We Shall Be Free

I really enjoy my drive to and from school. Today I was listening to the radio and this song by Garth Brooks came on. I had heard it before, but never really paid attention to the lyrics until today, and when I did, I loved them! What a great song. It really goes along with a lot of the kinds of things we talk about in my classes. And the kinds of things we talk about in my family too. So here's the lyrics:

This ain't comin' from no prophet
Just an ordinary man
When I close my eyes I see
The way this world shall be
When we all walk hand in hand

When the last child cries for a crust of bread,
When the last man dies for just words that he said,
When there's shelter over the poorest head,
We shall be free,

When the last thing we notice is the color of skin,
And the first thing we look for is the beauty within,
When the skies and the oceans are clean again,
Then we shall be free,

We shall be free,
We shall be free,
So stand straight,
Walk proud,
'Cause we shall be free,

When we're free to love anyone we choose,
When this worlds big enough for all different views,
When we're all free to worship from our own kind of pew,
Then we shall be free,

We shall be free,
We shall be free,
Have a little faith,
Hold out,
'Cause we shall be free,

And when money talks for the very last time,
And nobody walks a step behind,
When there's only one race and that's mankind,
Then we shall be free,

We shall be free,
Listen to what I'm saying to you,
We shall be free,
Cause every night and day I pray it's true,
Together,
Forever,
We shall be free,

We shall be free,
We shall be free,
Stand straight,
Have a little faith,
Walk proud,
Hold out,

We shall be free,
Listen to what I'm sayin' to you,
We shall be free,
Every night and day I pray it's true,
Together,
Forever,
We shall be free


I also heard this song, which I had never heard before, called Dancing in Circles.

Well I don't understand why,
We do what we do to each other.
According to His word,
We're all born sisters and brothers.

But we lie and we steal,
We fight and we kill,
Even though we know the way...

Why do we go dancing in circles,
When we know it never ends?
We come so close,
To loving each other and then...
we go dancing in circles again.

All through the ages,
We try to share this world together.
Turning the pages,
Pretending we'll live here forever

But we'll have to face,
Our maker someday,
And reap what we've sown all the way...

Why do we go dancing in circles,
When we know it never ends?
We come so close,
To loving each other and then...
We go dancing in circles again.

And we know, how so,
Why can't we just get it right?
And I pray, someday,
We'll overcome all the damage we've done,
And we'll fly...

Why do we go dancing in circles,
When we know it never ends?
We come so close,
So close to living as friends,
To loving each other,
Like sisters and brothers and then...
We go dancing in circles again.


My question is this: do YOU believe that "we shall be free" and that we will actually stop "dancing in circles" once we learn how to "live as friends and love each other?" Do you think that day will come? In your lifetime? How long will it last?

I couldn't help but think of the account in The Book of Mormon where this actually did occur among the people. "There were no contentions and disputations among them and every man did deal justly one with another. They had all things common among them; therefore they were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift." After a hundred years had passed of living in this state, the people were still living this lovingly! "There was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people. There were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God. There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God." (4 Nephi 1:2-3, 15-17)

So, this is like the greatest dream of my heart, to live in this kind of loving prosperity. This is what I think of when I think of living in Zion. And my belief is that "Zion" starts by being created within my own heart, then my own home and from there, it spreads out to the relationships that I share with others. I believe it! I get excited by this thought. I really do believe that "we shall be free!" In 4th Nephi, the account says these people kept it up for a good 200 years. I intend to keep it up for my entire life!! Granted, that won't be 200 years, but by passing this way of living on to the next generation, my hope is that it will spread out a little farther and that somewhere on down the road, we will finally learn to love.