Hardness of Heart

Nephi gives a clear description: [Lehi] had told them many great things that were hard to understand unless a person asked the Lord. Because they were hard-hearted, they didn’t look to the Lord as they should have. I was troubled because of their stubbornness (1 Nephi 4:1 CE). I said to them: Have you asked the Lord? They replied: We haven’t — the Lord doesn’t reveal any such thing to us. Then I asked them: Why don’t you keep the Lord’s commandments? Why are you determined to damn yourselves because of the hardness of your hearts? Don’t you remember what the Lord has said? — if you choose not to harden your hearts and ask Me in faith, believing you will receive, consistently keeping My commandments, these things will certainly be revealed to you (1 Nephi 4:2 CE). Hardness of heart is usually accompanied by a hardness of head; that is, people tend to not be willing to live in accordance with principles, even though they want to know about them. They are often more curious than they are obedient, becoming voyeurs rather than visionaries. Oddly enough, one’s curiosity gets satisfied as he obeys — but man is usually unwilling to make that exchange (cf. Alma 9:3,10; 1 Nephi 3:26).¹ Man determines whether he has a hard heart or an open heart. Anciently, the “heart” was considered the seat of understanding rather than emotion; therefore, an “open heart” belonged to the seeker, the asker, the knocker on the door (see Matthew 3:42,44).²See also BOWELS; BROKEN HEART - CONTRITE SPIRIT; REINS.