Who's On the Lord's Side?

A post from two day's of reading:

This morning I read the last letter Moroni received from his father.  Given the events of yesterday, it hit my heart with such sorrow.  Are we as depraved a nation as were the Lamanites and Nephites at this time in history?  Sometimes I wonder.  To my knowledge we haven’t resorted to cannibalism.  And I believe there are some people who are still good.  Even as bad as we are fiscally, it’s because one party wants to ease all the pains and burdens of those who will not lift a hand to help themselves.  Of course, they are well paid for their failed efforts. 

I must mention that a young man walked into an elementary school yesterday and before taking his own life, took the lives of 26 people – 20 of them being small children.  How can a person be so past feeling?  This act sickened a nation, and we all mourn for the families who are grieving.  We all mourn for the innocence of which our own children have been robbed.  When will it end?  When we will be a nation of peace again?  We see tiny glimpses of which are usually at the day’s end of a day like yesterday. 

Ironically, I just opened my Ensign to read the next talk.  The last talk I read was Elder Dallin H. Oaks’ talk entitled “Protect the Children”.  Where is my post?  Sitting – unsaved, on my computer!  I must include it here.

(Yesterday)  As I read my scriptures and conference talk this morning, there was a serious background of laughter and Christmas chatter by my daughter’s children.  This is a little distracting, but fit in beautifully with the conference talk by Elder Oaks, which is what I was reading.  How blessed these five little children are to have the example of righteous parents who are trying to do the right thing as they raise their family.

There is a serious bullet list of the ways children can be harmed.  I’ll take them in the order Elder Oaks spoke of them:

• Child pornography
• Deny Heavenly Father’s children the right to be born via abortion or birth control.
• Expectant mothers not eating nutritionally
• Orphaned
• Psychological abuse
• Physical abuse
• Divorce
• Unwed mothers
• Parents not marrying but cohabitating
• Same gender parents

There was a day when children were considered a blessing to parents, and to be protected at all cost.  This trend is reversing quickly.

Elder Oaks calls us to “. . .unite to increase our concern for the welfare and future of our children – the rising generation.”  This is not just to members of the church but also to all people throughout the world who have ears to hear.  Our world is in crisis mode.  The next generation is privileged to solve or live with the burdens we have cast upon them.  Who is teaching them to do so in moralistic ways?  Who is setting the example for them to do what is right in the eyes of God?  Who is teaching them to have faith in a Heavenly Father who is mindful of all that happens to us? 

When you read such sobering statistics, i.e. “. . .41 percent of all births in the United States were to women who were not married”, it is quite clear we have a problem on our hands.  Our missionaries are finding it challenging to find families where they can baptize a father and potential priesthood holder.  Most are baptizing mothers and children.  It doesn’t take a great deal of pondering to see the seriousness and potential impact of this statistic.  Many of the parents teaching their children today are parents who were not taught values as children.  It is sad to say the very least.

So as I prepare to move forward with my day, I feel an even heavier obligation to set a righteous example for my children and grandchildren – and all children,  and to “unite” my concern with that of others for the welfare of children everywhere.  What does this look like?

And it looks like I was distracted by those adorable chattering children and never posted this input.  Ironic that it was on the day before we took a huge hit yesterday on children throughout our nation and world.  Why was it so widespread?  Because the innocence of children has been robbed!

I was well on my way with today’s post when I realized I did not even save the last.  Life gets crazy.  What was I about to say?

Children are innocent.  Mormon grieved for the innocence lost of those too young to even realize what was happening in their world.  It grieves me every time I read the last book (Moroni) of the Book of Mormon.  It is a warning to us as a people – a nation – a world, that we must put down our weapons of rebellion and let the Savior into our lives, to accept Him as our Savior and live worthy of the sacrifice He made for us.  It is a warning that should we choose to continue in our depravity, we too can expect similar results. 

Our Savior will come again.  I know this to be true.  We know the outcome of the battle that is being fought between bad and good.  The only unknown is which side we will be on when the Savior returns.  I believe it was Elder Holland who said it.  My goal is to be on the Lord’s side, to be a key player in His work as those who have never heard the gospel will have the opportunity to do so.