Is the Book of Mormon Written for Us?

Is the Book of Mormon written for us?  Did the prophets writing therein really see our day and our "doings?"

As our family gets closer to our goal of finishing the Book of Mormon together for the third (?) time, it becomes increasingly apparent that it is written specifically for us and they most certainly did see our day.

Sixteen chapters away from the finale of the book, this is sometimes comforting and at times disturbing as it feels like the sins of our generation are on full blast on the big screen of our scripture reading each morning.

As a result, it makes it very easy to "apply the scriptures unto ourselves," just as it was easy to apply General Conference to ourselves last week.

While reading Ether Chapter 6, it was very easy to compare our family's recent move and all of the travails we've experienced before, during, and since to the journey of the people of Jared across the ocean.  It says that the Lord sent a wind to blow them continuously (344 days straight) until their barges reached the promised land.  I'm so grateful to a college friend who taught me during an FHE one evening to look at the storm and see that it was the method that the Lord used to bring the people to a better place.  Our storms can do the same thing for us.  We also noted that although there was darkness all around them and they spent most of their time buried under water and tossed about, they did not have to cross in darkness because of the faith of the Brother of Jared in Jesus Christ...and we don't have to either.

In Ether Chapter 8, which we read yesterday, we see the reintroduction of secret combinations into what was previously a peaceful beginning to their new society in what we know as the Americas.  Because of a thirst for power, people entered into oaths with one another to uphold the wicked behavior of their leaders or those who wished to lead.  We learn that these secret oaths are had among all nations and are as old as Cain and that the author of these secret combinations is Satan himself.  Moroni warns the modern gentiles (talking to us) to guard against these secret combinations and to not let them get above us, because if we do, it will prove, as with all people, to lead to our utter destruction.

Are these secret combinations had among us?  They most certainly are, if one glance at the news this week is any indication.  I couldn't sleep last night, and made the "mistake" of taking in all of the details of the latest sex scandal in Hollywood--and it's a big one.  Being a news person my main interest was discovering why this wasn't reported sooner by certain news outlets.  I remember seeing this man on TV during a news clip of the Oscars earlier this year and thinking, "Wow, he looks like a real sleazeball."  Little did I know how true that inkling was.  And how disgusting it was last night to read all of the accusations against him and even more disturbing to know that no one stood up to him, in fact, his associates aided and covered for him in a wide range of industries (including media and journalism companies) in order to gain access to his power.

As someone who worked in a lot of professional environments with a lot of powerful people before marrying and becoming a mother, I have some surprising insight into how widespread this kind of behavior is and how much people thirst for power, access to powerful people, and fame in our society.  As a young female, I got to see firsthand how men at almost any level of power prey on the young, eager, and naive women around them.  And my friends who worked in similar fields can share similarly harrowing tales.

Did the prophets of the Book of Mormon see our day.  I testify that they absolutely did, which is what makes it such a powerful tool in our lives today.

As Elder Nelson taught in General Conference, "The Book of Mormon provides the fullest and most authoritative understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ to be found anywhere.  It teaches what it really means to be born again...The full power of the gospel of Jesus Christ is contained in the Book of Mormon. Period."

So is it possible to turn our society around and become the kind of people who can dwell with God?  The Book of Mormon shows us that people can turn around rather quickly, if we desire to.  In Ether 9, we read that after losing the kingdom to his conspiring, wicked son, King Omer and then his son King Emer rule in righteousness...so much so that the Lord poured out his blessings upon the land and King Emer saw Jesus Christ in person.

However, we don't want to be flip-floppers during our probationary state--during our lives.  We don't want to be lukewarm.  The world will do what it will do, but we must worship the Lord and obey His commands so that we can cross through the darkness of this world with our lights shining brightly.

I tuned in only at the very end of last night's Face to Face live Youtube event, but what I heard in the last 5-10 minutes was beautiful.  

One young woman talked about standing strong against temptations and how hard that is as a youth today because they are faced with so many evil things.  She said that she thinks about someday after this life we will all sit around a table with the prophets.  She said that no one will want to say, "Oh, my life was easy."  We will say, "I worked hard.  I tried my best. I stood strong," etc.  Not one of us will say it was easy, but it will have been worth it, and our personal storms will be what brought us to a glorious end, to our personal promised land, if we have faith enough in the Savior to make the journey with His help and the help of the wisdom provided in this sacred book, which if read daily can qualify us for heaven's help in our lives.  Help we will certainly all need more and more of in the days ahead!