Today I read Doctrine and Covenants section 37, a very short section of only 4 verses. In this section the Lord commands Joseph and the saints to move to Ohio, specifically Kirtland and gather there so all the saints can be together for the building up of the kingdom of Zion.
This section reminds me of a friend of mine that I had a conversation with back before my mission. He wondered why it was necessary for people to go to church every week for 3 hours and why couldn't he just worship God on his own. Why is it necessary to go to church? My response at the time was a simple that I actually liked going to church, what other reason do I need? Now that I'm a little older and wiser my answer would be that it is a commandment from God first and foremost, secondly, it provides strength and lastly, I still enjoy it!
I know I have shared the story of the bishop who went to an inactive member's house and took a coal out of the fire, let it die down, then returned it to the fire. If you are interested in the entire story, it was from my post on Alma 6, back on August 15th. Most people find it easier to do what is right when they know that they are not the only person who is doing it. But more importantly for the earlier Saints, a bully is less likely to pick on those that he/she perceives as weaker than himself/herself is, is much less likely to pick on those in numbers. At this point in the church's history, persecution was rampant and starting to turn violent. It had always been violent for some, such as Joseph Smith, and the idea of stamping out the new Mormon religion was getting more and more popular. With the Saints spread out as they were the branches were very, very small and defenseless. The Lord wanted to protect His people so He had them gather in greater numbers.
Again I can't help but drawn the comparison between this commandment and the spiritual protection afforded by those who gather together for protection. This is the reason we have seminary and mutual for our youth. It's why we have institute for our young adults, why we have firesides and CES broadcasts and CES programs such as Especially for Youth. We want our young people to be successful and gain testimonies of their own so that they are not relying wholly on their parents testimony and we want them to gain good friendships to bolster them and help uplift them.
But we all need that kind of help. No man/woman is an island the saying goes. We all need good strong friendships and help in this life, especially in he church and in the area of religion. It is SO much easier to live the gospel when you surround yourself with those who also live the gospel. If you think about it, the spiritual gathering has not stopped. We are all still called and required to give our hearts to the Savior and turn our hearts to Him and His work. While we physically are asked to stay where we are and build the Kingdom wherever we currently are, spiritually we are called to go to the temple as often as we can and to attend our church meetings each and every week so that we can be a more profitable servant. And I do believe that for most of us it is not even a sacrifice anymore. And for those that it is, keep doing it and keep praying for assistance and you will get there. Everyone who truly wants to does eventually. Until tomorrow.
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