The Good

Ether 4:12 says:

"And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me."

I have often pondered on what this scripture means.  Is it that any good thought we have is not really our own, but from the Lord?  That seemed not quite right.  I think I get it now.  As I said in a recent post, looking about me at the world news baffles me.  How can people sell baby parts for research? And how can no one care enough to prosecute the illegal activity?  How can people point at those keeping the Lord's standards by shunning that which is wicked and call them bigots?

This scripture hopefully helps those who may be confused as to what constitutes "good." If something is contrary to the Lord's commandments, it is not good.  It does not matter what you think.  There is eternal truth.  Right and wrong do exist. And men are not the ones who decide where that line is drawn.  We need to remember that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have a much wider, more eternal perspective of things.  They know what brings happiness and progression to people.  They know what degrades and stops our progress.

Surprise!

I love the story in Ether chapter 3 about the brother of Jared seeing the finger of the Lord.  I love it because the brother of Jared is not given all the answers as to what he should do but he is asked to use his own ingenuity.  To me, this illustrates flexibility as we fulfill our own callings.  We pray, we listen to the Spirit and we add our own flare to the assignments given us.  And if I choose to do it in a slightly different way than the last person did it, that's OK.

I love it because the Lord is surprised in this story.  After the brother of Jared sees the finger of the Lord, Ether 3:9 says this:

"And the Lord said unto him: Because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood; and never has man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast; for were it not so you could not have seen my finger.  Sawest thou more than this?"

 It seems to me, the Lord didn't mean for the brother of Jared to see his finger.  It seems to me that although the Lord knew that the brother of Jared had great faith, He was surprised at just how great his faith was.  It is a good example of how the Lord knows all things.  It is not because we are predestined to do certain things, as in we have no choice in the matter, but He knows pretty much what we will do because He knows us so well.  I equate it to how I know what each of my four children would do if placed in a room with a present and told to not peek while the psychology students leaves the room to "go get something."  I know which ones would peek and which ones would wait.  He knows us so much better than that, and yet, He was still surprised.  I wish I could surprise the Lord with my goodness one day.  Just one time.  Yep, that would be sweet.

Ether 2--One Nation Under God?

Ether 2:10-12 is just one of many places in the Book of Mormon that talks about why the Americas are referred to as "the promised land."  It is a land obtained with a promise.  It is a choice land given with the understanding that "he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off." (v.10)  In verse 12 it says "whatsoever nation shall possess it (the land) shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ."  As I look around me, I just don't see enough evidence that we as a nation are doing this.  I try to look at the positive and see the good, but recent events have greatly saddened me, and I must say I am not sure what to do to improve the state of the nation.

So, I pray.  I pray for our leaders.  I pray to know what I can do.  I ponder on the words from The Family: A Proclamation to the World:

"...we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets."

I pray for the upcoming generation as I watch Satan attempt to muddle the truth about what is good and what is evil.

No grand plan presents itself to me.  Only the simple words from Proverbs come to my mind:

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct they paths."  (Proverbs 3:5-6)

I know that if each day I am a) aware, b) prayerful, and c) humble enough to do that which the spirit guides me to do it will make a difference.  I know that each act of righteousness has an impact.  And most of all, I know who will ultimately win this struggle between good and evil.  Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world.  I have faith that all will happen as the scriptures say.  Someday righteousness will prevail and Christ will reign.  My challenge is to live so there is no doubt as to whose side I am on.