The Pointlessness of Seeing the Future

 

I have the ability to predict the future. I have been able to do so for most of my adult life, often with remarkable accuracy. Yes, you can call me Middleaged Prognosticator Man.

I suspect that you most of you adults can as well, but I think children – especially teenagers – might not have developed this skill set yet.

However, as intriguing as this may sound, I have come to the conclusion that being able to tell the future is rather pointless. There does not seem to be a lot of benefit. Please allow me to explain.

Here are some examples of how I can predict the future with stunning accuracy, and why it doesn’t seem to be of much help:

• I can foresee that if I eat that extra maple bar, I will feel gross all morning — yet I eat it anyway.

• I can foresee that if I go to the temple I will leave fulfilled and happy — yet I struggle to find the time.

• I can foresee that If I go to the gym, I will leave feeling tired, but a good kind of tired — yet I don’t get off the couch enough.

• I can foresee that if I start watching a TV show at Midnight, I will be tired the next day — but I press “play” anyway.

• I can foresee that if I visit my Home Teaching families early in the month, they will feel more loved, and I will feel better about my stewardship — but I’ve still got a couple more weeks to sneak in under the wire..

• I can foresee that if my family reads the scriptures and prays together everyday, we will all be blessed, and protected — but some mornings just get so busy…

As you can see, my ability to see the future does not seem to have much impact on my behavior. One would think after correctly predicting such things for over thirty years, I would start believing in my own experiences, and trusting my knowledge to the point where it makes an impact.  One would think.

There is a sad realization that knowledge, unapplied, is not very valuable.

Why is is so hard to just do what we know to be the right thing to do? Shouldn’t a lifetime of choice/consequence eventually sink in? Is it just me? Apparently not.

I do find a bit of consolation in that the great Nephi once expressed a moment of self-frustration when he said,

“Oh wretched man that I am! My heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and sins that do so easily beset me.” (2 Nephi 4:18)

So at least Nephi and I share that frustration. From there, we diverge. While I get pouty about my shortcomings, Nephi goes on to give himself an awesome pep talk. Thankfully, I can borrow his:

My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.

He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh.

He hath confounded mine enemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me.

Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me knowledge by visions in the night-time.

And by day have I waxed bold in mighty prayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high; and angels came down and ministered unto me.

 And upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been carried away upon exceedingly high mountains. And mine eyes have beheld great things, yea, even too great for man; therefore I was bidden that I should not write them.

O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?

 And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy?

Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.

Do not anger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions.

Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation.

O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?

May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite! O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road!

O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way—but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy.

O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm.

Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen.  (2 Nephi 4:20-35)

Sure, it’s kind of long, but it is perhaps the mightiest pep talk ever written, and written by a man who was struggling. If you need a catchy sound-bite, maybe you could go with “Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.”

 

I can foresee that there will be plenty more days where I feel weak, and my fore-knowledge proves to be of little use. But I can also foresee that I need to “just keep pedaling,” and enlist God’s help – like Nephi.

If I can do that, I foresee great and glorious things.

(And to help you out, you just got tricked into doing your scripture study for the day. I’m thoughtful like that.)