The Zone of Spiritual Totality

This week I listened to a BYU-Idaho Education Week talk by Rob Barton titled "The Zone of Spiritual Totality". He compared the 2017 total eclipse of the sun where the path of totality went through Rexburg, Idaho to our spiritual path and progression in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Many people traveled from all over the world to be in the path of totality during the eclipse, I was there with one of my sons and his family. It was a once-in-a-life-time opportunity and am grateful that my son convinced me to go. I was among those that did not believe it was any big deal to be in the path of totality. I was convinced that being in Logan, Utah where I could see 75% of the total eclipse was good enough.

Brother Barton did not understand what the big deal either was until he experienced it. His brother also lived in Logan and was one of those who did not think it was worth going to Rexburg to see it. Later when he learned what he had missed he asked his brother that if he had known it was going to be that important, why did he not invite him to come to see it.

The thousands that made the effort to be in the path of totality were blessed to witness an amazing sight while those that chose not to be there will never understand what they missed out on. So it is with our spiritual progression. We may think that we are doing ok, as long as we are obedient to God’s commandments most of the time. Being obedient most of the time is like experiencing the solar eclipse outside the zone of totality. We don’t know what we are missing if we have never been in the zone of spiritual totality.

The Total Eclipse

Brother Barton explained:

“The total eclipse came when there was total alignment between the sun, the moon, and the earth. Spiritual totality is when we are fully aligned with God, when we completely submit our will with his. In Preach My Gospel is says: ‘Bringing our lives in line with God’s will through repentance and faith on Jesus Christ is a central purpose of our lives.’

“The way we achieve unanimity with God is not finding a middle ground and persuading him to meet us there, the way we find unity with God it is to find out where he is, and we move there with all our hearts.”

Aligning Ourselves with God

“As we come to know God’s will and are baptized by those authorized to provide that ordinance, we perfectly aligned with God and are in the zone of spiritual totality.” (The Zone of Spiritual Totality)

President Eyring said:

“Once I have decided I want eternal life more than business success (you add your own desires here), I will have crossed the great gulf between wanting to know what God would permit and trying to do what he would prefer.” (Henry B. Eyring)

President Eyring also said:

“at some moment in the world to come, everyone you will ever meet will know what you know now. They will know that the only way to live forever in association with our families and in the presence of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, was to choose to enter into the gate by baptism at the hands of those with authority from God. They will know that the only way families can be together forever is to accept and keep sacred covenants offered in the temples of God on this earth. And they will know that you knew. And they will remember whether you offered them what someone had offered you.” (A Voice of Warning)

As missionaries of the Gospel of Jesus Christ we know that families can only be together if they accept and receive the ordinances that will bind them together through baptism and the temple. Just like those who did not understand the importance of being in the path of totality for the eclipse, there are many who do not understand the importance of the message we have. We must be willing to invite everyone we meet to experience the blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God’s work and glory it to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man (Moses 1:39) and as we are tasked with the blessing of helping his children come to Christ and his kingdom here on earth.

Knowing these truths does not make us better than other people, but it does make us responsible. We are in unique circumstances to invite others to come to the come and follow their Savior into the waters of baptism. If we do this our joy will be full along with those who we have helped to come unto Christ and receive the covenants of the temple. We receive a fullness of joy in this life and in the life to come as we do all we can to be in the zone of spiritual totality and bring all of God’s children that will respond to our invitation to join with us.

Your comments and questions are welcome.