Hold Fast with Both Hands

1 Nephi 15:24 - "And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction."

Elder Neal A. Maxwell - "Some Church members...are neither reconciled to the will of God nor are they sufficiently settled as to their covenants. Some unworthily covenant afresh, partaking of the broken bread while having broken their covenants of marriage. Some give of their time yet withhold themselves, being present without giving of their presence and going through the superficial motions of membership instead of the deep emotions of consecrated discipleship. Some try to get by with knowing only the headlines of the gospel, not really talking much of Christ or rejoicing in Christ and esteeming lightly His books of scripture which contain and explain His covenants. Some are so proud they never learn of obedience and spiritual submissiveness. They will have very arthritic knees on the day when every knee shall bend. There will be no gallery then to play to; all will be participants! Maintaining Church membership on our own terms, therefore, is not true discipleship. Real disciples absorb the fiery darts of the adversary by holding aloft the quenching shield of faith with one hand, while holding to the iron rod with the other. There should be no mistaking; it will take both hands!"

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:12

Welcome to Speak This Jesus, a daily podcast dedicated to drawing closer to the Savior through the powerful truths found in the Book of Mormon. Each episode, we focus on one verse that helps us walk more faithfully in his footsteps. And Nehi's vision, the iron rod, is essential. As Nephi explained that vision to his brothers, he clarifies what the rod represents and why holding to it matters so much. Today's verse helps us understand not only what the iron rod is, but how it actually protects us in a world full of opposition and temptation. Nephi fifteen twenty-four says And I said unto them that it was the word of God, and whoso would hearken unto the word of God and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish. Neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction. This verse is sometimes misunderstood. It does not say that reading the Word of God prevents temptation from coming. It does not promise that fiery darts will never be fired or even hit you. Instead, it teaches something more realistic and more hopeful. The fiery darts still come. Temptations still strike. We still feel the sting. The difference is not whether we are hit, but whether those darts overpower us and lead us to spiritual blindness and destruction. That distinction matters. Daily scripture study does not create a temptation-free life. What it creates is a life where temptation does not have the final word. We may stumble, we may feel pain, but we are not overpowered. We are not blinded, we are not led away if we are doing what Nephi describes. This reframes discipleship in an important way. Faithfulness is not measured by never falling. It is measured by whether we stay connected to the rod long enough to stand back up and continue forward to the tree of life. Nephi uses a very specific phrase Hold fast. To hold fast means to remain firm, to refuse to let go, to stay anchored even when pressure is applied. When Nephi later explains the vision, he deliberately uses the same phrase again. Holding fast is not casual contact. It is not brushing the rod occasionally. It is a determined grip. This matters because scripture engagement alone is not the same as holding fast. We can read without submitting. We can know without submitting. We can hear it without submitting. Holding fast means that when pressure comes, cultural pressure, emotional pressure, rationalizations, distractions, we do not loosen our grip to make room for compromise. We stay connected to the Word of God as the governing influence in our decisions. Not merely a familiar voice in the background. If a literal fiery dart were thrown at us, we would react immediately. We would move. We would protect ourselves. We would not stand still and analyze it while it burned. But temptation often feels quieter, slower, easier to excuse. The question this verse invites us to ask is Do we recognize temptation as quickly as we would recognize danger? And when we do, do we respond with the same urgency? Nephi teaches that we can get away quickly from temptation if we want to. The scriptures help us recognize the darts sooner. They sharpen our spiritual reflexes, they train us to notice patterns, lies, and rationalizations before they overpower us. The power is not in pretending temptation doesn't exist. The power is in refusing to let it take control. One small word in this verse carries enormous weight. And whoso would hearken unto the word of God and would hold fast unto it. We must do both. Hearkening means listening with intent to obey. Holding fast means refusing to let go once we know what God has said. One without the other is incomplete. We cannot hold fast to something we do not hearken to. And hearkening without holding fast eventually becomes selective obedience. This is where Elder Neil A. Maxwell offers a sobering and clarifying warning.

SPEAKER_00 6:09

Some church members, alas, are neither reconciled to the will of God nor are sufficiently settled as to their covenants. Some unworthily covenant afresh, partaking of the broken bread while having broken their covenants of marriage. Some give of their time, yet withhold themselves, being present without giving of their presence, and going through the superficial motions of membership instead of the deep emotions of consecrated discipleship. Some try to get by with knowing only the headlines of the gospel, not really talking much of Christ, or rejoicing in Christ, and esteeming lightly his books of scripture, which contain and explain his covenants. Some are so proud they never learn of obedience and spiritual submissiveness. They will have very arthritic knees on the day when every knee shall bend. There will be no gallery then to play to. All will be participants. Maintaining church membership on our own terms, therefore, is not true discipleship. Real disciples absorb the fiery darts of the adversary by holding aloft the quenching shield of faith with one hand while holding to the iron rod with the other. There should be no mistaking it will take both hands.

SPEAKER_01 7:41

This is not a call to perfection, it is a call to consecration. Discipleship cannot be done one handed. So here is today's challenge. As we study the scriptures today, let's ask ourselves two questions. Am I hearkening to what God is teaching me? Am I holding fast to the truth when pressure comes? Choose one truth from today's scripture study and consciously hold fast to it. Especially when it becomes inconvenient. Keep both hands engaged. Faith in one, the word of God in the other. Thank you for listening to Seek This Jesus. I hope this message helps you draw a little closer to the Savior Jesus Christ. Please, don't let this podcast be your only scripture time today. I encourage you to open your scriptures, because when you study God's word personally, the Spirit will teach you things no podcast ever could. I invite you to come back tomorrow for another verse and message to help you keep focused on Jesus Christ. Until next time, keep seeking this Jesus.