Scriptures come to life

I tried to quickly find a quote I love by Elder Maxwell about-- we are spiritual beings having a human experience.  I think not to long ago I read someone else saying something similar.  I couldn't find it and unfortunately my mind couldn't pull the location out of it's slender memory bank. 

When I see so much devastation nationally and then heartache and suffering both with strangers and friends on personal trials....I remind myself-- this is a part of the plan.  These events are a part of the winding up scene.

The first year I taught the Book of Mormon, my CES supervisor told us that it parallels the coming events of the last days.  He said it wouldn't be exactly as the Book of Mormon in order of events etc. etc. but the described destruction would be a part of the last days.

At the time, we looked through some of those happenings in 3rd Nephi 8 -- storms, winds, thunder, lightnings, cities on fire, earth moved upon cities, whirlwinds, earthquakes, cities sunk into the sea, exceedingly great damage to cities that remained, people disappearing and not found, the face of the earth deformed, and on and on.  Beyond imagination.

We then read in D&C 88: 87-92   That the Lord tries to reach people through his messengers, through their testimonies, and if that falls on deaf ears then an outpouring of  natural calamities "testimony"-will come into our lives including the voice of the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds  (vs 90) 

When I first read those accounts in 3rd Nephi and D&C 88, I could not imagine, other than frequent Alaskan tremors/earthquakes and a river overflowing during breakup, what that would be like.  Our world used to be so limited in it's connection and now I can witness destruction/suffering first hand 24/7.

When I read- 88:91 And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men's hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people, it sounds like today's world!

I remember how united our world, our country, all of us were after 9/11 and all the flags displayed and kindness and generosity and love and concern.  I wondered how long that feeling would last.  Not long enough!

These tragic situations seem to rally us for a particle of time and then it fades.  An ebb and flow just like the water that can be so helpful or destructive, depending on how it's channeled.

I calm myself in remembering...Gen. Conference was peaceful in tone.  Encouraging me to do better and be better and endure.  There was nothing scary.  My belief in Prophets, living Prophets, just anchors me and gives me solace, peace and confidence that the Lord is well aware of all that is going on in this beautiful world, that I love.  I do a mental checklist on my own personal preparedness of practical necessities and express thankfulness for direction to weather the storms of life.

I pray.