The Messy Miracle: Finding Faith When the Path Isn't Straight

Sometimes, when we look back at the great moments—the miracles, the covenants, the founding moments of our restored Church—it feels like the narrative should have been flawless. We picture the perfect procession, the smooth journey, the effortless breakthrough. We want the divine power to manifest with the clean efficiency of a perfectly timed transfer.

But if you’ve been in the field, or if you’ve been through the process of missionary preparation, you know better. The truth is, the Lord often works through the mess. The process is rarely linear, and the journey to discipleship is full of stumbling, skepticism, and moments where we just want to turn back.

The recent podcast episode we listened to, featuring Autumn Dickson’s insights on Exodus 14–18, really drove this home. It used the incredible parting of the Red Sea as a profound parable for the Atonement of Jesus Christ, but it focused on something even more relatable: the *people* experiencing it.

The Skeptical Joshua: A Mirror for Our Hearts

The podcast highlighted a hypothetical Israelite, Joshua, who, despite being saved, was utterly peeved. He questioned the necessity of the plagues, the unnecessary drama, and the sheer difficulty of the trek through the parted waters. He was skeptical, worried, and frankly, fed up with the whole ordeal.

And honestly? Doesn't that sound a little bit like us sometimes? We see the grand covenants, the divine promises, and we get bogged down in the logistics. *Why couldn't it have been easier? Why couldn't the Lord have just sent a boat instead of parting the entire sea?* We get stuck on the perceived imperfections: the difficult terrain, the messy leadership moments, the sheer difficulty of trusting when all our senses are screaming caution.

The beauty of the message, and what I hope we can all take back into our own lives as disciples, is this: The difficulty is often part of the divine plan. The path *is* messy. The Lord is teaching us about the Atonement—a process that required sacrifice, struggle, and enduring what feels utterly overwhelming.

Following the Prophet Through the Mess

The core takeaway, as the podcast beautifully articulated, is that while the journey is fraught with danger and doubt, the alternative—staying in slavery—is far worse. We have a covenant path, and that path requires us to follow the prophet, even when the prophet, or the Church structure, stumbles. It requires us to trust the pattern, even when we'd prefer a different blueprint.

This isn't just for missionaries heading out the door. This is for us, the returning missionaries, the lifelong disciples, the ones who are figuring out how to be an internet missionary from our own living rooms. We have to learn to see the miracles—the divine power—even when we are focused on the logistical snags of our own lives.

It’s a powerful reminder that the Lord is leading His Church through a living prophet today. We might not like every plague, or every required step, but we must trust that the ultimate destination—the freedom, the inheritance, the life beyond slavery—is worth the difficult walk.

If you need a refresher on how to navigate these tough questions, I highly recommend running through a session with **Davee** using the **AI Investigator** role. He’s fantastic at walking you through the hard questions an investigator might ask, helping you feel prepared to share the gospel with grace and conviction.

For those who want to dig deeper into scripture-discipleship, check out the **Book Club** or **Bible Study Groups** in **HolyPlaces** this week. Let’s keep building up our testimonies together!

Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Exodus 14–18 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson

I testify that the Lord loves us, and that following Him, even when the waters are parted in a way that looks utterly terrifying, leads to freedom and glory. Let’s keep moving forward, disciples.