Spiritual Sleepiness

While speaking to regional representatives of the Church, President Ezra Taft Benson said:

"Do you know what peace and prosperity can do to a people—It can put them to sleep. The Book of Mormon warned us of how the devil, in the last days, would lead us away carefully down to hell.

"The Lord has on the earth some potential spiritual giants whom He saved for some six thousand years to help bear off the Kingdom triumphantly, and the devil is trying to put them to sleep. The devil knows that he probably won't be too successful in getting them to commit many great and malignant sins of commission. So he puts them into a deep sleep, like Gulliver, while he strands them with little sins of omission. And what good is a sleepy, neutralized, lukewarm giant as a leader?

"We have too many potential spiritual giants who should be more vigorously lifting their homes, the kingdom, and the country. We have many who feel they are good men, but they need to be good for something—stronger patriarchs, courageous missionaries, valiant genealogists and temple workers, dedicated patriots, devoted quorum members. In short, we must be shaken and awakened from a spiritual snooze."

I think any person in their right mind would choose peace and prosperity over suffering and adversity. The challenge is what we do when we prospering and our souls are at peace. Do we continue to recognize our Father in Heaven as the source of all success or do we turn inward, believing we are the reason for our own success? In a talk given by Virginia H. Pearce, she said: "Success is an affliction to the soul unless it is recognized for what it is - God's working in our lives." I often find that I tend toward a life deplete of gratitude and praise for my Heavenly Father when things are going as I believe they should. My prayers become repetitive recitations instead of thoughtful, meaningful communications with the One who has given me everything. I no longer "ponder" the scriptures and my attendance at church seems to become more about socializing than gaining knowledge. My spirit is currently very "sleepy".

So as I pondered how I could potentially wake up from this "sleep" I thought of a scripture. It's in Alma 5:7. It says: "Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God. Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word; ..."

I have had several experiences lately where the Lord has slowly begun to change my heart. Finding this quote was just one tender mercy He has shown me. I know that as I draw closer to Him through "feasting upon the words of Christ", I can offer my spirit the needed energy to "[awake] unto God" and be illuminated. Doesn't that just sound refreshing?