O Ye Fair Ones

As I was sitting in my van during Ward Conference, letting my little one take I nap, I turned to my scripture studies, as I usually do and found myself immersed in Mormon. He talks about the wickedness and struggles of his people and their unwillingness to acknowledge the Lord's hand in their lives. Their pride leads them to believe that their triumphs are their own, and their struggles are their own, and they refuse to call upon him for help. The destruction is quick (a matter of a few verses, although it spans a 20 year time frame) and there is not much else to be said about those people. I was heart-broken. I thought to myself, how sad. How sad that they just could not see. How sad that they chose to stomp their feet and dig in their heels and grunt and groan, rather than weep, and plead, and rejoice, knowing there was someone out there who just waiting to help them. Seek, ask, knock.
And then I read this:
Mormon 6:17-20
"O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord! O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus who stood with open arms to receive you!
Behold, if ye had not done this, ye would not have fallen. But behold, ye are fallen, and I mourn your loss.
O ye fair sons and daughters, ye fathers and mothers, ye husbands and wives, ye fair ones, how is it that ye could have fallen!
But behold, ye are gone, and my sorrows cannot bring your return."
And I felt it. I felt Mormon's pleadings and heartache. They weren't just wicked people. They were his people. Fathers, Mothers, Sons, Daughters, Husbands, Wives.
I've also been preparing a Relief Society Lesson these past few weeks and I came across this scripture:
Moses 7:29 And Enoch said unto the Lord: How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?
30-And were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea millions of earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy creations; and thy curtains are stretched out still; and yet thou art there, and thy bosom is there; and also thou art just; thou art merciful and kind forever;
31-...how is it that thou canst weep?
32-The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency;
33-And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood."
How terrible. And from all this, I take to myself that I must always remember to be grateful. To turn to the Lord in all things. I see his hand in my life daily and I'm glad it is there. He has made millions of creations, and yet he is there for me. And His arms are stretched out to me.
Some days I feel burdened, but I can't imagine the weight of my burden if I was alone. And I'm glad I don't have to. In the end, I want the Lord to say of me, "O ye fair one - well done, and welcome home."