The Compelling Imagery of Hunger and Thirst
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Editor’s Note: This article was first published on Meridian June 11, 2010, we are running it now as part of our “Meridian Classics” series celebrating our 25th anniversary.
Two of the more compelling human drives are hunger and thirst. The most sumptuous meal I ever ate was on the day of my baptism after fasting twenty-four hours for the first time. Never did a bologna sandwich and red Kool-Aid taste so good.
A starving man will do almost anything for a morsel of bread. A thirsty man will crawl miles in the desert for a sip of cooling water. Parched lips and empty bellies are powerful motivators.
The Savior used hunger and thirst to illustrate the level of commitment required for righteousness. However, our enthusiasm for discipleship doesn’t always take on the urgency of food in a famine. Ironically, it is only by starving the natural man that we feed our spirit.
In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord taught: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matt. 5:6). The Book of Mormon account cuts through the cobwebs of well-meaning Bible translators: “And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost” (3 Ne. 12:6, emphasis added).
Just as bread nourishes the physical body, the Holy Ghost nourishes our spirit with the Bread of Life – even Jesus Christ. The price of such nourishment is the drive and determination of a famished man seeking food. The quest for righteousness must be no less driven than the man whose parched lips desire the quenching oasis in the baking desert.
In the Guide to the Scriptures we find this definition of righteousness: “Being just, holy, virtuous, upright, acting in obedience to God’s commands; avoiding sin.” Righteousness is also likened to protecting armor – a breastplate which guards our vital organs, particularly our heart. (see Eph. 6:14; D&C 27:16).
As a practical matter, latter-day followers of Jesus are not asked to crawl through deserts to find cooling water. Instead, we are expected to hold fast to the iron rod and be clean. A tight grip on the scriptures and conference talks protects us from being swept away by the world’s filthy rivers raging alongside the disciple’s path.
Though it is comforting to know that we can repent of our sins, disciples are expected to avoid sin wherever possible. (see Guide to the Scriptures: Righteousness). Besides, avoiding the deep end is probably better than testing the alertness of the lifeguard.
In addition to hunger and thirst, the human spirit is endowed with another powerful motivator: the need to be trusted. When I was seventeen, a professional baseball contract was within my grasp. My dream was to pitch in the big leagues. High school game day was filled with the anticipation of scouts and promises, strike-outs and showmanship. My need to be trusted by the scouts as a bona fide baseball prospect regulated my conduct on the field and off the baseball field as well.
I spent every spare moment strengthening my arm, pitching against a target, and hungering and thirsting after a single-minded goal. No one needed to chide me into working hard for my dream. It was self-activating and self-compelling.
When mortal dreams die on the vine, we are sometimes left with an empty feeling. Yet, there are life lessons in every setback. One thing I learned from my failed baseball career is that we act in conformity with the desires of our heart. Our desires shape our actions and, thus, shape our lives, both here and in the eternities. (see Alma 29:4-5).
The Lord promises to fill our bodies with light if our eye is single to His glory. (see D&C 88:67). This promise is a corollary to hungering and thirsting after righteousness. In the cause of Christ, much like the baseball dreams of my youth, there is no substitute for determination and action. Unlike the disappointment of unfulfilled mortal goals, there are no letdowns with Jesus.
When we are truly hungry, even the simplest meal is manna. Why should our approach to the scriptures, prayer, missionary work, service, and temple worship be any less driven or fulfilling? Feasting on the words of life fills us with the Holy Ghost. As we wean ourselves from the unhealthy calories of the world, we begin to hunger for the soul-satisfying nourishment that discipleship offers.
Are we truly hungry and thirsty for righteousness? The pantry is open; the well is gurgling with refreshment. We have only to seek as if hungry and thirsty, then find and be filled.