Optimism

On Sunday some girls from my relief society and I were talking outside (shocker)! We got on the topic of the growth of the church, and it's future. We first started talking about China, and what an amazing day it will be when China is finally opened up and allowed to hear the good message of the gospel. When that day does come though, we are going to need SO many missionaries. Basically all the missionaries we have out now across the whole world will be necessary, just to fill China! Think about how many more of Heavenly Father's children will have the opportunity to hear the gospel then! But also I think about how many more young men and women we will need who are willing to serve missions. I then started thinking though about something my Science professor told me. He mentioned that BYU-Idaho had just purchased a huge chunk of land to expand onto, and that in a recent meeting, the school announced that by 2020 they hope to be educating 80,000 students (on campus and online) a semester! The reason for this dramatic expansion is because there is a HUGE influx of 18 year old kids coming up in the next 5-10 years, numbers like we've never seen before! When I heard this my heart was so excited for several reasons a) look at how many kids will be able to receive an education b) think about how many more young men we will be able to send on missions, and how much the church will grow as a result of these missions, but then I had another thought, these generations are going to be faced with SO MUCH TEMPTATION. With such a bright future in the church, the adversary is going to working harder than ever to halt the progression, and that starts with the youth, I just hope that they can make it! One thing we talked a lot about what the spirit of entitlement that has corrupted so many of us. I know I am guilty of it, and it's only getting worse! Nobody wants to work for anything anymore, we all want easy fixes and answers to everything! We all feel like we are more deserving than the next...how is this going to improve the quality of the church? It's not! Satan is attacking in small and subtle means, not through serious sin, but through character traits, and simple thoughts in our brains. I hope these young men coming up in the church are prepared to go on these missions and to thrust in their sickle, and to work hard!
All of this being said, it makes me so nervous to raise children in a world that is becoming so corrupt!  But then I remembered that there is one thing that gives us hope, and that is that we already knows who wins! It's not a matter of picking sides, it's a matter of hanging on and enduring with all your might! I know that the future of the world is sketchy, and that my kids will be faced with so much adversity, but I also know that the Lord has saved his best spirits for last, and that I have been taught well, and that if I just teach my children correct principles, that they will govern themselves in righteousness (or so we hope.)
I guess I just have a bright outlook on the future. I don't know what hardships are in store for members of the church, or what trials we are going to have to overcome, but I know that there is so many good things that ARE happening, and will continue to happen. It's a beautiful life, and I have faith that the Lord is watching out for His sons and daughters, we have so much to be optimistic about!