Commandments & Civic Responsibility

Here are some thoughts as I read Mosiah 29:
*Verse 10- We also need to be mindful and do those things which will promote peace. We can learn from the past (be it our own past mistakes or the mistakes of others) to change our ways now and in the future.
*Verse 17- One wicked leader can bring down an entire nation. Leaders are an important organ in the body of a nation. Leaders are at the heart. We elect those leaders. We have a responsibility to choose the best leaders that abide by our standards and will lead the people to higher ground, rather than to murky swamps.
*Verse 22- It’s hard to get a leader out of power who also has powerful friends. We should beware of giving someone too much power, for fear that that person could remain a leader by means of abusing his/her power. Leaders sometimes have powerful friends and powerful agendas.
*Verse 25- Judges are chosen by the voice of the people… if the voice of the people becomes wicked, so do the judges.
*Verse 30- Having many leaders elected by the people means that the choices of the people are answered on their own heads.
*Verse 40- King Mosiah was a righteous king, revered by his people for his honesty and for the way in which he ruled. He was a humble man more interested in the rights of his people than in his own power. We can learn a lot from him as a leader.
*Verse 45- It says that Alma the Elder “lived to fulfill the commandments of God.” Let us hope that that may be said of us as we pass from this life to the next!

WAYS I CAN IMPROVE:
*Mosiah was a faithful, positive leader. Because of his example, humility, and kindness, he helped set up a system that would improve the lives of the people. We see here the importance of our own system and the responsibility that is placed on our own heads for the leaders we elect and the actions that we take. I want to do more research in order to make sure I understand the implications of how I vote.
*I want to work hard to promote peace with those around me. I want to keep the commandments of God, for I know that in keeping His commandments, I am protected from so many hardships and sins. I’m grateful for the commandments and guidelines Heavenly Father has set forth to protect us and to help us know the way to have His spirit to always be with us. I know that by following His spirit, I will be a peacemaker, I will be able to help the lives of others. I look forward to serving and helping others.