Time for Reflections

I have been doing a lot of thinking about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ recently. Chad Daybell wrote a series of five books that is a fictionalized account of three families living through these times. I am in the middle of rereading them. I have also been reading "A Thief in the Night" which goes over the signs and warnings - and what we need to do to be ready for them.

For some reason, this has really touched my heart, and I have been giving this a lot of thought. In the first book of the Chad Daybell series "The Great Gathering", the prophet issues a call to the saints to just drop everything in their lives and assemble at campsites that have been set aside for this purpose (hence the title - the Great Gathering). While many of the saints do just walk out of their homes with the bare necessities, abandoning jobs and possessions, many more do not. At the time the economy seems to be great, and it seems to be just an alarmist call.

As I am reading this, I am thinking to myself - "Well, I would totally do whatever the prophet said. We would definitely go off to the camp. We wouldn't be one of those people who rationalized such a commandment away."

And then, as I read through the "Thief in the Night" book, I became aware of just what is really required of us. It isn't to pick and choose which commandments we would follow. It is to follow ALL of them. Would I really just drop everything to rough it in a camp when I can't even discipline myself enough to go to my church meetings? After all, attending our church meetings is a commandment too. Sure I'm tired after working the night before, but is that really a good enough excuse? If it is, then I am sure that I could find all kinds of excellent excuses for not following the prophet's orders.

How about keeping the Sabbath Day holy? I actually gave a Family Home Evening lesson on this recently, but things haven't changed very much. I'm not playing computer games on Sunday anymore, but that is more because I am not playing computer games at all for the moment. (More on that later)

And lets look at Temple work. I have an active Temple Recommend - but I haven't been to the Temple in over three years. It doesn't fit into my schedule. What a lame excuse! I am overweight and have trouble going through the endowment ceremony. Hmmm - another pretty lame excuse. And genealogy? I haven't done much on it for years. Too busy, too many other things on my plate. Hah! If I have had time to play all those computer games - I definitely had time to work on genealogy.

I have a gut feeling that if somebody was to give me a list of all the 'commandments' we are supposed to be keeping, that I would find myself woefully lacking in most of them. In fact, I probably should start making a list so I know where I stand (although that's a rather depressing thought).

I DO have a testimony of the atonement of Christ and his love for us - and the restoring of the true gospel by Joseph Smith. However, I think my testimony definitely needs strengthening, and I think I need to get to know our Savior a whole lot better than I know Him now.

Well, baby steps first. Yesterday I attended all three of my church meetings. I guess part of my reluctance is I feel a bit like an outsider (we do call ourselves the 'Addams Family' of the ward), although that is my perception, not theirs. There was a family being baptized later in the afternoon, and although Tim didn't want to go ("One of the boys is a real jerk and I don't like him") and Bill was unavailable (napping), I went by myself. I pretty much sat by myself, and left right afterwards (still feeling a bit out of place), but the main thing is that I was THERE. I gave my miniscule bit of support to the husband, wife and four sons who were baptized that day.

There is a Stake Temple night on Wednesday, September 7th - and I'm going to see if I can get that night off from work. That would be a good way to get back into going to the Temple. I have purchased the latest edition of Family Tree Maker, as well as downloading the latest version of PAF, so theoretically I can start working on my genealogy again. I am rereading the Book of Mormon using the on-line service. This is my second time through (I'm only in 2nd Nephi), but I'm caught up for the moment. I'm reading a chapter a day.

I still need to work on the Sabbath Day holy thing, and my prayers are pretty lame. It astounds me when I read about people praying for a couple of hours. If I manage over 5 minutes, I'm doing well.

Speaking of prayers, let me add a bit of humor here. Yesterday at the end of Sacrament Meeting, Brother Andersen got up to give us the number for the closing hymn, and then added "And our closing prayer will be by Megan Dargan". First I'd heard of it! I almost thought that I hadn't heard him right. But the big grin on his face told me that he was really enjoying my surprise. Apparently whoever they had originally chosen wasn't there, and he had just picked somebody at random. (Or do you think the Spirit was whispering something to him?)

As you can see, I have a lot to think about, and a lot to change in my life if I'm really going to be ready when the 'Great Gathering' takes place. Actually, there's a good chance that it won't be in my lifetime, but that doesn't release me from the obligation of being ready for it.

And I still haven't played any computer games - although it's been a close thing. There are times I sit in front of the computer with my fingers just itching to click on a game icon. I would think that the one thing that keeps me from giving in is the support of my daughter in Utah. I know she would be terribly disappointed in me. But it isn't easy sometimes. But nobody promised that life would be easy.