The Power of Exodus: Where Are You Setting Up Your Tent?

Brothers and sisters, have you ever felt the pull of something—a habit, a relationship, a distraction—that keeps tugging you backward? It’s like standing at a crossroads, looking back at the comfortable, familiar path, even when the Spirit is clearly pointing you forward. It takes real effort, real focus, to turn around and walk toward the light.

I was listening to a talk recently, and the speaker kept circling back to this profound concept: the power of *leaving*. It’s the power of exodus. It’s the realization that to step into the fullness of the Spirit, to truly feel the joy of the Lord, we must be willing to walk away from what is merely earthly.

It hit me like a revelation during my own missionary prep days. We talk so much about *doing* good—the commandments, the service, the ordinances. And that’s vital, of course. But this talk emphasized that it’s not enough to just *intend* to do good; we have to be committed to it. We have to make it our daily offense, our active focus.

The Direction of Your Focus

The principle Paul taught—that you cannot look both ways at once—is so true in the Spirit world. If our minds are cluttered with the things we are trying to leave behind, or the things we are tempted by, we are spiritually facing the wrong way. We can’t build a life set up in the eternal if our attention is constantly snagged by the temporary.

The greatest antidote to worldliness is heavenliness. To dwell in the eternal, we must learn to dwell in the Spirit.

This isn't about guilt; it's about *direction*. It’s about making a conscious, daily choice to fill ourselves up—to get into the joy of the Lord so that the temptations of the world lose their power. Think of it like needing to be physically full to resist the urge to snack when you’re hungry. Spiritually, we must be filled up!

Shakan: Setting Up Our Tent in Eternity

The talk beautifully explored the Hebrew word *shakan*, which means to dwell or to set up a tent. When we read about the Israelites departing Egypt, they were moving from one state to the next—from bondage to the promise. The promise wasn't just a physical place; it was a state of being: dwelling in the eternal.

As returned missionaries, we hear so much about the *work*. We are called to participate in it. But as lifelong disciples, we are called to something deeper: to learn how to *dwell* in the heavenlies right here, right now. This means making our commitment to the gospel an active, daily process—a commitment to be *busy* doing God’s will, not just avoiding sin.

A Quick Disciple Challenge for This Week

I want to challenge you this week to identify one area where your focus keeps drifting backward—one "old habit" or distraction you keep returning to. Then, I invite you to actively replace that focus with something heavenly. Maybe it’s dedicating 15 minutes to studying the Book of Mormon using the social scripture study layer in LivingBook, or perhaps committing to a deep dive into the principles of the Plan of Salvation during a Book Club session in HolyPlaces.

Remember, every member can be an internet missionary, every member can be a disciple anywhere, all the time. Let's commit today to setting up our tents in the eternal.

If you're looking for more deep dives into these principles, I highly recommend revisiting the writings of Iron Rod authors. Check out LivingBook for some foundational reading!