I am a fan of the human condition - but I am not naive. People will let you down, no matter what. We all do. Do we let it sour us? Or do we just accept that it is part of the human condition?
Great quote - and much to be gleaned from this:
I see men and women in this congregation—only a few of them—who were driven from the central stake of Zion. Ask them if they had any sorrow or trouble; then let them look at the beautiful land that the Lord would have given them if all had been faithful in keeping His commandments, and had walked before Him as they should; and then ask them with regard to the blessings they would have received. If they tell you the sentiments of their minds, they will tell you that the yoke of Jesus would have been easy and his burden would have been light, Matt. 11:29-30 and that it would have been a delightful task to have walked in obedience to his commands and to have been of one heart and one mind; Moses 7:18 but through the selfishness of some, which is idolatry, through their covetousness, which is the same, Col. 3:5 and the lustful desire of their minds, D&C 101:1-8 D&C 103:3-4 D&C 104:3-5 D&C 105:1-6they were cast out and driven from their homes. We have been driven many times; but each time, if they who professed to be the servants of God had served Him with an undivided heart, Ps. 12:2 Hosea 10:2 they would have had the privilege of living in their houses, possessing their lands,
BRIGHAM YOUNG JD
All of us will yet go through the great sifting. Better said, we are going through a great sifting right now. How are we doing?
"This is plain preaching, and perhaps some of you will not like it. I can not help it, these are the things that present themselves before my mind. There must be a reformation, there will be a reformation among this people, for God will not cast off this kingdom and this people, but he will plead with the strong ones of Zion, he will plead with this people, he will plead with those in high places, he will plead with the Priesthood of this Church, until Zion shall become clean before him. I do not know but that it would be an utter impossibility to commence and carry out some principles pertaining to Zion right in the midst of this people. They have strayed so far that to get a people who would conform to heavenly laws it may be needful to lead some from the midst of this people and commence anew somewhere in the regions round about in these mountains. Ask this people if they are willing to abide by the law of god, and how would they vote? The hands of every one would be up almost without exception, but when it comes to the very point, when consecration in part might be required at their hands, that is the time to prove them and to see whether they would or would not be obedient.'Oh I have such a fine house, and such a fine carriage and horses, such an abundance of merchandize and good things. It has taken me years and years to get these things, and it is hard to give one-half, three-fourths, or nine-tenths of them to establish another order of things, and I rather think I had better keep on the background, and see how the order flourishes" Orson Pratt, J.D. 15:360-361
ReplyDeleteThat was Orson Pratt's day. I wonder what would happen if this was asked of us today. LOL