I recently finished reading the BoM again, and had some interesting thoughts about it this morning. I think reading the BoM is like life--like a life of trying to be good, I guess. Not just life in general.
Okay so I mostly was thinking about the middle and the end, but let's see what I can wing for the beginning. So, Nephi starts off by talking about being born into a family with good parents, and we were all born and had families, like at least a mother. And then most of us have siblings and sometimes we get along with them and sometimes we don't, but we sure learn a lot from that process. Also, the beginning is pretty interesting, just like life is pretty interesting when you're a baby.
But then, you get into the middle and there are lots of wars and yucky stuff and sometimes you just really don't want to go on. And in fact a lot of people do drop out, some people pretty early--when they get to those complicated Isaiah chapters. And then more drop out when the wars get really really wretched like in late Alma and through Helaman. And even if they stay in, it's pretty rough.
But if you make it through the rough parts, then you get some blessings, like the 3 Nephi chapters were the Lord comes, you've received a little witness after the trial of your faith.
That's just a help though. The worst is yet to come. I mean, sure, everything is hunky dorey for awhile, but then gradually--well in their real life it was gradual, though we get it all of a sudden, 4 Nephi, everyone becomes abominably wicked.
Then you get a nice little breath of fresh air with Jared and his brother and their families--a beautiful story of faith, but then, they too become really, really wicked, so now it's like as bad as it can possibly get--two nations of people so terribly wicked that they're wiped out. And you're going, why did I keep reading this?
But if you keep going, into Moroni, you see that you're really almost done, and you have mixed feelings about reading those short chapters quickly or savoring them. And you get to Moroni 10 where he asks you to consider the goodness of God for the history of the world, and you look back over your own life and consider the goodness of God throughout your life, like at the end of your life when you reminisce about everything. And then before you even realize it, you're done. It's over. And because you've endured you feel amazingly wonderful. It's the best feeling you've ever had.
And then, just like life, well, there's resurrection. It's not really over. You can start again, and since you've endured, it's better in the next life--in the next time you read. Right?
Sometimes I'll write about my job, sometimes about my faith, sometimes about my hobbies, talents, miscellaneous interests. You'll see.
1 comment:
That's a really interesting comparison! The thought came when you reference 4th Nephi how often when people are older they are faced with the pain of their children or grandchildren falling into wickedness, and what a heartache that is. Thanks for post, it brings out a lot to think about..
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