Awake and do what?

[laronius]

A significant portion of the Book of Mormon deals with secret combinations. Even though it played a major role in the history of the Nephites the Lord instructed Moroni to also include the Book of Ether as a second witness of the threat. In that account Moroni says:

8:24 Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you...

Awake and do what? Obviously we need to vote and take part in civic affairs. But secret combinations are by nature secret. So while we may have suspicions or even some evidences that seem to point to their existence it would be very difficult, imo, to convince someone of them who did not already believe it. 

Years ago you could have pointed at communism and said that's it and the general public would have agreed. Now days it's not so simple. I think secret combinations work both sides of the aisle here in the US and seek to influence any major political party around the world. 

I guess I'm just uncertain what Moroni, or the Lord more specifically, had in mind when telling us to "awake" to the danger they present. Awake and do what?

[Ironhold]

Sometimes, just being of good character and encouraging others to be of good character is enough to rebuke a corrupt system, hence all of the screaming you'll hear when modern "progressive" types see people who live with classical mores. 

[Carborendum]

We can either act or be acted upon.

• When we sleep, we're being acted upon.
• When we wake, we act.

Turn this on its head:

• If we have our own plans, goals, and actively seek to do good, we're awake.
• If we just go about life reacting to everything else without any plans or goals, we are asleep.

In other words: If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything.

Edited August 25, 2023 by Carborendum

[JohnsonJones]

Epstein didn't kill himself...

I think some of the awake to our awful situation points out that we ARE in an awful situation and to do what we do in other awful situations.

When the tornadoes hit and the floods come, what do we do?  We gather our resources together, we gather ourselves together, and we prepare to survive through the onslaught.

In a similar manner, we are in the midst of this awful situation today (though it will probably get a LOT worse).  We need to gather together often in our wards and stakes.  Edify each other in the gospel and build our testimonies against the moral assaults that are attacking us and our families. 

Edited August 25, 2023 by JohnsonJones

[CV75]

5 hours ago, laronius said:

A significant portion of the Book of Mormon deals with secret combinations. Even though it played a major role in the history of the Nephites the Lord instructed Moroni to also include the Book of Ether as a second witness of the threat. In that account Moroni says:

8:24 Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you...

Awake and do what? Obviously we need to vote and take part in civic affairs. But secret combinations are by nature secret. So while we may have suspicions or even some evidences that seem to point to their existence it would be very difficult, imo, to convince someone of them who did not already believe it. 

Years ago you could have pointed at communism and said that's it and the general public would have agreed. Now days it's not so simple. I think secret combinations work both sides of the aisle here in the US and seek to influence any major political party around the world. 

I guess I'm just uncertain what Moroni, or the Lord more specifically, had in mind when telling us to "awake" to the danger they present. Awake and do what?

I would say from verse 30, he had in mind to build Zion and prepare for the Second Coming: to do away will evil, do good continually, come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved. He also counsels us in verses 23 - 26 to search the prophecies of Isaiah (a reference to the latter-day restoration of all the keys), remember the covenant made to the Book of Mormon prophets and people upon the land (a reference to building the New Jerusalem) and the Book of Mormon itself. 

Edited August 25, 2023 by CV75

[laronius]

On 8/25/2023 at 11:37 AM, JohnsonJones said:

Epstein didn't kill himself...

I think some of the awake to our awful situation points out that we ARE in an awful situation and to do what we do in other awful situations.

When the tornadoes hit and the floods come, what do we do?  We gather our resources together, we gather ourselves together, and we prepare to survive through the onslaught.

In a similar manner, we are in the midst of this awful situation today (though it will probably get a LOT worse).  We need to gather together often in our wards and stakes.  Edify each other in the gospel and build our testimonies against the moral assaults that are attacking us and our families. 

My initial response to the Lord's command to "Awake" is to do something to fix the problem. But that may not actually be the expectation of the Lord. Do what we can, sure, but otherwise fortify ourselves for what's coming.