This is not what I want

     Whatever the opposite of evolution is, we're doing it. As we advance technologically, we humans are regressing emotionally, socially, and spiritually. People have made mistakes and done mean or stupid things since humans began. However, generally society-at-large recognized things that just "weren't right". The increase in advanced education over the centuries has not created more advanced beings. We no longer throw rocks and spears at each other, we have more effective weapons that more efficiently destroy life without requiring us to dirty our hands. We don't seek to understand others but to judge them and hate them when they are different from us. Even in more primitive societies there have been standards of accepted morality. Drunkenness was frowned upon as irresponsible behavior. Sex outside of marriage was kept secret knowing it was not accepted. Leaders were criticized when their dishonesty was disclosed. People disrespected anyone who lived on hand-outs rather than doing all they could to provide for themselves. It was expected that responsible adults would take care of possessions they had worked hard to gain. Immorality was the label for any of such behaviors.
     Today, the best we can do for being high on drugs or alcohol is discourage people to not drive when they're compromised. As long as you can manage to do whatever minimum responsibility you have, being drunk or high is not criticized. "Everybody does it."
     Today, not only do you not have to be married, but you can have sex with whomever you want whenever you want. You can even complain if anyone criticizes your sex drive because you are being "discriminated against". Having sexual relations is simply a biological drive and we are approaching being allowed to do it in the street like I have seen dogs do or like the drunks at Mardi Gras.
     Politicians' words and actions are tolerated much as royalty has been for centuries. When someone is a "leader" we only need to be concerned about how well their subjects or constituents are eating. Whether they are a leader worthy of respect and obeissance is no longer considered.
     It has been deemed "unfair" when anyone doesn't have what their neighbor has no matter what they may deserve. It is all too easy to cry foul without any effort to make a place for one's self. Society no longer demands responsibility for one's actions. It's "judgmental" to call anyone lazy.
     Today, the phrase "he who dies with the most toys wins" is the motto to live by. We live in the age of disposability. If something is worn, broken, or just boring it gets thrown out and replaced. There are very few repair shops, very few sewing machines, very few craftsmen who can make something last longer and most people don't care enough to figure it out for themselves. It just isn't economically sound to bother with old stuff. Although our cars are better engineered to last longer, we get bored with them or don't bother to even clean them out. We just buy new and continue to create mountains and mountains of garbage.
     So, basically, it seems we have gone from having segments of our society considered guilty of immoral behavior to being a society that promotes amorality. We seem to prefer not having any kind of standard. That way we can do, or neglect to do, whatever we want and just complain if someone else doesn't like our choice. Then the criticizer gets chastised rather than labeling any action or person as wrong or "immoral". There will be a price to be paid. We will suffer the consequences.

While I'm thinking.........

     I noticed I haven't posted very frequently lately so I decided it might be okay to compose another post on the same day. Our Sunday School lesson today was basically a discussion about sharing the gospel. There was a gang of young men whose fathers were really important men in their society and were not happy about the behavior of their sons. They had tried to teach them correct principles and reason with them to no avail so they prayed mightily that the Lord would help to change their behavior. As a result, an angel visited them which caused a mighty change in their hearts. They repented and were so grateful for their knowledge of God's plan including the Savior's atoning sacrifice that they wanted to tell everybody about it. (I know that feeling!) So they even turned down the opportunity to be king preferring to spend more than 10 long years traveling around with only what food they could find or hunt in an effort to spread the "good news" of the gospel. They fasted and prayed much. "And it came to pass that the Lord did visit them with his Spirit, and said unto them: Be comforted. And they were comforted. And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls." (Alma 17:10,11) Now I can imagine desiring the Lord to comfort them but I don't know that I would be very comforted by the "long-suffering and afflictions" promise! So, what kind of comfort is that??
     We are told that there "must needs be opposition in all things". We certainly appreciate good health more after a bout with illness or injury. We appreciate food more when we're really, truly hungry and not just craving a taste of something. We appreciate knowledge more when we recognize our ignorance of something and truly want to understand.
     If we want physical strength, we know it doesn't work to gain it by being relaxed and comfortable in a lounge chair. If we get heavy so it's an effort to do things, we aren't going to lose weight by eating whatever we feel like whenever we want in amounts available to us.
     So, I guess it makes sense that we need to suffer a little. But what about the "show forth good examples" part? Since every mortal being experiences suffering, we tend to seek relief by wanting the suffering to be over quickly but even if we have the wisdom to try to gain insight through our suffering, how do we endure it? We have established support groups. Aha! When we can witness others who have gone through, not just suffering, but a pain very similar to our own, it gives us hope that we can manage to endure, too. The flip side is, if we can endure our own suffering well, we can be a light to others to encourage them. We all have known people who keep going through all kinds of suffering: divorce, cancer, death of a loved one, rebellious child, special needs child or other family member who needs constant care, bankruptcy, serious injury- the list goes on and on. Those who manage to endure while offering sympathy to others are "good examples" who might choose to be "instruments" in the Lord's hands. Long ago, I gave a Christus statue to Ammon that got knocked off a table, breaking the hands off. He said he was going to glue them back on but decided to leave it without the hands as a reminder that we are the Lord's hands. A prophet once said that the Lord always hears our prayers but He often answers through another person. I hope I can be a good example and manage to bring others to Christ as I suffer well whatever afflictions I may suffer during my mortal probation.

About lions and choices

     Several times I have watched videos on the internet about a lion or other wild beast that was nurtured by a human for an extended period in their life then returned to the "wild". Later the human visits the beast and is recognized and shown affection. It's so exhilarating! I have always thought it might be nice to hug a big cat or be hugged by a bear. However, warnings abound concerning trying to make a friend of a wild animal. Remember Sigfreid and Roy with the lovely big cats in Las Vegas? They basically live with them yet one was mauled by one of their tigers a few years ago. So, why does an animal turn on a human they have had a very pleasant relationship with? Does the animal have some kind of hatred or resentment hidden inside? I don't think so. Animals are not on the same level as human beings when it comes to intelligence or capability of emotions. Animals respond according to instinct. If they are well-fed and comfortable, they become fairly placid. If they are "bored" they may become more violently playful than we would like. And if they feel pain, even if the human near them is not the cause for their pain, they are likely to respond by lashing out. If they feel threatened, they will defend themselves. This does not mean they set out to harm someone else because they're having a bad day. Only humans do that. Humans will be annoyed at someone, even an innocent child, who disturbs them when they are resting or occupied in a manner they don't want disrupted. Humans will set out to hurt, even just a little bit, someone else who simply reminds them of someone they don't like or harbor resentment towards. THIS is what the Lord calls the "natural man" and says that he is the enemy of God. It's totally natural for us to act in ways that God and even Ghandi have labeled "sins"- greed, sloth, lust, hate, etc. What God hopes for His children is that we will, first, want to overcome those natural tendencies because we see how much they hurt others and ourselves, then, be willing to work to fight those "instincts" toward actions (or even thoughts) that can lead to hurting others and ourselves. Lions, bears, and wolves cannot be taught to love others as they would want to be loved. You cannot explain work ethic to an animal. Most animals will have sexual relations with any other (usually of their own kind) who is available when they have the urge, as long as there isn't a stronger animal who might hurt them for doing so.
     There are humans who consider us to be just another animal with a more advanced brain. We certainly can behave in that way if we choose. God would really prefer His children to have a desire to elevate themselves above the beasts He created over whom we are to be stewards. He hopes we will care for the lovely Earth He created for us. But the Earth in this form is not to be our eternal dwelling place. We are God's children, His offspring- not just one of His creations. He wants us to be like Him but He will not force us to do that. He wants us to choose to be like Him. We are here in mortality to learn the consequences of choices, the pain of suffering, and the desire and hope of something better than animal instincts.