MAY WE EVER LEARN

On my way to the Newport Beach Temple last Saturday morning I was listening to a Memories album produced by Reader’s Digest. The song written by Pete Seeger in the early 1960’s and performed by the Kingston Trio was playing. There were other golden oldies which played as I finished my drive, but my thoughts were stuck on this dramatic folk song.

Where have all the flowers gone? Long time passing. Where have all the flowers gone? Long time ago. Where have all the flowers gone? Young girls picked them, ev'ry one. When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?

Where have all the young girls gone? Long time passing. Where have all the young girls gone? Long time ago. Where have all the young girls gone? They are all in uniform. When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?

Where have all the young men gone? Long time passing. Where have all the young men gone? Long time ago. Where have all the young men gone? Gone to soldiers ev'ry one. When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?

Where have all the soldiers gone? Long time passing. Where have all the soldiers gone? Long time ago.
Where have all the soldiers gone? Gone to graveyards, ev'ry one. When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?

Where have all the graveyards gone? Long time passing. Where have all the graveyards gone? Long time ago. Where have all the graveyards gone? Covered in flowers, ev'ry one. When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?

Where have all the flowers gone? Oooh oooh. Where have all the flowers gone? Long time ago.
Where have all the flowers gone? Young girls picked them ev'ry one. When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?

By the time I reached the doors of the Temple I had mentally inventoried the nations of the globe and had pretty much covered the world in red. I was struck with the reality that during my life the tragedies of war and conflict had been poured out upon all of Heavenly Father’s children. None had escaped viewing the brutal deaths of loved ones and fellow citizens.

In my mind I had made a list of all the causes of the tragedy which had been inflicted upon the inhabitants of the world through the ages. Desire for power – lust for wealth – hatred – prejudices – misrepresentations of religious purposes – misguided understanding of one’s importance - etc.

There was no doubt that we were caught in the vicious cycle of going from collecting flowers to collecting flowers. In clarity, the truth that ‘we have never learned’ blazed in my brain. I also realized the commission the Lord gave to the church through the Prophet Joseph Smith, to proclaim peace and denounce war, was falling far short of being fulfilled. (Doctrine and Covenants 98:16, 17 and Doctrine and Covenants 105:38-40)

As I prepared to perform my sealing duties I realized I needed to have a different frame of mind if I was going to enjoy the spiritual awakenings which often attend the performance of these ordinances. I decided to concentrate on the people who were performing the ordinances and also those for whom the ordinances were being performed.

I soon realized that hearts were being turned between the living towards those who had passed on and were awaiting the performance of those ordinances on their behalf, but I also felt the feelings of the hearts of those present in the room being turned toward one another.

I mentally started taking note of the nations which were represented in the work being performed during that hour in that wondrous building. My mind flew across the continents as I ticked off North and South America, Europe, Africa, Australia, the isles of the sea. We were all there united and of one heart, doing our part for our brothers and sisters who likewise came from places nearby and far away.

As I inventoried the variety of beautiful faces and imagined the faces of those for whom the work was being performed a new list of why we were there uniting our hearts, filled my soul. Love of brothers and sisters – absence of prejudices – blindness to pigmentation of skin – no political contentions – social status’ made mute – etc.
In one short hour the hearts of hundreds of the sons and daughters of Heavenly Parents had become knit in an eternally significant way.

Even though my sampling was too small to be statistically significant, the thought quickly came into my mind that this short couple of hours of my life was being duplicated 8-14 hours each day, five days a week, 48 weeks a year in 145 Temples scattered around the world. The multiplying of the numbers made me realize that these gatherings could not in any way be considered insignificant.

The concept of proclaiming peace took on a new and expanded meaning and I realized that we were indeed working at fulfilling the commission to unite the children of God, which the Lord had placed upon us in this Latter Day preparatory period.

May we ever learn! May we ever learn!