Eureka!

I discovered something yesterday I don't recall ever seeing before. My wise and very kind Dear Friend Doris directed me to a talk given in General Conference twenty years ago that has helped to ease my mind a bit. Maybe it will help one of you too.

We were commiserating about the wicked state of the world. Wringing of hands is a common activity, but accomplishes little. This point has been weighing heavily on my mind for the past week or so. How can I possibly raise good kids in such an awful place? What kind of chance do they have to want to live righteously when the state of the world is going to pot?

Dear Friend Doris remembered a talk, prescribed to her by another friend, much later than it was given originally. It provided her with a slice of peace that only can come from Hope in Christ.

She referenced a talk given in April 1989 by Boyd K. Packer entitled "To Young Women and Men". In it, he talks about the state of the world and how growing up is hard. Then he mentions something that I had never remembered hearing before.

President Packer said, "While your temptations are greater than ours were, that will be considered in the judgements of the Lord. He said that 'his mercies [are suited] according to the conditions of...men.' (D & C 46:15) That is only just."

So the times in which our kids are living will be a factor in the time of judgement. I point this out not to facilitate an excuse better than any "get out of jail free" card, but to ease my own mind. The perfect justice will come and so long as I teach them correctly, and we all make efforts to do what we know is right, there is still hope for us. And for them.

I feel much better about life for my kids. I feel better about the terrible place the world is becoming. I feel much worse for anyone who chooses the opposition and persecutes the Gospel, especially if they are doing it knowingly.

I feel much better now. Don't you?