The Corn Maze and the Gospel

Saturday night, after the R.S. broadcast, Mike and I went to the corn maze with a friend. While on the way there I was bound and determined to find ways to relate the maze to the Gospel as our friend is trying to become active again while going through a hard time. I was amazed at how many different ways I was able to tie them together. I thought I would share a few. In order to do that I need to first explain a little about the maze and what we took with us. When we arrived at the maze and bought our tickets, we were asked if we wanted a map (pic of the aerial view of the maze) and the boys (mike and friend) declined. As we walked to the tunnel to leave the well lit, bright and cheerful courtyard area, we were again asked if we wanted a map. I took one. So with our flashlights that Mike and I had brought, the map and a few relationships, we journeyed into the unknown maze to try and find our way through to come back home to the well lit courtyard.

I think a few ties there were pretty obvious. The first is that we were offered a map. and if you just glance at the map, it just looked like a picture of Obama and McCain. Nothing that could really help you. But as we were walking through the maze there were families that would stop and really study the map. They would look hard at where they had come from and where they were going and what the map said was the right thing to do. Others, like us, just looked at the map when we wanted to see why a certain path was a zig zag or circle, or if we had just walked through the eye. This map is like the scriptures. Most of us are offered the scriptures or have access to them. We usually take them or buy them, but how we use them is what makes all the difference. If you looked at the map it was just a picture, if you just read through the scriptures not paying attention to the words, they are just a bunch of stories. But if you really stop and study them, closely, you will find the answers and directions you need.

The next thing I mentioned was going from the well lit courtyard into the maze and trying to make it back to the courtyard. HMMM, how could we relate this? The Plan of Salvation. We all left our Father's prescence to come down to this earth. We are all trying to make it back to him.

One of the biggest things we had with us were our flashlights. Sure it is a lot of fun to go to the corn maze in the dark but after being in there a while you really want to get out. Our flashlights enabled us to look down paths to see if they were dead ends. We could see obstacles that we might trip over and could also find each other if we got split up. These flashlights were like the Holy Ghost. In life, we have obstacles and dead ends. The Holy Ghost helps keep us from getting stuck in those dead ends. There were people in the maze who wandered around without a light. It was interesting. Some would start to follow people who had flashlights, others actually felt the lights were too bright and a nuisance. When we as members, go through life, we will find those who will follow us because of the light that shines from us. They will see that we have something special, like there is something we know (and we do). The sad thing is there are also those who have gotten used to the dark. Those who have fallen trap to addictions and such may be stuck in the dark. But, the people in the maze who prefered the dark, we would often see later, watching where those with lights would go or not go and trying to follow suit, but not get close to the light. And then there was even a few who we would eventually see get closer and closer to those with flashlights. Our friend had been lost and wandering like these people. He battled addictions and temptations. Even though he had lots of friends and his family had the light he would stay as far away from that part of their life as possible. Then, as people tried to be a good example and kept strong, he would slowly get closer and closer to those that had the light. Now he wants the light for himself. He doesn't quite understand how important it is and how once he has it he will never want to be without it again. But one day he will.

Well, we made it out of the maze. I was very shocked at how many "parables" I was able to find on this venture we take every year. I don't think I will ever think of the corn maze in the same way.