Last night, I blogged about my lack of enthusiasm for living during the long-awaited Last Days, but over the course of today, a few of my followers have posted comments reminding me of some of the good things about the world today, of which I had forgotten. One of those blessings is having a living prophet. Last night, when I counted him as a source of scripture, I think I undercut his importance. He doesn't just give us new scripture; he gives us current scripture. The guidance he relays to us isn't just more of God's words; it's what God would say, or rather, is saying, directly to us, the people who are living here and now. If God had an important message specifically for His children of these Last Days, it would come to us through His living prophet. We are certainly extremely fortunate to have a watchman on the tower, relaying up-to-date messages from our Heavenly Father.
Another great blessing that I completely glossed over was the existence of temples and the availability of all the sacred ordinances we can obtain in mortality. I heard recently 85% of the members of the church live within 200 miles of a temple. Never in the history of the world have these sacred blessings been so accessible to so many. In fact, there were whole eras of the earth when these blessings weren't available at all, and I wouldn't be surprised if some spirit, having lived without access to these blessings, might have been frustrated with me for taking them for granted.
There are other blessings that I ignored or minimized. Technology is, or at least can be, more of a blessing than a curse, if we use it wisely, and my sister brought up a good point about how much freedom and opportunity we have in these modern times. I truly am very blessed, and I think I understand that a little better than I did last night. I still have a lot to learn, of course, and I'm sure I have many blessings that I still take for granted. I hope the deprived and impoverished souls or the past and present can forgive my folly. I wish I wasn't so desensitized to my many blessings so I could appreciate them more and thank God for them. I still have another concern, related to the one I shared last night, but I can blog about that another time. For now, I just want to thank my readers for sharing their insights and encouragement with me, and I want to thank God for the many blessings of living during the Last Days.
1 comment:
Dear Andrew, we all have days when we're discouraged and dispirited, when the buffetings of Satan feel like hurricane winds. That's why we need each other, so that those who are feeling strong today can help those who are feeling weak; because tomorrow I'll be the one who is down in the dumps and you'll be up and able to lift me. I so appreciate your point of view and your sharing of personal experiences. I look for blogs that uplift, express gratitude, and help me press forward with steadfastness is Christ. Many times your blog is just what I need. I'm happy to reciprocate. We can't make it through life without our fellow saints, just like the handcart and other pioneers couldn't make it across the plains alone, but through assisting, sharing burdens and encouraging each other. Keep up the good work, brother!
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