The Dark And Dreary Waste

When we discuss Lehi's vision, we typically start with the path and the iron rod that lead to the tree of life. But Lehi's dream actually begins with him wandering in a dark and dreary waste, and after many hours of traveling in darkness, he finally thinks to pray to his Heavenly Father and plead for mercy. And immediately he is removed from that dark and dreary waste and the rest of his glorious vision that we know so well unfolds before his eyes. The thing is, I don't believe it was entirely necessary for Lehi to be wandering in darkness for so many hours, because the vision shifted just as soon as he prayed. He could have cut short his misery much sooner if only he had thought to seek the Lord's tender mercies earlier in his journey. Aren't we sometimes a lot like Lehi. We're wandering in the dark with no joy and no hope and seemingly no purpose and we wish that the Lord would pluck us from our misery but we don't think to take that next step, that small act of faith to plead to the Lord for His tender mercies. There is a tree waiting for us whose fruit is sweet above all that is sweet and is the most joyous to the soul. But until we turn to the Lord and ask in faith and humility for Him to rescue us from our dark and dreary wilderness, we have no choice but to continue to stumble in the dark. God's love is freely available to light and warm and suffuse our lives with peace and joy, but we can't feel it as fully or as keenly so long as we are wandering in the dark. I don't know if, like Lehi, God will snatch us from the wilderness the moment we begin to pray, but I do know that we will leave the darkness behind much sooner when we turn to the Lord and plead for His tender mercies.