1 Nephi 12 - What matters most?

Great and Spacious Building = Vain Imaginations/Pride of the children of men.  What is a "vain imagination?"  It sounds like a bad band.  Here's a definition I found of VAIN: without real significance, value, or importance; baseless or worthless.  Imagination is perhaps more plain.  So vain imagination.  A dream.  A worthless, insignificant wish.  I'm sure we could go on.  And this large and spacious building Nephi saw in dream, was a representation of vain imaginations.  Clearly I am intrigued by this phrase.  It is connected to "the Pride of the children of men."  No doubt.  Again, what is vain imagination?  The image it represents is destroyed in proceeding chapters.  I want to know.


While I'm sure we could create a great list on the chalkboard of things that could be considered vain imaginations, I'm just going to say that they are surely ALL around us.  Its as if things in the world today are vain imaginations.  Frivolous things, of no consequence or contribution.  Worldly pleasures that bring us temporary gratification, but vanish away, or keep us coming back again and again, taking us away from more important things.  

The excellent phrase "good, better, best" comes to mind. What are our goals in life?  What is important?  Are we spending too much time in the "not urgent, not important" quadrant?  Believe me, I am guilty as charged.  But this verse - verse 18 - very much caught my attention.  So I say, let us dispose of our vain imaginations.  Let us focus on the things that matter most.  May we not be caught away in foolishness that contributes little to nothing in our eternal progression.  Things that likely even stop, or damn us, from progressing.  Even regressing!  If that should be the case, we are blessed to have the principle of Repentance.  But I will not get into that right now.  

The simple principles of the gospel, along with prayer, scripture study, and church attendance will bring the Spirit of the Holy Ghost into our lives in greater abundance, and help us to see clearly through all the vain imaginations the wold throws at us.  We will be more able to stay on a productive and righteous path.  May the Lord bless us in doing so.  
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Extras:
-Excellent talk by Elder Bednar on this topic.  
-President Packer has been in the news lately.  Here's another "controversial" quote from his library: "That is your fate in this generation. You are living in that great and spacious building."  How about that.  Please read the rest HERE.  It is an excellent article.