Visualizing Helaman 4:12-15 As the World Today, Makes this Scripture Real to Me

I imagine Helaman 4:12-15 to be like modern day. When I try to use the visualization technique, I imagine I can see the pride in our hearts in the world around us, and the riches we have as a people been blessed with.  I see many people hungry or homeless, on the streets for whatever reason, and being ignored or not helped.  I can see people mocking our beliefs and not understanding the things we as a church hold sacred.  I see many people not believing in prophecy or revelation anymore, and attend other churches or don’t believe our church can have these things.  In our country I  read the news about much murdering, stealing.  Even TV programing show the benefits of lying to your parents, and that it is ok to commit adultery if it works out better in the end. 

Knowing all this scares me a little when I continue to read this section of scripture and then imagine seeing that the Nephites were left to their own strength, because of their boasting of their own strength, until they are driven from their lands and lose all possessions.  This bothers me because, as a society I see many depend on themselves, and even myself somethings feel I can do things alone without the help from God.  At the same time, I understand the importance of following his will, and depending on him and the atonement to get me through the day to day trials, and temptations that plague our mortal existence. 

There is comfort in knowing that repentance is possible, and just as Moronihah, Lehi, and Nephi preached onto the people, and talked to them about their sins and iniquities, that they did repent and began to prosper in the land once more.  I like knowing that we are also blessed with forgiveness, and if we sincerely feel sorrow, and repent, we also will be blessed and prosper spiritually.

Visualization made this section of scripture more real to me personally.  I could feel and see the different things happening to us today, and it allowed me to relate to this section better, rather than just read it and think about this happening 1000’s of years ago, to a people I can’t relate to.