As many of you know, I am currently a student at Brigham Young Universtiy and I am a Middle Eastern Studies/Arabic Major. This semester I am taking Middle Eastern History to 1800, Intro. to Middle East, Arabic 101(as a refresher course), and I don't know if this counts, but I'm also taking Book of Mormon taught by a Professor who recently received a Ph. D in Hebrew and Middle Eastern Studies. So some of you might be thinking, what a nut!!! Others might be thinking, why?! Well I'll tell you in a minute, first I want to relate my life to 1 Nephi 1(if you have never read the Book of Mormon, read it!!! it will like it has for me help you parallel your life and give you insight in a way that you wouldn't ever dream). Now, I know the people who know me well are probably rolling their eyes and saying, "Oh great, another R.M. moment" (I just returned from Montevideo, Uruguay in July). Deal with it for a few more months! I have a right to show off my sweet RM skills.
Anywho, 1 Nephi 1, I would say that I was born to goodly parents, that I was taught in the ways of religion, that I love the Lord and his teachings... but the biggest parallel I find in this chapter is in the last verse when it says as an intro to the Book of Mormon, "... but behold, I Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.(verse 20)" I find that statement very key in my life. As I ponder the tender mercies in my life I realize that God has given me so many wonderful opportunities to live and grow. I feel that I am in progress of becoming a well-rounded man. I feel that I am understanding life at its fullest, and know that the key to happiness is found in the word UNDERSTAND. I am studying the Middle East with the goal of understanding it to help me in other life pursuits. I believe to understand one principle or system of thought can help understand others that are similar and sometimes others which are completely unrelated. So perhaps your wondering what this has to do with the Standard of Liberty... It has a lot to do with it.
The other day I was in my Intro to Middle Eastern Studies class, and we were speaking on Muhammad and his conquest to spread Islam and the teachings of Allah to all the Arab world. We were speaking about a siege of the city of Mecca, the followers of Muhammad against those that did not agree with Islam. The first thing that Muhammad did after the surrender of the city to him, was that he went to the Ka'ba(place where supposedly Abraham had placed a stone, making it uber-sacred) and he cleansed the Ka'ba. In the years following Abraham the Ka'ba had been over run by polytheistic men and women that had "decorated" the Ka'ba with pagan gods and idols. Muhammad would not tolerate the disrespect to Allah, so he destroyed every idol and "decoration" that was present. This struck me as something important, something I must learn. No matter the popularity or bandwagon of one thing or the other, if it is against a belief or principle, we must NOT tolerate it! Now, I am not saying we should go out and destroy everything that is against the principles and values we hold the most dear to our hearts(although that would be a good idea, especially in our day and society), I am saying that we must not participate, and part ourselves as far away as possible from any of its sources. We must have the will power to not only avoid but at the FIRST sight or smell of evil, get out of there (like Joseph of Egypt, Gen. 39:9) Make like a tree and leave. We must get out and get our loved ones out! I thought of the young king Josiah of the Old Testament. He realized when he became king at a young age that his nation was going in the wrong direction so he turned to God. He understood that the nation of Judah was turning to idols before turning to the Most High God. As he learned from the Book of the Covenant that was found in the Temple, he decided to do away with the idols and follow only the one true God! (2 Kings 22-23)
These examples show me how important it is to #1 know that there is only ONE God(that is a testimony that entails lots of requirements such as those of Alma in Mosiah 18... be a witness of God at all times, in all things and in all places; not just believe there is a God), #2 to never give in or tolerate that which is evil, #3 to warn others of the evil and the dangers that are associated with it! I suppose these are things I have been taught throughout my childhood, I just have never seen it this way. They are simple truths, simple methods to save us from grief, heartache and loss of blessings. These simple truths apply at all levels. Personally, in the family, in the community, and even on a national level. Just think, what if all Americans applied these methods in their lives. How would the United States be? Now, what if we be constitutionally minded and not impose believing in God on those who don't, or who believe other things, what if all the Christians in the United States applied these things to their lives and homes? I believe that is what our dear Founding Fathers had in mind as they framed our nation. I pose yet another "thinking question," What must we do personally, each one of us, to pull our nation back up to the perspective of the Framers of our nation?
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