Anyhow she shared the difficulty of trying to teach that a person needs to step up and speak out and stop bullying when they witness it. I was shocked when she said that the kids don't really care!! They couldn't be motivated to care about someone else hurting or suffering! They had no desire, felt no obligation/inclination, to help alleviate the suffering of others!
As we talked about life for children in today's world we talked about video games and Avatars and other, all consuming tech busyness that uses up time, and allows no personal interaction.
The human toll we were describing, as a result of tech overload, suddenly hit me--we were actually describing the behavioral description of people in the last days!
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It has really made me think an assortment of thoughts....
Who would think that any of us would sit and watch someone cook on a TV show? Occasionally a chef will get a griddle/grill/skillet piping hot and sear a piece of meat.
Sear (seer) v. to scorch or burn the surface
We are fortunate to have some of the teachings given to Timothy by the Apostle Paul. In describing our latter-day time frame he mentions several things that will transpire and one is, there will be people...having their conscience seared with a hot iron... (1 Tim 1:2)
Perhaps that searing renders people being past feeling. Not able to feel the still small voice. ...And he hath spoken unto you in a still small voice, but ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel his words... (1 Nephi 17:45)
When I was growing up without the Gospel, I still knew right from wrong, within myself. No one needed to tell me what was correct in personal behavior. I just had a feeling. Thoughts. Later I came to understand that all are born with the Light of Christ, their conscience, as some call it. The Spirit.
This Spirit was prevalent in the society of my growing up. Seeming to permeate the atmosphere. We all seemed to have an understanding of good and bad. right and wrong. Not saying everyone made correct choices but we were all pretty much on the same page standard wise.
President Joseph Fielding Smith mentioned "....the Lord decreed that he would withhold his spirit from the inhabitants of the earth. (D&C 63:32-33). He had no reference to the Holy Ghost, because they never had the gift of the Holy Ghost, but he had reference to the light of truth, or Spirit of Christ, which would lead them to the truth, if they would heed it. This spirit he was withdrawing from them because of their wickedness, and the withdrawal of his spirit would bring upon them these calamities..."
Doesn't this searing of the conscience, being past feeling, and the Spirit being withdrawn, pretty much describe a setting for all of the violence we see? Isn't that the profile of most of the perpetrators?
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In mulling over and reading different articles, I read this from 1946--67 years ago! Can you imagine what he's thinking now?????
"If you think the world is getting better, just observe and witness the vulgarity and the near-approach to indecency that we find published in some pictorial magazines, and so frequently on the screen. Think of the corruption and the debasing conditions due to the indulgence in liquor and tobacco and other narcotics and drugs. Think of the immorality which is so prevalent throughout the country."
Joseph Fielding Smith- CR April 1946
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