Stiffneckedness

Several times in the past, including recently, I have had a sore, stiff neck. Usually this is caused by overexerting myself. Most recently I went down to Lake Jackson Texas to join the Mormon Helping Hands and clean up fallen trees all day after Huricane Ike. Whenever I get a stiff neck it makes me think of Laman and Lemual as well as other wicked men in the scriptures.

I felt like I could understand what was meant in the scriptures by having a stiff neck, not after actually having a physically stiff neck, but after understanding that the head of the body is symbolic of God. God is the head of the body, the head of the church, and needs to be our head in life. The head gives instructions to the body and the body follows. When God asks us to obey we need to follow.

It is obvious that whenever there is a reference to stiffneckedness in the scriptures it is in reference to someone who chooses not to obey. When you have a stiff neck it is difficult to turn your head. The full range of motion of the head is restricted. So it is in our lives, when we choose to disobey God, He can still act in our lives but we don't allow Him to act in the full range of blessings that He wants to bless us with. That is until we choose to disobey to the extent that we loose all the blessings that He has for us.