Because they saw not

And it came to pass that Ether did prophesy great and marvelous things unto the people, which they did not believe, because they saw them not. Ether 12:5

This scripture reminds me of one of the audio books I was reading. I was thinking about that earlier today before I read this passage. Basically that book referred to a big shot in a company somewhere who said that if something can't be measured, it doesn't exist.

It could be an easy argument for an engineer/math type to make. It might work in business because things that are measurable might be easier to improve - or at least to know when you're making progress. But it would also qualify as a bit arrogant - a quality not uncommon for people who have convinced themselves that they're awesome in business or other pursuits.

But that's a very small world - like looking at your environment through a straw. The tiny bit of the world you see may make sense to you, but there's so much more. Those with straws and their share of closedness to truth however, will insist that their world is the world. Regardless of the position of power they have to claim it, they will still be pitifully wrong.

Love is the first thing to come to mind. Is love real? For hopefully most of us, it is. Yet it cannot be measured. It can't even be seen as described above. Yet does one know when it's felt?

This scripture also connects with me in another way. I'm 56 at the moment, and still playing ultimate frisbee. I play with kids half or a third my age. And I'm a better overall player than most of them. Why? Because I have field vision and know how to pass. I have learned over decades who will make the right cut, what kinds of cuts they make, how fast they are, and how much I can rely on them. I've also learned to recognize the lazy player. These are guys who perhaps get behind their defender with a clear pass to the end zone. They give me that look: "pass to me!" I give them the look back, because the play is all set up - now all we need is the execution. They think "if only he'd throw it to me, this play will go for big yards" and I think "when is he going to move?" I recognize at a point that he wants me to throw it first, then he'll run. That play has a very poor probability of working. Instead, my receiver must run. This lets me know which way he is going, how fast he is running, and how committed he is. It also opens up a much bigger window of area I can successfully throw to - and the play does 1000 times better. I will sometimes tell them after the play "you look at me like - are you going to throw it? And the answer is yes - run!"

This applies to the scripture above. We have to run first. When the Lord sees our direction, our commitment, our effort, he knows when and how to deliver. If we're just standing there on the field of life waiting for the Lord to make it happen - well, that's just frustrating to everyone.