Steps and Missteps

There is a saying which says a great journey begins with the first step.  As true as this is it misses another point.  Yes, a journey doesn't happen until we take that first step, but every other step is just as important.  Any time we stop stepping the journey ends.  At least it is delayed for a time.  And any misstep seriously curtails our trip.  When we take the first step in our journey we must keep stepping and stay on the goal.

The prophet Lehi had a dream.  In his dream he saw the tree of life and the fruit which was very desirable.  Some of his family came and ate the fruit and some didn't.  His oldest sons rebelled right away.  As he watched the other people trying to get there, he observed a straight and narrow path which led to the tree.  Along the path was a rod of iron.  All the people had to do was hold onto the rod to find their way.  Those who lost their hold wandered off the path and were lost in a mist of darkness.  The other thing observed was a massive building, full of people mocking those who sought the tree and fruit.  Some people looked ashamed. At any rate this created a great distraction.  Then there were many who desired to get to the spacious building and join those there.  The interesting thing was that many of these people got lost on the way and some drowned in a river that was there.  Nephi,  Lehi's son, prayed for an explanation to this dream. An angel showed him the same dream with a thorough discussion of it's meaning.  Readers can read the story in 1st Nephi for this discussion.  For my discussion, I just wish to say we must set our sights on what is most important. take the first steps in the right direction.  Then we must keep the goal in sight and use what tools are there to help us stay on task.  The iron rod was there in Lehi's dream.  Often there are simple things that are easy to use but we sometimes loose track of them.  Or we don't take advantage of them because they are too simple.

David Frost's Poem gives us  some thoughts about choosing the right road:

1. The Road Not Taken

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;	5
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,	10
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.	15
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.				20

 I love the last line "And that has made all the difference."

My friends, we must choose carefully what path we take and when we choose keep stepping!  Also, always remember, if we get lost along the way, it is never too late to try to find our way back.  It may not be easy to get back through the dark mist,  but the path is still there and if we get ahold of the rod again we can still reach our goal.