As
I read about the trouble Pahoran had when he was driven out by the king-men, I
am reminded of the tweet I read recently about the Anti-Nephi-Lehis, and how
they were the only people in the Book of Mormon to really have the courage to
be completely pacifist. And how their commitment to not fight actually was a
powerful tool in softening hearts and converting their brothers. I have been
thinking a lot lately about how loving each other is really what we are
supposed to do in this world. And being completely pacifist fit with that idea.
Because people are generally not inherently evil, slaughtering innocents did soften
with Lamenite hearts. But I suppose, as I read this, that some people perhaps
are evil enough to take advantage of the pacifism. The first commandment has to
be to love God. To love and serve Him and follow His will above all else.
Commitment to any other idea, even loving people, even pacifism, ends up being
a false God. Loving people can end up being very complicated the more
responsibility you have, anyway, because people often have competing needs, and
you must choose the greater good. Loving God, staying close to His Spirit, is
the only way to truly know what the greater good is. That is why Pahoran was so
comofoted by Moroni’s spiritual conviction that withholding the supplies from
the warriors was wrong and had to be stopped by force if force was required.
As
I have followed the news this past week, with police shooting and police being
shot, Black Lives Matter, and All Lives Matter and all the arguing that goes
on, it strikes me that people want the surety of an uncomplicated position. No
one wants to deal in nuance and complication and grey areas, and competing
needs. But the truth is always a complicated thing, changed by perspective and
detail and feelings. Truth, with a capital T, would have to encompass all those
different feelings and needs and experiences and perspectives. The more we are
willing to complicate the issue the closer to Truth we can get. It feels scary
when everything becomes relative. The only sure foundation truly can be found
in Jesus Christ, in revelation of God’s will. Eternity is a hard concept to
understand, to comprehend. I think Truth is like that, too, overwhelming
expansive. But I think trying to get to real complete truth is worth the
effort, and an important part of the growth we are supposed to accomplish in
this life. Like all growth, which is change, it is hard and scary.
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