A Record of the People

I was thinking about how Nephi was commanded to keep a record of the people. Most of the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon are just that: a record of the Lord's people. If the Lord commanded his prophets of old to keep a record of his people, why wouldn't he do that today as well?

We have General Conference, so a record is kept of the counsel given to the Saints. I have been listening to some of President Hinckley's General Conference addresses and he references his journal entries in several of his talks.

If the prophet keeps a spiritual record of the Lord's people on Earth today, what would it say?

Are we like the people who lived in the City of Enoch fully converted to the Gospel of Christ. Willing to sacrifice for one another, always bearing each others' burdens and caring for the less fortunate? Are we able to live the law of Consecration as it was intended? Are we worthy to be translated?

Are we like the Zoramites in Alma 31 who gathered one day a week to worship their God. They abandoned the traditions of their fathers and thanked Him that they were a chosen and a holy people. After thanking their God they returned to their homes never to speak of God again until the next week when they returned to worship.

Are we like the people Moses led into the wilderness for years and years? Those who claimed to be God's chosen people, but didn't have the faith to follow to be healed by the serpent's bite by simply looking upon his staff? Do we insist the prophet's counsel is too simple, too old fashioned, or do we doubt the counsel is actually coming from the Lord and so insist on making our own way or waiting for some great revelation before we are motivated to obey?

Most prophets have felt like they have been ignored. Lehi, Noah, Abinidi, Moses, Joseph Smith... Some may have a small following, but even amongst those there are some that murmur, complain, or eventually come up with their own philosophies that eventually lead away the believers who weren't fully converted.

We know that the parable of the 10 virgins was a parable for the members of the church. Am I one of the 5 wise or 5 foolish? Am I a wheat or a tare?

From a quick search among General Conference addresses at lds.org, The word "casual" seems to be a common theme in General Conference: "Casual study is also not enough."(Uchtdorf, 2006) "If we were to become casual in partaking of the sacrament, we would lose the opportunity for spiritual growth." (Perry, 2006) "Because families are eternal, we cannot afford to be casual or complacent about those relationships." (Beck, 2007) "We simply cannot afford to be casual or get too close to the edge." (Dalton, 2007) "Sometimes people get casual about repenting." (Beck, 2007) "Some rationalize that they can casually view pornography without suffering its adverse effects." (Clayton, 2007) "When we become hurried, repetitive, casual, or forgetful in our prayers, we tend to lose the closeness of the Spirit..." (Staheli, 2004) "I find that when I get casual in my relationships with divinity and when it seems … no divine voice is speaking" (Staheli, 2004).

I think we can know what our Prophet would write about us as a people. I think we can listen to General Conference and find trends such as this. I can't change what we as a people do, but what I can do is repent and make sure that I am not casual about my worship, my relationships, or my gospel study and prayer. I can also teach my children and influence those I have stewardship over.

Machinations

Machination: crafty schemes; plots; intrigues
Machinate: to contrive or plot esp. artfully or with evil purpose. To machinate the overthrow of the government

"We have been placed on earth in troubled times. We live in a complex world with
currents of conflict everywhere to be found. Political machinations ruin the
stability of nations, despots grasp for power, and segments of society seem
forever downtrodden, deprived of opportunity, and left with a feeling of
failure." - President Thomas S. Monson, April 2008 General Conference

This was in President Monson's "Examples of Righteousness" talk given at the Priesthood session this spring. I didn't know what "machinations" meant, so I looked it up. In my attempt to Awaken, I am trying to look a little deeper into the calm, comforting words that come from the familiar voices of the leaders we have loved for so long. I'm trying to have ears to hear. I'm trying to dig a little deeper.

I always tend to say "Yeah. Troubled times. Hitler and Hussein were wicked power hungry leaders. That war in Iraq is awful. I'm glad i don't have to live like that. Those poor starving people in Africa. I'm so glad I live in the promised land and we'll always be blessed as long as we're righteous." It always seems to feel so far away. The war is always somewhere else. The bad things happen in someone else's neighborhood. I'm pretty happy and well taken care of and safe here in my home.

The Prophet Joseph Smith said "The time will come when the destiny of the nation will hang upon a single thread. "(Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 7, p. 15, July 4, 1854)

Elder Orson Hyde of the Council of the Twelve, President John Taylor, Orson Pratt, President J. Reuben Clarke, President David O. McKay, and George Q. Cannon have all referred to this prophecy.

So we know through latter-day prophecy that our dear beloved United States of America will face a near collapse. It won't always be so far away. Something of this magnitude doesn't happen all in one day. It has to start somewhere. We know we live in the latter days. Has it started already? Do we see things happening in our world and in our country that could contribute to this ill fate?

Although initially, President Monson's description of current events seem to refer to world events. But is it possible he could be talking about our own country?

"...Currents of Conflict everywhere to be found." Do we not have conflict everywhere? Especially regarding moral values and our constitutional rights? We have conflict about gun rights, same-sex marriage, school vouchers, abortion, the War in Iraq, Global Warming, violence in schools...

"Political machinations ruin the stability of nations." I know our nation seems to be pretty unstable right now. Our economy is suffering, food and gas prices are on the rise, our soldiers are spread thin throughout the world, our congress can't agree on anything, foreign countries are taking advantage of our poor housing market buying up land an properties for pennies on the dollar...oh, and our dollar - it is weakening all the time. I would say our nation right now might be able to be classified as unstable. Could it be possible that we might have "political machinations" here in our own country? If so, that would cover his next phrase "despots grasp for power."

"Segments of society seem forever downtrodden, deprived of opportunity, and left with a feeling of failure." Does this not describe our "ghettos"? It seems we have areas in our largest cities filled with uneducated minorities that feel this way. You can hear in the news about crimes committed against race, religion, or lifestyle. We have a huge welfare system to help people get back on their feet, but many never quite get there. We have scholarships and charities to help this group of people, but this group still exists and the need still exists. And what about the growing rate of depression in adults and children? That touches just about every community there is.

We know we live in the Latter-days. Our prophets have told us what will happen and what to expect. I fear that we as a people are so comfortable and used to our way of life that we feel it won't happen in our lifetime. But what if it does? None knows when these prophecies will come to pass. What if they are already coming to pass and we aren't paying attention?

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Matthew 24:42, 44

Awaken

I have been feeling compelled for over a year now to start being more active and diligent in my Gospel Study. I have been very distracted with raising a small family and I have used that excuse to keep me from doing the little things that I know would actually help me be more successful in that effort. I still have a strong testimony, I still attend church every week and faithfully fulfill my callings. I still feel and recognize the hand of the Lord in my life. But the Spirit gently whispers what I already know. I'm slacking. I'm being okay with being mediocre. I'm focused on my little world when there is so much more to be understood. The Lord needs me to be an instrument in His hands, but ...but what? I am lazy. I am stubborn. I am not diligent.

These words from Ether 8:24 keep coming to my mind: "...when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation..." The prophet is speaking to the Latter-Day Gentiles (US) here. Awake. Are we sleeping? Awful situation? Is there one that I'm not seeing? Refusing to see?

I keep thinking of an experience I had recently with my son. He was expressing how he got in trouble at school because he was so involved with the book he was reading that he didn't hear the teacher's directions and then had to have consequences for it. He wasn't sleeping per se, but he wasn't paying attention. He was so distracted by his book (entertainment, family life, hobbies, TV, Bunko, etc.) that he completely missed the directions given by his teacher.

Matthew 11:15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Maybe my son heard his teacher talking, but her message didn't register because he wasn't ready to look beyond his current situation. But the class moved on without him and then he was lost because he wasn't listening and eventually had to be reprimanded for his neglect.

I love General Conference. I look forward to it and wish it was more often than every 6 months. We listen to every session along with our little ones. Although I wish I could listen without distraction or interruption, it is impossible with 4 small children. I wonder what I've missed as I try to instill a love of Conference into my children - a worthy effort. With this blog, I'd like to record my efforts as I backtrack over what the latter-day prophets have taught us, and record my journey as I learn.

I want to be Awake. I want to be an instrument in the Lord's hands. I want to be diligent. I want to learn the Language of the Spirit. I want to be able to receive inspiration for me and my family as I try to lead my family in righteousness in this ever increasingly evil world.