If you'll indulge me, I'm going to add somewhat to my post of March 3. I've continued to read my Book of Mormon each morning, and the storyline continues to parallel what is going on in eastern Europe right now. This morning's reading is pretty uncanny and gave me chills:
Helaman, head over part of the Nephite army, wrote to the chief captain Moroni: "...We do not know the cause that the government does not grant us more strength" and explains the dire situation his army is in, under-provisioned and with an insufficient number of men to hold against the Lamanites. Moroni in his turn wrote to the central government demanding aid:
"...Behold, great has been the slaughter among our people; yea, thousands have fallen by the sword, while it might have otherwise been if ye had rendered unto our armies sufficient strength and succor for them. Yea, great has been your neglect towards us. And now behold, we desire to know the cause of this exceedingly great neglect; yea, we desire to know the cause of your thoughtless state. Can you think to sit upon your thrones in a state of thoughtless stupor, while your enemies are spreading the work of death around you? Yea, while they are murdering thousands of your brethren - Yea, even they who have looked up to you for protection, yea, have placed you in a situation that ye might have succored them, yea, ye might have sent armies unto them, to have strengthened them, and have saved thousands of them from falling by the sword.
"But behold, this is not all - ye have withheld your provisions from them, insomuch that many have fought and bled out their lives because of their great desires which they had for the welfare of this people...And now, my beloved brethren...ye ought to have stirred yourselves more diligently for the welfare and the freedom of this people...Behold, could ye suppose that ye could sit upon your thrones, and because of the exceeding goodness of God ye could do nothing and he would deliver you?...I say unto you, there are many who have fallen by the sword; and behold it is to your condemnation...
"But behold, now the Lamanites are coming upon us, taking possession of our lands, and they are murdering our people with the sword, yea, our women and our children, and also carrying them away captive...and this because of the great wickedness of those who are seeking for power and authority...Is it that ye have neglected us because ye are...surrounded by security...Or do ye suppose that the Lord will still deliver us, while we sit upon our thrones...Yea, will ye sit in idleness...while there are thousands round about in the borders of the land who are falling by the sword, yea, wounded and bleeding? Do ye suppose that God will look upon you as guiltless while ye sit still and behold these things?...Behold, I am Moroni, your chief captain. I seek not for power, but to pull it down."
I don't claim to be politically savvy. I don't know what the right thing is militarily regarding Ukraine. Intervening might escalate the situation and bring about dire consequences for even more people. It might bring a quicker end but a more awful end. But still, it's hard to see what's happening to our fellow human beings (NATO club members or not) and not act. If one's peace is brought about by another's suffering, is it really peace?
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