Oh the arrogance!

Ether 11
More wickedness, secret combinations and prophets proclaiming utter destruction if they do not repent and come unto Christ.

Do the people listen? No! In fact, they become more wicked. Verse 22 stood out to me. “. . . they did reject all the words of the prophets, because of their secret society and wicked abominations.” Oh the arrogance! Destruction is all around them and they still reject the truth? I really don't get it.

I confess a little boredom as I read through this repetitive cycle. I get lost as to who is good and who is bad, but as I read the last verse, and that Ether is now on the scene, I couldn't help but let my eyes wander to the next chapter just to see what Ether has to say. After all, I have a very colorful page and I was curious. I'm saving it for tomorrow, but I did read to verse 4 which gives me a little clue to the answer to my question.

Ether tells the people that if they believe in God, they will have hope which will bring faith enough to make them sure and steadfast, “. . . always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.” The key here is a belief in God. They don't! He is someone their parents or others created to make their children be “good”. To them, God is like the “undertows” in the canal that his parents warned him about – not really real.

How do we come to believe in God? How did I? Well, even though there was a period in my life that I didn't act like I believed, I always knew he existed. I just did. Nothing about life or my surroundings – I just knew he existed. I also knew I was in a bad place. I remember wishing that it wasn't true. That didn't work though. I believed. That belief eventually led me to cry out to God in serious desperation one night in my extremity. I had so long been away from praying that it wasn't even as I had been taught to pray, but rather “Heavenly Father, I'll do what it takes. Please answer my parents' prayers for me.” That one prayer brought with it a string of events that were miracles as I look back on it. I'm so grateful I had started journaling, because it is written. Some day I'll reread it, but I'm too busy living the miracle that is my life now to care. I know God lives. That knowledge give me hope that I will sit at the right hand of God some day. I don't understand how, but if it is possible, then I know I will be there. This hope gives me the faith to carry on and do whatever it is the Lord calls me to do by his righteous Priesthood leaders and prophets. Do I do it because I know I'm qualified? Absolutely not! I know I'm not qualified. But I do know from experience that the Lord will guide me. I will become qualified and thereby become more of what He wants me to be when I return to his presence. I guess this is what is meant by “sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works.” I will do it, and I will glory in my God in the process. Maybe I don't go around vocally proclaiming, although I will be doing more of that as I fulfill my calling as Stake RS President, but I have confidence that what I do is a testimony to others of the good that living in faith can do for us.