THE BOOK OF MORMON
2004 - Sunday School Notebook
by John Charles Duffy
a short introduction
Reading the Book of Mormon this year, I've been struck
by how bleak it is. I'm used to talking about the cycle of Book of Mormon
history: the people are righteous, they prosper, they become proud,
they fall into wickedness, they get chastised, they repent, they prosper.
This year, I noticed that the cycle's lop-sided: things go wrong more
often than they go right. And in the end, two civilizations--the Nephites
and the Jaredites--self-destruct, despite the best efforts of prophets
and other faithful people to prevent that.
I worry at times that I may live to see my society
self-destruct. Near the end of the Book of Mormon, following the destruction
of the Nephites, Moroni warns latter-day readers against materialism
. It's not hard for me to
see the relevance of that warning. People in my society aspire to an
opulent lifestyle that could not possibly be sustained if it were enjoyed
by every person on earth. Even the life of moderate luxury that people
like me enjoy--my own car, hot running water, enough electricity to
run a household full of appliances, including the computer I'm writing
this on--even that life may not be environmentally sustainable. We can't
go on like this forever: in a big way, something has to change.
So what am I doing about it? What can anyone do
about it? How do you change hearts in a way that will transform society?
That's a core question of the Book of Mormon. Changing hearts through
their witness is what the Book of Mormon prophets are always trying
to do. Sometimes they're successful. Many times they're not. But they
go on trying. Reading the Book of Mormon this year has had me praying
for a change in my own heart--for a greater spirit of temperance, charity,
and genuine concern for others. I've been praying to know how to use
my talents to inspire people within my reach to embrace the values that
I believe are needed to keep society from self-destructing. And I pray
to be a better example of those values myself, which means doing better
at following the example of Christ.
2004 - Sunday School Notebook - John Charles Duffy
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