"And the large and spacious building...is the vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men" (1 Nephi 12:18)

With some of the changes that have taken place in my life I have had to change how I live and even think. I have been trying to focus on the fact that I am a human being, not a human doing. Christ prayed: "And now Father, I pray unto thee for them, and also for all those who shall believe on their words, that they may believe in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one" (3 Nephi 19:23 italics added). This insight about being rather than always doing has helped me see things with a new view. I hope I can share some insights from 1 Nephi 12:18 that have come from wanting to be, and not always needing to "do".

"And the large and spacious building...is the vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men. And a great and a terrible gulf divideth them; yea, even the word of the justice of the Eternal God, and the Messiah who is the Lamb of God, of whom the Holy Ghost beareth record, from the beginning of the world until this time, and from this time henceforth and forever" (1 Nephi 12:18).

I had to ask, what does "vain imaginations" mean? Vain means "excessively...concerned about one's appearance, qualities, achievements" I immediately thought of the obsession with weight in our society, or whether or not one looks good enough or the constant comparison of one's abilities or qualities. Vain also means "(3) ineffectual or unsuccessful; futile. (4) without real significance, value, or importance; baseless or worthless. (5) Archaic. senseless or foolish" (Vain). I thought of the many things that are of no real value -being angry with myself because I didn't do enough or disappointed that I can't do all I used to be able to do". These kinds of thought do not bring me closer to God. They are focused on doing enough. These thoughts are "foolish" because they are not "things as they really are" (Jacob 4:13).

And what about "imaginations"? It is "the faculty of...forming mental images or concepts of what is not actually present to the senses". It is also defined  "Archaically[as]: a plan, scheme, or plot" (Imaginations). How much time is spent focusing on things that are not really "present to the senses", even the truth about ourselves (see Jacob 4:13), that we are "children of God" (Romans 8:16; 17; 21)?

Putting "vain imaginations" together made me think that the "large and spacious building" is made up of senseless and foolish plans or lack thereof. I realize that I am filled with vain imaginations. I put way too much concern or focus on baseless and worthless plans, self defeating thoughts that are not real or present. And sometimes I spend way too much time in the large and spacious building of self loathing, self defeat, or way too much time in the building of fear. Other foolish plans can include the constant need to be doing and missing the many opportunities of "being", even being kind, being patient, being still.

As I give a little more notice to what is in this verse, the "great and terrible gulf" that divides the righteous from the people in the "great and spacious building" is "the word of the justice of [God]". Sometimes, I spend so much time focused on others or my own imperfections, wasting time on things that are not present, I start to "suppose that mercy can rob justice", which is not true. "Nay; not one whit"! (Alma 42:25). It is pride that keeps me from trusting God and His "plan of mercy" (Alma 42:15, 31). The goal is to "be still. and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10 italics added) because one cannot "do" still.

I love knowing that God is merciful and just (see Alma 42:15, 31). I don't need to spend anymore time in the "great and spacious building" worrying about the appearance of my body, whether it is too fat or sick or not perfect enough. I don't need to spend anymore time focusing on "vain imaginations", even senseless or foolish plans of whether or not someone will receive justice. Rather, the joy is that I get to focus and hold onto "the rod of iron, which ...[is] the word of God, which [leads] to...the tree of life; which...[is a] representation of the love of God" (1 Nephi 11:25). And for me, it means I get to be loving, be forgiving, be one with God (see John 17:18-21).

"Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful" (Luke 6:36)

With all the negative news about the various injustices in the world these days, it has given me great pause to ponder this sad (understatement) state of affairs. I do not wish to make things worse, rather my desire is to suggest a solution to all these problems that seem to permeate our system, not only in the United States, but throughout the world. I am not a naive person who has only lived a life of bliss, but I don't feel I need to share all my "dark secrets" to validate that I have had my share of unfair/unjust experiences. From my own experiences I have learned there is only one solution to all the ills that plague the world. It is simple. It is to receive Christ, for He is the Gift.

Receiving gifts can be hard if we don't think they are going to be of any value to us, don't know how they work, or require a lot of effort to assemble or even think we have no need for them. The Gift of Christ makes all the difference. It has a "more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which [has] happened to us" (Alma 31:5). I know when I have been wounded by another I have sought and thought about seeking justice. "In scriptural terms, justice is the unchanging law that brings consequences for actions. Because of the law of justice, we receive blessings when we obey God's commandments. The law of justice also demands that a penalty be paid for every sin we commit" (Justice). Sometimes, when the laws of the land don't seem to satisfy the demands of justice we think we have a right to respond in anger and take matters into our own hands. In doing so we are no better than those who have sinned against us.

The powerful part of the Gift is that if I extend mercy, I don't need to fear that justice will not be served. "What, do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice? I say unto you, Nay; not one whit. If so, God would cease to be God" (Alma 42:25). Paul says, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Galatians 6:7). When we have lost something or someone we love and cherish, or have been deeply wounded which may seem to be unrepairable, it is hard to remember that God is a just God and we can 100% trust that all will be taken care of. Notice, I said all, not just the small things we seem to manage on our own, but all things.

When we receive a gift and we really appreciate it, we use it. The beauty of the gift of Christ is that we don't have to worry about justice, rather we can spend our energy receiving and extending mercy. "Mercy is the compassionate treatment of a person greater than what is deserved, and it is made possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ" (Mercy). The beauty of giving mercy is that we may also receive it in kind: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy" (Matthew 5:7), and we all need mercy. The world would have us seek justice, but the Lord teaches us to extend mercy, "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful" (Luke 6:36). Applying or extending mercy when it is justified by the world to turn your back, hurt, retaliate, or respond in kind or worse, is only made possible through the Atonement and is applying the gift of Christ. Christ wants more for us than justification. He wants us to be sanctified through His healing power, grace, and His sacrifice, even the Atonement (see sanctification; Moses 6:59-60).

I have experienced the need to extend mercy when retribution or retaliation was justified. It was not easy, but it was, and still is worth every effort to be merciful. As we become good receivers we  make it possible to use this gift of healing from Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, on a daily basis. This Gift will heal the world. This I testify.

Here is a short video for your enjoyment: He is The Gift

Bonus thoughts and links:
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: "A basic principle of Latter-day Saint doctrine is that we have to know that God is just in order to go forward. One of God's attributes is justice, and we would not have the faith- because of fear- to live righteously or to love better or to repent more readily if somehow we didn't think that justice would count for us, if somehow we thought God would change His mind and decide there was another set of rules. Because we know that God if just and would cease to be God if He weren't so, we have the faith to go forward, knowing that we will not be the victims of whimsy or caprice or a bad day or a bad joke. That assurance is very encouraging." (The Justice and Mercy of God).

Elder Dallin H. Oaks: He Heals the Heavy Laden