt lane. I thought to myself, “Maybe I shouldn’t go there alone today.” I looked down the lane, saw nothing out of the ordinary and crossed the highway. Again I thought, “I’m alone, maybe I shouldn’t go today.” Again, I thought what harm is there? There’s nothing down there. So I continued. Just as I passed the first cattle guard I noticed a herd of about 20 cows on a dead run to a spot in the fence just ahead of me. I thought it was weird that they were running but I continued. About 25 yards ahead of me they crossed through an open part of the fence and crossed the dirt road into the adjacent field. I continued running to the next cattle guard where I turned around to go back. Just as I did I saw another group of cows running to the same opening in the fence and cross through to the same area of pasture as the first group of cows. As I started to get closer to that opening I noticed that the large group of cows all turned to watch me. At that same time I looked to the opening and saw 2 more cows heading to it, they saw me and turned around and started running the opposite direction along the fence. As I passed the opening one of the cows that was running changed direction and started running straight for the fence. If the cow were to make it through or over the fence, we’d get there at about the same time. As I hesitated continuing with the large group of cows still watching me, the cow tried to plow through the fence! She got caught up and couldn’t go through so she turned around and ran back into the field. I picked up my pace to make it to the next cattle guard, and just as I did, the large herd started running towards it too. I stared to get a little scared thinking that they might change direction and come towards me! I knew I couldn’t take on 30 cows by myself so I picked up speed to make it to the cattle guard before them. I made it and knew I was safe. Those cows were jumpy and unpredictable and trying to get away from me like I was trying to get away from them. In that instant I recognized that what I thought were my own thoughts, were actually the warnings of the spirit. I learned a valuable lesson this morning: Even though I wasn’t harmed by those cows, I knew that the Lord had kept me safe from the cows even though I didn’t recognize and listen to the spirit when it told me not to go down that road. I also know that that won’t always be the case. Next time I don’t listen to the Spirit the outcome may not be a good one.

Glenn L. Pace, “The Elusive Balance,” Tambuli, Feb 1988, 43
Be Patient with Spiritual Setbacks
If we do not learn to recognize the witness of the Spirit, Satan can thoroughly confuse us with his own demonstrations. How, then, can we acquire the ability to recognize a witness of the Spirit?
First, eliminate the guilt you feel when you have fallen short of your spiritual expectations. Have you ever been certain you have received a spiritual witness only to have subsequent events prove you were in error? Have you ever dismissed what you later found out was a genuine spiritual witness? We have more patience with our failures in learning to ski than we do in learning how to recognize the Spirit. When we fall going down the slope, we get up, laugh at ourselves, and try again. When we have a failure in recognizing the Spirit we feel great guilt and are reluctant to go forward. It’s natural to have spiritual setbacks. It’s okay. It’s all right. Stay with it.

We all know it takes years of practice to become a professional athlete. However, we expect to be overnight successes in spiritual things.

Joseph Smith said, “A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the same day or soon; (i.e.) those things that were presented unto your minds by the Spirit of God, will come to pass; and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation until you become perfect in Christ Jesus” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 151).

Please note he said, “you may grow into the principle of revelation.” To become proficient in basketball one practices shooting countless shots. By repeating successful approaches and changing failures, the player gets the uncanny ability of knowing as soon as the ball leaves his hands whether the shot will be good or not.

In spiritual matters we need to learn exactly when we have had a witness of the Spirit and when we have had a counterfeit thrown at us by Satan or by our own ambition and desire. How many of you young men have told your girlfriend, “I have received a spiritual witness that you are to be my wife”? In some cases I would suggest the witness is more a desire than a spiritual manifestation. If you receive that witness, put it to the test. Ask her to marry you, if she says yes, you were right; if she says no, you were wrong. But keep your witness to yourself. She is perfectly capable of receiving her own revelation.

What does a spiritual confirmation feel like? It’s the feeling you have when you read the Book of Mormon or when you talk of heavenly things with your parents or a valued friend. Learn to recognize it and follow that feeling.

If it were possible, I would lay down a formula for instant and certain success. Because the variables change each day, consistent success is very difficult to obtain. We may be in tune more on one day than another. We may be more emotionally vulnerable one day than another. However, with all the variables there is one constant. The Spirit witnesses only the truth.

If your success ratio for recognizing the Spirit is low, ask yourself these questions:
1. How well am I living the commandments?
2. Am I studying the scriptures in order that I might be more attuned to spiritual things?
3. Am I praying with real intent?
4. Have I done my homework and gone to the Lord with a well-thought-out solution?
5. Have I learned to recognize a stupor of thought?
6. Can I honestly say “thy will be done,” and I am willing to take “no” for an answer?

Don’t fail to invest adequate time learning things of the Spirit. I’m not speaking of religion classes, although I heartily endorse them. I’m speaking of learning how to recognize and obtain revelation. It’s a lifetime course, but you don’t have to wait until graduation to receive benefits. The rewards are immediate as you begin to achieve that elusive balance between intellectual pursuits and the promptings of the Spirit.