In the Strength of the Lord

I do NOT usually care about politics. Ask Ren. Many times I've told him, "You figure out who and what we're voting for and make me a cheat sheet." It's a little embarrassing, but Ren is thorough and open-minded and I trust him. With a presidential election coming up though, the candidates and the issues are permeating even my world of ignorant bliss and I must say I've been pretty troubled by the choices. It seems that the presidential candidates have sunk to a new low in personal character.

This election circus has sparked memories from teaching a year-long class to our homeschool co-op several years ago. I remember passionately teaching these kids about their country which was founded by good men who believed in, and received, help from the providence of God. These men created a government that they knew would work IF the public was educated and would elect virtuous leaders who had integrity and wisdom. I'm just not seeing a whole lot of that among the pickings on either side today.

With this swirling in my thoughts, I came upon some scriptures in the Book of Mormon that really caught my attention yesterday. In 1 Nephi 13: 16-19 it reads:

"16 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity, [the colonists from Europe] did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them.

17 And I beheld that their mother Gentiles [the British] were gathered together upon the waters, and upon the land also, to battle against them.

18 And I beheld that the power of God was with them, and also that the wrath of God was upon all those that were gathered together against them to battle.

19 And I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles that had gone out of captivity were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations."

As I read this, I tried to picture candidates, from either side, being elected President. I attempted to see them humbling themselves before the Lord and receiving his help -- impossible. I thought of the times in the scriptures that the people became so weak-minded they begged for a king instead of righteous judges and God gave them what they wanted -- to their downfall. I thought of the promise that as long as the people are righteous they will be preserved in the land.

And the conclusion to all of this formed in my mind -- if the people of this country elect someone who is the complete antithesis of a George Washington or a John Adams in integrity, wisdom and virtue, then it indicates our country as a whole has fallen to a level of weak-mindedness that will lead to our downfall. God will no longer preserve this country if its leaders don't care to ask Him to anymore. And the time is coming when we will find ourselves with the nations of the earth turning on us and no divine providence to help. We'll be left to our own strength and will find that the strength of this nation was never our own, it was God's.