What would a leader like Josiah look like in today’s world? A man who found God’s law as an adult, let it humble his heart to true mourning, used his position of power for swift change, then replaced man’s law with God’s law and destroyed every remnant of the former “to dust”? Josiah’s story in this week’s Come Follow Me lesson is remarkable. Just as astonishing is the fact that the people followed.
Today, what if that man were a political leader? Would he be called radical, insane, intolerant, abusive, terrifying? If that man were a spiritual leader? More obligingly, would we say he’s out of touch, old fashioned, uninformed, fallible? Either way, would we follow?
What businesses, forms of entertainment, leisure, institutions would be “dust” as a result?
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, our attitudes about modern proclamations are probably good indicators. Proclamations are rare, six have been issued in the history of the restored church.
One that impacts much of our culture is “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” Of this, President Oaks said “I believe our attitude toward and use of the family proclamation is one of those tests for this generation. I pray for all Latter-day Saints to stand firm in that test. I testify that the proclamation on the family is a statement of eternal truth, the will of the Lord for His children. It has been the basis of Church teaching and practice [since issued] and will continue so for the future. Consider it as such, teach it, live by it, and you will be blessed.”
We know from the biblical account, King Josiah didn’t demand change, he inspired it. “And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.” (2Kin23:3)
Let’s stand to the covenant like our ancient brothers and sisters. Let’s stand with our righteous leaders and their proclamations.
Week 29: Finding the Family in Come, Follow Me (2 Kings 17-25)
