Look and Live

1 Nephi 17:41 - "And he did straiten them in the wilderness with his rod; for they hardened their hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord straitened them because of their iniquity. He sent fiery flying serpents among them; and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished."

Elder Dale G. Renlund - "Consider what happened when fiery, flying serpents came among the ancient Israelites on their way to the promised land. The bite of a poisonous serpent was fatal. But a bitten individual could be healed by looking at a brass serpent fashioned by Moses and placed on a pole. How much energy does it take to look at something? All who looked accessed the powers of heaven and were healed. Other Israelites who were bitten failed to look at the brazen serpent and died. Perhaps they lacked the faith to look. Perhaps they did not believe that such a simple action could trigger the promised healing. Or perhaps they willfully hardened their hearts and rejected the counsel of God’s prophet." 

Elder David A. Bednar - "We as members of the Church tend to emphasize marvelous and dramatic spiritual manifestations so much that we may fail to appreciate and may even overlook the customary pattern by which the Holy Ghost accomplishes His work. The very simpleness of the way of receiving small and incremental spiritual impressions that over time and in totality constitute a desired answer or the direction we need may cause us to look beyond the mark." 

Seek this Jesus - A Book of Mormon Daily Podcast invites you to discover the joy and guidance that comes from studying the Book of Mormon everyday. This podcast would hope to just be a supplement to your studies. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:12

Welcome to Seek 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. As Nephi speaks to his brothers, he draws a powerful comparison between their hardened hearts and the children of Israel in the wilderness. It is a familiar story, but Nephi uses it to teach something deeply personal and very present. Before we move into the message, let's hear the verse. Nephi seventeen, verse forty one. And he did straighten them in the wilderness with his rod, for they hardened their hearts, even as ye have. And the Lord straightened them because of their iniquity. He sent fiery flying serpents among them, and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed. And the labor which they had to perform was to look. And because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished. Nephi reminds his brothers that the Lord did not abandon the children of Israel, even when they hardened their hearts. The Lord did not remove the consequence instantly, but he did provide a remedy. After they were bitten, a way was prepared. Healing was possible. Deliverance was available. But the condition was simple. They had to look. This is where the lesson becomes uncomfortable. The labor required to be healed was minimal. There was no long journey, no elaborate ritual, no impossible demand. They simply had to look. Yet many perished. Not because healing was unavailable, but because they refused the simplicity of the way. Nephi's warning is clear. The problem was not the lack of a solution, it was the hardness of the heart. This story invites a hard but necessary question. Is my pride like the children of Israel? We may not have fiery serpents biting us, but pride can quietly block repentance just as effectively. Pride convinces us that change should be harder, more complicated, or somehow earned through suffering instead of humility. For the Israelites, looking at the brass serpent may have felt too easy. For us, repentance can feel the same way. We sometimes delay because we think we need to feel worse, do more, or fix ourselves before coming to the Lord. But repentance is not about proving worthiness. It is about turning to Christ. Just as it was easy for them to look and be healed, it is just as accessible for us to repent now. The simplicity of the way is not changed. The danger is the same too. When pride tells us the answer can't possibly be that simple. The Lord does not ask us to solve the problem of sin on our own. He asks us to look to Him. Elder Dale Gene Rinland teaches directly from this account and helps us see what was truly at stake. Let's listen in.

SPEAKER_02 4:04

Consider what happened when fiery flying serpents came among the ancient ancient Israelites on their way to the Promised Land. The bite of a poisonous serpent was fatal. But a bitten individual could be healed by looking at a brass serpent fashioned by Moses and placed on a pole. How much energy does it take to look at something? All who looked accessed the powers of heaven and were healed. Other Israelites who were bitten failed to look at the brazen serpent and died. Perhaps they lacked the faith to look. Perhaps they didn't believe that such a simple action could trigger the promised healing. Or perhaps they willfully hardened their hearts and rejected the counsel of God's prophet.

SPEAKER_00 4:58

Elder Rendon highlights highlights something critical. The power was never in the act itself. The power was in God. Looking was simply the required expression of faith. Those who refused did not perish because the remedy failed, but because they rejected it. This pattern repeats in our lives. Faith often looks like something small. Praying honestly, confessing quickly, choosing obedience again today. And because it is simple, we are tempted to look beyond it, to dismiss it, or to postpone it. But heaven's power is often accessed through very ordinary acts of trust. The way forward is still simple. The doctrine of Christ has not changed. Have faith in him, repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and continue striving to be obedient for the rest of your life. That path is not complicated, but it does require humility. Elder David A. Bednar explains why we sometimes miss the power in that simplicity. Let's listen to him.

SPEAKER_01 6:17

We as members of the church tend to emphasize marvelous and dramatic spiritual manifestations so much that we may fail to appreciate and even overlook the customary pattern by which the Holy Ghost accomplishes his work. The very simpleness of the way of receiving small and incremental spiritual impressions may cause us to look beyond the mark.

SPEAKER_00 6:46

When we are looking for a dramatic change, we may overlook the daily invitations to repent, adjust, and follow Christ more closely. The Lord works patiently and incrementally. Healing often comes the same way. If we are trying, and if we truly want to live with Him again, His mercy makes up for our imperfections. The doctrine of Christ is not about flawless performance, it is about faithful direction. We keep turning toward Him. We keep looking. The tragedy in the wilderness was never the serpents. It was the refusal to look. The remedy was already there, lifted up for all to see. So here is today's challenge. Identify one place where pride may be delaying repentance or obedience. Don't overcomplicate it. Today choose the simple act of turning to Christ through prayer, confession, forgiveness, or a renewed effort, and trust that his power is sufficient to heal. 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.