Who's on the Lord's Side, Who?
Who's on the Lord's Side, Who?
by Laurie Smith
It's loud. It's confusing. The noise of the world is almost deafening right now. There are many parables that have foretold of this very thing: the wheat and the tares, the sheeps and the goats, the ten virgins and the parable of the sower. There will be a separation. Sadly, not only is the separation happening in our society, but from within our own congregations. In 2 Nephi, we read:
"But, behold, in the last days, or in the days of the Gentiles—yea, behold all the nations of the Gentiles and also the Jews, both those who shall come upon this land and those who shall be upon other lands, yea, even upon all the lands of the earth, behold, they will be drunken with iniquity and all manner of abominations—"
I find the use of the word "drunken" to be interesting. Typically people who are drunk are irrational, emotional, stubborn and are not to be reasoned with. I feel like this perfectly describes those people/groups that are fighting against the Lord and his commandments. God has been clear from the beginning that he is unchangeable and does not turn a blind eye to sin. We, as members of the church, need to hold fast to those things we have already known to be true. The world will try to tell us "we need to keep up" or that because it's legal it's no longer a sin. In Ether, the Lord tells the Brother of Jared:
"...I will forgive thee and thy brethren of their sins; but thou shalt not sin any more, for ye shall remember that my Spirit will not always strive with man; wherefore, if ye will sin until ye are fully ripe ye shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord."
I do not know all things, well actually I don't know many things. But I do know this. The Prophet speaks truth. I was sitting in the baptistery of the Gilbert Temple with my kids one day and bowed my head and closed my eyes to "feel". It was almost immediate, the burning in my soul was undeniable. The Holy Ghost bore sure witness to me that what I was feeling, experiencing... was pure truth. It was such a beautiful moment. I still cannot articulate many things, or adequately explain the what's and why's of all the things the church does or the things our leaders ask of us. But I know this, they speak truth and my joy comes from the trust and faith I have in my God. His Gospel is true and the path is narrow. Hold to the rod, my friends, be believing and valiant. And of all things, endure well that we may be able to say as did Paul:
7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. (2 Timothy 4 )
