A Consistent Theme

As I have read the Book of Mormon this semester, I have come to realize that there is a common theme in almost all of the stories: the wicked will be destroyed. A slightly less noticeable theme, which goes hand in hand with the first is that the wicked generally don't believe themselves to be wicked. At least not at first. By the wicked realize they are wicked, it is generally too late. The Jaredites killed each other off so quickly, there was barely time to think. By the time Coriantumr was ready to repent, his people were already destroyed, and it was too late to save anyone. Perhaps this is another reason that men should not procrastinate the day of their repentance. The Nephites would not admit they were wicked until nearly the end. When they admitted they were wicked, they were so hardened that they were proud of their wickedness. The wicked rarely see the warning signs as warning signs. They see them as coincidence.

What about now? I don't believe that every natural disaster and every recession and every war and every bad thing that happens is a sign to us from God that we are wicked and that we need to repent. But, I also don't believe that none of them are. Mormon tells us that the wicked bring their curse upon themselves. I can't help but think that, at least in part, our world's current economic situation is a sign for us, especially considering the way it was brought on. I don't pretend to understand all of the factors that contributed, but I do understand enough to know that much of the crisis was brought on by greed and a desire to live beyond our means. I believe that the problems are much deeper than our banks' balance sheets. We may come out of this recession soon, but we will fall right back if we don't change; our economy simply cannot depend on artificial wealth created by inflated credit. The nations cannot prosper if the citizens of nations do not change. Our times may not be a sign from God that we are growing wicked as a people, but just in case it is, I'm going to take a look at how I live.