Sunday Spirit

"You knew what I was when you picked me up"



Being the daughter of a seminary teacher, growing up we watched seminary videos for many-a family home evening.  One in particular has been on my mind for the last couple days.

It tells of an Indian legend that goes like this...

Many years ago, Indian youths would go away in solitude to prepare for manhood. One such youth hiked into a beautiful valley. There he fasted, and on the third day he decided to test himself against the mountain. He put on his buffalo-hide shirt, threw his blanket over his shoulders, and set off to climb the peak.

When he reached the top, he could see forever, and his heart swelled with joy. Then he heard a rustle at his feet. Looking down, he saw a snake. Before he could move, the snake spoke: “I am about to die. It is too cold for me up here, and I am freezing. There is no food, and I am starving. Put me under your shirt and take me down to the valley.”

“Oh, no,” said the youth. “I know your kind. You are a rattlesnake. If I pick you up, you will bite me, and I will die.”

“Not so,” said the snake. “I will treat you differently. If you do this for me, you will be special. I will not harm you.”

The youth withstood for a while, but this was a very persuasive snake with beautiful markings. At last the youth tucked it under his shirt and carried it down to the valley. There he laid it gently on the grass. Suddenly, the snake coiled, rattled, and struck, biting him on the leg.

“But you promised—” cried the youth.

“You knew what I was when you picked me up,” said the snake as it slithered away. 

As I've been thinking about this phrase this past week, I've thought a lot about the power Satan thinks he has.   Satan will do EVERYTHING he can to disguise sin to look like something we want to "pick up". He makes us feel like we are the exception and we are special so we won't be harmed.  However, we have the power to resist him.  We have the power to avoid Satan and the traps he sets for us.

We gained this power, because our Savior Jesus Christ came to earth and sacrificed his life to fulfill our Heavenly Father's great plan.

In the end, Satan is going to lose.

In the legend, after the snake harmed the youth, he slithered away.  Satan doesn't care when we struggle, in fact that is what he wants.  The only one who won't "slither away" is our Father in Heaven who loves each and every one of us.

Even those of us who pick up a few rattle snakes along the way.

To read the talk I got the story from go here.  I wanted to be able to find the actual video to post but couldn't.