"The future of this world has long been declared; the final outcome between good and evil is already known. There is absolutely no question as to who wins because the victory has already been posted on the scoreboard. The only really strange thing in all of this is that we are still down here on the field trying to decide which team's jersey we want to wear!"(This quote is attributed to Elder Jeffrey R Holland but I'm really struggling to find the actual talk it was given in. If anyone can point me in the right direction, that would be great! Regardless of who said it, it's a fantastic quote.)
There's been a lot going on in the world lately. The fight for and against gay marriage. The LDS Church's policy change regarding children of homosexual parents. Terrorist attacks in Paris and Beirut. The war in Iraq. The war in Syria. The fight against ISIS. All of this has led me to reflect on the belief I share with others of the LDS faith as well as other Christians: that Christ will appear on the earth for the second time and that the world will become a pretty scary place to live leading up to that moment.
As far as war and natural disasters go, there's not a whole lot you can do except practice emergency protocols and first aid, create a food storage, keep 72 hour kits, etc. You can choose to fight only in defense of freedom and your loved ones. However, the fact remains that in those situations, you very well might die. And that's what scares me.
Not because I fear death. I believe in an after life that's more glorious than you can imagine. And if this life gets even half as scary as I can imagine, death might be preferable. But the future (and I'm going to replace this with that glorious after life I mentioned) is only, in the words of Pres.Thomas S. Monson, "as bright as your faith." (https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2009/04/be-of-good-cheer?lang=eng).
Am I spiritually prepared to die and meet God? Do I have a strong enough testimony to stand strong in a world of declining morals? Will I still stand strong when even the elect will be deceived (Matt. 24:24)? Sometimes being politically correct can keep you from answering these questions with a firm yes. Of course we need to be respectful of people and love our neighbors. But in standing up for eternal truth, you can not please everyone. Christ set the ultimate example in loving everyone around him, but he also stood firm in what he knew was right.
We know who wins this battle between good and evil! As a Christian, I know that Christ will come again, and when he does, he will destroy the wicked. I don't know about you, but I want to be on his side. We need to put on the jerseys of good (the armor of God...Ephesians 6). We need to pray always, read the scriptures, go to church, listen to the Spirit, and defend truth.
My goal is to be on the winning team. Will you join me?
