Persevering Like Job

I was thinking about Job today. He was not the prophet, just a righteous man that the Lord had prospered in the land. He lost his wealth. He lost his family. He lost his health to very painful boils. He still remained true to his God, even after his friends told him to give up.

We all know this story, BUT have we thought of his impact down through the generations? While suffering, he probably thought of himself as a tormented nobody that had lost everything. But he had developed a relationship with his Father in Heaven and was committed to his covenants. This sustained him enough to know that this life was not the end, and that he would someday stand before his maker with a perfected body. He needed to live for that.

I doubt that he thought about his impact on the future, just as we seldom think of our impact on our posterity. However his story has helped millions throughout history to stay true, to stay the course, to persevere, to endure, to win the race of life. He has certainly been a hero to me, along with Elder Neal A. Maxwell, who both inspire me to keep on keeping on.

Spiritual Strength Requires Feasting on the Meat of Doctrine

 I asked someone close to me how he came to the political persuasions and opinions that he held.  I mentioned that I had been taught by my parents and then developed it from there.  He instantly answered that it was by studying the doctrine of the Gospel.  He said he had no political opinions until after his mission when, for a period of years, he lost his right to attend the temple.  Because he missed those blessings, he began studying the doctrines of the temple and later of heaven.  He explained how it evolved from there over several years.  He said it wasn't that the doctrines of the Gospel taught him to be a particular party loyalist.  It was because they taught him to ask how he could be true to Gospel doctrines and be part of a political party that supported positions that were inconsistent with the Gospel such as abortion, same-sex marriage, free drug abuse, socialism, and others.

We discussed that this was why the Church had moved to "Come Follow Me - a home-centered, Church-supported plan of study."  So many of the Church members were expecting the Church to feed them the pablum of "be nice" without exerting themselves to feast on the meat of the Gospel.  We discussed how one cannot develop spiritual strength while only consuming spiritual food for babies in the Gospel once they were no longer babies.  The Spirit couldn't guide them, if they weren't seeking to understand deeply the doctrines and words of the prophets.  This meant more than merely reading scripture, but actually digesting through discussion and meditation.

The People of Limhi and the People of Alma

Rachel and Caleb brought up an idea that I've been really thinking about today.  Alma the Older took the righteous out of the land of wicked King Noah.  The Lamanites were allowed to takeover the people of King Limhi due to their wickedness AND the people of Alma despite their being righteous.  Their experiences were different however.  The people of Limhi, in their pride, fought back and fought back, and fought back until they became sufficiently humbled.  They suffered tremendously for their pride and arrogance.  The people of Alma, other than having to bear the burdens unjustly placed on them, did not suffer death or wounds, because they humbled themselves and did not fight back.  Both were freed eventually.

I don't know where the line is, as to when we need to stand up for freedom, and when we need to submit and let the Lord fight our battles.  But I do know that when we trust the Lord, He takes care of us.  I myself have done some fighting and some submitting.  Again I don't know where the line is.  I suppose there is some leeway.  Consider what may be coming and that the membership of the Church in the United States is only about 2%.  While we shouldn't be lazy or lack courage, let us also be humble enough that we don't have to suffer more than is necessary.

Who will win?

 With all that is going on and statements made, when even our own judgments seem to fail, who will win?  We know who will win - Christ and His kingdom.  We do not know the path that leads to the win, the twists and turns meant to ferret out all of the secret combinations and those whose hearts are not turned to the Lord, but we do know that in the end there will be a complete win.  The evil will be completely destroyed and the right will be victorious.  And it will be astonishing to BOTH the righteous and the wicked.

So when comments are made that make us, "Say what?!"  Don't let it get under our skin.  If people surprise us, if things challenge your faith, fall back to the Book of Mormon and prayer.  Use your shield of faith when you don't always understand everything.

But keep your shield and weapons in good shape for the battle, by obeying the commandments, being kind, serving, prayer, forgiving and asking for forgiveness, and studying the words of the prophets.  If you need reinforcements, look to your family.  We, with the help of our ancestors and the Savior, we'll get through this together.  Don't be overly alarmed, but don't be complacent either.

Regarding our country and the saving of the Constitution, perhaps it will not be saved by some assault on evil, but just by our individual faith and righteousness when no one else seems to see.  Pres. Benson himself said it will not be saved in Washington.

The Choice and the Source

Up to this point in my life, whenever I've wanted to be offended, angry, lazy, vindictive, or depressed, I've ended up wanting the rose instead of the thorn.  Sometimes it took time to come to myself, but I know where happiness, true joy, peace, and fulfillment come from.  I've wanted that more than those other things.  These good things are only found in Jesus Christ and the plan of Happiness from our Heavenly Father.  I now know that Jesus paid the price, not only to bring about the resurrection and repentance, but also to give us healing from wrongs or hurts that we suffer in mortality.  His sacrifice brings hope and strength to carry on.  It gives love to us like His.  It gives real peace even amidst the storm.

When I read the Book of Mormon regularly

When I read the Book of Mormon regularly I find that it strengthens me against temptation.  It builds hope and faith.  I appreciate the sacrifices of those who kept the records and compiled them, who had their eyes on our day.  I find more clear understanding of the political challenges and fallacies of today.  I gain an admiration of peoples long past whose example encourages me onward.  The love I have toward my Savior and brothers and sisters on earth grows, and I’m constrained to say, “My God how great Thou art!”

"Victim-less" Crimes

There are no "victim-less" crimes. The victim may not realize they are a victim however. This whole premiss is what brought us the "sexual revolution" in the 60's. The idea being that what two consenting adults did had no victims, and therefore should not be a punishable crime. Usually there are people close to them, including unwanted children that might result, who are harmed directly, but even greater is the harm done to those engaging in that behavior themselves. They become victims of Satan's lies and becoming deprived of what they could become had they not participated. It changes their mind-set and philosophy of life. This is definitely true with gambling as well as sexual sin.

When the Nephites first set up a government of judges, making it a government BY the people, their laws were based on God's laws, including the 10 commandments, as they had been taught by Kings Mosiah and Benjamin. Sexual sins were punishable crimes, as they used to be with us. Over time, as wicked men obtained judgeships, those laws got amended and changed. It became more enticing to engage in illicit behavior, because there was no punishment enforced, so more people began to participate. As victims of Satan's lies, more and more people began to go from one crime to another, changing the laws to allow them to be free from prosecution, as they were able to gain the voice of the people or their judges.

Eventually all the people became victims, because their government was destroyed. They were no longer free even to chose what was right, as they became "tribes and members of tribes," somewhat like gangs. Everyone had to have many friends and relatives to protect themselves. Every man had to conform to what the gang boss/chief wanted. Everything became political in a life-threatening way. And some gangs were worse than others.

My point in this historical comparison with our day is that there are ALWAYS victims when a crime is committed, regardless of whether we "decriminalize" them or not. And those behaviors and attitudes that evolve from those activities have consequences, not only to themselves, but to everyone else in the community as well.

We as a people are well on our way to being just like the Nephites. I've seen even many of the Saints out defending actions that harm others, because they want to engage in them without consequence. They are not converted to the fact that "Wickedness never was happiness." And we can't participate, even a little bit, without the stains obscuring our perspectives on life and blotching our souls. Thank goodness for repentance, so we can wash away those sins/crimes. But we have many who see no need to wash those wrong perceptions away today, and so they go on marching merrily toward their destruction.

We have already decriminalized too many sins. Hopefully fellow saints will not join those in the great and spacious building calling for the continued march to decriminalize that which harms themselves and others.