I listened to a Sunday School class last week about the gathering of Zion. Most in the class are good people, striving to do the best they can, yet from some of the comments, I could not help but wonder if we live much of our lives in a state of blissful ignorance of our addictions in this world? of the hours we spend going to, meandering in, and coming from mega-malls? blissfully ignorant of the entertainment messages we consume daily? of the excesses we surround ourselves with? of the “why” of our food choices (and their consequences)? and on and on.
If we thought that Doctrine and Covenants 89:4 was an overstatement:
Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation—then we are blissfully ignorant of the extent of addiction of many, many, if not most, of the faithful. Watch:
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/TV+Shows/The+National/Health/ID/2341079476/then let us confess. Confess that the Atonement that we commemorated this week had to be infinite, because we are so infinitely compromised; and we don’t even seem to know it.
What, in our money-obsessed world, is not compromised? food, entertainment, economics, science, religion, politics, sports, ourselves, etc., etc., etc.
Reminds me of a 10-year old, great-nephew's comment this week. His honesty was refreshing; his viewpoint not so much. "I really like Easter," he said. "The candy part. Not all the religious stuff."
And so he celebrates, blissfully unaware that the candy part is both an addiction and a poisonous corruption of the event that gives excuse for the candy. And what is our blissful unawareness? Is it perhaps how little our words about Easter conform to our actions at Easter?
Makes one wonder sometimes if we’re not just déjà vu Rameumpton (Book of Mormon Alma 31).
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The above CBC.ca link is entitled "The Science of Addictive Foods."
