A listening ear as before Thee I kneel
I have long pondered Thy question to me,
"What would you have me do?"
It has been a long and tedious journey,
But now I have for Thee an answer
Before Thee I present my heart, my mind
Even my very soul
Please consider them
With the best of my abilities, I strove to obey
And they have been purified
According to Thy commandments
Grant them Thy empowering touch
Enlighten them that I may see
For ahead of me lies treacherous perils
An overpowering period of darkness
That in time could destroy me
Grant me light that I may see through this storm
And to preserve my life
I know as a mortal, I am vulnerable
Sin and temptation constantly stand at my door
Luring me, beckoning me
And I do fall, even into the depths of blindness
I am to Thee a beggar
Thou art the one, the only savior
Who can deliver me and restore to me my sight
Grant that it may be so
For Thy light is eternal
I cannot be lost with it, for it never dims
Please, touch me with that light
That through Thee I may radiate thy love
Commentary:
A poem inspired by a story located in the Book of Mormon. It is a popular story that most who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is familiar with. Told in the Book of Ether, it tells of a man who lived at the time of the Tower of Babel who is delivered from the confounding of languages along with his family and friends. He and his family are sent on a journey to travel to a new land, and in part of that story he is required to build a ship to cross the ocean. As the ship was being built, he encountered some problems that would result in a loss of life if not resolved: finding a way to get breathable air and having light in order to see. He consults with the Lord concerning it. In this part of the story, he declares a powerful expression of faith and sees the Lord in His true form as He lights up some stones presented before Him to provide the light. The complete story may be accessed in The Book of Mormon, Book of Ether, Chapter 3.There was an experience I had in the mountains several years earlier that was connected to this story, and it caused me to start thinking about it again. I began to think about it in symbolic terms instead of literal as is often done, and as I mulled over the details in the story began to get connections between it and parts of life that we experience each day. As beautiful as the story was in its original form, looking at it symbolically began to speak to me more personally. It inspired me to sit down and write these words out as an expression of what inspired me during those moments of thought.
