In the story “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a congregation is confused and bothered by their parson’s practice of always wearing a semi-transparent veil over his face. At the end of his life, on his death-bed, he explains the symbolism of his veil:
When the friend shows his inmost heart to his friend; the lover to his best beloved; when man does not vainly shrink from the eye of his Creator, loathsomely treasuring up the secret of his sin; then deem me a monster, for the symbol beneath which I have lived, and die! I look around me, and, lo! on every visage a Black Veil.
What is this “veil” the minister sees on everyone around him? It is the urge to hide, to hold back, to show only the fragments of ourselves which we believe to be most admirable. But you don’t build strong relationships by only sharing part of yourself. You have to be willing to be seen.
When Moses descended from Mount Sinai for the second time, his face shone so brightly that the children of Israel were terrified. He persuaded them to come near by putting a veil over his face. (See Exodus 34:29-35.)
The apostle Paul discussed this event in his second epistle to the Corinthians. “We use great plainness of speech,” he said, “and not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look.” Then, he added, “Even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart” (2 Corinthians 3:13, 15).
Do we have a veil on our hearts? Are we unwilling to open our hearts completely and accept the gifts God offers to us?
When the missionary Ammon taught the gospel to King Lamoni, the king was so overcome that he fell into a state of unconsciousness for three days. Ammon was delighted to see this. It undoubtedly reminded him of the metamorphosis his friend Alma had experienced after seeing an angel. (See Mosiah 27:19-31.) Ammon perceived that the king was undergoing a similar process: “The dark veil of unbelief was being cast away from his mind, and…the light of everlasting life was lit up in his soul” (Alma 19:6).
Moroni hoped that we would undergo a similar transformation. After sharing the story of the sixteen stones which began to shine when they were touched by the finger of God, he made the following promise:
When ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you…be unfolded in the eyes of all the people.
Ether 4:15-16
How do we rend that veil? We have to be willing to set aside our fear of being seen for who we really are. We have to learn to believe that God knows us completely and loves us completely, that He is willing to accept us as we are and help us become something far better. The experience of King Lamoni suggests that overcoming those fears and doubts is a process—it doesn’t happen all at once. But it starts by reaching out to our Father in Heaven and trusting in the grace of Jesus Christ. As Paul promised, when we “turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away” (2 Corinthians 3:16).
Today I will strive to rend the veil which covers my heart. I will strive to open my mind and my heart more fully to God, to pray with more sincerity, and to turn towards Him with confidence in the atoning power of His Son.