The Power of the Gospel of Christ

I have been thinking a lot this weekend about the economy, politics and the nation in general. I truly love America. I believe it is as Michael Medved says on his radio show, "The greatest nation on God's green earth." I'm grateful to be an American citizen. I'm very concerned about the direction this country is taking. You look at the politicians and the government and it's no wonder the majority of Americans have little trust in their government. I also worry that they are trying to take this country closer and closer to socialism. The more and more this country goes towards socialism, the less and less freedoms the American people have and the more the Constitution of this country becomes irrevelant. That honestly scares me. I'm sorry, I'm getting off on a tangent. This post probably doesn't seem relevant to this blog but bare with me, there is a point to all this political talk.

The purpose for all that political background is help you to understand what I was thinking about this weekend. All this worry about this country and where it is headed brought into my mind a scripture.

"And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God." (Alma 31:5)

Lately I have spend a lot of time talking a lot about politics and really almost obsessed with learning all there was to know about what was going on in the world and making sure I shared my opinion and thoughts with as many people as I could to help them, you could almost say convert him or her to my way of thinking. I think I subconsciously thought that my way of thinking, politically, was the right way. I realized this weekend that although that may be a good thing to do the most important thing I can do is share my beliefs in the gospel of Jesus Christ because as the scripture says, "it had had [a] more powerful effect up the minds of the people" than "anything else." (Alma 31:5)

As a member of "the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth" it is crucial that I share this message with as many people as I can. (D&C 1:30) As people understand the principles of the gospel and start to see what it means really love their fellow man and have honesty and integrity the world will change. Ultimately, that is what will happen in the millienium. The people of the earth will love each other and will have "no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually." (Mosiah 5:2) It is the only the gospel of Jesus Christ that can bring this nation back to it's roots, back to the great principles that founded this great country. It is the gospel that will bring this nation back to living according to the values found in the United States Constitution, a truly inspired document.

Turbulant Times

It is a pretty crazy world we live in right now isn't it?  Currently I feel secure and safe but for how long?  Wall street is going crazy and the government seems to be trying to get their hands into everything to try and fix it.  Is that the right thing to do?  I don't really know but my gut says, "I don't think so."  Are we getting close to the end of time, the time spoken of in the scriptures when Christ "comes again to rule among the sons of men"?[1]  Of course we are but how close are we.  Something is certainly happening in the world that has never been seen before.   It has me concerned what is on the horizon.  The one comfort that I have is that as long as my family and I listen to a follow the counsel of the Prophet, we will be okay.  We might have trials and hard times but we will be able to make it through.  I really believe that the United States, if not the whole world, is in store for some difficult times.  I have no idea what they are but I want to make sure that I am prepared for whatever comes our way.  My wife and I are making sure we have a good food storage setup, emergency preparedness plans and anything else that the leaders of the Church are asking us to do.  The other thing I do to be prepared is I read and I listen.  I have a radio on almost all day on talk radio.  I read the news, as much as I have time for.  At thist point in my life more than any other I feel better informed and better prepared for what is and might happen.  I pray that everyone else will do the same.  

[1] "I Believe in Christ," 134.