The Ark, The Barge, And The Ship

The Ark, the Barge, and the Ship

Recently I had a conversation with the leader of a local congregation where I attend church. We sat down and had a long discussion about the trials I have going on in my life at this time. I expressed that I felt lost. I had told him that I had, until recently, felt as though I was in a river. I had moved to Maine my sophomore year of high school. I knew I wanted to graduate high school. After that, I knew I wanted to serve a church mission. I then wanted to return, find gainful employment, go to school, find a wife, have some kids, and continue on. Every step in my life seemed to naturally progress to the next stage. It flowed forward naturally. And I had achieved each one of these goals. I was where I wanted to be. But now, in light of recent events, I find myself stagnant, seemingly lost or stuck, and without a clear path or course in my life. I expressed my frustration to my leader who gently and kindly replied, "Where do all rivers eventually lead? The Sea or Ocean. That is where you are at right now." I told him that I did not like not knowing my path. It was a new and uncomfortable feeling. He advised me to read up on Nephi and the Liahona (a compass which worked by faith which was given to guide the Book of Mormon prophet and his family to the American Continent) and see what I could learn from that.

So that's what I did. I actually found the 3 instances where the Lord commanded someone to build a boat in the scriptures. The first is from the Bible, the other 2 are found in the Book of Mormon. The first is about Noah and the Ark. The second is about the Brother of Jared and the barges. Finally, the third is about Nephi and the boat he was commanded to build. After researching these 3 separate and distinct stories, I was surprised to find so many similarities and some minor but important differences. The more important difference in the 3 stories is the succession of what the Lord wanted these prophets to learn. Allow me to explain:

The story of Noah is  likely known to all of us. Of course I am referring to the biblical account and not the abomination which is the newly made movie. In the Bible, God commands Noah to build an ark so that a few righteous souls and other animal life would be saved from the impending and utterly destructive flood. The end goal of the Ark was to survive. The Lord commanded Noah to construct the ark in a very specific fashion in order to withstand the rains and floods. Noah obeyed, and the Ark floated upon the waters. The ark had no other purpose other than to survive and preserve the inhabitants therein. It succeeded in completing its mission and purpose after about a year of floating upon the water, allowing the passengers to exit the ark and repopulate the world.

The story of the Brother of Jared in the book of Ether from the Book of Mormon recounts the story of a family that was at the tower of Babel, as told in the Bible. The family, lead by a man referred to as the Brother of Jared, was favored of the Lord when they humbled themselves by begging the Lord to spare them from having their language confounded at the instance of the tower of Babel. The Lord then commanded this family to depart to the coasts of the land they were on. The Brother of Jared was further commanded there, by the Lord, to construct a vessel, later referred to as a barge. The Lord commanded the Brother of Jared to construct the ships in a manner that many of us would imagine to look like a submarine. The barges' purpose was to bring them from the landmass they were on, to a new land that was a promised and beautiful place. The barges were designed to be "tight like unto a dish" and would have two openings should the barge overturn. From how the ship is described, there was no sailing nor steering mechanism. In order to reach the promised land, they would have to simply have the faith to be carried there by the waves and winds. It took nearly a year, but they reached the promised land and gave thanks.

The story of Nephi and the boat tells of Nephi and a very similar commandment to build a ship. Nephi too was told after which manner to construct the boat and was given the same mission: to sail to the promised land. Like the Brother of Jared, Nephi was full of faith and did everything he was instructed to of the Lord. Unlike the Brother of Jared, however, Nephi and his family had been given a device from the Lord that would help guide them to the promised land -- the Liahona. The Liahona acted similarly to a compass by our standards, but did not simply point north. This "compass" would point in the direction to where the Lord desired them to go and it would work only "according to their faith". Nephi and his family set off for the promised land and soon ran into problems. There is dissension amongst members of the family and there began to be infighting. The family begins to lose faith in God and the compass ceases to work. About that same time they hit a massive storm which threatens to destroy the ship and its passengers. Fearing that they would perish, the dissident members of the family repent and the storm ceased. The compass began to function again, in accordance with their faith, and they reached the promised land.

So what did I learn?


In the story of Noah, the Lord wanted Noah to obey and survive. That was it. The Lord simply asked Noah to listen and obey. Noah did this, and the Lord kept his promise that they would be spared. Sometimes, the Lord simply asks us to float. He wants us to trust in Him that we will "make it" and that we are in his power. Noah didn't receive a promised land, but rather an opportunity to preserve the lives of his family and the animal life. This was still a brilliant blessing in and of itself.

In the story of the Brother of Jared, the Lord wanted him to build the barges without means
by which to steer them and trust that the Lord would take them to a new place where He wanted them to be. Once again, this required trust and faith, but with an element that was different from the story of Noah: Instead of just surviving and continuing, the Lord intended for them to thrive and to prosper in the promised land. The Lord teaches us the lesson in this story that sometimes the past is behind us, and there is a precious new life ahead of us. We may not know how we are going to get there, but if we trust in Him that He knows best and will guide us, we will be OK.

In the story of Nephi, the lesson to be learned was that sometimes the Lord allows us to choose our path. Never doubt that The Lord still has a destination in mind, but wants us to exercise our faith to get us there. Sometimes we are given a ship and a means to get there. This can be likened unto the spirit. IF we are worthy, we can use the spirit to guide us along the route that leads us to the promised land. The spirit may take us through the storms, but this is sometimes to avoid the dangerous reefs that would leave us destroyed and marooned. If we heed our "compass", we too can obtain the promised land and revel in the satisfaction that the Lord loved and trusted us enough to be part of the process of getting there. We then are appointed Captains, having learned eternal truths that come only from personal experience. Having gained this experience, we are now better equipped to help others on their way and can be as a lighthouse upon he shores for others to look towards for guidance.

I am thankful for this time in my life. I don't like it, but I am thankful for it. More so, I am thankful for the Gospel in my life which has helped me to interpret my trials as ways for me to learn and grow, rather than merely has tests to suffer through. Like any other test, we can look at it from two perspectives. First, we can choose to feel punished, abandoned, or alone. Like a test in the classroom, tests can cause anxiety and stress. And as I felt sometimes in High school, I felt that pop-quizzes were given to us out of some cruel punishment by some of my teachers. Or second, we can choose to view our tests as an opportunity to show our stuff, to prove what we have learned. Without testing, we would never have a need for gaining knowledge. I can tell you that I never would have cared nor bothered to learn the state capitals if it wasn't for the tests on the in my grade-school years. I have not been to all the states and have not truly ever needed to know that information for any other purpose, but to this day can recall nearly all the state capitals from memory. I memorized this information because of a few tests so many years ago. We can choose to view our tests as rungs to be climbed on a ladder bringing us to higher and better places.


I know that each of us can learn from these experiences. I have been in each of these positions in my life. At times, I feel like I am just being asked to survive. And that's OK. If the only thing we learn from this is the Faith to "Be still and know that I am God", then it is a victory in and of itself. The Faith to believe that even though we have not "moved" per se, that we have nevertheless grown and progressed. At times, I have been carried upon the waters without the ability to steer. Whether i liked it or not, I had to place my trust in the Lord and believe that the Lord was "see(ing) if (I) will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command (me)." And finally, there have been times when there seems to be smooth sailing, because I have been following the compass. But then the storms come, and sometimes we focus more on the storm and the waves and the sails than upon he compass and we lose sight. But if we can refocus our attention upon the compass and where it comes from and where it is leading us, we can navigate the murky waters and find the land prepared for us by the Lord.


I love my Savior who loves all of us and wants us to learn from each of these examples at the appropriate times in our lives. Which one of these lessons do I need to learn at this time and in this trial? Well... maybe a little of each. That has nit yet been revealed to me, but I know that the Lord will make it all clear to me in the end. I am thankful for the knowledge and testimony I have of Him and His Atonement.