Abridged Food Chain

This morning, while eating my breakfast, I was reading in "Jesus the Christ." The author James E. Talmage gave an analogy that I thoroughly enjoyed. I found myself lost in thought about it for some time. I will attempt to convey my thoughts in this post.

The chain of life; or abridged food chain if you will.

At the bottom we have dirt. It isn't alive, it can't grow, it just is. But, it can move up in the chain. How? Well, plants draw upon nutrients that are found in the ground and within the dirt. For them to survive, they need these nutrients. Thus, the lifeless dirt is able to move up to a higher plane of life. Lifted up by the plants to a higher state of being.

Plants are alive. But, they aren't quite at the same level as animals. In the grand scheme of things, animals are at the next level in life. They too need nutrients. Whether this is by feeding upon other animals or upon the plants, it doesn't really matter. They have a natural need for nourishment. As these animals eat the plants, they bring them into that higher level of existence.

And at the next stage, there is man (or woman :p ). We eat it all! Yes, even the dirt sometimes. Everything on the earth was made for us and we partake of a great deal of it. This is the highest we can get on our own. The highest level in life that we can go without help. So, who is it that can take us to the next stage? As with all the others, there needs to be someone or something to lift us up. The way, or person, is Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ came to earth for us. The literal son of the living God came to earth to take upon Himself the sins and struggles of man. His everlasting and eternal Atoning sacrifice allows us to repent of our sins. To become clean from all the filth we stack upon ourselves. Clean and fit for the kingdom of God. He also overcame death, by his resurrection, promising us that we too may be lifted up again.

There is no other way to do this. "There was no other good enough to pay the price of sin." Without Him, we would have been kept from God's presence and never be able to move past this life. It would have all ended here with death. But, because of all that He did, we can move on to that next level. We can live again with God. I am so grateful for everything Jesus Christ has done for me. He is the way the truth and the light. I love Him with all my heart.