Invest in the Right Climb

Several months ago, I learned that a young adult in our neighborhood had changed the pursuit of her professional career. After graduating from college in a rigorous and competitive field, she realized that path wasn't for her, and set about to discover where to go next after such a heavy investment of her time and money.

I've found myself thinking of that brief conversation often. I admire her deeply for her pluck. It's generally counter to human nature to invest highly in anything - only to then leave it and go another direction. Somehow, we tend to think we've wasted something in the switch.

Humans must hate changing direction for more than just the fact it involves change.

Boyd K. Packer said it this way:

"I am reminded of the statement "There are two many who struggle and climb and finally reach the top of the ladder, only to find that it is leaning against the wrong wall." (https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/boyd-k-packer/arts-spirit-lord/)

This recent conversation has gotten me thinking how passionately we humans invest in some choices - how committed we can become even when it's looking like those choices aren't good ones. Or worse - if the choices are downright disastrous - even, potentially - spiritually fatal.

How do you develop the integrity necessary to recognize and admit you've leaned your ladder against the wrong wall?

How do you develop the courage necessary to climb down that ladder?

And finally, how do you develop the humility necessary to start at the bottom again, choose another wall, lean your ladder against it - possibly with any advantages of what was invested in the previous climb completely lost - and start over?

These are the qualities someone will need who has leaned a spiritual ladder on a wall with more serious importance than even a career choice. If you've chosen a worldly wall that will lead right into the great and spacious building, how do you possibly recognize that that choice even needs to be reconsidered?

It takes great integrity to recognize and admit you're in the wrong place.

It takes great courage to withstand the mocking and derision and climb down.

It takes great humility to grab the rod instead, and start climbing towards the Tree of Life.

There are scriptural models of people who have invested their lives at the top of a ladder on the wrong building, and their stories are remarkable because they recognized it, climbed down, and sacrificed all that was invested in getting them to the top of that wrong building.

Likewise, there are scriptural models of those who made that same unwise investment of their lives, and have gone to incredible lengths to justify their choice and stay exactly where they are.

In the Book of Mormon, the leaders of the Zoramites - a group who dissented from the Nephites - quietly went among the people to see how the preaching of Alma and Amulek had affected public opinion. They did this via stealthy, dissembling polling. They were angry at the teaching because the scripture states "it did destroy their craft" (Alma 35:3).

The phrase - "destroy their craft" captures the idea of not wanting to face the reality of having made a bad investment. It perfectly describes a person atop the ladder propped up against the wrong building, needing to climb down and start again.

What does it cost to climb down the ladder, find the right building, and climb up again? Is it really so painful to admit the original building was wrong - that the time invested in the original climb was a waste of time?

The Zoramite leaders were prepared to create an ancient cancel culture to keep from facing that reality. Not only did they eject community members who had accepted Alma's and Amulek's teaching, but they became angry at the neighboring community - the people of Ammon - who were willing to give them a place to live. And when the people of Ammon ignored their demand, the Zoramites petitioned Lamanite neighbors to intervene forcefully (see Alma 35:1-10).

That is some pretty serious commitment to the wrong building.

The most obvious scriptural example of refusing to recognize a wrong-minded investment is the Pharisees in the time of Jesus. If what this young Rabbi from Nazareth was teaching was true - if He really was who He said He was - they were most definitely at the top of a ladder leaning against the wrong building.

Such was their commitment to their wrong investment - when confronted with the idea that it WAS wrong - the Pharisees went to incredible lengths indeed to protect their "craft." Rather than climb down and reclimb with new ideas - saving ideas - they resorted to plotting the crucifixion of the very Messiah they claimed to preach of. Again - tragically serious commitment to the wrong building.

But the scriptural stories of Alma and Amulek, Zeezrom, Paul - are beautiful examples of men who had the courage, humility, and integrity to start over again, being willing to sacrifice the investment of possibly years of being atop the wrong building.

Every repentance story is the story of someone who got to the top of a ladder against the wrong building - recognized it - and had the courage, humility, and integrity to do something about it.

As I so often find myself praying for loved ones atop the wrong building, I've found myself asking that they have enough of all three of these qualities in order to sacrifice the "craft" they've committed to and climb back.

It takes courage, humility, and integrity to repent.

C. ourage

H. umility

I. ntegrity

CHI is the Asian philosophy of a vital life force which gives all living things energy, health and well being.

I've decided spiritual chi is having the courage, humility, and integrity to correct course as quickly as you're able to see you've committed any part of yourself - your heart, your mind, your commitment of time or resources - to a wrong thing. No matter the cost.

That's what courage and humility and integrity are for. Because I don't know about you, but my life has been starting over again too many times to count. I'm learning to look at my own reluctance to NOT want to start over as a huge red flag. Why? What am I unwilling to give up?

Thanks to the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we have wasted nothing climbing to the top of wrong buildings. It's all counted as experience for our good if we're willing to start over at the bottom of another ladder (see D&C 122:7). I just want to be willing to scamper right down the minute I recognize there's a better building to invest in