March 10, 2006: Friday – Work with the System

I had a wonderful morning after getting past a panic attack! Feelings and thoughts loomed up like ugly snake heads: Surgery is to be a week from today! One short week.... seven days. Count them: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven days! Am I as healthy as I can possibly be? Has everything been done that could be done? Still fretting, I knelt in prayer. Recalled to me were all my blessings and it calmed me down.

I picked up the Book of Mormon to read it. It fell open somewhere towards the end of the book, to Ether 9. Hmmm. I don't remember anything remarkable about this chapter but let's just go with it and see if there's any specific message for me, here and now, today. Little did I know!

Chapter 9 talks about a people (King Omer and all) who left their homeland because insurgents (in the form of the king's rebellious son) had overtaken the government via the implementation of a 'wicked and secret society.' For the next three generations, the two peoples lived apart. The king's people - they who were righteous - lived long and prospered.

Ether 9:21-22:
And Emer (another of the king's sons) did execute judgment in righteousness all his days, and he begat Coriantum... and anointed Coriantum to reign in his stead.' (The rebellious, however, did not live long or peacefully.)

And after he (Emer) had anointed Coriantum (his son, - 3rd generation) to reign in his stead, he lived four years; and he saw peace in the land; yea, and he even saw the Son of Righteousness, and did rejoice and glory in his day; and he died in peace.

What about the 'secret society' that separated these two peoples? They are described as 'secret combinations' (like the Mafia) with 'oaths given them who sought power' for the purpose of getting power and gain; which societies seek to 'overthrow the freedom of all lands.' One readily thinks of government conspiracies ("One World Order") but might there also be other conspiracies such as powerful drug and pharmaceutical companies that tie medical doctor's hands? How can any good man (like my doctor) wish to be a part of them, if this supposition is even partly true?

After pondering this question, I reasoned that a good man (or woman) who desires to do the most good for the most people most of the time would do well to become a doctor (nurse, etc.) and that if the 'system' is corrupt - a little or a lot - it is much more effective to work within the system to change things than outside of it. To date, we have much, much to be thankful for regarding the medical community, not the least reason of which is the many advances made in diagnostic instruments that help pinpoint disease and because of early detection, help more people to live long and prosperous lives.