Innovation vs. “Vain Imaginations”

As Nephi saw in a vision his descendants gathered in battle against the descendants of his brothers, an angel explained the meaning of one of the symbols from his father’s dream:

The large and spacious building, which thy father saw, is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men.

1 Nephi 12:18

The obvious interpretation of this passage is that we should not allow our thoughts to wander aimlessly. Elder Kevin W. Pearson paraphrased “vain imaginations and pride” as “distraction and deception” (“Stay by the Tree,” General Conference, April 2015). Surely, we can all relate. How often have we failed to achieve our goals because we foolishly spent time on low-priority activities?

Imagination, of course, can be a very good thing. Nephi and his brothers had to be creative as they made multiple attempts to obtain the brass plates. (See 1 Nephi 3 and 4.) Plenty of visualization was surely required to build a ship unlike any they had seen before. (See 1 Nephi 18:2.) So the problem isn’t imagination per se, but purposeless imagination, untethered from reality, serving no useful purpose.

The angel’s words echo a warning from the apostle Paul in his epistle to the Romans. Lamenting the “ungodliness and unrighteousness of men,” he writes:

When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Romans 1:21

The Greek word translated “imaginations” in that passage, dialogismois (διαλογισμοῖς), means “reasonings” or “deliberations.” These are important cognitive processes, but when these people chose to reject God, their minds naturally wandered to unproductive places. Other Bible translations refer to their “futile thinking” or “foolish ideas.” Ignoring the objective realities they had experienced, their thought processes were bound to fail, however innovative they might have been.

The great and spacious building lacked a foundation, floating “high above the earth” (1 Nephi 8:26). Nephi saw that it would eventually fall and be destroyed. (See 1 Nephi 11:36.) Innovation and imagination in the service of worthy goals are good. Innovation and imagination as distractions from our core responsibilities are bad.†

Today, I will avoid “vain imaginations.” I will strive to focus my mind on important goals, to acknowledge evident truths, and to innovate in productive ways.