This has been my mantra the last few months: Fortify my city.
It all evolved,when in Institute a few months ago, my good friend, Lindsay talked about Alma 58 and she discussed it with a different spin: the importance of waiting on the Lord's time table. I was so impressed by that chapter that I read it for a week straight. Then, after perusing more of the war chapters in the Book of Mormon, I suddenly saw the war chapters in a different light. In the past, I have speedily read through the chapters, racing toward Helaman and the coming of the Savior to the Nephites on the American continent. This time, however, I savored each chapter; writing down notes and applications to my life. Hence, fortifying my city.
This mantra has really changed the way I see things and it has emphasized my understanding that there are times and seasons in everyone's life. To put it in the war chapter lingo, there are times to fight and there are times to prepare. Most of us won't take up arms like the Nephites and literally fight enemies. And most of us aren't preparing our homes to defend ourselves from invaders. Yet, both of them occur today, just differently from the past.
There are times in my life when things are just happening. They are busy, crazy times when I am faced with an onslaught of decisions and plans of action. I am called upon to act now. I often feel like my school year is a time for action. I am fighting the perils of education and striving to make an active difference in the lives of my students. These times can be exciting, filled with wonder, joy, spontaneity, and unexpected circumstances.
Then there are times of preparation. A time to reflect, mull, think, pray, record, ponder, etc...These times are often slower, things may not be happening as you hope or expect but they can be foundational as you accept this pace of life and decide to thrive.
I think "fighting" and preparing do often occur concurrently. But in some aspects of life, they trade off with each other. While fighting may be waning, preparation mode comes into play and vice-versa (everyone is different).
At this time, my life is in full preparation mode; my time to fortify my city. In the war chapters it discusses how the Nephites were commanded to
"commence in digging up heaps of earth round about all the cities...[Moroni] caused that there should be timbers...he caused towers to be erected that overlooked those works of pickets, and he caused places of security to be built upon those towers" (Alma 50:1-4). Additionally, the Nephites also wore breastplates, armshields, and head plates to protect them from getting hurt in "
the more vital parts of the body" (See Alma 43:38).
The Nephites were ultimately successful in their wars against the Lamanites because they were prepared. They did not slacken their strength during the quiet times of the war but they actively strategized, served, trusted, kept the commandments, taught their children, and made covenants. They were no lazy civilization, that's for sure!!
And you know what happened??!!! As it says in Alma 50 "
There never was a happier time among the people of Nephi, since the days of Nephi, than in the days of Moroni." I have pondered why this was the case in the last few months and my conclusion is this: They were happy because they were being busy in their preparations. Not only temporally, but spiritually. Ultimately "
they were faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord" (Alma 50:22). As a result, they prospered in the land! (see Alma 62:51)
So do you want to be happy? Do I want to be happy? Yes you do. Yes I do. How? The answer is simple. Prepare. Fortify. Keep the commandments. Serve. Trust. Keep and make covenants. Stay busy doing worthwhile tasks. Trust in the Lord's delivering power. And the length of your individual war, whatever it may be, can allow you "
to be softened because of [your] afflictions, insomuch that [you] did humble yourselves before God, even in the depth of humility."
That's my goal and this is my desire. No fighting may be going on in my life. I may not be called to action. But in the meantime I can prepare and serve, love and uplift, pray and read, make goals and accomplish them, and the list continues. As I have kept this perspective in mind, I have been happy.
Whatever stage you're in: wartime or preparation time, you can be happy. And if you're in one of those preparation modes like me, just rememeber that all will be well. The Lord provides and in His perfect timing, deliverance will come.
In the meantime, get busy fortifying your city.
