That One Thing

By Carol Harper

Author of Though the Eye of a Needle

I love the scene in the movie, City Slickers, where a rough-handed cowboy, Curly (Jack Palance) asks smooth-talking city slicker Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal): “Do you know what the secret of life is?”And he holds up his finger and says, “One thing. Just one thing…” Mitch asks, “But what is the ‘one thing’?” Curly smiles and says, “That’s what you have to find out.” I think it’s interesting that Curly issues a challenge: find the secret of life, and finding involves seeking—a search for that “one thing” revealing the secret of life. And notice that Curly didn’t just hand him the answer, he simply told Mitch that he had to find out for himself.

I thought I had the secret of life. As a Mormon, I believed I had the keys and the answers to not just one thing, but many things. “I know this church is true…” I had repeated throughout my young life, but I really didn’t know if it was or wasn’t. “I know Joseph Smith was a prophet of God…”, but I really didn’t know Joseph Smith from Bugs Bunny. “I know the Book of Mormon is true…”, but I knew the stories of Hans Christian Andersen, the Arabian Nights, or Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings a lot better (and to tell the truth, they were a lot more believable).

Being raised in a religion or church claiming to be the only true one and having all the answers can leave you in a complacent wheel spin, too jaded to venture outside and take a leap of faith to believe that there’s anything—even if it’s just one thing—that might be better than what systematic belief has to offer. It’s called security, taking no chances, playing it safe. After all, why would anyone ever want to wean off of a religion as warm as Mormonism? If you’ve ever been to a point in your life, like I was, where you literally have nothing to lose anymore, you somehow begin to realize that the world is a much bigger place and your journey just begun. But for me, it wasn’t until I found that one thing that my world of black and white (and a whole lot of gray) was filled with color, time became precious, and the journey became a wonderful adventure filled with joy, excitement and hope.

“…the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.”

(Matthew 13: 44, underline added)

 “…the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”

(Matthew 13: 45-46, underline added)

“I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.” (John 4: 25-26, underline added)

 “One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.” (Mark 10:21, underline added)

What would you consider, give, trade, borrow or buy for the one thing that held the secret of life? Everything? A few valuables or heirlooms? Nothing? Would you consider leaving a lifelong religion, tribe or culture? Would you give up your dear friends and family? Would you borrow or buy some precious time to spend asking, seeking and knocking (Luke 11:9)?

Jesus had one thing to do, and He did it. He was born to die and gave it all for us. Why? Because the secret of life is actually found in the death of God, and that death leads to a resurrection, rebirth and revival that points the way towards a straight and narrow road, where only those who have given anything or have lost everything can see. This road is paved with love, peace and joy, but most of all—hope in a place prepared for us. For believers in the resurrected Christ, physical death becomes a mere formality. When a life is revived by just one belief, it is powered by a faith that conquers fear. And when fear is conquered, peace is found.

Not a few have asked about my one belief in Jesus: What if the Bible is all just a great fictional, made-up story? What if the LDS church is true, and you were wrong for leaving it? What if they find the body of Jesus? If God is so great, then why do bad things happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people? What if you die and that’s it—fade to black and roll credits? I’ve listened to and have considered all, and believe me, anyone could get swept away by the undercurrents of fear and doubt. Many do. But when you truly walk by faith, instead of by religious or man-made belief—fear, doubt, even death become such trivial things. They’re definitely not treasures in a field or precious pearls to seek after, so why waste the time? Heck, who wants to know the secret of death is? Either we’re focused upon life and the living, or focused upon death and the dying (Luke 9: 56-62).

The kingdom of heaven is not some pie-in-the-sky place like the Oz’s Emerald City. The heavens are not segregated like Mormons believe them to be, nor is it a place where many wives or virgins are waiting for you. It’s not in some spaceship hiding behind a comet, in a cup of Kool-aid, or in a special, secret, members-only handshake. The secret of life—eternal life—is faith in a promise made by an Infinite God who became finite just long enough to show us all the way, the truth and the life. Because only He could rupture the dimensions of time and break the bands of a finite death so that we could know what life truly is about. That One Thing is worthy of everything!

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also…

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid…”

John 14: 1-3; 27

Unorthodox Christianity: “That One Thing” by Carol Harper. Copyright © 2008. For licensing and permission, please e-mail: crharper@gmail.com. Scripture passages are from the King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.