Murmuring

Murmuring in the Wilderness

Exodus 15:23-27; 16-17

To start this post off I would like to start by defining murmuring. It is a term that is not used as often as it is in the Bible. 

Murmuring is the expression of discontent or dissatisfaction.

            Elder Neil A. Maxwell defines it as “a half-suppressed resentment or muttered complaint.”

In Exodus 15 through 17 we are learning about the children of Israel. They are in the wilderness and they were murmuring. They murmured against Moses saying that they had no water to drink, it was bitter. They murmured because of the lack of water in later verses also. They murmured that they were hungry and that God brought his people on the wilderness to die of hunger. They murmured that God wasn’t with them. We know that this is not true. God led the children of Israel out of captivity through Moses. But these people were hungry and thirsty and were murmuring against Moses and God. 

When the Lord heard their murmurings this is how He responded. He provided them with the water they needed plus some. In the first instance the water came from a tree and in the second instance the water came from a rock. God gave them food, manna, and it fell from the sky everyday. They would gather manna everyday and it would spoil if they tried to save it for future use. On the sixth day they were commanded to take 2 serving per person in preparation for the Sabbath/ seventh day. The Lord knew their needs the whole time, maybe He was waiting for them to ask where to find water instead of them murmuring about it. 

This got me to thinking about why people murmur against God. We have been commanded not to do this but yet we all do it at some point in our lives. Why do we murmur against Him? Why do we murmur against his servants and children? People murmur against God and those He has chosen as His leaders because they (the prophets, friends, bishops, etc) usually are teaching things that are not popular or things that are hard to hear. Especially in the world we live in today, the Lord’s way is not the popular way. Right is turning into wrong, and wrong into right. This is a sin, but it happens. Because of this fact, people do not like to hear about the things they need to change, and therefore, murmur. People tend to want only positive feedback and murmur when someone says something they disagree with.

            Something that I thought was interesting in these chapters was that it mentions, when you murmur against God’s children you are murmuring against Him. I think it is important for us to remember this. When we murmur against our parents, our spouse, our bishop, our leaders, we are murmuring against Him. I know personally I don't want to murmur against my sacred Father in Heaven. Knowing this and putting two and two together, makes me look at murmuring against others in a different light. 

          So what is the big deal about murmuring? Why should this concern us? What does murmuring lead to? Murmuring leads to unrighteousness and unhappiness. When we murmur we are not showing gratitude for what we have. When we murmur we are complaining about the life our God has given to us. When we murmur we are setting ourselves up for failure. When we murmur it can hold us back from receiving guidance and inspiration from our Lord. When we murmur we are focusing on the negative not the positive and in results of that outlook we will miss the tender mercies that the Lord is giving us. 

In 2 Nephi 27:35, Nephi suggested something as an antidote for murmuring. What is this antidote?

            Learn the doctrine is the antidote for murmuring. When we come to an understanding of the doctrine we are more inclined to see the reasons behind things that are making us what to murmur against our God. Education is an important key that we need to have to help us gain a better understanding and therefore hopefully not murmur.

            Another antidote for murmuring is found in this quote from Elder Maxwell, “Instead of murmuring, therefore, being of good cheer is what is needed, and being of good cheer is equally contagious. We have clear obligations to so strengthen each other by doing things “with cheerful hearts and countenances.””

           Murmuring comes very easy to the natural man, however we need to fight this urge with everything we have. To be like Christ we cannot murmur. We often murmur because we have this unreal expectation that life is supposed to flow easily and we are supposed to be happy all of the time. This is simply not possible. We are going to have those days where we are extremely happy and everything is going perfectly. We are also going to have those days where nothing is working out, we are stressed out, and we are unhappy. It is easier not to murmur when we are happy and our lives are going according to our own plans, but when life turns the opposite way we often start to murmur or complain. During these times we need to remember to look at the positive things in our life, we need to remember to find the tender mercies of the Lord. We need to remember the greatness of the Lord, our Father, and try our very best not to murmur against him.

            Something else I would say to my friends and family members who murmur against the commandments of God would be to pray to your Heavenly Father, your God, and ask with a sincere heart the doctrine and principles behind that commandment that you are murmuring about. Once you understand the doctrine behind the commandment you are less likely to murmur against it.

I am going to try to murmur less and recognize when I am murmuring. When i realize that I am doing this I am going to learn more about that doctrine/principle/commandment so I will have a greater understanding of it. I hope that you all can make some goals of your own to murmur less in your lives. I know that if we are working towards that goal we will brome more Christlike and happier. 

Thanks!

Sam

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Here is a link to a talk from Neil A. Maxwell that talks about murmuring. It is very good and I would recommend reading it.