In Finding My Liahona, Part 1, I wrote about how I began comparing my heart to the Liahona—the brass ball that Lehi found outside his tent door, which he and his family used to find their way through the wilderness as they journeyed toward a covenant land of promise.
For me, thinking of my heart as a personal Liahona was a new way of seeing the Liahona. The Liahona had been compared by others to a number of different things, but I had never heard of it being compared to the heart.
The Book of Mormon itself provides what I consider to be the prime example of a Liahona analogy. Speaking to his son Helaman, the prophet Alma likened the Liahona to the words of Christ:
"And now, my son, I have somewhat to say concerning the thing which our fathers call a ball, or director—or our fathers called it Liahona, which is, being interpreted, a compass; and the Lord prepared it.
"And behold, there cannot any man work after the manner of so curious a workmanship. And behold, it was prepared to show unto our fathers the course which they should travel in the wilderness.
"And it did work for them according to their faith in God; therefore, if they had faith to believe that God could cause that those spindles should point the way they should go, behold, it was done; therefore they had this miracle, and also many other miracles wrought by the power of God, day by day.
"Nevertheless, because those miracles were worked by small means it did show unto them marvelous works. They were slothful, and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence and then those marvelous works ceased, and they did not progress in their journey;
"Therefore, they tarried in the wilderness, or did not travel a direct course, and were afflicted with hunger and thirst, because of their transgressions.
"And now, my son, I would that ye should understand that these things are not without a shadow; for as our fathers were slothful to give heed to this compass (now these things were temporal) they did not prosper; even so it is with things which are spiritual.
"For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land.
"And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise."
(Alma 37:38-45.)
Church leaders in our day have also drawn other analogies to the Liahona. For example, President Thomas S. Monson has compared the Liahona to a patriarchal blessing ("Your Patriarchal Blessing: A Liahona of Light," Ensign, October 1986), and Elder David A. Bednar has compared the Liahona to the Holy Ghost ("That We May Always Have His Spirit to Be with Us," Ensign, May 2006.)
While thinking about these analogies, I saw they were comparing the Liahona to the words of Christ (including scriptures and patriarchal blessings in which the words of Christ are recorded) and to the divine means by which the words of Christ are communicated to us (the Holy Ghost).
I also saw that my heart was in a different category. My heart was a means by which I receive and understand the words of Christ.
I pondered about this difference and why it is important to me.
I remembered that Nephi said he "did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning" (1 Nephi 19:23).
It occurred to me that seeing my heart as a Liahona was a way to liken the Liahona to myself more personally. It offered the potential for me to better understand how I can receive, understand and follow the words of Christ.
However, when I considered the details of the story of the Liahona, the analogy of my heart as a Liahona didn't seem to fit. My heart feels like a ball of energy, which is what originally reminded me of the Liahona. But if I likened my heart to the brass ball, what would be the two spindles, or pointers, in that ball and how would they work?
Without a good answer to that question, I stepped back and asked, How can I most directly liken the Liahona to myself?
That is when it occurred to me to ask:
What if I am a Liahona?
What if I am that brass ball?
And if so, what are the two pointers within me, and how do they work?
And thus began the next phase in my search to find my Liahona.
When I learned from my counselor how to find out if something is true for me or not (see The Heart and a Willing Mind), I became more and more aware of what my counselor called my "place of knowing."
This place of knowing is what people call their heart. It is what we are talking about when we say, "I know it in my heart."
Of course, this isn't the physical heart that beats and pumps blood. This is what I think of as my spiritual heart, which, for me, feels like a ball of energy in the center of my chest. I can feel that ball of energy radiating within my chest and also radiating outside my chest, beyond the limits of my chest wall.
When I would talk with my wife, Anita, about this ball of energy I was using to receive insights, guidance and direction for my life, I would place my hand around that ball of energy and call it my Liahona, because it reminded me of a story in the Book of Mormon about a "ball, or director" that was called a "Liahona" (see Alma 37:38).
In that story, which takes place around 600 B.C., a prophet named Lehi was commanded by God to take his family from their home in Jerusalem and travel through the wilderness toward a "land of promise." Lehi's family was later joined on their journey by a man named Ishmael and his family.
Lehi's son, Nephi, wrote that his father arose one morning and went to his tent door, and "to his great astonishment he beheld upon the ground a round ball of curious workmanship; and it was of fine brass. And within the ball were two spindles; and the one pointed the way whither we should go into the wilderness" (1 Nephi 16:10).
Nephi described how they used the Liahona to guide them during the first part of their journey:
"And it came to pass that we did travel for the space of many days, slaying food by the way, with our bows and our arrows and our stones and our slings.
"And we did follow the directions of the ball, which led us in the more fertile parts of the wilderness.
"And after we had traveled for the space of many days, we did pitch our tents for the space of a time, that we might again rest ourselves and obtain food for our families.
"And it came to pass that as I, Nephi, went forth to slay food, behold, I did break my bow, which was made of fine steel; and after I did break my bow, behold, my brethren were angry with me because of the loss of my bow, for we did obtain no food.
"And it came to pass that we did return without food to our families, and being much fatigued, because of their journeying, they did suffer much for the want of food.
"And it came to pass that [my older brothers] Laman and Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael did begin to murmur exceedingly, because of their sufferings and afflictions in the wilderness; and also my father began to murmur against the Lord his God; yea, and they were all exceedingly sorrowful, even that they did murmur against the Lord.
"Now it came to pass that I, Nephi, having been afflicted with my brethren because of the loss of my bow, and their bows having lost their springs, it began to be exceedingly difficult, yea, insomuch that we could obtain no food.
"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did speak much unto my brethren, because they had hardened their hearts again, even unto complaining against the Lord their God.
"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make out of wood a bow, and out of a straight stick, an arrow; wherefore, I did arm myself with a bow and an arrow, with a sling and with stones. And I said unto my father: Whither shall I go to obtain food?
"And it came to pass that he did inquire of the Lord, for they had humbled themselves because of my words; for I did say many things unto them in the energy of my soul.
"And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came unto my father; and he was truly chastened because of his murmuring against the Lord, insomuch that he was brought down into the depths of sorrow.
"And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord said unto him: Look upon the ball, and behold the things which are written.
"And it came to pass that when my father beheld the things which were written upon the ball, he did fear and tremble exceedingly, and also my brethren and the sons of Ishmael and our wives.
"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the pointers which were in the ball, that they did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them.
"And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things.
"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did go forth up into the top of the mountain, according to the directions which were given upon the ball.
"And it came to pass that I did slay wild beasts, insomuch that I did obtain food for our families.
"And it came to pass that I did return to our tents, bearing the beasts which I had slain; and now when they beheld that I had obtained food, how great was their joy! And it came to pass that they did humble themselves before the Lord, and did give thanks unto him."
(1 Nephi 16:15-32.)
At that time of my life, I considered my heart—that ball of energy that was my place of knowing—to be my Liahona. I found that by following the directions I was receiving through my own "ball, or director," I, too, was being led "in the more fertile parts" of the wilderness of life through which I was traveling.
This was just the beginning of finding my own Liahona, as Lehi found his!
