What Wool I Gathered and Spun This Weekend

I always assumed we, as active members of the Church of Jesus Christ, were on the same page.  I grew up with everyone believing the same thing.  You were active or not.  You believed or didn't.  But we all believed the same thing if we believed.  That's what I thought and to a certain extent, back in my olden days, I think that was true.  I've been thinking about the Book of Mormon tons during this conference.  We are there.  We are they.
Remember when Nephi, the son of Helaman, says  "Oh, that I could have had my days in the days when my father Nephi first came out of the land of Jerusalem, that I could have joyed with him in the promised land; then were his people easy to be entreated, firm to keep the commandments of God, and slow to be led to do iniquity; and they were quick to hearken unto the words of the Lord-- "? (Helaman 7:7)
If you've read 1st and 2nd Nephi, you would think, "Eh?!  Nephi had it easy?  That's not what I read!"  In the latter Nephi's defense, the Nephi that crossed the sea had family members that loved the Lord and followed him.  They were easy to be entreated.  Jacob saw Christ while a little boy.  They built a temple and kept their covenants despite horrible opposition.  That was the caliber of people that lived with Nephi of old.  As awful as his experience was, Nephi was surrounded by people that made his battle easier. 
That's how I feel.  I feel like in my past, the saints were easier to be entreated; at least the saints I grew up with.
I was of two minds about all of the addresses aimed at women this weekend.   I liked that the leaders of the church recognize that there are women who are honestly seeking to define their membership in Christ's church.  It made me ashamed that we as women needed that kind of validation.  I felt like I was listening to Jacob chastising the men of his time.  There were tender hearts that needed uplifting and what they got was a gentle (gentler than many deserved) scolding for misunderstanding, deliberately in many cases, the way the Lord manages the affairs of men. 
Speaking of deliberate misunderstandings, we read the story of Alma the younger yesterday and today.  His sin was of epic proportion.  He didn't end people's mortal, finite, physical lives, he tampered with their eternal welfare and spiritual lives.  Repentance is hard and not meant to be easy so that we change.  His repentance was very hard.  He was accountable for every soul that he led away.  And then he was accountable for every soul in each of their posterities that wouldn't live the gospel because of his actions.  His repentance, in order to change him, required that he be brought to a complete understanding of what he did.  That brought him so low that the only, THE ONLY, way he could start to compensate for generations of apostasy, was to turn it over to the mercy of the Atonement.  But first, he had to know.  Zeezrom had to know.  Korihor had to know.  Nehor had to know.  They all faced that knowledge before they either repented or were struck down.  There is a day of accountability coming.  What will I need to know?
During the last years, we've watched the church grow in larger numbers outside of the US.  We watch men and women of different cultures and countries bear witness of the Savior.  They are strong.  It reminds me of  the days of Helaman.  

 23 And now it came to pass that after Helaman and his brethren had appointed priests and teachers over the churches that there arose a dissension among them, and they would not give heed to the words of Helaman and his brethren;

 24 But they grew proud, being lifted up in their hearts, because of their exceedingly great riches; therefore they grew rich in their own eyes, and would not give heed to their words, to walk uprightly before God.  (Alma 45:23-24)

But not the Lamanites, or the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi.  They were strong.  They didn't allow dissension to dwell with them. 

I see us as the Nephites.  We are so troubled by our 1st world problems that we have lost our ability to be meek and humble.  We argue and complain and become disagreeable because we have taken the time for it.  We have the time for it.  We waste that great blessing of time.  We waste that great blessing of plenty and prosperity.  Shame on us. 

I know the plan.  I know what the scriptures tell us about our days.  I see it more clearly every day.  I only hope that I can hold steadfastly to the iron rod, that I can take the strait gate, and that mostly I can endure to the end.  Actually, I mostly hope that I can bring my family with me.