What Lack I Yet...Creatively?

Aerial view of Mt. Rainier at sunset. Photo: rabid83

Two friends and I once climbed halfway up Mt. Rainier in a whiteout. It was a pretty nerve-racking experience as you can probably imagine. We wanted to do a route called the Fuhrer Finger and, to get to it, we had to cross the Nisqually Glacier. The visibility was only around ten feet, and with every step I thought I was going to plunge into a gaping crevasse. I was roped to my usual partner in crime, Gary Davis, and another good friend, Kent Riplinger, so I probably wouldn’t have died if I fell in a crevasse, but it was still scary.

I used a trekking pole to feel my way across the glacier the way a blind person uses a cane. I plodded along poking at the snow ahead of me trying to feel if it broke through into nothingness. At one point, I nearly wet myself when I blindly walked off a small snow drift. I only fell a few feet, but for a split second I thought I was about to plunge into an icy abyss. Getting to our camp that day was a long, steep, journey that I thought would never end.

Thankfully, this never happened. Photo: Matt Lemke

In an October 2015 L.D.S. General Conference talk called “What Lack I Yet?”, Elder Larry R. Lawrence compared discipleship to a long, steep journey. He said, “The journey of discipleship is not an easy one. It has been called a ‘course of steady improvement.’ As we travel along that strait and narrow path, the Spirit continually challenges us to be better and to climb higher. The Holy Ghost makes an ideal traveling companion. If we are humble and teachable, He will take us by the hand and lead us home.”

I think that our creative journeys are the same. They should be a “course of steady improvement” where we are challenged “to be better and to climb higher.” And the best companion we could have along our creative journeys is also the Holy Ghost.

As my friends and I were climbing Mt. Rainier, we navigated using a map, compass, and an old analog altimeter (GPS was still pretty new back then and only for people who actually had money). I had used a compass and altimeter before, but I’d never had to rely on them so completely. In the whiteout on Rainier, we couldn’t see anything. There were no trails or foot prints to follow. Every few steps I had to make adjustments in our direction based off compass and altimeter readings. These tools were vital to our success and safety.

This sums up our view of the stunning Mt. Rainier that first day. Photo: Teton AT

Just as I was constantly checking my compass and altimeter to be sure I was still on course, we need to be constantly checking with the Spirit to be sure we are heading the right direction in our creative journeys. Elder Lawrence said, “…we need to ask the Lord for directions along the way. We have to ask some difficult questions, like ‘What do I need to change?’ ‘How can I improve?’ ‘What weakness needs strengthening?’”

Elder Lawrence went on to say, “I would like to suggest that each of you participate in a spiritual exercise sometime soon, perhaps even tonight while saying your prayers. Humbly ask the Lord the following question: ‘What is keeping me from progressing?’ In other words: ‘What lack I yet?’ Then wait quietly for a response. If you are sincere, the answer will soon become clear. It will be revelation intended just for you.”

Elder Lawrence’s suggestion works equally well when we sincerely desire guidance in our creative journeys. If we humbly ask, “What is keeping me from progressing creatively?” we will receive specific, personal revelation.

To be totally honest, I was a little frightened to try this. I think it was because I was afraid the answer would be something really difficult or overwhelming. But Elder Lawrence reassures us that “the Holy Ghost doesn’t tell us to improve everything at once. If He did, we would become discouraged and give up. The Spirit works with us at our own speed, one step at a time…” Furthermore, it’s okay if we’re not progressing on our creative journeys as fast as we would like. Elder Lawrence said our Heavenly Father, “…rejoices every time we take a step forward. To Him, our direction is ever more important than our speed.”

With Elder Lawrence’s reassurances in mind, I got up the courage to kneel in prayer and ask, “Heavenly Father, what lack I yet when it comes to my writing and art?” Almost immediately, the Spirit whispered in my thoughts a single word: confidence. I was surprised. This was not the answer I was expecting, and yet it was exactly what I needed to hear. I highly recommend you try this experiment for yourself and see what happens.

On my journey up Mt. Rainier, my friends and I eventually made it across the glacier and up to our camp without mishap. When we woke up the next morning to clear blue skies, I was truly astonished to see that we were exactly where we were supposed to be. By being humble enough to pay close attention to my map, compass, and altimeter and then acting on what they told me, we were able to journey safely and successfully up the mountain through hostile conditions.

The same is true for us on our creative journeys. If we are humble enough to heed Elder Lawrence’s advice and ask, “What lack I yet?” and then act on the promptings we receive, we will be rewarded with individualized guidance and startling successes.