Post by Admin on Jun 17, 2023 17:50:45 GMT
I received a question regarding the phrase "slow to hear" found in the scriptures. If we take a look at Mosiah VII, paragraph 8, we find Abinadi preaching to the people that if they do not repent, they will be delivered into the hands of their enemies. And after they are in bondage when they pray, the Lord will be slow to hear their cries. The question is, since the people were slow to hear the Lord, refused to follow the Lord, and were in trouble from their own making, why was the Lord slow to hear their prayers?Since this is a broadly applicable principle, I will try to apply it to one example. The example is Obesity and it's related problems.Okay, this example should be easy to see. The Lord is saying that He will give us dietary advice, and if we follow it, then we will have good health.
So, the principle of the Lord punishing us is really the results of our own choices, not from Him actually punishing. Since the Lord follows the laws of cause and effect so perfectly, then He becomes that law, and therefore can say it is Him that is giving us the consequences of our actions, since He has become one with the Law of Cause and Effect.
It is easy to see our Father trying to give us the best dietary advice that will produce the best result. If we listen to that advice, then we will have the natural result of a healthy body. If we do not listen to that advice, then we will have the natural consequence of being FAT!
Of course, after we are fat, and have diabetes and other diseases, then we cry to the Lord for help! We cry to the Lord for healing. And because we are now willing to follow the advice of the Lord, we now keep the dietary advice He gives us. Now, how fast will we lose the fat? It will take some time, or in other words, the Lord will be slow to take away our fat!
Using this analogy, we can easily see why the Lord is "slow to hear" our prayers. It is not that He is slow to hear, but that the results are going to be slow in coming, because we are so fat!!!
Let us apply this to the original scripture: If the people would turn to the Lord, keeping His commandments, repenting of their iniquities, turning their whole hearts to the Lord, then they would be in a spiritual state to hear His voice Loud and Clear! If they can hear Him so loudly and clearly, then they can easily follow His advice as to where to go and how to keep out of bondage.
But, if they wait until after they are in bondage to learn to hear the voice of the Lord, then it will be so much more difficult to keep the commandments and repent in sackcloth and ashes while in bondage. And if it is so much more difficult to repent and keep the commandments while kept in slavery, just like keeping the dietary rules while already obese and addicted, how long will it take to get the results to hear the voice of the Lord loudly enough, and clearly enough, to follow the advice of the Lord out of bondage?
So the phrase "slow to hear" does not really refer to how soon the Lord will choose to listen to our prayers, but rather this phrase refers to how soon we will be in a position to get the desired results.
Wo be unto this people, for I have seen their abominations, and their wickedness, and their whoredoms. And except they repent, I will visit them in mine anger. And except they repent, and turn to the Lord their God, behold, I will deliver them in the hands of their enemies; yea, and they shall be brought into bondage; and they shall be afflicted by the hand of their enemies. And it shall come to pass that they shall know that I am the Lord their God, and am a jealous God, visiting the iniquities of my people.
And it shall come to pass that except this people repent, and turn the Lord their God, they shall be brought into bondage; and none shall deliver them, except it be the Lord the Almighty God. Yea, and it shall come to pass that when they shall cry unto me, I will be slow to hear their cries; yea, and I will suffer them that they be smitten by their enemies. And except they repent in sackcloth and ashes, and cry mightily to the Lord their God, I will not hear their prayers, neither will I deliver them out of their afflictions.
And it shall come to pass that except this people repent, and turn the Lord their God, they shall be brought into bondage; and none shall deliver them, except it be the Lord the Almighty God. Yea, and it shall come to pass that when they shall cry unto me, I will be slow to hear their cries; yea, and I will suffer them that they be smitten by their enemies. And except they repent in sackcloth and ashes, and cry mightily to the Lord their God, I will not hear their prayers, neither will I deliver them out of their afflictions.
Wo be unto this people, for I have seen their gluttony, and their sugars, and their carbs. And except they follow my eating advice, I will visit them in mine anger. And except they follow my dietary instructions, turning to the Lord their God, behold, I will deliver them up to their addictions; yea, and they shall be brought into obesity; and they shall be afflicted by the disease of diabetes. And it shall come to pass that they shall know that I am the Lord their God, and am a jealous God, visiting the iniquities of my people with poor health.
And it shall come to pass that except this people follow my counsel, and turn to the dietary advice of the Lord their God, they shall be brought into obesity; and none shall deliver them, except it be the dietary advice of the Lord the Almighty God. Yea, and it shall come to pass that when they shall cry unto me, I will be slow to hear their cries. Yea, and I will suffer them that they be smitten by obesity. And except they follow my dietary counsel perfectly in humility and meekness, and cry mightily to the Lord their God for daily dietary intructions, I will not hear their prayers, neither will I deliver them out of their obesity.
And it shall come to pass that except this people follow my counsel, and turn to the dietary advice of the Lord their God, they shall be brought into obesity; and none shall deliver them, except it be the dietary advice of the Lord the Almighty God. Yea, and it shall come to pass that when they shall cry unto me, I will be slow to hear their cries. Yea, and I will suffer them that they be smitten by obesity. And except they follow my dietary counsel perfectly in humility and meekness, and cry mightily to the Lord their God for daily dietary intructions, I will not hear their prayers, neither will I deliver them out of their obesity.
So, the principle of the Lord punishing us is really the results of our own choices, not from Him actually punishing. Since the Lord follows the laws of cause and effect so perfectly, then He becomes that law, and therefore can say it is Him that is giving us the consequences of our actions, since He has become one with the Law of Cause and Effect.
It is easy to see our Father trying to give us the best dietary advice that will produce the best result. If we listen to that advice, then we will have the natural result of a healthy body. If we do not listen to that advice, then we will have the natural consequence of being FAT!
Of course, after we are fat, and have diabetes and other diseases, then we cry to the Lord for help! We cry to the Lord for healing. And because we are now willing to follow the advice of the Lord, we now keep the dietary advice He gives us. Now, how fast will we lose the fat? It will take some time, or in other words, the Lord will be slow to take away our fat!
Using this analogy, we can easily see why the Lord is "slow to hear" our prayers. It is not that He is slow to hear, but that the results are going to be slow in coming, because we are so fat!!!
Let us apply this to the original scripture: If the people would turn to the Lord, keeping His commandments, repenting of their iniquities, turning their whole hearts to the Lord, then they would be in a spiritual state to hear His voice Loud and Clear! If they can hear Him so loudly and clearly, then they can easily follow His advice as to where to go and how to keep out of bondage.
But, if they wait until after they are in bondage to learn to hear the voice of the Lord, then it will be so much more difficult to keep the commandments and repent in sackcloth and ashes while in bondage. And if it is so much more difficult to repent and keep the commandments while kept in slavery, just like keeping the dietary rules while already obese and addicted, how long will it take to get the results to hear the voice of the Lord loudly enough, and clearly enough, to follow the advice of the Lord out of bondage?
So the phrase "slow to hear" does not really refer to how soon the Lord will choose to listen to our prayers, but rather this phrase refers to how soon we will be in a position to get the desired results.