Do I really Need a Bishop?
📅Updated April 25, 2018 | By Ryan Hawks
Why is it necessary to speak with a bishop? Why can’t I merely talk to God to get direction on how to right my wrong?
Throughout the journey to the promised land, the Book of Mormon prophets Lehi and Nephi talked to God, receiving direction of where to go, and what to do. But there came a point when God gave the traveling troop a compass known as the Liahona to guide them through the wilderness to the promised land. Why was such a compass necessary when Nephi was commuting just fine with God?
Because sometimes, as humans, we need tangibility. Having something they could hold and handle made receiving direction clear--especially when they weren’t following any distinct path or map. It also served as a form of spiritual compass for them. When they were obedient, the compass worked great. When they were disobedient, it stopped working.
This same principle of having a tangible compass demonstrates the value of a bishop. When our minds get distorted by sin--when we are lost in the wilderness of addiction--we need something solid to hold onto to guide us to the promised land of a recovered life. We need a compass to guide us through the wilderness of our mistakes to lead us to the promised land of forgiveness and inner peace. Your bishop will serve as a Liahona for you in your journey of recovery. He can point ‘the way whither [you] should go.”
Just as the Liahona only worked ‘for them according to their faith in God,’ (Alma 37:40) your bishop is only as good as your willingness to heed and follow his counsel trusting that he has been called of God. When you are lazy and forget to exercise your faith and diligence in God and his servants, you will ‘not progress in [your] journey. Work hard to follow his counsel, and you will see the miracle of the Atonement in your life as well as ‘many other miracles wrought by the power of God, day by day.’ (Alma 37:19)
Throughout the journey to the promised land, the Book of Mormon prophets Lehi and Nephi talked to God, receiving direction of where to go, and what to do. But there came a point when God gave the traveling troop a compass known as the Liahona to guide them through the wilderness to the promised land. Why was such a compass necessary when Nephi was commuting just fine with God?
Because sometimes, as humans, we need tangibility. Having something they could hold and handle made receiving direction clear--especially when they weren’t following any distinct path or map. It also served as a form of spiritual compass for them. When they were obedient, the compass worked great. When they were disobedient, it stopped working.
This same principle of having a tangible compass demonstrates the value of a bishop. When our minds get distorted by sin--when we are lost in the wilderness of addiction--we need something solid to hold onto to guide us to the promised land of a recovered life. We need a compass to guide us through the wilderness of our mistakes to lead us to the promised land of forgiveness and inner peace. Your bishop will serve as a Liahona for you in your journey of recovery. He can point ‘the way whither [you] should go.”
Just as the Liahona only worked ‘for them according to their faith in God,’ (Alma 37:40) your bishop is only as good as your willingness to heed and follow his counsel trusting that he has been called of God. When you are lazy and forget to exercise your faith and diligence in God and his servants, you will ‘not progress in [your] journey. Work hard to follow his counsel, and you will see the miracle of the Atonement in your life as well as ‘many other miracles wrought by the power of God, day by day.’ (Alma 37:19)
One of my biggest allies was the bishop of my home ward. When I say big, this man is a giant both physically and spiritually. I had many different visits with Bishop Hanks over the years as he worked to help me through the process of recovery. There was one visit that really stood out to me as a demonstration of his love and support.
I remember one particularly rough day when I gave him a call and asked if we could meet. He told me he would meet me at the church. As I pulled up to the chapel, he was sitting in his truck, likely having just gotten off work. He invited me into his truck. We proceeded to visit as he drove across town to a fast food joint, where he ordered drinks for both of us at the drive through. Do I remember what all we visited about? I remember general themes about the importance of changing my environment to make it less conducive to getting pornography. But the main thing I remember from that visit and subsequent visits was the love I felt from him. Only recently in my life as I have been busy with family and work obligations did it occur to me the time I was probably taking away from other things he needed to do. But he didn’t complain. Each time I met with him, I went with a load heavy from mistakes and even heavier from the shame those mistakes had caused. But he would sit across from me and remind me lovingly how much the Lord cared about me. When I left his office, the weight was not only gone, but replaced with a renewed dedication to improve.
I remember one particularly rough day when I gave him a call and asked if we could meet. He told me he would meet me at the church. As I pulled up to the chapel, he was sitting in his truck, likely having just gotten off work. He invited me into his truck. We proceeded to visit as he drove across town to a fast food joint, where he ordered drinks for both of us at the drive through. Do I remember what all we visited about? I remember general themes about the importance of changing my environment to make it less conducive to getting pornography. But the main thing I remember from that visit and subsequent visits was the love I felt from him. Only recently in my life as I have been busy with family and work obligations did it occur to me the time I was probably taking away from other things he needed to do. But he didn’t complain. Each time I met with him, I went with a load heavy from mistakes and even heavier from the shame those mistakes had caused. But he would sit across from me and remind me lovingly how much the Lord cared about me. When I left his office, the weight was not only gone, but replaced with a renewed dedication to improve.