"They Were In One"

This has certainly been an eventful week.  I must confess that Tuesday night was rather rough on me and I have been in a sort of malaise ever since then.  I do my best to keep my politics to myself because I know how divisive political ideas can be, and I sincerely congratulate any of my friends who through their prayers and study determined that the best course they could follow would be to support President Obama's reelection.  But for me, this has been a very hard week and it has been hard for me not to worry about certain aspects of the nation's future.  (All this is in spite of what I wrote last week, so I suppose I either need to read my own blog or stop making statements about things that I have a hard time doing).

As I struggled through some of these concerns, I had a lot of thoughts go through my mind.  I thought back on Joseph Smith's prophecy about the constitution.  On July 19, 1840, he said, "Even this Nation will be on the very verge of crumbling to pieces and tumbling to the ground.  And when the constitution is upon the brink of ruin this people will be the Staff upon which the Nation shall lean and they shall bear the constitution away from the very verge of destruction."  I am certainly not in any position to say at what point this event will take place, nor at what point the constitution will be on the verge of destruction.  That document and this people have been through many very rough days and have come through before.  Our people have certainly survived much tougher times than anything we are currently experiencing and were not, during those crises, called upon to save the constitution.  But I take Joseph at his word and I believe that at some point, such an event like this will occur.  I must confess, I had thought that this election might have been the beginning of that service to the nation.  But as I reconsidered Joseph's prophecy, I was reminded that Joseph spoke of an entire people, not just a single person stepping forward.  Whenever the day will come for us to preserve the constitution of the United States, it will be as a unified people, with men and women at all levels of society and in numerous positions and most importantly in families and communities, each devoted to the principles of freedom.

It is with regards to such unity that I failed following this election.  All too often, I have allowed political differences to become the way that I see different people, rather than seeing each as a brother or sister, a fellow son or daughter of God.  Following the Lord's visit to the Americas, we are told that "There was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.  And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not have been a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.  There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God" (4 Nephi 1:15-17).  What a wonderful society this sounds like!  By obeying the commandments of God and striving to love and serve their neighbors, the things that united these people became more important than the old prejudices and divisions that had plagued their society.

I couldn't really think of an image for this particular post, but when I saw this picture, it seemed to be perfect.  Perhaps no city in the world has been more divided and troubled than Jerusalem.  It is a center for the world's three largest and most prominent monotheistic religions, all of which claim it as a place which God has given to them.  But in this picture, I see a hope for a future of peace and unity; for a future in which the desire to serve and obey God will matter more than the hurtful wars and difficulties of the past.  It is true that there are plenty of troubling and difficult days ahead of us before the Master returns.  But it is also true that there are many glorious and wonderful days to anticipate as well.  As Elder Maxwell said in the October 1998 General Conference, "Those with true hope still see their personal circumstances shaken at times--like a kaleidoscope.  Yet with the 'eye of faith,' even in their changed, proximate circumstances, they still see divine design."  No matter our circumstances, may we continue to see God's divine designs with the eye of faith.  And then let us work for those designs with faith, hope, charity, and love, laboring with all others who seek to do the work and will of the Lord.

Brett

PS:  Happy birthday tomorrow to my beautiful girlfriend Julianne!  She has been such a profound blessing to me this past year.  Even before we started dating, she kept contact with me after I had moved to Texas and provided me with constant reminders that I had not been forgotten.  Her friendship, kindness, and love have lessened the miles between Utah and Texas.  It is a debt which I do not believe I can ever possibly repay in full.  But I am not ungrateful!  I wish I could be there to celebrate tomorrow.