As a young boy, I can remember often hearing the words, “You’re never satisfied,” usually used in a negative way. The words, whether they were directed to me or to another, describes generally either the selfish nature of most of us, or the tremendous need to achieve, to progress to a higher and a better level. Many of those drives are, in fact, a positive attribute or may at least lead to positive outcomes. Others, however, are the result of a self-centered need to get and to have material things of the world. To never be satisfied with our level of progress in being more Christlike, for example, or with our level of knowledge and enlightenment, would be positives.
The children of Israel had been in bondage to Egypt for several hundred years and became essentially a people devoid of the spirit. When they left Egypt there were an estimated one million people wandering in the desert. An army supply officer can tell you what is involved in feeding and providing for that many people for a few months, let alone forty years, and it would be beyond most of our imaginations.
The Lord, however, did provide, He gave them manna, a bread-like substance that was commonly fried by the Israelites. The manna was found like dew on the ground or on bushes each morning when they awoke. Manna was symbolic, it was their, “bread of life,” symbolic of the Savior who is in fact the “Bread of Life.” For, whoever partakes of the Bread of Life shall never hunger. The children of Israel, however were not satisfied. The Book of Numbers describes how they complained to Moses saying, “But now our soul is dried away, there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.” (Numbers 11:6) Moses’ role, as a supply officer, was almost too much for him, but he plead with the Lord and the Lord sent Quail to satisfy them.
Are we any different than the Israelites? Can we accept the simple Gospel of Jesus Christ and partake of the “Bread of Life” and be satisfied?
There is really nothing more simple then the Gospel of faith and repentance and what one must do to return to our Heavenly Parents as described in John 3:5. All must follow the same path through the narrow gate, even those who have died without that knowledge. For many ‘man-contrived’ religions that has not been enough. Incense, elaborate ceremonies, candles multi-colored robes etc. had to be added.