I am busy reading the "war chapters" in Alma in my scripture study. I love how one can draw so many parallels from that section of the Book of Mormon to real life. It never ceases to amaze me how each time I read the BOM, I learn lots of new things.
As I read about Captain Moroni and how he had prepared his people for battle, I was struck with a new thought. I always find the part amusing where the Lamanites try to mimic Moroni's army with similar battle dress, thinking it will make them just as successful and powerful as the Nephites. They believe all it takes is the right equipment to win. Right...
Of course, the Lamanites do not prevail, which amazes them. D'uh. It takes a little bit more than armor to win. Maybe having the Lord on your side and fighting for a good cause has something to do with winning, but what do I know?!
Besides amusing me, I realized while reading this account how much the Lamanites are like the world in this situation. They believe they can "have it all" just based on appearances. If they dress for battle like the army of Cpt. Moroni, then they will succeed and come out victor. The world tells us that we can have everything we want and be happy. We can feed our natural wants and desires and still come out satisfied with life. We can dress immodestly and still feel self worth. We can have sex before marriage and still develop into a functioning emotionally stable adult who then leads a successful marriage. We don't have to save our money, but rather spend it on everything we want now and still be financially okay. After all, we deserve what we want right now! We can expose ourselves to any kind of music, movies, drugs, alcohol, and activities and still be happy and unscathed. We can! Right? We can have it all!
However, it is amazing to see how many people are unhappy despite this attitude. Marriages broken, children neglected, addictions formed, bankruptcy declared, and misery unleashed. Why isn't this idea of having it all not working? How can we possibly be unhappy if we have everything?
Just like the Lamanites in their armor, the world is missing one key element, the substance behind the armor. The Lamanites failed because, although they put on shields and breastplates, they didn't prepare spiritually. They didn't have the Lord on their side and they weren't fighting for a righteous cause. The world wants to feed us on appearance. Satan would have us gratify our every desire, all the while telling us it will make us happy, but fails to feed our souls. While the pleasure of gratifying our needs can come close to happiness, it is fleeting and never satisfying. We are always left wanting more and searching for something new to fulfill our desires. We are never happy because our souls are not given the nourishment they need to truly find joy. The world cannot give us "everything", only God can. It's sad to see so many wander in misery, trying to mimic the true happiness living the Gospel can bring, but always falling short.
While I amused by the account of the clueless Lamanites in Alma, I am saddened by the misery of those around us in the world. What a blessing it is to have the Gospel in our lives. What a great responsibility we have as parents to teach our children that true happiness can only be found in living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Nothing can ever compare to it. What a great privilege we have to share that wonderful message with those around us to help them truly succeed in this life.
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