Were They Going Swimming?

We've decided to revamp our family scripture study.  Instead of Mom reading 10 verses to people who aren't listening, each member of the family has a Book of Mormon and we take turns reading 3 verses, except Heidi, who reads one verse.  We've always thrown in scriptural conversations, but now that the kids are actually paying attention, they are participating in those conversations.  It's been a good thing.
Tonight we read the second half of Alma 43.  In the first half, we read about the way the Nephites prepared themselves for battle against the oncoming onslaught of Lamanite armies.  Moroni, chosen in his young adulthood because of his strength of character to lead the Nephites, armed his people and shielded them.  Conversely, Zerehemnah, chosen to lead the Lamanites because of his hatred of his brother Nephites, relied on his ability to whip his soldiers up into a frenzy.  Like Satan, he did not seek to protect his followers, he gave them weapons and his anger.
The outcome plays out in the second half of the chapter.  "The work of death" proceeded on the battle field.  Because of their nakedness, the Lamanites fell with almost every stroke of the Nephite sword and cimeter.  Meanwhile, the Nephites fell much more slowly, protected by their armor.
The armor of God protects us in a likewise manner.  For Christmas of 2012, Dan gave his Lake Wilderness Deacons quorum a poster.  The words are from a talk given by Elder F Enzio Busche.  (The boys all memorized this whole thing.)  I drew all of the pieces of the armor.  As I read the scriptures describing the Armor of God, I was most struck by D&C 27:15.  Christ calls it His armor.  Suddenly, to me, it wasn't just any old protection, it was Christ's own armor-- as if he took off his helmet, his sword, breastplate, shoes, etc, and offered to place those very pieces on each of us. 

Tonight as we read, Heidi asked, "Were they going to take a shower?" No. "Were they going swimming?"  No.  "Why were they naked, then?!"  It confused her that the Lamanites would go so unprepared into a deadly situation.  It is rather confusing.  Why would they follow a leader who obviously cared so little for their lives?

Today, a talk in conference covered this very subject.  Elder Hales spoke about disobedience.  He asked the question why we would choose to be disobedient when we know the consequences for those actions.  The reasons for our longings for the things of this world are tied to our mortality and make up of the natural man.  Along with our natural man, we have an equal investiture of the light of Christ.  Which we choose to expand and develop in our character is up to us.  In essence, it boils down to who we love.  We cannot serve two masters; we cannot love two masters.  We choose disobedience because, for that moment in our mortality, we love Satan more than God.  We love what we get in that moment, for better or worse. 

Somebody else talked about the rich young man from the scriptures.  He was righteous and obedient, but when offered a place close to Christ, the act of service caused him great pains, because it would mean giving up what he loved.  He loved his possessions more than God. 

This past week has been a hard one for our family.  It comes down to who we love.  We decided.  For our house, we choose the Lord.  We choose each other.  It means we give up our other loves.  And it is hard.  Harder than I can say.  Harder than I could have believed.  Our eternal family is worth this.  We put on Christ's armor and stop acting like we are getting ready for a leisurely swim.  We stop the work of death.