The Bigger Picture

A couple of months ago, I joined a book club so as to start reading again. For some reason, reading doesn't come easy to me. I mean, I know how to read but the interest isn't there. I want to be a book worm. I want my mind filled with good stories, vocabularies, ... knowledge. I want continued nourishment of mind. My heart is strong, now I need my mind to be just as strong. Anyway, I enjoyed our first book but last month's book was just not working for me. To my surprise and relief so with a few others. I didn't want to go into our meeting having not read anything so I ended up picking up a book in Dave's book case, "An Ordinary Camp" by Micheline Maurel. It tells of the author's account of her experiences in a concentration camp. There she endured so much and through hope and decency of few people she was able to hold on long enough to see it "end". The modesty in detailing her account was powerful enough to make the reader aware that inhumanity of intense proportion exists. She finding no use in punishing a few men or an entire nation, being the harm is done, so "... who should answer for so horrible a destruction of all human life, who should answer for it, if not God Himself?" My understanding of her declaration, I can see the reason she would call on God. After all, He is all powerful. But I think in some sense she forgot the power of Satan. Not negating the agony she and many others went through because they DO have the sense of the evil power. I'm just saying that Satan is the motivator. He tempts, he is sneaky, he exists to have us choose evil... Could this be your scenario, life is wonderful then life throws you a curb ball and boom! it couldn't possibly be worse. But, Heavenly Father knows the bigger picture so that's why He has given us instructions through scriptures, prophets, priesthood, and personal revelation via the Holy Ghost. He has given us the Savior to follow. Our choices brings about consequences so He has made it simple for us to not get so messed up. Choose the right. We often forget our worth to our god, after all we are His children. Will you send your kids out in the world without any guidance? Not following the commandments/instructions can destroy people. That's why we are told not to gossip, not to commit adultery, not to abuse (people, drugs), and so on. If we convince ourselves we're just hurting ourselves, then we're wrong! Why would you want to hurt yourself in the first place? All Satan's tricks! And the biggest trick of all is having us believe we've reach a point of no return so what's the use. Absolutely not true! There's a way through Christ, hurray!! OK, getting back to the book. She pretty much gives us the purpose of life: "Isn't it so? What did we ask of the living when we were like the dead? To think of us? To pray for us? Yes, a little, in the beginning. But mainly to do all they could to send us material help, and then, when they had done all they could, oh above all, to enjoy life to the fullest! We so often cried out to them, 'Be happy, be happy! Be happy, you who eat, and you who expect alms and receive them. Be happy, you who live in fine apartments, in ugly houses or in hovel. Be happy, you who have your loved ones, and you also who sit alone and dream and can weep. Be happy, you who torture yourself over metaphysical problems, and you who suffer because of money worries. Be happy, all of you: millions of people envy you'".