A benefit of growing up in Washington State was the frequent opportunity our family had to go into the wilderness. To those not familiar with the area, there are 31 designated wilderness areas in the state of Washington. Going into the wilderness means getting away from everything man-made. Hiking into areas uninhabited and undeveloped ensures days and nights of peace. One can sleep while serenaded by the sounds of nature, undisturbed by modern technology. It is an opportunity to be one with the creations of God.
Several years ago, during a visit to Washington, I was driving through the Cascade Mountains on my way back to Seattle. Thinking of those many weekends spent hiking the wilderness trails, I stopped near a designated trailhead. I was not prepared for a long trek into the mountains, but I was eager to hike far enough away from the road to be unable to hear the traffic. About a mile into the journey, I paused to rest in a secluded and quiet place. Here, alone, I sat and breathed in the smells of the forest. I listened to the sounds of nature. It is peaceful. I felt God’s presence as I expressed my gratitude for His beautiful creations.
The Children of Israel
There are many examples of God’s people going into the wilderness. The Israelites were sent to wander in the wilderness as a way for the Lord to determine their obedience. “And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or no.” (Deuteronomy 8:2)
John the Baptist
As my family would leave the city for the distraction-free Cascade Mountains, John the Baptist called followers to the wilderness. Here, away from the distractions of city life, John preached the gospel of repentance. “He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.” (John 1:23)
Lehi and His Family
Having raised his family in Jerusalem, the prophet Lehi was commanded to depart into the wilderness to save himself from those who sought to kill him. “For behold, it came to pass that the Lord spake unto my father, yea, even in a dream, and said unto him: Blessed art thou Lehi, because of the things which thou hast done; and because thou hast been faithful and declared unto this people the things which I commanded thee, behold, they seek to take away thy life. And it came to pass that the Lord commanded my father, even in a dream, that he should take his family and depart into the wilderness.” (1 Nephi 2:1-2)
Living in the wilderness was not easy for Lehi and his family. Their life in Jerusalem was full of riches and comfort for they had much silver and gold. Yet, as my young legs and lungs grew stronger from climbing steep mountain trails, Lehi and his family grew stronger in faith through affliction in the wilderness. Nephi, Lehi’s son, testified of the blessings received during this time in the wilderness. He said, “And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness. And we did sojourn for the space of many years, yea, even eight years in the wilderness.” (1 Nephi 17:3-4)
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ frequently sought peace and solitude in the wilderness. His fame and popularity soared following the working of miracles. Opportunities to ponder and pray alone and uninterrupted must have been rare. In Luke chapter 5 we read, “But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities. And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.”
Leaving the Wilderness
If the wilderness is so desirable, why doesn’t God let us just stay there? Because, while a valuable place, the wilderness is not our destination. I had to leave Washington to marry my sweetheart, start a family, and raise them where God knew we were needed.
The children of Israel had to enter the promised land and establish a country where the people could be free. Followers of John the Baptist needed to find “He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.” (John 1:27).
Lehi and his family were destined to come to the American continent to establish a nation where the fullness of the gospel would be received, recorded, and shared with the world in the latter days.
A Greater Calling
The mission of the Savior, Jesus Christ, wasn’t to just teach and perform miracles. He was to atone and die for the sins of mankind. Because of His perfect love for us, He could not sojourn in the wilderness. He had to finish his mission to save me, and you, and all who ever have or will live.
The wilderness can be a place of peace, inspiration, trial, or affliction. But our destination is the kingdom of heaven, and we are called out of the wilderness to complete our journey. Let us prepare to return to our most holy home.
