Steering By Kindled Light

Martha’s comment the other day reminded me of the rich symbolism in the story of the Jaredites as they make their way to the Promised Land. I’ll write more about that tomorrow, but wanted to share this quote with you from Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen’s book My Grandfather’s Blessings. In the Epilogue of the book she says:

"In the Book of Mormon, there is another version of the Exodus story. In it, the Jaredites, forced from their homes by conditions that stifle their freedom, set out across great uncharted waters to reach the land of promise in boats sealed up tightly against the sea. Jared speaks to God about the difficulty in steering these boats in total darkness. He is told that if he brings stones with him, God will touch them and they will shine forth light.

The voyage is long and difficult in the extreme; there are mighty storms, and the boats are plunged deep beneath the water over and over again. But their seal holds, and the stones, touched by God, continue to shine. According to Jung, the stone is one of the two archetypal symbols for the soul. This image of a people sailing through heavy seas in search of freedom, steering only by the light that the touch of God kindles in their souls, is a particularly beautiful one for me."[My Grandfather's Blessings, P. 375]

This symbolism is especially beautiful for me also. And there is so much more!