Finding My Liahona, Part 2

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.