"For They Did PRICK THEIR HEARTS With the Word."

In our Church, there are many meetings that we attend; we are a Church of meetings!  That's good. We sit through many talks and lessons over our lifetime.  Some of them build our faith, and others call us to repentance. The ones that call us to repentance either solidify our testimonies of the gospel (usually if we are living consistent with what is being taught), or they "prick our hearts".   A "heart-pricking" is a GOOD thing!  It's meant to humble us.  It's a sign and an opportunity for us to "turn" back to the Lord and repent.  Perhaps if we didn't feel the "pricking", natural consequences of our actions might send us through a trial that would have the same effect on us, but be more painful.  Perhaps a "STAB", rather than a "prick"?

In the Book of Jarom, he notes this description of the Nephites who lived during his time.  There was much to be done to humble them "...because of the hardness of their hearts, and the deafness of their ears, and the blindness of their minds, and the stiffness of their necks..." (Jarom 1:3)  President Ezra Taft Benson tells us that this is PRIDE.  Fortunately for the Nephites, their leaders were faithful men of God.

Their spiritual preparation: Their "...leaders were mighty men of the faith of the Lord", and they taught the Nephites the ways of the Lord.  (Jarom 1:7)

The temporal result of their spiritual preparation: "...We withstood the Lamanites and swept them away out of our lands, and began to fortify our cities, and whatsoever place of our inheritance." (Jarom 1:7) "...And thus being prepared to meet the Lamanites, they did not prosper against us.  But the word of the Lord was verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying that: Inasmuch as ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land." (Jarom 1:9)  Couldn't we use this same spiritual preparation to "sweep away" Satan?

They had stalwart leaders who served valiantly in their callings to continually use the word of the Lord to remind them of their covenants with Him, and to look to the Savior for their salvation through the Atonement.  "....They kept them from being destroyed upon the face of the land; for they did prick their hearts with the word, continually stirring them up unto repentance.." (Jarom 1:12) 

We just recently listened to General Conference and our stake held a Stake Conference a few weeks ago. There was much to be heard; I felt a few "pricks". When we feel those "pricks", we'd be wise to make some adjustments in our lives so that the next time we hear similar talks, we wouldn't say "ouch!".