"And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim:
And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger."
Judges 2:10-12
The new generation that "knew not the Lord" reminds me of Exodus 1:8 when "there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph." Also, in Fourth Nephi we read that they made it over 100 years after Christ appeared to them without contention, and it seems like it doesn't start going really bad until after 200 years (see 4 Nephi 1:18-26). It seems like a serious problem throughout history, that we don't learn the lessons that our ancestors learned, no matter how painful or memorable those lessons were.
I don't think that there is any one thing to blame for all of this. We as parents probably need to tell better stories to our children (read: bear testimony), and help them understand spiritual experiences that we have had and how important they are to us. We need to do better on setting an example and on strengthening our own testimonies so that we don't pass on doubts, fears, reluctance, and resistance to our children rather than confidence, love, and faith in God. On the other hand, we as children could probably do a *lot* better about listening and trying to understand other perspectives besides our own, and on learning to develop our own relationships with God rather than seeing God as just another absent authority figure.
I don't know if all of that would solve things permanently... the only very righteous / perfect society that I know of that did NOT fall apart was the City of Enoch (also known as Zion), and it was taken up into heaven (see Moses 7:18-21), but it couldn't hurt, right? :) That kind of generational progress is basically what we are working for, because the city of Enoch is supposed to come back one day, and since God lived there with the people, it is the closest idea we have of what heaven will be like. So our task is to retain our lessons longer than the Israelites and the Nephites were able to do, and relearn whatever lessons we can from God and his gospel, and move the work (and ourselves, our society, etc.) forward so we can be ready to live in a better society... not necessarily more advanced technologically, but surpassing us vastly in the spirituality department. And on the technology, who knows. I mean, with that kind of faith the Brother of Jared had stones as light sources and Lehi was given the Liahona, so they might be beyond us in that way as well.
Today, let's try to learn the lessons that our parents and other ancestors learned so that we don't have to live through them again. Let's ask the questions about why people believe what they believe, and really listen and think. And when we get questions like that, let's be ready with a real answer (1 Peter 3:15). Let's also study our scriptural *and* world history and talk with God about the lessons that we should learn. Let's do everything we can to not regress--to not force God to teach us an old lesson the hardest way. Let's move forward, learning new lessons, and writing in our journals or recording them another way so that our experiences can also help others. Let's try to help each other towards some real progress, in all ways, but especially spiritually.
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim:
And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger."
Judges 2:10-12
The new generation that "knew not the Lord" reminds me of Exodus 1:8 when "there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph." Also, in Fourth Nephi we read that they made it over 100 years after Christ appeared to them without contention, and it seems like it doesn't start going really bad until after 200 years (see 4 Nephi 1:18-26). It seems like a serious problem throughout history, that we don't learn the lessons that our ancestors learned, no matter how painful or memorable those lessons were.
I don't think that there is any one thing to blame for all of this. We as parents probably need to tell better stories to our children (read: bear testimony), and help them understand spiritual experiences that we have had and how important they are to us. We need to do better on setting an example and on strengthening our own testimonies so that we don't pass on doubts, fears, reluctance, and resistance to our children rather than confidence, love, and faith in God. On the other hand, we as children could probably do a *lot* better about listening and trying to understand other perspectives besides our own, and on learning to develop our own relationships with God rather than seeing God as just another absent authority figure.
I don't know if all of that would solve things permanently... the only very righteous / perfect society that I know of that did NOT fall apart was the City of Enoch (also known as Zion), and it was taken up into heaven (see Moses 7:18-21), but it couldn't hurt, right? :) That kind of generational progress is basically what we are working for, because the city of Enoch is supposed to come back one day, and since God lived there with the people, it is the closest idea we have of what heaven will be like. So our task is to retain our lessons longer than the Israelites and the Nephites were able to do, and relearn whatever lessons we can from God and his gospel, and move the work (and ourselves, our society, etc.) forward so we can be ready to live in a better society... not necessarily more advanced technologically, but surpassing us vastly in the spirituality department. And on the technology, who knows. I mean, with that kind of faith the Brother of Jared had stones as light sources and Lehi was given the Liahona, so they might be beyond us in that way as well.
Today, let's try to learn the lessons that our parents and other ancestors learned so that we don't have to live through them again. Let's ask the questions about why people believe what they believe, and really listen and think. And when we get questions like that, let's be ready with a real answer (1 Peter 3:15). Let's also study our scriptural *and* world history and talk with God about the lessons that we should learn. Let's do everything we can to not regress--to not force God to teach us an old lesson the hardest way. Let's move forward, learning new lessons, and writing in our journals or recording them another way so that our experiences can also help others. Let's try to help each other towards some real progress, in all ways, but especially spiritually.
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