And, moving on...
Today is a rare moment for anyone who reads this because this will be an actual full-length entry from my personal journal...the journal that is the most open avenue of my mind. I hope as you read it you will see why I want to post this publicly. If you view yourself as one of the politically-vocal persons I make reference to, please realize this is just my view and voice about politics because I do far more listening to others' voices than I do of sharing my own.
July 03, 2012
I was reading scriptures yesterday morning and found myself easily identifying with what was happening on a broad scale. This is a presidential election year for the United States of America. There is much what I will call wickedness both among the American people and within the ranks of government. This nation has been blessed and prospered by God for a few hundred years, but we now are ripening for turmoil and destruction. We seem to be very much like the Nephite nation as talked about in Helaman chapter 5
(2) For as their laws and their governments were established by the voice of the people, and they who chose evil were more numerous than they who chose good, therefore they were ripening for destruction, for the laws had become corrupted.
(3) Yea, and this was not all; they were a stiffnecked people, insomuch that they could not be governed by the law nor justice, save it were to their destruction.
Because of all the corruption that has been developing and happening of the last probably 50 or more years, it seems now to be a constant cycle of corruption and deception, no matter who is elected in to the office of President of the United States. So, especially during the last several presidential elections, which happen every four years, it seems like the options are more or less bad and worse. During the year or so leading up to the election, politically-minded people really become vocal as to who will be the best candidate and why (and how) they will be the current savior for the worst of our nation's woes.
Interestingly, in Helaman chapter 5, Nephi "had become weary because of their iniquity" so he gave up his position in the judgment-seat, which seems to be a governmental position similar to U.S. president, and "took it upon him to preach the word of God all the remainder of his days..." [Note: upon further review of verses one to four, it is quite possible that Nephi was voted out and chose to preach the gospel then. Either way, it seems he and his brother Lehi decided to pursue preaching for they had remembered the words of their father Helaman, which included the following:]
The words of his father which he remembered, found cause to be written down in conjunction with the political turmoil, and possibly went about preaching, included a reminder "that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ" (vs. 9), that repentance of our sins is the purpose of Christ's atoning blood (vs. 10-11), and that (vs. 12) "it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."
Please notice Helaman does not say it is upon the platform of our redeemer, who is the current candidate, that ye must place your trust and hope; that when the devil shall use the winds of politics, yea his shafts in the whirlwind of current thoughts of how things should be run and done, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm of uncertainty in current worldly leadership shall beat upon you when they don't fulfill the promises of redemption which helped get them into office, this shall have power to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of your trust in the arm of flesh (2 Nephi 4:34).
Believe me, it is a gulf of misery and endless wo to hear politicians' promises and politically-vocal citizens' opinions. I am already less miserable and less wo-weary to hear Helaman's counsel as to who my foundation of faith should be built upon. In the grand view of politics and this world, I was not here when it began, and I doubt I will be here when the full transition to God's government takes place. So during my time here, it may be best to follow the example of Nephi and Lehi as told in Helaman 5:14
"And they did remember his words; and therefore they went forth, keeping the commandments of God, to teach the word of God among all the people..."
