How Easily We Forget

 

We live in a world where we have so many things at our finger tips.  It is so easy to get information these days, it is almost hard to comprehend how unlimited the resources are.  In high school, for me to write a two page research paper it would take hours to gather all of the information that I needed to write it.  Then having to go to the computer lab to type it and hope that a computer was available to use.  Now, that could be researched, typed, and even published online in less than an hour.  

There are so many things that are easier to do because new machines have been created to ease our work load.  A driveway that took four hours to shovel the snow away from can be cleared in no more than 20-30 minutes by using a snow blower.  There are times that I revel in the fact that I can accomplish so many things in a day, but there are other times that I hate that there is so much more expected of me because of the conveniences of today.  

I don't want to make it sound like I am lazy, because I am not.  I just don't like that if I haven't painted the house, mowed the lawn, helped with my kids' science projects, and have a home cooked meal waiting for my husband when he gets home I have not accomplished enough in the day.  I know, I know, I've exaggerated a bit, but you get my point.  I feel that we have forgotten to appreciate that as a people in the 21st century how blessed we really are and who has made this all possible.  

In the Book of Mormon the two major civilizations, the Nephites and the Lamanites, lived their lives in what we in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints call "The Nephite Pride Cycle".  It seemed that when the people started to remember God, worship Him, and follow His commandments they would be blessed.  They would be blessed so much that they would prosper exceedingly in their wealth, their flocks would increase, their crops would be abundant, there wouldn't be as much war, and all would seem to be well in their lands.  Then, slowly, but surely their pride level would increase.  They would stop giving God any credit and then the divisions within the classes would start and life would not be so pleasant and harmonious.  Things would get so bad that God would have to step back in and remind the people that it was Him that had blessed them and given them all that they had.  He was the reason that life had been so good.  There is a verse in the Book of Mormon that sums it up nicely.  In Helaman 12:3 we read:

"And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions, yea, except he doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember him."

I just hope that all of us that are old enough to remember how much harder work could be help our children and grandchildren realize how blessed we really are today.  I dare say that from my grandparent's generation, those that were around for WWII, to my children's generation, we have so easily forgotten what it was like to not have.  We have so very quickly forgotten God and the hand that he plays in all things.  It's just something to think about, how easily have you forgotten what you have been blessed with.  Then ask yourself, who has blessed you with all of that?