The Cycle of the Murmuring Habit

I am sure this will count for something in choice and accountability. 

The Cycle of the Murmuring Habit

Just a quick review of  habits.  Cue, action, and reward.  To create a good habit: plan a cue that will spark the desired action that leads to the reward.  To get rid of a bad habit: identify the bad habit’s cues and rewards.  These must remain the same and then plan a new action taken at the cue.  That is a real short review and of course there is more to it than that. 

Just finished reading 1 Nephi 16.  Laman and Lemuel have a very bad habit.  When the going gets tough…they murmur.  I have the same bad habit.  It probably started innocent enough as they left their home in Jerusalem.  They both turned to each other and complained about how Dad had really gone too far this time.  The reward was mutual sympathy.  Using that as a cue, they turned to Nephi and Sam and complained to them.  Probably not much reward with that.  Then they tried to escalate the murmuring by going to their Dad. 

Things are going along great though for a while. They make it back successfully from their second trip to Jerusalem.  They marry.  The Liahona is given and they move on into the wilderness.  They are able to kill food for their families.  They probably feel very manly.  Then there comes a hiccup in the works.  Their bows lose their spring and Nephi’s breaks.  A problem has arisen, that is the cue. What action comes from the cue? Complaining!  Not, “How do we fix our bows?  Can we make a new one?  What about traps or snares?”  Nope, no habit of solving the problem has been developed, just the habit of murmuring. 

Note how their habit of complaining spreads.  Even to the prophet.  Sounds like the whole camp had moved from murmuring about their situation to complaining to and about God.  Poor Nephi, luckily for everyone else, developed different habits.  Notice verse 21.  He doesn’t say he is afflicted with lack of food.  No his affliction is his brethren.  In fact the affliction of his brethren “began to be exceedingly difficult.”  And apparently this brotherly aflliction caused the inability to obtain food. 

What is Nephi’s action to this cue of affliction?  See verse 21.  He begins to speak much unto his brethren that they must not harden their hearts or complain against God.  He doesn't pray and he doesn't make a bow. He calls his brothers to repentance. 

Next he makes the bow (solves the problem somewhat without prayer), goes to his dad and asks him to pray to get direction. 

What a great habit.  When the going gets tough…get going.  Don’t sit there.  Do what you can do.  Remind others that it is God who is in charge!  Then get to work.  Follow the line of authority.  Go and do! 

Everything works out well for family, they get fed.  They all take up the journey again.  

 But then Ishmael dies.  The habit of murmuring follows a different path this time.  A father dies.  That is the cue of a cultural habit, mourning.  The daughters mourn exceedingly.  But they don’t stop.  They escalate to mourning about their situation.  Mourning changes to murmuring and they murmur against the prophet. 

Now for women who think they don’t have any power over the priesthood…these woman continue to murmur. As these women continue to complain, their husbands decide to take drastic action.  Look at verse 37, they want to commit murder.  Yep, the women drove them to that, I believe. 

Thank goodness, that even in this very difficult time, the Lord is still with them and with His own voice they are called to repentance and humble themselves.  But they fail to change their actions, their habits remain the same.  So when the next cue come, the next tribulation…yep, they murmur. 

Tribulation is part of my journey of life.  Some tribulations are only minor and others seem so large they threaten to completely derail the journey forever. 

What habits can I develop when the cue of tribulation hits?  Will I murmur and search for the reward of mutual misery?  Can I recognize that this is the time I can rely on my Savior and his atonement?  When it is tough, will I get going? Will my reward for enduring be the comfort of the atonement in my life and joy in my up and down journey?  I have some planning to do.