September Roses

This is such a beautiful story. I checked it out so I could read it to Rychen P. but he wasn't interested at the time, so I read it silently while he was busy with something else. It's a good thing I wasn't ready it aloud because I just sat there and cried quietly to myself for a few mintues, reliving 9/11. Why did I become emotional? I don't know. There was something significant about the twin towers. Were they not a symbol of our nation's pride? our success and accomplishments over the span of our history? And appropriately so, our enemies attacked us right at the heart, and we lost our pride. Has our country not been changed since then?

A few months after 9/11, I found this scripture:

And it came to pass that ... the great and spacious building was the pride of the world; and it fell, and the fall thereof was exceedingly great. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Thus shall be the destruction of all nations...that shall fight against the twelve apostles of the lamb.

- 1 Nephi 11:36

The Book of Mormon was written for us in the last days, and many prophesies apply both to what was specifically referred to at the time of the prophesy, and also to events in the last days (the writings of Isaiah are also multiple-fulfilled prophesies). There are patterns throughout the book of righteousness and prosperity, and then the downfall of peoples because of their pride. Literature is full of this theme; it's called the "tragic downfall" that comes with a certain character flaw in each tragedy, most often pride and rigidness in our own ways. As we know, pride is the ultimate way to "fight aginst the lamb," as our will is the only thing in our control, the only thing in the Universe that God cannot control.

What pattern has our country taken? We were once a righteous, God-fearing nation. We were indeed a "promised land" where freedoms were established and the Restored Church could come forth. We flourished. And after relishing in our bounteous blessings a bit much, we became prideful. We became lustful and wicked, living after the manner of the flesh. And thus began our downfall. The prophesied downfall that would preceed the second coming...

I am excited to study the Book of Mormon to find more patterns that apply to us. I'm so grateful for it as a book of scripture, specifically written for our day, giving us warning and teaching how t overcome the adversary and stand true amidst tragedy.