Description
The Mountains of Scripture
How many times have you come home from Church and said to yourself, “I need to know my scriptures better.” And off you go, studying hard. Then, after a week or two, the goal went the familiar way of a New Years resolution. If you have ever struggled with loving the scriptures, I have a story to tell you.
About 45 years ago I flew for the first time across the Colorado Rockies. I was leaving for the mission field. I sat with my nose pressed against the window, taking in the magnificent scenery below. It was fun the first few times I flew, but then after a while it became boring. From the air it all began to look about the same. I came to the conclusion that seeing the Rocky Mountains from 35,000 feet is a little like getting a kiss through a window, nice, but something is lost.
Some years later, my daughter and I decided to run Hurricane Pass in Wyoming. The trail starts in Teton Canyon near Driggs, Idaho, and goes up and over the entire Teton Mountain range and comes down near Jenny Lake in Wyoming. It is a 22-mile journey. We were not going to hike it. We were going to run it.
Accordingly, the family dropped us off at the trail head and we set out. Now to be honest, we did not run the entire 22 miles. Some of the trail was just too steep and rugged, but we did run a good portion of it. We ran through the thick pine forests along the valley floor. I love the smell of pine. Then we began to climb until we reached the open hillsides laden with wildflowers. They were beautiful. And then there were the high mountain lakes and the rocky terrain above the tree line. Finally, we reached the top and crossed over the Skyline Trail. I remember the view and the cool, clear, mountain air.
Up to this point our journey had been nothing but fun, but that changed when we started down the other side. The trail was steep and rough. There were places we couldn’t safely run. As it was, my daughter rolled her ankle twice. We ran out of water. And worst of all, darkness fell before we reached the lake. The entire run was a struggle that brought us to the point of exhaustion. We hurt so bad! The last few miles we were walking, holding onto to one another for support, and singing sacred music to keep us going.
By a faint flashlight beam we finally found the family and were safe. We were exhausted and in pain, but happy. We did it, and we would do it again. We experienced firsthand every sight, sound, smell, and step of the Tetons and Hurricane Pass.
I’ve seen the Rockies and the Tetons from the air, but nothing compares with being body, mind and soul in them. Joy is made on the ground, in them, not above them; up close, not from a distance.
Mountains are like scriptures. You have to get down in them with your nose only inches from the page, your fingers on the paper. Too many of us read our scriptures like jet travel. We settle into a comfortable seat and off we go, eager to get to the end, but inevitably we doze off. Where’s the passion, the quest? Where is the sensory experience of the topography of the characters, the story, the history, the drama that lies just beneath us?
If you want the real experience, slow down, bend your back, put your nose to the page, and start exploring every word, phrase, and character. It will take time and be frustrating, maybe even painful. But, it will affect you. The scriptures will invade your spiritual senses just as the smell of pine in a forest can assault you. How will you know when it’s working? You will find your tears in the margins.
