Tear It All Down and Start Over
The prophet Jeremiah was given the commission from the Lord “to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down” and then to “build and plant.” Because Israel had become so corrupt and had lost sight of the purpose of the covenants that they celebrated with empty ceremonies and celebrations, Jeremiah had the sad task of overseeing the demolition of his people.
Prophets are sometimes the only ones who can see when things have gone out of bounds. When I say prophets, I mean all of the people who have the gift of prophecy, not just those who are called to speak publicly for God. I am positive that Jeremiah was not the only one who saw what was coming. Lehi and Mulek in the Book of Mormon were two more, and there were doubtless many, many others that we don’t know about.
When you think of the drastic changes the people of Israel suffered, you realize how far gone they must have been for the Lord to allow it all to happen. They were taken from their homes and became less than second-class citizens in a foreign land. They lost their places of worship, their culture was uprooted, and doubtless, families were torn apart. I can imagine some even betraying their people in an attempt to win favor with their captors. Their former lives were but painful memories.
Nothing had changed with God. He was still willing to accept those who remained true and faithful to the covenant, but the outward practices had to be turned inward. Only those who could see the meanings behind the ceremonial actions, clothing, and sacrifices would be able to receive the promised blessings.
So it is in our time: only those who allow the Lord to “put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.” will be able to stand. These are they who have their house in order. All those whose hearts are set upon the things of the world will have their houses torn down and will be taken captive until they are prepared to return to God.
Fortunately, personal renovations can happen relatively quickly. The Lord will welcome you back with open arms in a loving embrace when you have a change of heart and change your deviant course. However, changing is challenging and is more than simple intention. While desire and intention are rewarded, they are not enough; it is like building a house on a crumbling foundation. If you think your personal foundation is solid, it can continually be strengthened. Think about the renovation of the Salt Lake temple and how even the enormous granite blocks used for the original foundation could be reinforced to be even better.
We all have times when we go through the motions of church attendance and participation in the sacrament ordinance. There are many weeks when I have gone to church and eaten a small piece of bread and swallowed a tiny cup of water, and the effect of that kind of effort is nothing and maybe worse. On the other hand, if we participate in the meetings and take the sacrament knowing that we require the broken body and the spilled blood of a perfect being to atone for our sins, not only does that shore up our foundations, it beautifies the entire structure of our lives.
If you have lived in a home for an extended time, it is common to miss little things that need repair because we are accustomed to how they become over time. If scrutinized, our daily routines and habits are probably in disrepair. We tend to make little modifications and workarounds in our behaviors to avoid the significant work our problems and shortcomings require to be rectified. If you wait long enough to make repairs on a home, other issues arise, and soon it is better to tear it down and rebuild.
We are currently in a society that is losing its way. Societal problems are not easily solved and may take a generation or two to be resolved. A worldwide plan is being implemented by a small group of the world’s elite known as the great reset. The stated goals of this movement do not align with any concepts of personal or national sovereignty and are antithetical to moral agency. While some aspects of society are in serious disrepair, this approach of tearing everything is not good.
As with ancient Israel being taken captive because they broke the covenant, we are in danger of the same fate. It is time to look at things with fresh eyes and discern between good and evil. We can no longer accept the evil being called good, nor can we sit down when good is being called evil. This cannot happen until we can speak freely and act following the divine conscience with which we have been blessed.
The tools we have at our disposal are the same ones given to Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Moses, namely covenants. Although the covenants are administered in different ways at different times, they are always founded on the same principles, which are:
Keeping the commandments of God
Obeying the words of the prophets
Living the law of sacrifice
Living the higher law taught by Jesus Christ
Keeping ourselves morally clean and keeping our appetites in check
Being willing to give our all to the cause of God.
I hope we will not have to tear everything down in our personal lives or society. If we do have to start over, it is our fault. One thing that should give us hope is found in Jeremiah 30:11, which reads, “For I am with thee, saith the Lord, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.”
So, it is up to each of us whether or not we take care of the little things before they become unmanageable, and we have to tear it all down and start over.