The Sign is Given

Today I read 3 Nephi 1, where the Savior is born. This chapter has always been interesting to me. For one thing, in my personal thoughts, the Nephites who believed the prophets at this period of time are the only ones who really know he meaning of the word peer pressure to me. I have never really understood peer pressure. But then again, as I said yesterday, and as my wife likes to point out, I'm really not like other people. I have never understood the idea of doing something just because other people want you to do it.

Now there are friends of mine that would argue otherwise. For example, I have a friend that would probably swear on his death bed that I only served a mission because my father wanted me to. The funny thing is, he is right but he's referring to the wrong Father. I served a mission because it was a commandment of the Lord. But I make no secret of the fact that I really, really did not want to serve a mission at first. In fact I didn't really catch the spirit of my mission until the first Monday in the mission field. But once I caught the spirit of it, I loved what I was doing and I loved my mission and will tell any young man who has doubts to go and do and you will never regret it.

However, it might be hypocritical of me, but I personally feel that anything that gets you to do the right thing is a good thing. I mean, even if you do the right thing for the wrong reason it's a start right? If you can start on the path, whatever the reason, as long as you change your heart and start doing it for the right reason at some point. As I sit here and think on this though, I think I am changing my mind. I can think of several reasons that are not good for doing something that is right. The story of Cain and Abel quickly comes to mind. Cain offered a sacrifice to the Lord because Satan told him to do it. He was doing the right thing but for a very wrong reason and the Lord did not accept his sacrifice.

So I was wrong it seems. I know that the attitude with which we do things matters of course, after all we all know the scripture that tells us not to do things grudgingly or we might as well not do them at all. We are getting very far afield from where we started though. These righteous Nephites in my opinion are some of the few in this world who can really say anything about peer pressure. I mean, can you imagine being told to renounce your beliefs or you will be killed? Now, I know that some people have indeed been told that before and I can only imagine. Now, if you have an eternal perspective and realize that this life is a mere blip on the eternal radar then it really is no choice anyway. But I can tell you that your thoughts and opinions really change when you have a wife and family to care for. I remember before I was married I never worried about my house being broken into. When my wife and daughter are visiting my in-laws I never worry about leaving my house during the day. But when they are home and I leave them there, I worry about it, sometimes constantly.

The difference is I now have something to lose. Something more precious to me than my own life. So I can empathize with those poor Nephites. Of course, it is obvious to me that it is no coincidence that the very day the unbelievers chose to put the believers to death is the very day they were going to be put to death. The scriptures teach us that the Lord will try His people to see if they will be faithful in all things. We all need to learn who we really are and if we really will serve God no matter what. God already knows what we will choose, but we don't, not until we are put in that situation and have to choose between that which is most important to us, and what God wants us to do.

A final thought on this chapter. I have to wonder at the sheer idiocy of some of the Nephites. In verse 22 it says that Satan sent lyings among the people so that they would not believe those signs. I'm sorry but the caliber of individual who can believe the lyings of Satan after witnessing all of that just makes me wonder. I mean that is a person who almost wants to be damned they are so dumb. Thankfully the scriptures say that those who disbelieved the signs were very, very few in number. But as sad as it is that there were people who would not believe the signs at that time, there are still those in our day that won't believe signs and wonders either, despite them being in plain sight. They are dismissed as coincidence. Let me assure you that there are no coincidences in this life. Only divine providence. Until tomorrow.