3 And all the nations that fight against Zion, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision; yea, it shall be unto them, even as unto a hungry man which dreameth, and behold he eateth but he awaketh and his soul is empty; or like unto a thirsty man which dreameth, and behold he drinketh but he awaketh and behold he is faint, and his soul hath appetite; yea, even so shall the multitude of all the nations be that fight against Mount Zion.
(2 Nephi 27:3, Isaiah 29:7-8)
The pattern outlined in this passage is all-too familiar. A person feels dissatisfied or uncomfortable for some reason. They begin looking for something that will help them feel better. They think they have found the solution, but upon trying it, they discover that the activity doesn’t help them feel better, and they are pretty much where they started.
It’s not hard to think of activities that people participate in, hoping they will bring joy, but which leave them unsatisfied. Examples range from unhealthy foods to unwise purchases, and can also include unkind words, either verbal or written. Sometimes when we have the urge to defend ourselves against a supposed offense, we discover that the words we speak make us feel worse, not better, and that they aggravate the original problem in the process. I think this last example most closely matches the context of the passage above, because it is the nations fighting against Zion who continually feel that they are satiating their hunger or quenching their thirst with their attacks. But in the end, they discover that they are every bit as hungry or thirsty as they were before, and their actions have not helped them feel better at all.
Today, I will seek effective solutions to the challenges I face. I will remember that my instinctive reaction to a problem may not solve it at all, and I will discipline myself to make decisions which will have a real impact.
Book of Mormon Study Notes 