I don't know if this is a good or bad thing, but I am really connecting with the Book of Alma this time around. It seems to be more applicable to my life at the moment, and I am learning from the stories I already know so well.
In the Book of Mormon, we learn pretty early on that the Lamanites were cursed with dark skin. Now, with #blacklivesmatter and everything going on right now, please let me finish the thought before getting upset and defensive. At the time, that was an easy way to tell the righteous people of God from the unrighteous. Now, dark skin is no longer a curse. Our curse is a darkening of our hearts and minds. As we let this happen, our behaviors become darkened, and we let pride, sin, and hate push out the light of Christ from within us. Early in Alma, Alma the younger is chief judge as well as the high priest over the church. He gives up being the chief judge because he sees pride, persecution, and inequality creeping into the lives of his people. He could have continued to be the chief judge which was a very prominent position at the time and serve his people and promote good, but he knew what the most important work was. It was to turn the hearts of his people toward Christ,
People have been out rioting, looting, protesting (not peacefully), and spreading hateful words in person and all over social media when they should be focusing on what they can do to better themselves. A change in one's heart leads to a change in their home which leads to a change in their community which leads to a change in states, nations, and eventually the world. But it has to start with you. And me. And each one of us individually. We cannot let hate win.
President Packer once said, "We live in troubled times--very troubled times. We hope, we pray, for better days. But that is not to be. The prophecies tell us that...We need not live in fear of the future. We have every reason to rejoice and little reason to fear. If we follow the promptings of the spirit, we will be safe, whatever the future holds." We must live in a way that invites the spirit rather than invites darkness and hate.
As I continue to read through Alma I see more and more similarities to today. Hatred between groups of people, uprisings, murders... But, I also see people coming to Christ, repentance, love, and light. When the Anti Nephi Lehis chose to not fight and knelt down when the Lamanites came against them and ended up being killed for their beliefs without raising a sword to protect themselves, more Lamanites ended up being converted than the number of the Anti Nephi Lehis that had been killed. Elder Uchtdorf said, ,"Let us, as disciples of Jesus Christ return good for evil. Let us not seek revenge or allow our wrath to overcome us... Remember: in the end, it is the merciful that obtain mercy." I am not saying some of the terrible events that have happened in the past months are right or warranted. I am saying that we cannot make things better by hurting or hating others. It says multiple times in Alma that the people did "look forward to the coming of Christ." They were faced with insanely difficult persecutions but they knelt down, prayed, and did not resist. I know I am resisting my current circumstances. I would like for things to go back to the way they were, without so much turmoil and uncertainty. I am trying to be better... I need to look forward to the coming of Christ instead of looking back and wishing away current days.
As primary elections are starting throughout the country, I am sure more hatred and darkness will spread. Let me share one more quote give by a former president of our beloved country.
People will believe what they believe and vote how they vote. That is up to them. Again, each of us have to accept responsibility for the future, do what we believe to be right, not let darkness overcome us, love each other no matter our color or our beliefs, and bring light into our hearts, homes, and communities. It is my belief that we can retain a hope, through faith, that things will get better, prayers will be answered, fasting will be gratified, prophesies will be fulfilled, revelations will be given, and our Savior will come to succor his people.
