It's only bad news if...

One of the subjects I've really been fascinated about lately is that conditions don't necessarily dictate how we have to feel about our circumstances. One person has something happen to him and he's despondent or broken. Another has the same kind of thing happen and he uses it to rise to further greatness. Whether it's a car accident, or a family member dying, the idea that keeps circulating in my mind is that the event doesn't dictate where your life goes - you do.

This is still a new concept to me and my brain pathways are still working on accepting it completely, but I feel like I've discovered something. 

I've discussed this earlier, but for example Julie was reaching for Blue Diamond - a big deal in Doterra because it's a rank that far less than 1 percent of individuals achieve. In the midst of all that she had someone go postal on her, causing lots of drama, time loss, and all around hatred and poison. Julie could have swam in the poison, but I was super proud of her for choosing love. This person gave Julie quite a gift, as Julie was once again able to see the tremendous outpouring of love and gratitude that others feel for her. People passionately defended her who Julie doesn't even know. And the ones she does know? That was a living tribute. She has achieved so much greatness and the people around her see it. The greatness is not about your rank or title - it's about who you are.  

So in Helaman, the story relates about how the Lamanites, led by people who once knew the truth and dissented from it (that's a lesson in itself) took battle to the Nephites. This always seems to happen when the center of the "good guys" isn't always so good. The book of Mormon tries extremely hard to make that clear. So after the government leaders are killed to make room for bad guys, the Lamanites take the opportunity to attack while the Nephites have their eyes off the ball. 

They go to the center. Their Washington DC is called Zarahemla. It's in the middle of the land, and the Lamanites overwhelm it. From my non military point of view, that's pretty much time to despair. The opposing army is big enough to take out any other city and they control the center of your country. Communications and leadership is gone, and all the infrastructure that would support a military campaign has a big hole in the center. Psychologically one might choose to give up.

But the nephite captains and military leaders didn't see it that way. They chose to believe that it was a tactical advantage. The Lamanites were headed north to take that land, which would have sandwiched the Nephites and led to their demise. Everyone knew that. So rather than curse God and give up, or rather than feel bad for themselves and fall on their sword, or whatever faithless option they might have chosen, they instead placed an army to the north, and another to the south. Much blood spilled. The Nephites won. 

Peace was restored again. And why? From my point of view, the Nephites were evil enough to need/deserve/invite evil into their civilization, and that exposed them to what I'll call the fiery darts of the enemy. In this case, those fiery darts were men with swords, but for us, those fiery darts are usually something else. 

Yet while they invited the chastening, they yet remained good enough for the Lord to prevent them from fully being destroyed. Perhaps in the time between being attacked and repulsing the opposing army, many of them got humble and remembered what they already should have known - goodness wins over evil. Evil vs evil can be a roll of the dice. Protection from evil isn't just about making better swords, it's about making yourself better inside. Then God can help you. 

Yeah, the same thing applies today.

Finally as relates to Coriantumr, the Lamanite general. He was a nephite dissenter. He'd been with the good guys and should have known what righteousness was. He should have known about greatness, about faith, and about the Lord. In the Book of Mormon the leaders of the bad guys always seem to have been former good guys. They know goodness and then choose poison. The poison they ingest then makes them more poisonous people than others who never knew the truth could ever become. That poison can be overcome, as shown by early church dissenters in the 1800's who came back, but the damage they do is frightening. Despite that, when they can humble themselves, the Lord still loves them and welcomes them back. 

Yet many get too stuck in their own grimy swamp. When they find themselves surrounded by this slimy darkness, somehow rather than humble themselves and choose the light, they rage against their conditions and choose more darkness. The pain this causes can certainly hurt their Father to the center of His being.

But there is always hope. A father never stops loving his children.