If We Do Not Doubt

Children gain courage and families grow stronger when parents know what we believe, stay strong in our faith, and show our faith by our examples.  We can show our faith by being precise in prayer, in scripture study, in keeping covenants, in dressing modestly, in being totally honest, and in honoring the Sabbath.  We must help our children to put on the whole armor of God by our examples and teachings.

I was reminded today of a story in the Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Christ about a group of exemplary young warriors who were exceedingly valiant, courageous, and strong in defending their nation.  Their leader was a prophet named Helaman who considered his 2060 stripling warriors as his own sons.  He described the young men as being "men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him" (Alma 53:21).

These young warriors lived in times much like our own challenging days.  They were in difficult and dangerous circumstances as their enemies were threatening to overthrow their government and to kill the citizens of their nation.  Just as in our day, the youth were called upon to defend the physical and spiritual liberty of their people.  Paul could have been describing both their day and ours when he wrote, we "wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12).

Strong parents and leaders who will teach the truth are needed at all times but especially in challenging times.  Children and youth need to know the truth that stripling warriors of Helaman knew:  "If they did not doubt, God would deliver them" (Alma 56:47).

There is a revolution in our nation at the current time, and this revolution may result in another civil war.  If our nation divides into war once again, it will not be like the Civil War that took place in 1860-1864.  It will be a war between the classes - the have nots fighting the haves, the unemployed against Wall Street and Main Street, neighbor against neighbor, community against community - and it may expand to city against city, state against state.  Anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear knows that there is a great divide in our nation that has been growing for many years.  This divide continues to grow wider as one side attempts to maintain freedom, religion, morals, principles, laws, and our nation's Constitution while the other side tries to replace our Constitution with a "living Constitution, and destroy our faith in God and many of our freedoms.  We must decide which side we will support.  I personally choose the side with morals, religion, freedom, and the rule of law.

This revolution was caused by teachers and professors who encourage their students to rebel against authority and who destroy the faith of their students.  Union leaders urge and inspire their members to cause unrest in our cities such as the situation in Wisconsin earlier this year when unions opposed Governor Walker's attempt to balance their state budget; union members are part of the Occupy revolution.  Even the President of the United States, members of his Administration, members of Congress and leaders of states and cities encourage class warfare and revolution by their words and actions.  This President has made such a mess of our nation that I actually feel sorry for the next person elected to the office of President of the United States - if there is actually another election.

Occupy Wall Street was not simply a spontaneous demonstration, but it was well planned and prepared for months ago.  The demonstrators on Wall Street are being paid to be there.  Food is being brought to them.  They even have their own newspaper!

They are demonstrating against banks and corporations because they have huge student loans with no income to pay them back.  The students should be rebelling against their colleges and universities for their huge student loans because of the highly expensive tuitions to be there.  College and university tuition has grown more than twice as fast as inflation.  The cost of higher education has increased faster and higher than health care or anything else in our nation.  Why are not these institutions being blamed for the expense of education just as doctors are blamed for health care costs and banks/corporations are considered greedy.

Parents pay the high tuition in order that their children may receive educations, but the students are simply being indoctrinated with liberal, progressive, socialist and even communist ideas.  Did you know that 71-85 percent of Christian students lose their faith while at college?  Each of my children paid their own college expenses, but this loss of faith is very familiar to my family.  Four of my six children attended Brigham Young University where their faith in God was strengthened and increased, but two of my daughters attended secular schools where they were indoctrinated with very liberal/progressive ideas.  One of my daughters married a man who attended BYU, and she has continued strong in our faith in spite of her more liberal ideas.  The other daughter married a young man who grew up without much religion and attended the same secular university; she became inactive in our religion.  All my children have careers in the service industry and are much involved in making their communities better.  These two daughters are much more concerned about social justice and helping those who are considered less privileged, but they, like their siblings, contribute much good in our society.  For this I am very grateful!

The stripling warriors gave their mothers the credit for their great faith and courage.  I believe that there were other righteous adults involved in their training also.  At any rate, these young men knew the value of covenants.  They knew that their mothers recognized that strength comes through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  They knew that their mothers truly believed the teachings they gave their children.  Their mothers were instrumental in preserving the lives of their sons because they stood strong in their faith.  Like the mothers of the stripling warriors, we too must stand strong in our faith and keep our covenants; by doing so, we can uphold, nurture and protect our children and youth in these challenging and dangerous times.